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A one year old cat is thought to have the equivalent maturity of a 25 year old person. Imagine what it would be like had you never been to a dentist before your 25th birthday. You might not have been allowed to go to school if you had never been seen by a doctor. Though we don’t know for sure how to equate age between cats and people, the cat’s rapid maturity makes him a senior at about 12 or so, about to hit a retirement in humans of about 64.
Last week at the beginning of a routine feline wellness exam here at Chico Hospital for Cats, I removed the top of Ruby’s carrier, as is our standard way of beginning the exam without causing undue stress to a cat. Immediately upon removal of the lid, I could feel the heat emanating from Ruby, a domestic short haired, solid black female of–shall we say–rubenesque proportions. Like many carriers vets see in daily practice, this one was proportionately too small for its cargo, creating a “lunchbox” effect of limited free space and air movement within.
For the first time in my life, I recognized the land that was the cover story in our local newspaper. Sadly, not in a good way. There are power lines that course through our property on the way to a town that sits about 1000 feet higher than we are in the Sierra foothills. Above ground power lines are everywhere and connect us to the grid so we can refrigerate food, live in a comfortable temperature, cook, etc. as anyone still connected will testify.
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