Daily Archives: June 17, 2009

vet update, going offline

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Good news: the vet visit went really well. I will admit that I let their annual exams slide for a few years – they’re indoor cats, so vaccinations weren’t really an issue. With the upcoming trip (see below) I wanted to make sure that they were established with a veterinarian who knew them. And since a new office opened up not five minutes from our house, with nothing but positive recommendations for the veterinarian there, I thought it would be the right place for us. And it is.

Dr. B is all about communication, wants to explain what’s going on during the exam, and really believes in being on the same page as the pet owner. There was no issue with declining all vaccines but rabies (I don’t like for them to get more than one shot at a time), and there was no concern with the fact that they’re on a raw diet.

Of course, their good health speaks for itself. PJ and Miko are both a healthy 12 pounds, Scully weighs in at almost 10 pounds, and Stephanie is a petite 9 pounds. Aside from Scully’s very mild heart murmur, which had been caught by a previous vet, they have absolutely no health issues. And hopefully we won’t have to see Dr. B until next year.

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This will be our last update until August. In another week I’m leaving for a month of volunteer work in Africa and will, of course, miss my babies terribly. It’s going to be an amazing trip and you can read more about it here. I won’t be updating the blog while we’re gone, but we’ll be back in August with new posts and pictures and stories.

Thanks for reading.

more info on ‘Juvi’

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Our program director didn’t have an information sheet for me so I’ve been trying to piece together what the placement might be like. Overwhelmingly people who’ve worked in the detention center talk about how sweet and fun the boys are, so while I may be a little out of my element, I know that this month in the placement is going to be amazing. I found this from a former volunteer:

I was fortunate enough to visit some other placements of fellow volunteers. It was an eye opening experience in so many ways. It’s amazing how some people are treated in Tanzania. I was lucky enough to visit the Juvenile Detention Centre (less formally known as Juvi). Juvi is a place where children that have committed a crime stay before they are sentenced in court. Generally, the kids either get released or are placed into jail. It all depends on what the judge rules. The crimes these kids commit are not necessarily crimes either. One child got in an argument with her grandmother and was sent to Juvi for disrespecting her elder (of course, this is the abbreviated version of the story). An 11 year old boy was play fighting with his friend, kicked him in the stomach, and his friend died (probably due to a pre-existing condition). Now this 11 year old boy is waiting to stand in a Tanzanian court before a judge that will decide if he is guilty for manslaughter. Amazing.

Despite all of the horrible stories Juvi is actually a fun place. Or at least the volunteers try and make it fun. All of the kids are released from their rooms when the volunteers arrive to begin the days activities. The day I went we decided to paint a mural on the wall. All the kids helped us brighten up the walls….and maybe a little bit of the floor. Ok, maybe a lot bit of the floor. Good thing they weren’t expecting a professional paint job. All in all, it was a great experience and I was happy to help out.