Oprah’s Expanded Blog
Meow! My name is Oprah, and I have
had one of the longest stays here at Austin Pets Alive! Needless to say, I am
ready for a home. My name fits me wonderfully because, like the television
star, Oprah Winfrey, I am very friendly and affectionate. These are some of my
best attributes, and I would enjoy being your friend. The Collins English
Dictionary states that a friend is “a person known well to another and regarded
with liking, affection and loyalty."[1][1]
Well, I believe this idea can be applied to any earthling! I definitely have
all those qualities and always portray them. I would love to be adopted, so
let’s get straight to it! Here is a little bit about my feline self.
As you know, Oprah is my name. I
celebrated my 6th birthday on June 15, 2011! I am a short haired
black cat with beautiful yellow eyes and a cute white beard and boots. As many
people can tell you, I am very soft, especially the white patch under my chin.
This little physical attribute is one reason I am so irresistible! Some
detailed information about me is that I am litter box trained, completely
vaccinated, and recently treated for worms and fleas. I have a microchip in me
so you won’t have to be nervous about ever losing me. I have been spayed, so no
need to worry about having unexpected kittens! Also, I come with a 30-day
health insurance plan! Isn’t that exciting?
However, one thing very special
about me is that I am FIV+. My disease is similar to HIV+ in humans. Being FIV+
just means that my immune system isn’t as good as other cats; my white blood
count is not as high as it should be. Nevertheless, my longevity is the same
as that of other cats; after all, cats do have 9 lives! Helping me have the
longest life possible means giving me a high protein diet usually with added
vitamins, anti-oxidants, Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty
acids. Furthermore, when I get sick I need to go to the doctor as soon as
possible. Some symptoms I could have are recurrent minor illnesses, especially
upper respiratory and gastrointestinal problems, inflammation of my gums,
kidney insufficiency, and nervous system abnormalities. A few extra precautions
that will help cats like me would be to give me fluid and electrolyte
replacement therapy, anti-inflammatory and immune-enhancing drugs. Keeping
parasites under control and having a stress-free environment would also help
keep me safe. I need to be a house cat so as to keep me healthy.
The good news is that FIV cannot be
given to humans or other non-felines, and it is not easily given to other cats.
This disease is transmitted by bite wounds and scratches. Sometimes it can also
be transferred at the time of birth; also it is rarely sexually transmitted
between cats. Do not be scared to adopt me because of my disease. I am still
the same lovable cat with an open heart to anyone willing to accept me for who
I am. In fact, Tay Hofoff
spoke very correctly about my kind, “There are few things in life more
heartwarming than to be welcomed by a cat.”[2][2]
I’ll welcome you into my life. Will you do the same?
On a more personal note, being one
of the longest cats that have been here, I feel really lonely at times. My heart
aches to see people play with me, and then move on as soon as they hear about
my disease. I am not an “untouchable,” and I miss having a feeling of home and
security. Although this is a really great place to be, I know having a home
would be better. I would love to have people love and cuddle me all day. I can
only imagine a feeling like that. I’m sure it is wonderful. I wish people would
understand that my disease does not define me; it is just another
characteristic and quirk of mine. FIV isn’t horrible. I just have to take extra
precautions when I get sick. I hope this won’t be a deterrent anymore when
people come visit me because I have so much to offer.
My favorite pastimes include
cuddling and being affectionate. You can hold me all you would like, and I
especially love just laying around on an open lap. Also, I am playful.
Yarn and string are my favorite toys; I can play with those for hours. I truly
love people, and get along with them greatly. I do well with dogs, but not so
much with other cats. My heart is wide open for new people, places and
experiences. My adoption donation is only $75, and I will continuously repay
that amount in my love for you!
“All animals speak to those who
listen,”[3][3]
are you listening? Please help me or any other of my fellow friends here at
Austin Pets Alive! We all would love a home, and to have a permanent family
that loves us unconditionally. Please come by and see us! We would enjoy your
company immensely.
