Editorial

MNAWF Executive Committee 2002/2004

Poster for Education & Awareness

Lawatan ke Ladang Ostrich

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Pretty Maids All In A Row

Public Seminar Human – Animal Interaction: The Bond

Pretty Maids All In A Row
By Anna Edward

When we had Allison and her two kittens, Tony and Tiny, spayed we weren't prepared for the callousness of the local government veterinary personnel. But then again, this was Kota Bahru in the 70's!

The vet's assistant, a family friend, brought back three totally unconscious, shivering masses of fur that were drenched in a pink substance that looked suspiciously like diluted blood. “My goodness!” mum exclaimed. “What's happened to them?”

The vet's assistant rather flippantly assured us that this was the norm. “Just throw them in the bathroom tonight and shut the door. They'll be fine in the morning,” this parting shot said on his way out so he thankfully didn't notice the look of horror my mum gave him.

By this time, my dad had returned from work and he was equally distressed at the sight of the three cats that had been brought up to be a part of the family. The first thing we did was to cover them up with some towels so that they wouldn't feel the chill. Then my dad suggested dimming the lights to prevent damage to their eyes, which were glassy and wide open.

Next, we had to decide where to put them until the anaesthetic wore off. This was when my dad had one of his brilliant brainwaves. “Let's tuck in the mosquito netting firmly around the bed and then leave them inside to recover. That way, even when they start stumbling around, they won't get hurt.” For the uninitiated, fine muslin netting was strung from a framework above the bed and brought down at night like a canopy to keep mosquitoes out.

The idea worked perfectly and by morning, all three of them were up and about safely bouncing off the netting and onto the mattress.

When they were quite steady, we took them out to give them some water to drink, which was quite gratefully received. Then came part two of the problem. How did we ensure that the wound stayed dry and clean and that the cats didn't start disturbing the wound or trying to pull the stitches out?

The vet had given us a powder to sprinkle over the wound and he had told us to let nature take its course. But that didn't satisfy my parents.

My dad, the engineer, decided to design a suitable bandage for the cats. Mum was delegated to the production department - her job being to cut and stitch the finished product.

The first prototype, a rectangle with ties on both ends, was a disaster. Within minutes of use, the bandage had scrunched up in the centre of the body leaving the wound exposed. It was back to the drawing board.

By the time the prototype had been modified for the third or fourth time, we managed to get a satisfactory result — although I'm quite sure the cats didn't think so!

This bandage had a gusset that went in between the legs stopping at the base of the tail with ties that followed suit and tied above each hind leg. The front ties went across the shoulder blades ensuring a snug fit from head to tail. Additional ribbons tied along the backbone firmly held the antiseptic powder in place.

The problem was that with all that material and strings running in between their hind legs, the cats were forced to walk with an ungainly ‘feet apart' gait that had us in stitches. Sitting down was also a very careful process.

Mum had used my brothers blue striped pyjamas for the bandages and the colourful ribbons running across each cat's back totally stopped traffic in front of our house for a good week.

The good news was that all the wounds healed nicely with no sign of infection whatsoever.

Although I've had cats spayed since without having to resort to the use of home made bandages, I've often thought of the dedication and effort my parents put in to ensuring that our cats healed safely.