[Vision2020] Caturday (November 20, 2010)

[Tom Hansen]

Courtesy of the St. Petersburg Times (St. Petersburg, Florida) at:

http://www.tampabay.com/features/pets/article1134523.ece

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Homer's odyssey changes cat owner's outlook
By Steve Dale, Tribune Media Services

Gwen Cooper was not in the market for a new kitten. She'd just broken up
with her fiance, had move into a friend's spare bedroom, and already had
two cats to care for. Cooper said she was "consumed with self-pity." • Her
veterinarian knew about Cooper's circumstances but still called her about
a special kitten available for adoption. No one else would take the pet. •
"She was clearly desperate if she called me," Cooper recalls.

The 2-week-old kitten had special needs. He was found wandering the
streets of New York City, blind. Clearly, the people who brought him to
the vet saved his life. But when they learned a raging infection prevented
saving the kitten's sight, and that his eyes would have to be removed,
they were no longer interested in adoption. It seemed no one wanted the
kitten, including the vet, who had a toddler at home who was allergic to
cats, as well as a couple of big dogs.

"I really didn't know what to expect," says Cooper. As it turned out, the
kitten "was so happy," Cooper recalls. "The first time I met him, he
walked right up to me and tried to nuzzle under my chin, walking around
with an Elizabethan collar larger than him, eyes still stitched, probably
in pain, and purring. I instantly realized that my worst week was like
Disneyland compared to what this little kitten had gone through."

In moments, they bonded.

"Oh for God's sake, I'm taking him home," Cooper told the vet.

A fan of Greek mythology, Cooper named the cat Homer, the fabled blind
poet of heroic tales. Indeed, Homer turned out to be an epic figure who
went on great adventures daily — in Cooper's home. She wrote about those
events in Homer's Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned About
Life With a Blind Wonder Cat (Bantam Books, New York, NY, 2010; $15).

The adventures began on Homer's first day home. The tiny kitten instantly
used the litter box, and has never lost track of the box's location. After
cozying up to Cooper's roomie, he walked to the edge of the bed and took
his first leap of faith — to the floor far below.

"Those leaps of faith are a daily occurrence for Homer; he doesn't just
wallow in a corner," Cooper says.

>From the start, Homer inserted himself into everything. He loves meeting
new people, and the noisier they are, the better. Construction workers are
favorites.

What he can't see, it seems Homer manages to compensate for with his other
senses. He catches flies in mid-air.

"He's like a little sonar dish," says Cooper. "In order to do this, not
only does Homer have to know where a fly is, but also where the fly is
going. His sense of smell is so keen. Homer and my husband both love
turkey. My husband has to run the faucet in the kitchen or even in the
bathroom with the door closed to attempt to make a sandwich without Homer
knowing."

Cooper's book isn't only about an adventurous, funny cat; it's also about
living your life. Disability isn't what others may perceive. Unenlightened
friends and acquaintances have asked Cooper why Homer wasn't euthanized.
If you read the book, the question doesn't require an answer.

"Pets have a lot to teach us about living," says Cooper. "I learned from
Homer that no one can tell you what your potential is. Special-needs cats
shouldn't be cats of last resort; they're no less capable of giving love
than 'normal' cats."

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Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to change
and the Realist adjusts his sails."

- Unknown