Gus Turns 11!
Yesterday was Gus-Gus’ 11th birthday! Many of you know we have two resident cats here at Healthy Paws: Gus and Eleanor. Adopted in 2016 from Helping Paws, they are an integral part of our team and hospital life.
I sometimes forget that not everyone is lucky enough to have a cat stroll across their keyboard during the workday. This week belongs to Gus. I will share a little of his journey, his daily life, and how he, like so many of the pets we care for, makes the world a better place.
Our First Cat
This is me, with Cicero. This is my daughter (now a senior in high school), with Gus.
Cicero lived to the age of 20. He was there for my younger brother’s birth, school-girl crushes, and every hope, dream, and secret a girl could carry. Our pets are a constant. Always present, without judgment or shame. Just soft, warm love.
Gus and Eleanor were my daughters’ first experience with a pet cat. I love knowing they will be woven into my daughters’ memories the same way Cicero is into mine.
Having Gus here at the hospital brings life to the building. He provides quiet emotional support for our team on the harder days. He provides smiles on the easier ones, meandering the halls or perching on a desk like he owns the place because, quite honestly, he does.
This is Gus.
Gus is a Team Player
Gus is a man of many different looks. Or perhaps just a resigned participant in our shenanigans. He is part of our team, and our team is one of not just hard work, but also lighter moments as one can easily see here!
Our Story with Gus Began at Helping Paws
Our family has adopted from Helping Paws many times over: Vinny (our first clinic cat), Gus, Eleanor, and our personal pets Clue, Yahtzee, Elsa, and Willow. They have been part of our story again and again.
I want to share a personal note about this shelter. I have worked in veterinary medicine since I was fourteen years old and without question, Helping Paws is the most responsible rescue facility I have ever encountered.
They work every day to match pets not just with someone, but with the right someone. They support the health of every dog and cat in their care before, during, and in some cases even after adoption.
The staff and volunteers are a genuine joy to work with. We are very fortunate to have them in McHenry County.
Gus Has a Full Workday
Gus has a full workday. Welcome clients, play a little, take a nap, repeat. By Friday evening, he is ready for a quiet weekend. Some well-earned Gus time.
Being a clinic cat is not easy work. His ability to read the room matters every single day. It is, quite frankly, essential to his survival.
Gus seems to have an innate sense of when to freeze, when to flee, and when to follow. In 15 years, we have had to extricate a clinic cat from a dog’s loving kiss exactly once. That says everything about the intelligence of these animals.
Gus Grounds Us
The story a picture tells depends entirely on who is looking. What you feel when you see it is your truth.
You can find data proving that cats improve sleep, reduce stress, and lower heart attack risk. The research is real and worth knowing.
What matters more than facts is knowing that Gus grounds us. Catching a glimpse of him from across the room. Knowing he will be waiting for dinner right at 5pm. Finding him settled into a warm chair the moment you leave it.
Every member of our team comes to work giving everything they have, even on the days when life is asking a great deal of them. Gus does not fix hard days. He simply makes them more bearable.
Sometimes that is everything.