Much is touted in veterinary literature about the human-animal bond. In simpler terms, it means some of us just love animals. And who couldn't? They are a source of never-ending unconditional love. How much unconditional love do you get from people? My own experience in life is all love from people is conditional. Animals are also adorable and incredibly cute. Every child melts when they see a puppy or a kitten, and they just have to have one!My mother loved cats, and that is most likely why I became a Cat Specialist Veterinarian. My mother, Mildred Patricia Jackson Ikeler, more commonly known as "Milly," was orphaned at birth. Her own mother died in childbirth, in 1936, and mom was named after her mother, Mildred. Mom never liked the name Mildred, because of the "dred" part at the end of that name, she was happy with Milly though. Her middle name was Patricia because she was born on Saint Patrick's Day, in 1936. From there she was plagued with a lifetime of green Birthday cakes that people thought were somehow unique, but that repeated the pattern every year. Her father was named Millard Jackson, and they traced their family lineage back to Stonewall Jackson, of the Civil War.
With no brothers or sisters, except for a half sister named Audrey that was growing up in California, and her father away as a major in the army, mom grew up an orphan, and was raised by her aunt and uncle from her mothers side, Robert and Agnes Brackett. Mom grew up in the same house that I grew up in, in Alstead, New Hampshire. I still own that house today and it has been in our family for over one hundred and fifty years.
Mom's closest friends were her cats. "Smokey" was a noted favorite, and most of mom's pictures from her childhood show her accompanied by a cat. We had a double-digit cat population the whole time I was growing up, with twenty five being the top number of cats we ever had at one time. In the countryside though, certain hazards abound and we lost one or two cats every year. Mom was kind though and whatever stray cat came to our door was welcomed in to a new home.
We took good care of all our cats and vet visits were very common. That's probably why our local veterinarian, Dr. Issac Tucker Burr, was more than happy to give me a job working with him as soon as I was old enough. I learned about the common cat diseases early in life as abscesses, fractures, and hit-by-car injuries were frequent.
There are times even today, when I feel like that part of my mother that is in me is still gathering joy and happiness from the patting and hugging of our kitties. The photo here is of a red persian cat, who looks just like one of my mother's favorite cats ever, "The Royal Reggie." My mother's legacy lives on and she has helped tens of thousands of cats, by having me, and raising me to love them as much as she did.
Many thanks to http://www.i-love-cats.com/ for the free cat photos.
See also my web site on life extension at http://www.lifeextensionbooksbydrdougikeler.blogspot.com/
Dr. Doug Ikeler http://www.ikelerbooks.com/
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