“There are few things in life more heartwarming than to be welcomed by a cat.”
– Tay Hohoff
When Marilena moved out on her own, she left her Chihuahua behind with her mom and dad. He had been with them all his life and was quite attached. “I did not ever think of getting another pet, nor was I a cat person.” During this time, Marilena met someone with a 14 year old Siamese cat.
“At first I was a little hesitant but as the days went on and I got to know her I realized that having a cat as a pet was not so bad. She was very loveable and talked to me consistently. I had the pleasure of having her in my life for several months.” One day, she fell ill, and it was advised by the veterinarians that humane euthanasia would be the best decision for her. “I did not have the chance to say goodbye to her. Needless to say I was devastated. At that point I realized I needed another companion and so I went on a mission to find me the perfect baby girl.”
After doing some research on cat breeds, Marilena decided that a Himalayan cat would be best suited for her. “One day I found a breeder from Quebec, he had 9 kittens for sale. There she was, my sweet girl. I just knew she was the one. I made the arrangements to have her brought to me; however she would not be ready for a couple of months.” The breeder sent constant updates, along with photos telling Marilena how she was doing. “One day I got an email from him telling me that she was not doing too well. She was underweight and was not eating, but he promised he would do everything he could to aide her back to health. I pleaded that he did.”
Within a few weeks Marilena received word that her kitten was doing much better, and would finally be able to come home to her. This update came with a photo of her new baby Himalayan. “When I saw that picture I had decided I was going to name her Puzza (pronounced POOT-SUH). Now, Puzza in Italian means smelly. She was completely dirty, her eyes were a mess, and she just looked like a messy little kitty.”
“When I finally got her, I quickly realized that she wasn’t the normal kitten I thought she would be. Her tail is curved to the side which means she is not able to lift it straight up high in the sky. When she gets excited the base of her tail will lift with her little bum propped up however the rest of her tail will stick to the side of her body. I took her to North Town for a check-up of course. Unfortunately, she had bad eye infection. We did everything we could to fix the problem; however I knew that this was something she would have for the rest of her life. She also had an ear infection.” Puzza is four years old as of August, and she still gets flare-ups of these infections.
“Besides this, she is the most perfect fur-baby I could have ever asked for. She is very playful, and she loves to run laps around the apartment. She follows me everywhere with her tail lifted to the side with excitement. She is extremely lovable and loves to be pet and kissed all the time. She loves kissing me – my nose, my face, my eyes… she mauls me every chance she gets! And for a tiny little 5 pounder she can purr like a truck. The best part of my day is night time… she knows that around 11 pm her human mama goes to sleep. The moment I tell her its sleepy time she bolts to the bedroom and waits patiently as I get ready for bed. She curls up beside me and we snuggle until morning time. She has 2 younger fur-cousins she lives with. They are about 12 to 15 pounds heavier than her, but that does not stop her, oh no, she is the boss! If she does not want to be disturbed, she will just lift her paw and pat their head to warn them to keep away from her until she’s ready to play.”
The last couple of weeks have been tough on Puzza. After being unwell, she has undergone many treatments and tests to rule out serious diagnoses such as cancerous tumors and renal disease. “Let me say… I AM SO GRATEFUL that she is healthy! During this time, Dr. Forbes suspects that she may have an allergy to the food she is eating and this is could be the reason for the constant ear and eye infections, so she will have to begin new food. Hopefully this new diet will help decrease her constant doctor visits. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love the staff and doctors at North Town, however if I can keep her at home, happy, where she loves to frolic and sleep, I’d rather do that. Until it’s time for the usual check-up and needle time.” Puzza is now at home with Marilena, relaxing from the recent vet visits and getting back to herself!
“I have been bringing my pets to North Town for the last 16 years, and I would not consider any other location. The staff members are the kindest, gentlest, most patient group I have ever met, and whenever I bring Puzza there (which is often), I know she will be in good hands. Dr. Forbes, I want to thank you so very much for your patience and understanding during this time. Thank you for taking the time that you have been spending with me in helping Puzza get to the best health she can be, and although it may be a tough journey for her, I trust that she will have the best care at North Town no matter the situation.”
Marilena is truly a great mother to Puzza. “The love I have for Puzza is indescribable. I consider her my child, as I don’t have any human children. She is absolutely my life, and her well-being comes first at all times.” Of course, being pet parents ourselves, all of us at North Town can completely relate!
