This is a neat story of a cat, Flipper, whose hind legs are at right angles to his spine that renders them useless because her spinal cord became twisted. Students at a school decided to manufacture a custom trolly for Flipper. This is a really nice thing to do for a disabled cat. The driving force seems to be one guy who loves cats and building things. I am impressed.
It is wonderful to see students, young people, doing concerted and tricky one-off manufacturing for a cat while using their imagination and computer graphics to find the best solution, which allows Flipper to propel herself forward with both her hind and forelegs. Perhaps, as Dorothy says, some of the students will learn to love cats having undergone this experience.
I have mixed feelings, though. I have to mention that fact. When I see Flipper, who was at first unlucky (to be born deformed) and then got lucky, my mind turns to the 2-3 million (we are not sure how many) cats euthanised at shelters annually in the US.
These are the unknown, unwanted cats, in cages, essentially unnoticed until someone wants to have them disposed of at one of many rescue centers in the USA. I wish someone, somewhere had been able to give them a hug and a bit of luck. These cats are equally deserving as Flipper. Sure, they are not newsworthy. No one would make a video of them because no one knows them except the people at the shelter who are about to send them over the rainbow bridge.
Despite being utterly charmed by Flipper and being delighted at the efforts of students to help, my heart is with the unknown cat in an unknown place, who is scared and who is about to die.
And if that makes me sad and puts me in a bad place, so be it. It should put us in a bad place and it is hard to celebrate good work involving a needy and deserving cat when in the background we have the dark clouds of mass, unnecessary cat disposal thundering along in an unquestioned and routine manner.
Oh,how wonderful for flipper….i wish some team of students would build a cart for my Georgie, he has a spinal cord injury and has use of his legs….
maria
I agree – as much as this is good publicity for cat welfare, there are cats who are, as you say, sitting in cagesvery scared and confused and it’s tragic beyond words.
I totally agree with you Michael, I am so pleased that I was able to help and now care for 2 cats that were being underfed and mistreated even though it is just a drop in the ocean !!
Your comment brings to mind a quote from Gandhi. I forget the actual saying but the gist was we should do the right thing even it is almost insignificant.