I’m Phil and I have a rare
type of multiple sclerosis (MS) referred to as primary progressive (PP).It is
characterized by a constant progression of the disease. The disease allows my
autoimmune system to remove the insulation sheath that protects the nerve
pathways in my brain and spinal column. What this does is prevents and confuses
the brain signals to my muscles and also the signals from my muscles back to my
brain (feedback). After 10 years of increasing deadness in my left leg and
tingling and numbness in my left hand and arm I was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis.
This was in June 2009. This disease has no cure and there are no treatments to
improve my condition. No one knows how far it will go. Currently I am in a
wheelchair and can no longer use my legs or my left hand and arm. I have some
control over my right pointer finger and currently can lift my right arm as
high as my shoulder. Enough about me, I only bring this up because it is why I
adopted a pet in 2011.
Since I had to give up my
hobbies of biking, hiking and kayaking I spent much more time at home. After
discussions with my three sons and wife I decided a cat would best fit my new
life. I felt an adult cat would fit best so I started looking online. My
criteria were a 2 to 3-year-old female cat, small to medium in size and
shorthaired. I thought it would be fairly easy but it turned out it wasn’t. I
looked at the animal control office and only found a six-month-old that was
very cute and really liked us. It was too young and active for me and I knew
they would have no trouble placing. I kept looking online and finally told my
wife I was going to go out to the county animal shelter and see what they had.
If I couldn’t find anything we would go back and get the six-month-old.
I went to the county
shelter armed with the knowledge of two cats that met my criteria. The girl who
helped me was great. She looked for the first one on my list. While she did
that I hung onto a cage due to my mobility problems (I could still walk with a
cane then). While she was looking I felt a furry fist punch my fingers. I
looked down and this cat wanted me to rub its ears. I stuck my finger out and
scratch her ear and she did the Melt. Her head dropped and she looked like she
was melting, a common cat tactic. About that time the girl found one of the
cats on my list. She was not really a medium cat, she was huge. She moved on to
the next cat on my list and I took it into the playroom. Unfortunately this cat
did not want to play and wasn’t very interested in me. The girl and I went back
to the cat room.
I told her my criteria and
she started looking at the cat listings on each cage. She wasn’t finding
anything and I said what about that cat that liked me when I first came in? She
didn’t know which one I meant and so I looked around and to see the cat that
greeted me and there she was laying in the cage with her paws out like the
sphinx, with that cat attitude on her face. I pointed and said there she is!
The young lady broke into a huge grin and said oh she’s a sweetheart.
We went into the playroom
and the cat was placed on the floor. I patted my knee and the cat jumped up so
I could scratch her ears and chin. While I did this she started purring like a
little outboard motor. I knew this was my cat and said she’s the one. It turns
out she’s a little bigger and a little older than I was looking for but I have
no doubt that God oversaw this and led us together. I could also say that Macy
(we changed her name) chose me.
Later I wondered why I didn’t see Macy on their
website so I went back and looked. In her picture she looked big and mean. I
thought about this a lot in that it dawned on me her profile mentioned she did
not like to be picked up and held. She cuddled when it was her idea. I realized
they picked her up for her photo and she was angry, that is why she looked mad.
She looked big because her head is a little too small for her body. I did not
pick her because she was the prettiest cat, but she is pretty, I picked her
because she’s the sweetest cat and I found out she’s suited me perfectly. I
couldn’t pick her up so she doesn’t have to worry and fret that I will pick her
up.
No comments:
Post a Comment