There's Something About Solly

Its cork-screw tail, squinty eyes, and unusually long hind legs make it a very unique looking pet. But Brenda doesn’t mind that Solly may not be Meulaboh’s most beautiful feline; it’s her adopted cat.

“I noticed a little cat running around the office and I thought it would be nice to have a pet,” Brenda reflected, describing why she decided to adopt Solly. “Plus, it was the first cat I could catch,” she added laughing.

When she brought this stray kitten home last April it could hardly open either eye. In fact, whether or not it even had two eyes was a major point of discussion amongst Brenda’s friends. Despite its oddities, she was determined to nurse it back to health with eye drops, a little food and a lot of love.

For months she faithfully applied the drops, but they didn’t seem to be working. Although it has become “a robust little cat,” even today its eyes aren’t much better. It bumps into walls, is scared of shadows, and Brenda suspects, every now and again, it suffers from minor concussions from the repeated banging of its head.

Not surprisingly, this stress for Solly creates what Brenda refers to as his “dual personalities.” At times it is a very affectionate cat and loves being close to Brenda, even waiting patiently outside the shower until she’s finished. At other times, however, its personality is less than charming and appears to be “possessed,” known to take flying leaps at Brenda’s houseguests.

Nevertheless, Brenda focuses on its more endearing traits. In fact, she shared that Solly has amazing acrobatic skills. Apparently, this cat can perform impressive back flips and even standing high jumps!

Yet Solly’s days as an uncomfortable and stressed cat may be behind it. This week a veterinarian from Mercy Corps, Dr. Surya, began treating Solly. He confirmed that the cat does, in fact, have two eyes, but one is considerably smaller than the other and suffers serious nerve damage. Solly won’t ever be able to see out of that eye, but if the treatment works properly, it will be a much more comfortable cat, indeed.

Having Dr. Surya in Meulaboh is not only a great relief to Brenda, but will also be reassuring to other pet owners who are accustomed to having a veterinarian in town. While Dr. Surya’s primary mission in Meulaboh is to work with livestock, he’s agreed to treat local pets on Saturdays and Sundays. Because of his experience at an animal clinic in Jakarta and even as a dog trainer, Dr. Surya feels comfortable working with both large and small animals.
Noting that his work with Mercy Corps is full-time and that any private services he provides are on his own time, Dr. Surya suggests that pet owners could pay for the medicine he purchases and provide him with a modest donation of Rp 50,000 to make a house call. But, even if you never end up calling Dr. Surya, you may want to heed his primary advice to all pet owners in Meulaboh: have your pet vaccinated for rabies.

Brenda is looking into having Solly vaccinated, and at the same time, she’s starting to think about where Solly will live when she leaves Meulaboh. While she doesn’t intend to leave Meulaboh in the near future, she knows it will be difficult to say good-bye to this unique little cat when her assignment is complete. But for now, she’s focused on providing Solly with the best care available and ensuring her houseguests know about its flying leaps.