Tag Archives: Dr. Jen Denyes

Cat of the week: T’Challa

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T’Challa rocks the black panther pose

By Sharon Wylie, Crash’s Landing


Each week WKTV features an adoptable pet—or few—from an area shelter. This week’s beauty is from Crash’s Landing. Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary rescue organizations were founded by Jennifer Denyes, DVM (Dr. Jen), who is on staff at Clyde Park Veterinary Clinic (4245 Clyde Park Ave SW).


Dr. Jen is a firm believer that things happen for a reason and that often you end up at the right place at exactly the right time. Such is the case with T’Challa.


Dr. Jen and her fiancé were heading home from Detroit on Aug. 11, 2019, when she checked her emails on her phone. Garden City resident, Jessy Kellerman, had contacted the good doc for possible help with an FIV+ stray that she had found in her neighborhood and had been caring for since she picked him up on the 5th. Ill with an upper respiratory infection and fully intact—his mere presence was causing a small ruckus in her home—this four-year-old fella (born in the summer of 2015) was in need of placement, with the ultimate goal of adoption into a home better suited to him.


As luck would have it, the lovebirds were only about 20 minutes away from the cat in needs’ location, so they grabbed lunch and headed on over to meet and pick up their furry passenger for the two-hour ride home.


Although the strikingly handsome, petite black panther had been quite vocal at Jessy’s place, he didn’t make a single peep on the way home (ok, once—when Dr. Jen was singing along to a song that he obviously didn’t care for), sitting contentedly in his carrier on her lap. Dr. Jen set him up in her home office for the night and let him settle in a bit, although he would have much preferred to make his rounds about her house, but with two Bassets and 10 cats in residence, it wasn’t advisable.


Although grumbly when seeing the other cats through the door to Dr. Jen’s enclosed ‘catio’, T’Challa seemed more interested in exploring than anything. But since feline immunodeficiency virus is transmitted through bite wounds, and given the fact his whole world had been turned upside-down yet again, Dr. Jen confined him—and heard ALL about it the entire evening. Jessy was right when she said he had a lot to say!

The boy enjoys the ‘catio’

As expected, T’Challa had a hard time adjusting to the shelter and is just starting to settle in at the writing of his bio a month after his arrival. He seems to get along great with some of the cats, even snuggling up next to them sometimes. However, some of our more ‘manly’ cats pick on him and he just can’t understand why—but we have an idea: it’s that constant chattering, meowing and talking to everyone and everything (while in perpetual motion) that ruffles their feathers.


We want more than anything for this sweet boy to quickly find a nice, quiet home. The other cats really do overwhelm him. He’s never been aggressive but the others obviously see his “noises” as a threat. He prefers to be curled up out of the spotlight, enjoys his wet food, and loves all of us doting over him. He has quickly become a volunteer favorite and loves nothing more than to just sit on a lap. He absolutely needs a less active home with no dogs, no small kids, but possibly an older, quiet cat.


T’Challa will make someone a wonderful companion, and we have no doubt he will quiet right down once he feels at ease.

More about T’Challa:

  • Domestic Short Hair
  • Black
  • Adult
  • Male
  • Large
  • House-trained
  • Vaccinations up to date
  • Neutered
  • Prefers a home without dogs or children

Want to adopt T’Challa? Learn about the adoption process here. Fill out a pre-adoption form here.


Interested in volunteering at one of the cat shelters? Email volunteer@crashslanding.org.





Cat of the week: Cato

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Aw, look at that face

By Sharon Wylie, Crash’s Landing

 

Each week WKTV features an adoptable pet — or few — from an area shelter. This week’s beauty is from Big Sid’s Sanctuary. Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary rescue organizations were founded by Jennifer Denyes, DVM (Dr. Jen), who is on staff at Clyde Park Veterinary Clinic (4245 Clyde Park Ave SW).

 

Seems like the harder they have had it out on the mean streets, the more docile and gentle they are when they finally make it somewhere safe; such is the case with the courageous Cato. Born in the fall of 2009, this timid tom cat ended up a stray in a Belmont trailer park in the summer of 2012. By the time we got him in September, he had suffered a broken tail, damage to his left fore paw resulting in a toe amputation and another toe being deviated, broken canine teeth down to the gum line and poor little foot pads were rock hard and cracked from life outdoors. And to top it all off, he tested positive for FIV. Luckily he was taken initially to Gina Marvin of Focus on Ferals, who got him medical attention and housed him until we had a spot at Big Sid’s.

 

Dr. Jen initially was apprehensive about how well Cato would acclimate at our sanctuary, as it is cage-free and two levels; he seemed more content to confine himself in small spaces where he could lay low and fly under the radar. But thanks to the patience and diligence of our fabulous volunteer staff, he came out of his shell and stayed there after not too long in our care. The transformation even the shiest of cats make in our care is what we strive to obtain; we want to create a happy little haven for each and every one of them so that they know peace and tranquility and feel safe and secure.

