Steeple, Clinic cat

There have been several Clinic cats since I started practice.  Steeple was the first cat.  We had when we came to town.   I brought her from Michigan State University.   She was a kitten when I was a senior veterinary student.  I worked in the central sterilization unit.  My job function was to make sure the surgical instruments were clean and in good repair.  Given there were students and some surgeons that did not have care and nurturing of surgical instruments on the frontal lobe section of their brain when operating it was good secure job.  I learned how to clean, do minor repairs, position the instruments in the pack and sterilize them prior to the next surgical procedure.  It also gave me an edge when Steeple was presented to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital.  

Steeple was some how thrown of a church roof.  Therefore, it seemed logical to call her Church steeple.  I later shortened it to Steeple.  Her presenting problem was she had a fracture separation of her femur.  This was a breakage of the ball in the ball and socket joint.  Since I could get access to the surgical instruments and I was willing to take over ownership, I recruited a classmate to do anesthesia and another to be assistant surgeon.  The faculty granted permission for us to use the surgery suite after hours.  We scheduled on a "bump basis" for the following night. 

I had just about every orthopedic pack available and opened.  It was like a surgical smorgasbord.  I made the incision exposed the ball part and went to grab the fragment still in the hip socket.  I was aghast; the orthopedic instruments were too large.   This two-pound kitten did not have a very big hip socket.  I was amazed to find that a regular needle holder was just the right size to fit the bone fragment.   I went on and trimmed up the sharp edges closed the incision and she went on to uneventful healing.  I spent a good portion of the night redoing and sterilizing the surgery packs.  I was back and forth checking on Steeple in the recovery area.  My surgical assistant watched her while I was busy getting the packs and surgical room in order. 

I continue to be empathetic with my current assistants.  I truly appreciate their efforts in creating order out of the chaos I generate doing a surgical procedure.  There is a large amount of cleaning, laundry and sterilization of surgical instruments involved to run a clinic.  The maintenance of verifying that instruments are in top condition takes special people.   Electrical equipment such as ECG, respiratory monitor, temperature probe, pulse oximeter  (indirect measurement of oxygen  saturation in circulating blood), Doppler blood pressure, oxygen tanks and regulators, anesthetic machine and  vaporizer - it is a long list of things that have to work  for a surgical procedure to come out  right.

Steeple became a very sleek cat.  There are a few stories about her I wish to share.  She was nimble quick and a love.   Steeple used to go on jaunts about town.  In the summer, she would sometimes jump inside cars that left the windows down.  She would hunker down in the back seat or up on the rear window ledge.  I would try to got out and check the cars if I new she was out side.   It was after one of those car episodes that I felt I lost her.  I would look all over for her.  You know that stomachache feeling that keeps you up at night wondering what you should have done differently.  Yep that is what I got.  When you let a cat out through a door, you have to accept the consequences of what happens.  I was forlorn.   Six weeks later, I was returning from a farm call on West Main across from Tom Driscol's hot dog stand "The Little Skipper".  There on the north side of the road, in the middle of the field was Steeple.  She was happy as a lark or more likely stalking a Lark.  I scooped her up and had a grand time telling her how much I missed her.  I brought her home and did all the treat type things you do when you are fortunate enough to recover a pet. 

When we bought the practice from Dr E.W.  "Dick" Frahm he had a two-way Motorola radio with an eighty foot antenna tower attached to the driveway side of our house.   Steeple never climbed to the top, but she found this a permanent ladder to the second story roof of the house.  She would sunbathe and hope for a suicidal bird to come by.  She would revel when she caught a bird.  Her timing was always impeccable; she preferred a full waiting room to show off her trophy.  She had a very gentle mouth, as three fourths of her captures were still alive.  She proved her hunting prowess by releasing her prey.   Steeple would recapture the bird in a swirling feather storm.  All of this action was in the front of clients in the clinic.  She felt there is no sense wasting a captive audience.

There was an incident where a dog came in the clinic.  This dog got up on the wrong side of the food bowl.  He was angry about everything.  He was making some dog swearing sounds at a great volume.  Steeple was sleeping in the back room.  Next thing I know she is making some impressive noises.  Spitting, screech growling, flailing her front legs all of this action made the dog reconsider his aggressive nature.  It was if she was making a statement of "not on my watch".  That was the only time I witnessed her as an attack cat. 

 I would walk downtown she would follow me across and down the street to Miller Drugs.  She would patiently wait, unleashed, out side the door.  I would come out and she would accompany me to the post office or over to Higby House.  There are those that remember Charley and his wife owned a local printing company and vaguely an office supply company.  Charley took a liking to Steeple.  Charley was the kind of person that never went with the phrase "warm and cuddly".  He was a cigar-toting curmudgeon.  He had everything but a card showing membership.  His gruff exterior hid the fact he was a latent cat lover.  Charley was of a generation that felt in unmanly to admit, in public, that you had a soft spot for felines.  His black cat was getting on in years.   He took very good care of her and gave her the best in food and housing.  I would have Charley print up forms we were using at that time and would talk if he had time.  He was a very well read individual.  I enjoyed having a conversation with him.  Charley was devastated when his cat passed.  I ended giving Steeple to them.  Her temperament was getting crotchety.  She was starting to nip at people.  I explained to Charley they were soul mates, Grumps-R-us.  Charley and his wife sold the business and moved to Ann Arbor.  They treated Steeple like the Queen of the Castle.  She lived well and long with them.

For more information about a specific case, consult your veterinarian.                   
The outside of a pet is good for the inside of a human.