With love and well wishes,
Oprah
My Experience and the Sunset Valley PetCo
My experience with this project has been so moving and
memorable. Here is my story. Karthik and I went on October 9, to the PetCo in Sunset Valley to the Austin Pets Alive! site. We got lost at first, but we were meant to find it and
rescue some cats because it stopped raining as soon as we finally made it to
the store. There was more than one organization there, but the Austin Pets
Alive! program was in a small room at the side of the
store. Inside the room, there were many cats and kittens as well as Miss Emily
Foster and Mrs. Amy Stitcher, two volunteers from
APA. They were very obliging and helped us a great deal. I had researched a few
cats that I knew didn’t have a blog and we started from there. Finally I picked
Oprah because her stay has been one of the longest. She is one of the sweetest
cats ever. Karthik and I chose our cats because they are FIV+, and they
needed the most help to become adopted. Emily told us a little bit
about both of our cats and how excited she was to see us there and helping
their program.
After speaking with the volunteers, I went to find a cat
that I could use for this project. A black and white cat named Oprah was on top
of a cat tower. I just looked at her, and I knew I had picked a very deserving
cat. She looked at me with her big yellow eyes and welcomed me over to her. I
walked and stood right in front of her, waiting for her to give me a sign of
how she would act towards a new person. Oprah blinked and nodded approvingly to
me. It was so exciting that we already had a sort of understood language. I
began petting her. She was so soft, especially the white patch under her chin.
She loved getting some attention and enjoyed being petted so much. I could even
hear her purring in agreement. I took a great amount of pictures of her, as
well as Karthik’s cat, Jessica Rabbit.
Then, I went back to my cat because
I wanted to see how my cat reacted when I tried playing with her. I gave her a
little stuffed toy animal, but she did not seem too excited to play with it.
However, she did use it as a pillow for a little while! Then I tried a
different approach. My experiences with cats have taught me that they enjoy
playing with string rather than toys. I found a toy that had a really long,
fluffy pink tail on it. I wiggled it in front of her. I could tell that Oprah
was trying to fight her inner feline and not fall for the “prey” in front of
her. Resistance was futile. She quickly began to play, bite and swipe for it.
It was so much fun. I thought this would be the perfect picture; Oprah in
action. I got my camera out and took a picture, but it accidentally made a
really loud sound! She stopped in the middle of a swipe, looked at my camera,
and then at me, and decided she was not going to be the entertainment anymore.
It was very comical. At that moment I could really see her attitude and
personality. I continued to play with her because I just couldn’t stop!
We decided to leave because there
were people coming to look at the cats and kittens. We thanked the two
wonderful volunteers, and they gave us contact information as well as their own
emails and phone numbers in case we needed anything. They thanked us profusely
on our way out. The two ladies were very nice, and I encourage going to APA
because of their generosity and 
good attitudes about college
students coming to help. We left the store and drove back to the UT campus.
I came back to my room, and wanted to know more about FIV+, which is
comparable to HIV in humans. I spent a few hours learning everything I could
about FIV+. However, it is a relatively new disease; it was only first
diagnosed 15 years ago. I feel this information will be useful, and I can now
inform others about this cat disease.
When I began the blog for Oprah, it
was very difficult to think from her perspective. Being at an animal shelter
for so long must be discouraging. However, she didn’t let that fact get her down.
Oprah was excited to see me, and was very playful and fun to be around.
However, I could see how she was really feeling through her eyes. You can
almost see it in her picture. She has such beautiful eyes, but they showed how
her heart pained to find real love from a family. I hope she finds a family
soon. Oprah is such a deserving cat, and she has waited long enough. I would
love to see her eyes have their true spirit back. I want her to finally feel
the true meaning of home. This activity was very interesting and a great
experience, now I can only hope the blog will help my cat will get adopted!
Word Count with Quotes: 1802
Without Quotes: 1743
Blog Site:
http://karinapieratt.blogspot.com/2011/10/oprah_26.html
List of Illustrations
1.Sunset Valley, TX. Personal
photograph by author. 5 Oct. 2011.
2.http://www.petango.com/sms/photos/1112/078e7c35-932b-489a-8d5b-f57b1646efdf.jpg
3.Sunset Valley, TX. Personal
photograph by author. 5 Oct. 2011.
4. Sunset Valley, TX. Personal video by
author. 5 Oct. 2011.
Appendix
