Residents | Sanctuary
Kids > Fanny
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Fanny headshot
Photo credit: Josh Caruso
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Fanny jumping for toy, her
treatment
Photo credit: Troy Snow |
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Fanny playing
Photo credit: Troy Snow
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Fanny: The Cuddler
When Fanny was a tiny kitten she crawled into the engine of car
for warmth on a winter day in Kanab. Sadly the owner of the car
came back out and started the engine not realizing that their car
had become a refuge. Fanny’s back was broken by the fan belt;
hence her name. For the record, Executive
Director Laura Bradshaw would like everyone to know
she did not name Fanny.
Fanny was immediately rushed to the clinic at Best Friends where
they gave her steroids and she was given a chiropractic adjustment.
Fanny went from no feeling in her back legs to a trace of feeling.
It was a glimmer of hope and a beginning.
By the time, a few days later, that Fanny came to Healing HEART
Sanctuary she was moving her legs a little bit on her own; but
she was by no means walking. She was immediately started on the
Infratonic sound
wave machine and that
made a big difference. But with all the therapies which were
used on Fanny only one made her walk again…bird therapy.
Yes, Fluffy,
a Scarlet Chested Grasskeet, was her complete motivation for
movement.
Fanny began by dragging herself across the floor to sit in front
of his cage and go “ant, ant, ant” as her jaw quivered
with excitement. Fluffy didn’t seem to mind her wanting
to eat him; he kind of liked the attention. Besides she couldn’t
walk, much less jump; so she wasn’t really a threat. That
is, until Fanny could walk and jump, which wasn’t too far
away. Every day, multiple times a day, Laura would place Fanny
all the way across the house and she would get herself to Fluffy’s
cage in record time in order to be able to marvel at the meal,
umm, bird. First crawling, then walking, then running, and then
jumping. By the time jumping began, Fluffy needed to be moved
upstairs for his own safety.
Fanny has a little limp in her step but has recovered in every
way, except for urinating on her own. Her bladder completely
works; it just doesn’t get the signal to go; so that must
be expressed a couple times a day. We were told that if Fanny
was not urinating on her own after six months, it would never
happen again. Laura is glad to report that it has been over three
years and she is beginning to pee on her own.
Fanny is the cuddler because she has always been the most extraordinarily
loving kitten, at least to humans (not birds) as well a fabulous
host to the next handicapped kittens which have come our way. Twice
now she has taken a new charge under her wing and showed them
the ropes, gave them hope as well as loving baths as they were
having treatments.
It’s as though she saying, “It’s okay, I’ve
been there; don’t worry, it will all be okay”. We
don’t know what we’d do without her nursing skills.
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