Caturday felid quadrafecta: A visit to Gacek; cockatoo imitates cats; formal portraits of big cats; therapy cat has a book

We have our first quadrafecta today thanks to a last-minute contribution from a reader.

A week ago I featured the renowned Polish cat Gacek, who lives in a box on the street in Szczecin, near the Baltic Sea. (See this Reuter’s piece about Gacek, which refers to him as “the Kim Kardashian” of the cat world,” presumably because of his combination of fame and pulchritude.) I had no idea that one of our readers would make a pilgrimage to visit Gacek, so behold the text and photo contribution of reader Radosław:

I’d like to share with you two pics I’ve taken inspired by your recent Caturday Trifecta. If not for you, I wouldn’t know about this splendid tourist attraction located less than 200 km from Berlin, where I live.

This cockatoo sounds remarkably like a cat; it even hisses!

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From BabaMail we have a series of captivating big cat pictures. Click screenshot to read:

From the article:

Not many of us are fortunate enough to observe wild animals up close. It has often been said that watching a wild animal at close quarters and noting the different facets of its behavior can be an experience to savor. Thankfully, British fashion photographer Ralph Perou has given us the next best thing.

The noted photographer set up his studio in an enclosure at the Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent and shot 7 of the prominent big cats there as if they were celebrities. According to Ralph, he wanted to raise awareness about the vulnerability of the big cats in the wild through this project. He photographed the animals for over a year in an enclosure where he had set up a makeshift studio. His effort was to capture the myriad moods and emotions of the big cats from a close range.

Ralph felt that the big cats had no pretense while being photographed, unlike actors, celebrities and models; they would let the photographer know exactly what they felt about him. Here are some shots from Ralph Perou’s extensive big cat portraits.

Maya the black jaguar (melanic morph, differently abled):

Narnia the white tiger:

Nias, the Sumatran tiger:

Keene the cheetah:

There are lots of pics. Go see the lion!

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From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette we have the inspiring story (now in book form) of Scooter the therapy cat. Click on screenshot to read:

From the article:

Betsy Kay Kennon has loved dozens of pets. As a veterinarian, she had thousands of patients – four-legged, two-legged and no-legged (snakes).

A black-and-white tuxedo cat was first her patient and then her pet. She named him Scooter and loved him like no other animal. He was special – and different – in many ways.

Dr. Kennon saved his life after his back was broken when he was a kitten. Scooter, in return, changed her life.

“Scooter: Therapy Cat” is the book she wrote as a homage to the 10-pound paraplegic feline who made unique therapy visits to nursing homes and rehabilitation centers.

“His front legs trotting briskly in front of two fast-spinning rear wheels, Scooter was quite a sight in the halls of Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Harmarville and other places he visited,” the book describes, quoting from a 2021 Pet Tales column I wrote.

Scooter was a special inspiration on that visit for people who had lost the use of their legs.

“I’m in a wheelchair. He’s in a wheelchair. If he can do it, I can do it,” a patient told Dr. Kennon.

. . . Since retiring from full-time practice in 2016, Dr. Kennon has been volunteering her services at Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley, which is receiving all proceeds from sales of “Scooter: Therapy Cat” (Word Association Publishers, $16.95). Proceeds will be used to help pay medical costs for canine and feline residents of the New Kensington shelter. Riverside Books plans to have copies of the book at its stores in McCandless and Squirrel Hill.

Sadly, the only photo of Scooter is above, but the article gives all the details about how he was saved and now inspires others. A bit more after the vet recounts how she decided not to put the cat to sleep:

“At lunchtime every day we would lift him out and put him on the floor. Off he would go, using his front legs to pull his back half along. … He would scoot from room to room and down the halls. That’s how he got his name.”

Scooter was allowed to hang out in the reception room, where he would scoot up to visit clients, “and everyone loved him. This cat, I decided, would make a good therapy pet,” Dr. Kennon writes.

A collection jar was installed on the clinic’s counter. In less than two weeks, clients donated more than the $300 needed to buy Scooter a wheeled cart from K9 Karts.

Scooter lived a long while—from 2008 to 2021—and died of a stroke. His obituary is also in the Pittsburgh paper.

And here’s a video of Scooter with Dr. Kennon:

h/t: Ginger K