Junior's Story...

Good Morning Meg,

If you ever need a poster-child then Junior (Hunter) is your man. He's a very special boy. As such, he requires some special attention. His energy has been boundless. We've been able to trap some of that energy for use in other things. His favorite treats are freeze-dried anchovies we got for him at Christmas. For his "kipper-treats" he will stand on his hind legs (with his front paws on my hand...his back legs aren't super strong) and walk a bit, sit, lay-down (flat on belly with his legs stretched out front and back), roll-over, and jump onto my bent knee and stand up from there...all from voice command and most without it. However, my favorite tricks are (1) giving me a "five", (2) using my knee as a scratching post without claws(we kept his claws, but taught him not to use them in certain situations) and (3) training him to say "Mama" for dinner.

No one believes the "mama" thing until they see it for themselves. You remember how pathetic his voice was? Turns out it was only so bad 'cuz he'd just wake-up and then use it immediately/frequently in the search for attention. We had to train him that life was no longer "desperate." Thus, no need to yell. His voice is a lot better now and only sounds like that when he first wakes up. Besides that, his Vet (Dr. Lisa Takes of Starch Animal Hospital and University West Pet Clinic) took the tests I requested and found nothing wrong with his throat. Back to "mama" real quick.

He lays on my feet while I get his food (I'll tell you about his stomach in a minute) and then he guides me to his food dish. I have him turn around and face me, sit and then I ask him "what is it" in my hand. Before he gets his food he has to say "mama." To make sure he learned it correctly (and so I knew he was saying something specific rather than just talking) he has to provide two syllables, at least one of the two has to start with an "M" and he has to say it twice so I know he's not slacking off. This all started as a joke. When my wife saw what he would do for me upon request she said "I'd be impressed if you could make him say Mama." So there you are. It's a rare occasion that anyone else gets to see this as he gets embarrassed if made to do it for company...then he won't do it for a number of days. I'll get it on video one day and send it to you all. Otherwise, show up at feeding time so he thinks it's for dinner and not for the dinner-guests.

His tummy...I'm sure you remember the noxious plume he left as he roamed. Nothing to be done about that except management. I'd say he has IBS. He's had fecal tests and blood tests (to rule out pancreatitis). We put him on meds to reduce the high count of intestinal-bactors and to fix his badly infected ear. He had a staph infection in his right ear that would have killed him if not caught quickly. I asked Dr. Takes to put him on a gram-positive and a gram-negative anti-biotic to assure his survival. One was oral and the other was for inside the ear. Before too long he started to open his mouth upon request and allowed me to inject the meds directly onto his tongue. Dr. Takes found that particularly interesting since "that stuff tastes like crap." We've gone through a number of pet foods in search of the right one for his intestinal knotting.

We tried chicken and rice Purina Pro Plan, but it went bad (sour) rather quickly. Junior told us that by not eating. When I asked him "why" he led me to his dish and then scratched next to it as if he'd just come out of the litter box. I translated that to mean "this stuff tastes like crap." So we tried Science Diet, but he just plain didn't like it. We kept him on the Purina, but started keeping it in a ziploc bag in the freezer. The real turning point was when we gave him a free sample we'd received while at the pet store. Dick Van Patten's-Natural Balance Premium Cat Food...ugly/plain label...would never have purchased it otherwise. We give him 3/4 cup of dry food in the morning (he's learned to reserve some throughout the day, but it took him awhile) and a half small can of Natural Balance at night (to maintain his urinary tract). We'd tried other wet foods, but when we gave him the sample he loved it and cleaned out his dish (never did that with wet food). We went ahead and switched to the Natural Balance dry food as well. He still has IBS, but it's under control and he's eating very well.

I've narrowed his actions down to explain his lineage. His genes come from mountain cats. He can't jump up very well at all, but loves to be up high and pounce down upon things. Looks just like a bobcat bounding down a mountain-side on the hunt for some small rodent. His favorite place to be is wrapped around my neck on my shoulders while I go about my work. If it weren't for my long hair he'd be even better at it. His favorite bed is the only stone sink in the house...after the water has been run to lightly coat the inside of the bowl. Lastly, he hates seafood. Even with the Natural Balance...no shrimp at all, but he'll tolerate tuna.

You have to be getting bored by now, but I could go on forever. The interactions between Junior and Buddha (our silver rabbit) or Jet (our black rat) are worthy of children's books. The literal kisses I get (tongue to lips) compared to the kisses my wife gets (his face slamming into hers and dragging up her chin). His favorite toys and activities. Yada, yada, yada. I'll attach some pictures for you and your staff. They are virus-free (I scanned them). Please note they were taken with a 0.3 MP camera so the quality is basic with poor lighting. If you ever need anything feel free to write or call. I'd be happy to walk with you on whichever path you choose.

Kristian and Kathleen