Alberto Opines on the Preparation
Oliver and I (Alberto) will be co-authoring this post as we each have a lot to say about the topic. Neither of us had been to the “place of white coats” for a number of months but the female human believes in this thing she calls a “wellness exam”. This means she takes us to the place of the white coats for no reason whatsoever. It boggles this kitty’s mind, if we’re well, why do we need an exam, especially since we’ve learned in our short lives that this visit to the place of white coats is not such a pleasant experience.
The day arrived and we were bundled up in our carrier and shoved into the back of the noisy moving machine. While we howled in the back seat, the female human spoke in a soothing voice, telling us this would be a “fearless” visit (there’s that word again). What in the heck did she mean?
Oliver Opines on the Arrival
I was in the middle of a chorus of one the favorite song of my people, when the female human turned off the moving machine. The next thing we knew she was pulling the carrier out and walking toward a building. She opened the big door and we we found ourselves inside a place we’d never been before.
The first thing I noticed (when she moved the carrier so we could see) was that there were two signs, one said “Dogs” and the other said “Cats”. Hmm, very interesting. As we are a feline only family, I wondered who these “dogs” were and when they would show up. Thankfully, we were never subjected to these dog creatures.
There were no smells to help me sniff out any information. The place was quiet and “smell-less”. Okay, so far so good. The female human roamed around to visit the “dog” area and then wandered over to the”cat” area where she inspected all the feline goodies for sale and made herself a cup of coffee. Nice she could entertain herself while we remained captives of our carrier.
She did finally offer us some cat treats but neither of us were in the mood to snack, nor did we want to indicate any approval of this situation we were in.
Alberto Opines on the Exam
Soon we heard footsteps and the next thing we knew we were whisked into a room. 
Oh horror, what was going to happen to us now? Much to my surprise, the female human unzipped the carrier and invited us to come out and inspect the room. Well, well, that was interesting. I sniffed around a bit and then jumped up on the silver table to check that area out. The place was nice, no bad smells at all. As a matter of fact, there was a pleasant smell, kind of relaxing and music that this feline found especially calming. I’m a climbing feline so I hopped up on the counter and checked out the cabinets. To my delight, I discovered a jar with a bunch of feathers. Boy this place was all decked out for felines. Curiosity satisfied, I decided I’d lounge on the silver table. and wait to see what was next. The door opened and a very nice lady named Marsy came in. She talked to me asking permission before she stroked my fur (I do appreciate polite and respectful humans). I took quite a fancy to her and found no need to run to my female human and hide myself under her coat. Soon, another lady arrived (the human 
called her Dr. Ponsness) and this lady (although wearing the dreaded white coat) was respectful and very nice as well. Although both Marsy and the Doctor poked me a little and put a silver thing on me and listened to my chest (who knew, I had no idea there was anything to listen to in there), they talked to me and petted me the entire time. I was feeling quite loved and calm. At one point, I even forgot my human was there as I cuddled up to Marsy. When they were done, they let me continue to hang out on the counter and watch what they were doing with Oliver. All in all, an extremely pleasant experience.
Oliver Opines on the Exam
I had no interest in hanging out on the silver table but I did wander around and inspect the place, sniffing table legs, trash cans, etc. Nothing but calming smells so when Dr. Ponsness picked me up, talked to me and petted me, I was a happy camper. She and Marsy made me feel right at home, even if they did poke and 
prod a bit (there was the insertion of something called a thermometer that I found objectionable but it only lasted a few seconds and, in their defense, they did apologize beforehand). When they were done, I was allowed to wander around the room again and explore. I was so relaxed and happy, I actually took a quick cat nap while my human chatted with the doctor.
After my brief respite, I did some more exploring. Marsy grabbed one of the big feathers from the jar, waved it above me 
and we began playing. I attacked that feather with a vengeance. I was quite fierce and I’m sure I made her a bit afraid with my aggressive moves. I hope she knows I’m a good cat and would never hurt anyone.
I must say all in all this visit was good (except for the part where they told my human I needed to lose weight) and if the female human insists on taking us again I won’t even howl on the way over (at least, not much).
