I am making a miniseries on our  website about our pets!  They are so important to us and have been such a source of love and joy throughout the years.  Today, you will meet Papoose!

My college roommate Amanda and I worked as Animal Caretakers for MATC’s Veterinary Technician’s program’s animals.  We had dogs, cats, cows, horses, goats, and laboratory animals that needed care and our shifts were twice a day and every other weekend.  The dogs and cats that we used in the program were mostly from area shelters.  All were vetted, altered(desexed) and then adopted out.  Amanda had taken a liking to Papoose during our first semester.  She was an old lady cat ; found as a stray to the shelter, missing an eye, petite, had extra toes and paw pads, and drooled when you pet or brushed her.  She was found to have a heart condition and Amanda offered to foster her as being at school was a bit too high stress for her.  She ended up adopting her in the end.  Because Amanda already had a cat, Papoose ended up staying in my room at night and I took her for the summer, and ended up taking her home when we graduated.  Everyone was expecting her to die from her horrible heart issue at any moment.  The vets that did her heart ultrasound couldn’t believe she was still alive.  She needed meds four times a day for her heart disease, but otherwise was a very low maintenance cat.  She purred up a storm and made these little “mumph” noises.  Papoose always got along with all the other pets including Sissy.  She was agile and still able to jump up on beds and couches and was a creature of comfort.  Brandon and I made a cat tree for her, and she just slept in the bottom of it.  She was super sweet and my first cat.  She came to work with me every day so I could give her the meds on time and she did super well.  Occasionally she would have breathing episodes and need to go to work on oxygen and meds, but then would snap out of it.  Papoose was for sure a miracle cat and a joy to introduce me to owning a cat.  She also helped me fall in love with polydactyl cats and I am obsessed with them.  Rest in peace Papoose, you were an amazing cat are missed.