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Show Animal Nonsense - Felix . . . Once upon a time. ..which is the way all stories should start that have a happy ending end-ing and this story, as far as it goes, does have an ending that is happy, for Felix. For the purpose of this story, Felix was first observed observ-ed on September 14, 1976 by some members of the Chamber Cham-ber of Commerce who were going to their vehicles after a meeting. The day was warm and under the shade of the eaves, what seemed to be a plea for aid was heard. Barbara Bar-bara Ozment was one of those who heard the cry for help and glancing down at a post set in the ground, she, along with several others, observed an object that moved and which upon close inspection turned out to be a cat. The cat, limping on three legs, mangy and with eyes filled with matter, was half blind and looking as though he had been traveling a thousand miles through unmapped country. Nevertheless, he rubbed his mangy body against the humans, asking for help. His right front leg protruded out from its body.in a very pitiful way and as he rubbed himself against the legs of the observers he meowed, asking for aid. Felix was lucky in one respect. He had asked for help from the President of the Grand County Humane Society Socie-ty and it was immediate assistance that he received. Barbara Ozment lifted the cat in her arms, placed it in her car and drove it to the local animal hospital. There under the care of a new Veterinarian who had recently recent-ly moved into the area, the cat whose name is Felix, received emergency treatment. His eyes were washed, his one lone remaining tooth inspected inspec-ted and his front leg was left alone as it was healed from a break earlier in life. The next important step in the life of Felix was what to do with him. He seemed to enjoy life, but who wants to adopt "a cat that is over '15 years of human age, half blind, crippled and mangy? . Should he be done away with? Should he be put to sleep or destroyed as is the case of other unwanted animals? The veterinarian had no shelter in which to place Felix, while awaiting adoption, and taking pity on the aged animal Barbara Bar-bara Zimple, Moab's new veterinarian, vet-erinarian, allowed Felix to adopt her. Today he can be seen under the trailer near the veterinarian's veterinar-ian's home. At night he sleeps under the floor of a house nearby and has made friends with the other cats and dogs that inhabit the region. Olive of the SunDowner says that the cat was first seen about 4 years ago eating its food in company with other stray cats that smell the aroma of the restaurant. At that time he was not crippled, but seemed to be old and tough enough to drive off any other stray male that threatened threat-ened to take over his harem. He has fathered at least two families of kittens and it was while protecting his families from other male cats that he became crippled. Olive said that she noticed him carrying the broken leg one day and placed blankets for him to lay on and that when he recovered, she noticed notic-ed that his front right leg had been broken. One thing is known for sure about Felix. His heart is full of love for not only humans, but other animals as well. He knows his name when he is called and will come limping up to be carress-ed carress-ed and petted. Olive said that she missed him one day and figured that he had gone off to die, but Felix lives on, and at night, might dream of the sheltered home he once lived in as a kitten and the kindness humans hu-mans can express if they will only open up their hearts. |