The Human Opines
Alberto and Oliver allowed me some space to tell you about my experience at Pend Oreille Veterinary Service. They have employed fear free practices for a number of years (before the term “fear free” was coined.) When they designed and built their new facility, they devoted themselves to a complete fearless experience, from the beautiful and comfortable lobby to the exam rooms, surgery suite and every other part of the hospital.
Dr. Ponsness took me on a tour of the building and I was impressed. The surgery and kennels are strategically arranged so that they are not next to the examining rooms. Examining areas are dedicated for canine and feline patients and the imaging/consulting room is set up like a human doctor’s office so the people as well as the pets are comfortable.
The facility was designed by a veterinary architect and when I asked Dr. Ponsness what surprises they encountered during the planning and construction of the new building, she responded that she was taken aback when the architect suggested the specialized HVAC system. It turns out, that HVAC system is pivotal in the fearless and state of the art medical aspects of the practice. It provides climate controlled areas such as the surgery suite which has negative pressure. Negative pressure is critical in controlling germs and assisting with healing. The HVAC provides climate controlled areas to fit the needs and purposes of each area of the practice and controls smells that often cause concerns in animals when they are visiting the vet.
Pheromones and soothing music are offered in exam rooms, and, as Oliver and Alberto noted, treats and toys are available to keep the felines amused while they wait. Every space has been planned with comfort, calmness and efficiency for the animal and human clients.
I saw some of the feline and canine patients relaxing in their comfy “hospital crates” and the tour of the surgery suite was very impressive,. The lack of “medicine” smells thanks to the HVAC system serves to keep pets calm and also helps the household stay calm when pets arrive home from their visit. In the past, our felines were welcomed home from the vet with hisses, swats and angry “fuzzy tails”. This time, because there was no “veterinary smells” the other three Tribe members were calm and curious and not a hiss was heard.
I’ve been bringing my felines to Pend Oreille Veterinary Service for years to see Dr. Ponsness and Dr. Smart. My fur kids receive the best of care and I would have argued with anyone who said better care could be provided there , until we made our first fearless visit to the new facility, that is.
I cannot stress enough the importance of taking your fur kids to a practice that uses fearless methodology. Even if your vet does not have a facility designed by a veterinary architecht, there are many methods they can employ to provide you and your felines with fearless visits.
Tucker, the Tribe of Five Alpha recently had two overnight stays at the new facility and I was amazed at how balanced and calm our 14-yer old guy was when we brought him home. Normally, it takes a few days for him to bounce back from an overnight at the vets, but not this time. He was his old sassy self as soon as we unzipped the door of the carrier and sashayed into the living room to reclaim his favorite chair.
The Tribe of Five all had wellness exams recently and all responded in a relaxed, unstressed manner. Five felines with diverse personalities all responding positively to their vet visit speaks volumes.
And one last note, the fearless vet visit is a blessing to the worried pet parents as well. I no longer have to face taking them to the vet with fear and trepidation (and feeling like the meanest person on the planet).
Are your fur kids fearless? If not, I urge you to find a fearless practice in your area.
A cat walked into a nursing home……and the rest is history. This beautiful feline, now known as Oreo, wandered into St. Augustine Health Ministries in Cleveland, Ohio one day and she worked her way into an important job.
The D.C. based, Humane Rescue Alliance is putting felines to work in local businesses. They provide businesses with resident felines, “hired” to patrol the property and keep rodents away. In return, feral cats get homes — and they earn their keep.
I’ve written about the feline employees in the British government before and Larry in purrticular. Larry is one of several Whitehall pets, which include dogs. Unfortunately, Larry has been caught in the act of non-mousing. Rumor has it that rather than catching rodents, Larry is taking cat naps and has recently been caught in the act by a photographer, leading some in government to speculate that Larry may lack the killer instinct important for politics. A photographer recently reported that Larry came face to face with a tiny mouse, which he allowed to escape after he played with it a while. 
I love stories about adventure cats as much as I do stories about cats with jobs. These two felines, Fish and Chips were adopted at different times, and are now the best of adventure-seeking friends. The female human wanted to adopt a kitten but the male human (thinking he was really a dog person) wasn’t so sure. Then he discovered one of my favorite websites, 
Speaking of adventure, one photographer , Andrew Marttila’s photography series captures the feline residents of Cat Island in a beautiful pictorial album at Creative Boom.
