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| Name: |
Beuky
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Age: |
Six years old
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| Gender: |
Female
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Kind: |
Domestic Shorthair
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| Home: |
Rochester, New York, USA
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Beuky
(aka Beukaboo, Beuky-schnoo, Boo-boo) was named after former NHL
defenseman Jeff Beukeboom, who wasn't the most graceful player but was
always fun to watch. Like her namesake, Beuky is fun to watch as she is
mildly neurologically impaired. She has always had a mild balance
deficit like a cat with cerebellar hypoplasia
(like Lurch)
but her gait is more stiff and "floating" like a cat with cervical
spinal cord disease. My veterinary neurology professor could
not confidently localize the site of her mild lesion, but it's no big
deal as she has adapted well (gotten smarter around staircases,
especially) and is now a "six-year-old kitten." She even eats kitten food,
as high-protein, high-fat diets may be less diabetogenic in adult cats,
and my older cat is diabetic and needs free choice food available.
Originally a stray kitten at the shelter, she was utterly pampered by my
friend during her first year of life, now she has a kittenish, almost
dog-like need for attention. I do my best to comfort her when I am home,
and I often sing her name to her, especially when she wanders the
apartment howling as I shower! I also sing to her when I'm at work and
she's miles away, but fortunately I have cat-loving associates who
understand!
At her tail end, she has a stubby tail that has two separate kinks in it,
and she once won the Unusual Anatomy prize at the local vet school's
annual Feline Follies cat show. She's also a great meower and is a
two-time champ of the Best Meow contest! I think her vocalizing is related
to her frequent moments of anxiety, but she soldiers on in life like a
typically stoic cat despite her oddities. She's a great example of
perseverance and endurance for all of us to emulate!
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