PONSONBY PEOPLE + THEIR PETS ANIMALOSOPHY: DR MEGAN ALDERSON
KATHRYN WILSON AND MR BIGGLESWORTH Kathryn Wilson’s Cornish Rex cat Mr Bigglesworth is four years old. Footwear designer Kathryn has had him since he was a tiny kitten - she was on a waiting list for a year because she wanted the right colour. Kathryn originally wanted a dog, but she is often overseas and always at the office. Her uncle is a vet and he recommended the Cornish Rex breed, saying that they are just like dogs with lots of personality, but with a cat’s independence. The other reason for choosing this breed is that they don’t moult.
GREY PAWS My favourite colour was blue until I intimately got to know grey. I look at my dear grey girl and lament how accurate poet Emily Dickinson was when she said ‘Old age comes on suddenly and not gradually as is thought’. How did my beautiful black girl turn into an old dog overnight? Grey hairs aside (and there is an extra couple of dozen every week) she’s taken the leap from battling middle age spread to a senior citizen and I honestly can’t tell you when this change occurred. We too are seeing the graying of a population. Elderly pets are now accounting for a large part of our veterinary frequent fliers club. WITH YOUR OWN PET CHECK ON THE FOLLOWING LIST: • Are they eating more or less? • Have they lost weight or gained weight recently? • Are they drinking any more than usual? • Do they need to go to the toilet more frequently? • How are their energy levels-used to be a 10/10 and now only a 5/10? • Are there any changes in behaviour especially around sleeping habits?
“I wanted something quite playful” says Kathryn “and Cornish Rex are known for having kitten-ish personalities. I ended up taking ‘Biggles’ to work every day, so I may as well have gotten a dog!” Mr Bigglesworth is named after the ‘horrid’ cat on Austin Powers. “When he was little he looked just like that - no hair. He was completely bald till he was six months old,” Kathryn says. The pair’s favourite thing to do together is look for birds in the courtyard of their Sarsfield Street house. Kathryn calls “where are the birds?” and Mr Bigglesworth yells at them. ‘Biggles’ has lots of friends. A pal of Kathryn’s down the road has Prince Henry who is the same breed, and somedays Kathryn drops Biggles off for the day for a little hangout. There are four dogs at the office and Kathryn Wilson, assistant Julia’s French Bulldog Sydney greets Biggles with loving licks. Biggles has Irritable Bowel Syndrome so he can only eat Hills IF biscuits. And yes, he likes shoes and even has a pair (or a four) of his own, that Kathryn bought from Japan. “He does have a fascination with feet,” she says “If you come into the house he will smell your feet to see where you’ve been.” (JULIE ROULSTON) PN
Any changes give us subtle clues that it is time to take a closer look. Veterinary medicine used to be about the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff but these days with our ‘Grey Paws’ examination early detection of treatable or at least manageable disease is on offer to all pets. So, though our park walks are getting shorter and cutting across the field the new norm we still have the water. Watching her swim reminds me of the lovely scene from the movie ‘Cocoon’ where the seniors are floating and laughing in the weightless carefree existence buoyancy affords. Seeing her revert back to the exuberant youth of a young Labrador is a precious moment for me, her doting owner, to enjoy and etch into my memory. For older pets join us this month at The Strand Veterinarian for your Grey Paws check over. Go to our website to check what this service entails and receive a 20% discount for the month of May. PN THE STRAND VETERINARIAN, 114 The Strand T: 09 377 6667 www.thestrandvet.co.nz
138 PONSONBY NEWS+ May 2012
PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)