Pet Profiles

Punch's Story Page: (1) 2
[Photo of Punch] Punch is a small tuxedo cat we adopted from the ASPCA on 92nd St. Punch was a kitten when we got him. He was full of life and playfulness, had his act down pat, and was determined to be rescued by a loving family. We originally kept him in the bathroom to adjust, as advised by all the cat books, but we quickly realized that the difference in area between our bathroom and our entire apartment was, sadly, negligible so we opened the door and let him explore. He almost immediately ran under the bed and refused to come out until we started reading the New York Times. His sudden fascination with the Paper of Record and his continued insistence on chewing his way through Thursday Styles led us to name him after the paper's ex-publisher.

Punch lives a simple life and enjoys simple pleasures. He plays fetch with Q-tips and collar stays. He likes to ride on shoulders and fall asleep in laps. He is always warm towards guests and you can tell he really likes you when he sinks his teeth into your hand and wraps himself around your forearm. He sleeps with us on our pillows and he performs his sous-chef duties with diligence and impeccable reflexes. His help with the laundry is somewhat less appreciated. Punch is one of those rare cats that is sufficiently friendly that he converts any anti-cat people that may wander into our apartment. We have actually had to start stocking allergy pills for people who normally studiously avoid cats but find Punch irresistible. He's a pretty spectacular cat, is what I'm saying.

Out of nowhere in mid-November, Punch suddenly began throwing up. After he vomited three days in a row, we took him to our usual vet who ran tests that indicated high kidney values. Our vet referred us to the New York City Veterinary Specialists, where it was determined that Punch was in acute bilateral kidney failure. He spent the next 48 hours being pumped full of fluids and diuretics, none of which were getting his kidneys to start working. At this point, the diagnosis from NYC Veterinary Specialists was that he had kidney stones in both ureters and a very risky surgery was the only answer. They did not have the correct equipment to perform this surgery so they had sent Punch to The Animal Medical Center in the hopes that Dr. Cathy Langston, a worldwide expert on feline renal disease, could help.
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