What a lovely way to celebrate what Paddles has taught you! Thank you for sharing that :)
For me, I have learned so much from so many animals, it is hard to choose what to share….so I will share a recent experience fostering a blind kitten named Syrita. This little one was found in Texas as a baby kitten with a terrible eye infection in both eyes. By the time she was found and got very care it was too late to save her eyes, and she had a double enucleation surgery as soon as she was able to undergo anesthesia. I took her in as a foster kitten, hoping I could teach her life skills in a safe and happy environment. What I found was that she taught me more than I could ever teach her! We took the first few days to get to know one another, and build trust in her new environment.
Since she is blind, I engaged her other senses to help her learn her surroundings and build confidence. I focused first on her sense of smell, then engaged hearing and touch as the sensory basis for her training. Routine and predictable movements definitely helped her feel safe and happy as she acclimated to her new space. I learned the importance of ritual from my doctoral work in Anthrozoology, and this was extremely helpful to build a solid predictable routine for Syrita. I made sure she always felt secure and in control of her environment. I helped her navigate small spaces at first, and as she grew confident we expanded her world. I did a planned introduction process for her with my tri-pawd kitty George, and those two became fast friends. After one month of training and introductions, she was fully integrated into our home with no anxiety or stress. She chose to stay with our family forever. She has learned to navigate her home better than some of my sighted cats 😹 and her senses of hearing, smell, and touch have all become superpowers! She can hear me click and call from several rooms away, and will dart up on top of condos and perches to sit "on top of the world"!
She taught me not to underestimate anyone, and that even though one sense may be diminished, others can be developed to create a rich sensory experience that offers a very enriching life. She also taught me that if I showed patience and understanding, she would have the opportunity to choose if and how she wanted to engage with me. She had agency. I catered to her choices. That has blossomed into one of the most confident kitties that I have ever known!
She adores her humans and kitty siblings, and she loves her training exercises. She fetches like the best of them, chases and captures microcars, and is learning to do shoulder hopping, too!
thank you, Syrita, and thank you to everyone here for giving us a way to celebrate incredible animal relationships 🐾
Mel >^..^<
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mel kleverova
Head Wrangler
melvina's cat ranch
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Original Message:
Sent: 12-05-2025 07:38 AM
From: Ella Hammond (she/her)
Subject: Which animals have taught you a lesson?
Hi everyone!
I wanted to start a conversation about something that often gets overlooked: the lessons animals teach us, who quietly reshape how we work, collaborate, or think about sheltering. Most of us have that one animal that changed the way we do things.
Who is that animal for you, and what did they teach you?
For me, it was Paddles.
I found him tied to the gates at one of our yards on a July morning in 2024. I had only been at the shelter about four months, and he was one of the first animals I had ever seen dumped. His skin was raw, cracked, and bleeding from what we later learned were severe allergies. We never found his owner. Paddles ended up with a long-term foster who ultimately adopted him and gave him the safe, comfortable life he deserved.
This dog changed so much about the way I view sheltering. He arrived in horrible shape, and we spent a significant amount of money and time on his treatment. It became painfully clear that the person who left him there simply didn't have the resources to care for him-and instead of asking for help, they tied him to a fence overnight.
Working here has definitely hardened me in some ways and made me more pessimistic about people's intentions. This was one of those defining moments. But the lesson Paddles taught me is that people often don't ask for help, even when they desperately need it. If help isn't easy, accessible, and judgment-free, many will choose silence over reaching out.
And because of that, it's on us to be the ones who extend the hand first, lower the barriers, and make the change.
Photo attached of Paddles, the happiest boy in the world!
#Behavior,TrainingandEnrichment
#EducationandTraining
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Ella Hammond
Grants Coordinator
CARE Humane Society
Auburn, AL
carehumane.org
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