VETERINARY
ASSOCIATES STONEFIELDMonday, January 24, 2005
BABIES, BABIES, BABIES!!!!
I guess life does come in cycles as some of the philosophers say!
As a child seems I always had a letter of kittens or a litter of puppies being born. Was rather cool watching those little miracles of mother nature. Matter of fact, at 10 years of age, I had one of the those “Moments”. You know, one of those life-shaping moment's that you never forget because they always stay with you back there somewhere in the subconscious and shape the course and mission of your life.
I had sleepily walked down to the barn one morning to feed the horses, went to take the top off of the food barrel (one of those 50 gal. Steel drums) and realized I had left the top off the night
before. This immediately shook me awake with fear, cause that usually meant a big ol'rat was in there eating my horse food, and there were really hard to get out of there. God forbid asking Daddy for help cause then I would have been in REAL trouble for leaving the top off.
I (was short enough that I had to tippy toe over the edge to peek in and see what was there. As I peeked over and jumped back (had one of them rats jump on my face before) I thought that was some funny looking kind of rat! Stuck my face back over for a better look and realized it was one of the barn cats, not a rat, and it had also had a really funky tail! Look number three revealed that the tail was a kitten who had just been born sometime that morning! Braver now, I scooted a stool over near the drum and leaned over into the drum for some really good looking! Seems there was another kitten with its head just outside of the birth canal, crying.
Funny thing was the mother was just lying there, looking back now I realize she was exhausted. God know how long she had been straining to have that baby. Now these barn cats are pretty much feral, we fed them but they never ate in front of you, and always scrambled to get away from you. You ever corner one and you were sure to get scratched or bitten.
Well now I certainly had a quandary, she needed help. If I tried to pick her up she would eat me for breakfast! If I called for Daddy, he would eat me for breakfast for having left the top off the food barrel! So I prayed, and then I reached down and gently tugged on the little wet head, momma cat started pushing and I pulled a little harder and PLOP I had just delivered my first animal into the world! That is God, the momma cat and I in that order. I placed the kitten by her head and she immediately began caring for her baby.
I decided the horses could eat later, we had more important things going on in that food barrel for now! She had two more all on her own as I watched. I placed a bowl of milk next to her head and she heartily drank. I left her alone and walked out of the barn and down to the pond. It has that moment that I realized I was going to help animals. Here was a perfectly wild cat who allowed me to help her, I had no clue what I was supposed to do, I just did it and it was enough.
So I know I could do what I did not know how to do, with animals anyway. So anytime from that day forward when folks asked me what I was gonna be when l grew up, l told them. I was gonna be a Vet. When my grandmother asked me why I did not want to be a "real- doctor" I told her God did not want me to. Much to her chagrin. And when my step-mother asked me why I did not want to be a rich-dentist, I recall wondering who ever wanted to be anything to be rich? Oh, the wondrous blissful ignorance of being young and honest, honest to a fault, that one still follows me too! Still today I lose many clients from being honest, and that is still okay today too!
So how did I title this BLOG "BABIES" Cause one of my little Chihuahua females had puppies yesterday, two by natural birth and one by a complicated Cesarean Section, and for a awhile
yesterday and off and on today, I was that 10 year old again! Watching them babies struggle to eat, watching Gigi (the mother) nuzzling, and licking and protecting those babies. Just watching
the glory of nature at work, watching the force that has led my life since the age often years old. It fascinated me then and it still fascinates me today, every day.
I have the most fantastic job anybody could ever have. And I am not a real doctor and I ain't rich, and I don't care. I've got BABIES! And you know I cannot wait to see the look on my 2 yr. Old granddaughter's face tomorrow when she sees Gigi's babies. You see, my granddaughter renamed Gigi, her name used to be Gracie, but my granddaughter has already started work, renaming things, wonder what her job is gonna be?
By Sam Vaughn, DVM
I guess life does come in cycles as some of the philosophers say!
As a child seems I always had a letter of kittens or a litter of puppies being born. Was rather cool watching those little miracles of mother nature. Matter of fact, at 10 years of age, I had one of the those “Moments”. You know, one of those life-shaping moment's that you never forget because they always stay with you back there somewhere in the subconscious and shape the course and mission of your life.
I had sleepily walked down to the barn one morning to feed the horses, went to take the top off of the food barrel (one of those 50 gal. Steel drums) and realized I had left the top off the night
before. This immediately shook me awake with fear, cause that usually meant a big ol'rat was in there eating my horse food, and there were really hard to get out of there. God forbid asking Daddy for help cause then I would have been in REAL trouble for leaving the top off.
I (was short enough that I had to tippy toe over the edge to peek in and see what was there. As I peeked over and jumped back (had one of them rats jump on my face before) I thought that was some funny looking kind of rat! Stuck my face back over for a better look and realized it was one of the barn cats, not a rat, and it had also had a really funky tail! Look number three revealed that the tail was a kitten who had just been born sometime that morning! Braver now, I scooted a stool over near the drum and leaned over into the drum for some really good looking! Seems there was another kitten with its head just outside of the birth canal, crying.
Funny thing was the mother was just lying there, looking back now I realize she was exhausted. God know how long she had been straining to have that baby. Now these barn cats are pretty much feral, we fed them but they never ate in front of you, and always scrambled to get away from you. You ever corner one and you were sure to get scratched or bitten.
Well now I certainly had a quandary, she needed help. If I tried to pick her up she would eat me for breakfast! If I called for Daddy, he would eat me for breakfast for having left the top off the food barrel! So I prayed, and then I reached down and gently tugged on the little wet head, momma cat started pushing and I pulled a little harder and PLOP I had just delivered my first animal into the world! That is God, the momma cat and I in that order. I placed the kitten by her head and she immediately began caring for her baby.
I decided the horses could eat later, we had more important things going on in that food barrel for now! She had two more all on her own as I watched. I placed a bowl of milk next to her head and she heartily drank. I left her alone and walked out of the barn and down to the pond. It has that moment that I realized I was going to help animals. Here was a perfectly wild cat who allowed me to help her, I had no clue what I was supposed to do, I just did it and it was enough.
So I know I could do what I did not know how to do, with animals anyway. So anytime from that day forward when folks asked me what I was gonna be when l grew up, l told them. I was gonna be a Vet. When my grandmother asked me why I did not want to be a "real- doctor" I told her God did not want me to. Much to her chagrin. And when my step-mother asked me why I did not want to be a rich-dentist, I recall wondering who ever wanted to be anything to be rich? Oh, the wondrous blissful ignorance of being young and honest, honest to a fault, that one still follows me too! Still today I lose many clients from being honest, and that is still okay today too!
So how did I title this BLOG "BABIES" Cause one of my little Chihuahua females had puppies yesterday, two by natural birth and one by a complicated Cesarean Section, and for a awhile
yesterday and off and on today, I was that 10 year old again! Watching them babies struggle to eat, watching Gigi (the mother) nuzzling, and licking and protecting those babies. Just watching
the glory of nature at work, watching the force that has led my life since the age often years old. It fascinated me then and it still fascinates me today, every day.
I have the most fantastic job anybody could ever have. And I am not a real doctor and I ain't rich, and I don't care. I've got BABIES! And you know I cannot wait to see the look on my 2 yr. Old granddaughter's face tomorrow when she sees Gigi's babies. You see, my granddaughter renamed Gigi, her name used to be Gracie, but my granddaughter has already started work, renaming things, wonder what her job is gonna be?
By Sam Vaughn, DVM
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