Well folks, it’s the end of an era and cats prove that they are taking over the world. The famous Westminster Dog show actually featured felines this year? If you’re wondering why, allow me to enlighten you. Now before any of you canine fans get your tails in a twist, yes, for the first time in the events 140 year history felines were in attendance but they did not compete, they were part of a “meet the breeds” event. Still, not too shabby for us felines and who knows, today the Westminster Dog Show, tomorrow the Iditarod (snuggled safely inside the sleigh, of course.)
While we’re on the subject as felines as job morale boosters, check out this Japanese office that “employs” nine felines. In addition to the furry feline employees, this office celebrates every day as “bring your pet to work day”. And if you aren’t impressed enough with this feline friendly employer, get a load of this…if you don’t have your own feline, the company offers a 5,000 yen monthly bonus ($42.00), called a “cat bonus” for anyone who is willing to adopt a cat of their own! I think a few U.S. companies ought to adopt this excellent practice!
Just when you think you’ve read about all the pawlitical cats in the UK, there’s a new job announcement. These two felines, hired as mousers, have the run of Whitehall and they seem to be enjoying their job.
I’ve written about the cats in the British Foreign Office and the Chief Mouser at 10 Downing Street and this week, I learned that there is a Chief Mouser at the HM Treasury too! Now I’m a red, white and blue blooded American feline but I must say, I have been thinking of attempting to convince the humans that we must relocate to the British Isles posthaste! Those folks know the value of felines (or moggies, as they call them). This photo pictures the “Honorable Chief Feline” emerging from the budget briefcase and Gladstone even tweeted about #Budget2017. I like the attitude of Gladstone’s fellow workers, one said, “You can still get on with work – and if you’re in a bad mood you can play with him in your lunch hour and he will cheer you up!”
My next working cat story is from….you guessed it, England! Felix came to the station in Yorkshire when she was a kitten in 2011 and she has recently received a purrrmotion Senior Pest Controller and has received a high-vis vest as well. She works hard keeping mice away and chasing pigeons off of the platform. There’s nothing like a girl in a uniform to make me purr!
Every working cat needs some R&R and Weston the cat from Washington state enjoys sledding with his human. Weston and his female feline friend, Elinore, the Adventure Cats, enjoy spending outdoor time with their humans. I watched the video but it freaked meow-out. Not so sure I’m ready for a sled ride but I do enjoy jamming down the stairs in our house and sliding into the wall.
As you may know the Tribe of Five and their humans reside in the Inland Northwest which is why I was purrrticularily thrilled to read that the first Oregon Film festival on March 11th. Now we do things a bit differently than they do in Howly-wood so this festival isn’t going to compete with the Internet Cat video Festival at the Hollywood Theatre. This festival will not feature already famous (and in my humble opinion overly exposed) feline stars like Grumpy Cat, Lil Bub or Maru. This festival will be featuring the future feline film stars.
This story is a public service announcement. I know that many of my feline friends out there have (ahem) a bit of a “nip” problem. Properly managed this does not need to cause said felines down the path of crime and over indulgence. This feline, unfortunately, did not have a friend, furry or otherwise, who talked to him about catnip and this, sadly is the result. After all, if you humans and other felines don’t talk to your cat about catnip, who will?
Members of the mobile SWAT team in Roxbury have constructed some fancy digs for their calico “unofficial” mascot SWAT.
George, the tabby has decided that the retail life is for him. He’s created quite a sensation in the Wilko store (a budget store) in Bristol, England.
IndieWire refers to this feline film as “technically a sophisticated, artful documentary from Turkish film maker Ceyda Tourun.”. That’s a bunch of human language to say that this movie tells the story of Turkish felines and the humans who love them. Although stray cats are sort of a cultural thing in Turkey, their cats are loved and cared for by the people of Instanbul. The film opened in New York on Feb. 0 and will be in Los Angeles on Friday. You can watch a 
We felines, by nature, are athletic and supple. Why even Tucker, our 16-pound Alpha can leap onto a high stool and onto the kitchen counter in an elegant and acrobatic movement. But Jesper, the Norwegian athlete takes athleticism to an entirely new level. He even has his own 
Last week I told you about a fancy feline hotel in Indonesia and this week I’ve discovered an entire chain of feline luxury hotels in England.
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