Congratulations to our December 2023 Pet of the Month Paisley, Sullivan!
Growing up, I always wanted a cat; however, my parents are “dog” people, and I was not allowed to have one (I’m also slightly allergic, but I didn’t care). When my now husband and I started dating nearly seventeen years ago, he suggested we look at kittens. We saw our tiny girl, Paisley, at a local adopt-a-thon, and I knew she was perfect.
Being my first cat, I wasn’t sure what to expect from Paisley. We had two dogs, but she held her own. I found her nocturnal habits fascinating, and for having such short little legs, boy, could she jump! There was also the night she escaped and pushed through the screen of our condo, and the next morning, I found her perched on the third storey balcony of a neighbor! As a kitten, she definitely kept me on my toes!
Compared to some of our other pets with chronic issues, Paisley has been relatively easy. There was a bout of vertigo when she was six, which scared us because who knew cats could get vertigo??? Since moving to the Tuscawilla area years ago, I have always felt that Paisley’s well being has been of utmost importance to the team at TOAH. They have been kind, gentle, and patient with not only Paisley, but me as well, and to be honest, I use Google for any and all issues that arise, so you can imagine the list of potential ailments I would rattle off to the techs and doctors as soon as they entered the room. Most recently, we have worked with TOAH to provide the best care for kidney issues that have developed. Earlier this year, Paisley also had a recurrence of vertigo, and the front desk fit me in right away. Dr. McPherson was her usual calm, rational self, and within weeks Paisley was back up and running. Speaking of running, Paisley has also developed arthritis recently, and because of her kidney issues, we were unsure if a newly successful medication could be given. Dr. McPherson once again took the time and researched the drug to make sure that it would not interfere with Paisley’s current issues.
Over the years, we have added more dogs and cats to our family, but I like to think our sweet Paisley is what guided me to becoming what I so proudly call myself these days – a crazy cat lady.
