Previous Animal Updates: April 19, 2009
Of bread, a Jack Russell terrier and a Norwegian Lundehund
Greetings! My Name is Klecko, and if you live in the Twin Cities, I have been feeding your family for close to 30 years. You see, I am a Master Baker and I design baked product lines for over 300 commercial accounts, like the Xcel Energy Center, Mystic Lake Casino and the Saint Paul Hotel.
Several years ago the St. Paul Pioneer Press interviewed me for
their weekly "FACES" feature — that's the one where they
ask you what's in your fridge, what's the weirdest thing you've ever ate,
and what would you be doing if you weren't in the food industry. I responded
by saying that I would probably open a Jack Russell Terrier shelter. The
next day I got a call from a volunteer who told me that the folks at Home
for Life® had several Jack Russells, and if I ever wanted
to see them, I should stop by.
On my next day off I headed over, and when I traveled across the facility, I have to tell you, I have never been so positively affected in my life.
Over the last few years I've emceed Home for Life's Tiramisu for Tails and other events. In fact, I was fortunate enough to work with Cesar Millan when he came to the International Market Square for Home for Life's Wags to Whiskers fundraiser in 2007.
A couple of my friends have asked me if that moment was a highlight. My answer has always been "yes," but not just because I got to introduce the world's most famous dog trainer. The best part of the evening for me is that I got to co emcee with Sherlock, HFL's own rough coated Jack Russell.
Sherlock scans the crowd while Klecko interviews two young pianists at the 2006 Tiramisu for Tails event.
Recently Sherlock lost a battle with brain cancer and passed away. At first, I was so despondent, but as time passed it occurred to me that everything was OK. My best buddy lived out the remainder of his life blanketed in love.
The late Sherlock on an outreach visit to the Tubman Family Alliance of the Twin Cities.
As most of you know, a good friend is hard to find, but I've got a new buddy now named Sebastian, and I really hope you'll come and spend some time with us.
In closing, I want to thank all of you HFL supporters. Without you, a good portion of my dreams would have never been realized.
Klecko
CEO, Saint Agnes Baking Co.
Cat Moods
Whoever says that cats do not display the range of emotion that dogs do needs to spend more time with cats. Photographer Mark Luinenberg recently visited our cat facilities and captured a full spectrum of cat moods. We present three of them as proof of the cat's emotional reach: Benjamin Button, Lucky and Baxter.
In an attitude of complete trust, Benjamin melts into a friend's lap.
Cat: Benjamin Button
Mood: Love
When cats want some affection, they are capable of surrendering with utter abandon to the hugs and scratches of a human companion. Benjamin Button is soaking up the love at Home for Life® these days, after being rescued from a life of neglect. Benjamin's story is told below by the woman who rescued him, Eve Franks of The Animal Rescue Alliance (T.A.R.A).
"I am with a rescue group in Kansas City Missouri and we get emails from people wanting help with their cats and dogs on a daily basis. One such request came from a woman who wrote that her sister had over 20 cats, all living outside, none spayed or neutered, and all looking sick. So we went to check it out, and although most of the cats fled from us, one just sat under a bush and we were able to pick him up.
I have never seen anything like this cat before, and I have been doing cat and dog rescue for 20 years. This cat defied description. His front legs were folded over in 3 places, his nose was deformed, and one eye was completely shut. He was not able to stand or walk. When we responded to the woman's plea for help and first saw the cat, he was covered in feces, grime, and fleas.
When I asked the woman what happened to the cat, she told me that a shelf fell on him when he was about six weeks old and that he was now about four or five years old.
Needless to say, I took the cat home. Our vet checked him out and said that nothing could be done for him because the injuries were just too old. The vet thought it was nothing short of a miracle that he survived for over four years outdoors. Despite his deformities, the cat was not in any pain and otherwise quite healthy.
After I took him home from the vet, I had the chance to observe him more closely. Benjamin, as I began to call him, managed to drag himself to the litter box, but it was hard to watch and he was never quite successful. He had trouble breathing because of his deformed nose, and a severe upper respiratory infection made the situation worse. He clearly loved being petted.
My home was not a good place for Benjamin because we admittedly have way too many animals. I tried to find someone to adopt him, but we can't even find homes for healthy cats in this town. We hoped that Benjamin could find a happy home at Home for Life®."
We agree with Eve that Benjamin deserves a second chance after all that he has endured, and we're happy to have Benjamin among our resident cats. Our thanks to Eve and her dedicated rescue group for not giving up on this loving and courageous cat.
We call him Benjamin Button because, like the title character in the movie of the same name, our Benjamin appears to grow younger with each passing day. Initially timid and cowering, Benjamin staked out a cupboard in the isolation room of the north cattery and hid there for the first few weeks. Gradually, as we treated his upper respiratory infection, he felt better and became more confident. Now, he exhibits a genial and charming personality. Unlike the cinematic Benjamin Button, ours seems to grow younger in spirit too, as his poor broken body heals from the neglect and trauma he endured.
Benjamin does get around despite his disability, although it plainly takes a lot out of him to travel any distance. He must walk on what would be his forearms, sliding his paws along the ground and following up with his back legs. He can hop onto his chair and onto the lower hammocks of the cat trees.
Benjamin loves only dry food and expresses no interest in even the most delectable canned foods we offer him. His very favorite dry food is Fancy Feast.
We brush Benjamin a few times a week, and he loves to be petted and scratched under the chin. Most of the time, Benjamin rests on "his chair," an overstuffed donation from a supporter. When he sees staff approaching, he rolls onto his back and shyly looks up to ask for attention.
Benjamin was accustomed to living with other cats and has always felt comfortable at HFL, drawing courage from observing that the other cats felt safe here. He has developed a special friendship with sweet Valentina, a younger female cat who was found barely surviving on a Minnesota farm. Somehow, Valentina suffered an amputation of her front leg, and when she was rescued part of the bone in her leg was sticking out! As is common with many of the friendships among our residents, Benjamin and Valentina seem to know that their journeys have been similar, so they understand each other as a result.
Cat: Lucky
Mood: Delight
While dogs seem to reach the pinnacle of delight upon the appearance of a human friend or fellow canine, cats seem to achieve the height of joy upon becoming better acquainted with themselves. They revel in the soft lushness of their fur, their ability to bend and stretch every which way, and the superiority of their feline souls.
Lucky is a cat who takes delight in toys, people, and other cats, but most of all in his own existence, as can be seen in the photo above.
Lucky is a young neutered male and a fetching fluffy brown tabby. His former
owner purchased Lucky and his sister from a pet store. Unfortunately, both
kittens tested positive for leukemia. Both Lucky and his sister were to
be surrendered to HFL, but the sister died from complications of the leukemia
virus.
Lucky, as befits his name, has remained hale and hearty despite carrying
the leukemia virus, and as such is living proof that testing positive is
not a death sentence.
Lucky's plush shining coat and energetic, playful demeanor announce his joie de vivre and vibrant condition. He loves attention and will vie for visitors' time with playful antics. He has been known to actually tap visitors on the shoulder to get their attention and present himself for petting. The compliant visitor may then be rewarded with a "Lucky Show," which includes showing off on the cat trees, sporting with toys, cantering about the cattery, and then dashing out the cat door to await calls for an encore performance.