 

Cato is a sweetheart, and although big and bulky, he is a gentle soul. We would love nothing more than to find him a home of his own, and since he is a lover and not a fighter, there is no reason at all that he can’t go into a home with another cat or two — in fact, he would really fancy that!

More about Cato:

  • Large
  • Adult
  • Male
  • Gray & White
  • House-trained
  • Vaccinations up to date
  • Neutered
  • Not declawed

Want to adopt Cato? Learn about the adoption process here. Fill out a pre-adoption form here.

 

NOTE: A $825 grant from Lil BUB’s Big Fund for the ASPCA will enable Crash’s Landing & Big Sid’s Sanctuary, to fund comprehensive exams for five Big Sid’s Sanctuary cats before going to their new home. Each exam would include a full blood panel, dental care, radiographs, urinalysis, antibiotics and pain medication, if needed. Big Sid’s caters exclusively to cats who test positive for FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) or FeLV (Feline Leukemia Virus). FIV and FeLV are viruses that can, if they flare up, suppress a cat’s immune system. The shelter takes cats with FIV or FeLV from all over Michigan.

Interested in volunteering at one of the cat shelters? Email volunteer@crashslanding.org.

Can’t adopt, but still want to help? Find out how you can sponsor a cat!

 

Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary have a common mission: To take at-risk stray cats off the streets of the Greater Grand Rapids area, provide them with veterinary care and house them in free-roaming, no-kill facilities until dedicated, loving, permanent homes can be found.

Cat of the week: Pumbaa

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Hey, there, handsome!

By Sharon Wylie, Crash’s Landing

Each week WKTV features an adoptable pet — or few — from an area shelter. This week’s beauty is from Big Sid’s Sanctuary. Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary rescue organizations were founded by Jennifer Denyes, DVM (Dr. Jen), who is on staff at Clyde Park Veterinary Clinic (4245 Clyde Park Ave SW).

This dashing and debonair buff beauty gave Dr. Jen quite the runaround for months as he dined and then darted, hiding out in a hole in the cement foundation of her front porch. For weeks on end, Dr. Jen and her son tried to no avail to coax him into their care, tempting him with treats, kibble and canned food, but the wary and worried tom cat (born in the spring of 2013) would have nothing to do with them.

 

Every time Dr. Jen caught sight of Pumbaa hanging out in the shrubbery, she told him that he would have ‘no worries for the rest of his days’ if he would only allow her to take him in, but it wasn’t until he became ill from a horribly abscessed ear (cat fight) that he begrudgingly allowed her to lay her hands on him. Armed with broth packets, she laid down on her porch and hand fed him bits of shrimp and fish until she was finally able to gently reach out, scruff him and place him into an open carrier. Surprisingly, he didn’t fight her on this until she zipped the top shut, then all hell broke loose as he, well, tried to break loose. A discussion ensued, with Dr. Jen explaining how things were going to be, and he agreed to settle down for the car ride to the clinic so she could tend to his wounds.

 

Once at the office, Dr. Jen and Pumbaa got down to business: she anesthetized him in order to surgically drain his wounded left ear, neuter him, remove an engorged tick from his back, run lab work (he was anemic), implant his microchip, vaccinate him and treat for external and internal parasites (he was loaded with intestinal worms). Given how long he had been out and about fending for himself, it was no shock when he tested positive for FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) — it was a darn shame, but not unexpected as intact males are always getting themselves into trouble due to surging hormones.

 

Looking for a home that encourages lounging

Dr. Jen kept the former porch kitty in her half-bath at home since it was Memorial Day weekend and she didn’t want him to feel abandoned if he spent too much time alone in a strange place. However, the first two nights he spent quite a bit of time trying to get out the window that Dr. Jen had the foresight to reinforce with duct tape. He also scratched the paint on her door and windowsill. However, by day three, Pumbaa was ready to accept head rubs and didn’t protest too much when Dr. Jen cleaned his draining abscess. He spent the first few days of the following week at the clinic with her, then once she was certain he wasn’t going to flip out due to sensory overload, she packed her boy up and sent him down to our sanctuary.

 

At first Pumbaa was afraid of his own shadow, preferring to hunker down in an open-door cage, but after being on the receiving end of continuous cuddle sessions and tender handling, he soon became putty in the volunteers’ hands. In fact, the transformation from frightened and semi-feral to comfortable and laid-back was absolutely astonishing; not only does Pumbaa enjoy the spotlight now, but he simply adores being the center of attention as verified by his striking supermodel pose for his photo op here!

 

We could not be more proud of our emblazoned, bold boy who not only seeks out affection but brazenly demands it! Every single time we gaze upon his serene face we are thankful that he trusted Dr. Jen to care for him. Patience paid off as he is now living a life that suits him perfectly and we are sure it’s better than he ever could have imagined possible!

More about Pumbaa

NOTE: A $825 grant from Lil BUB’s Big Fund for the ASPCA will enable Crash’s Landing & Big Sid’s Sanctuary, to fund comprehensive exams for five Big Sid’s Sanctuary cats before going to their new home. Each exam would include a full blood panel, dental care, radiographs, urinalysis, antibiotics and pain medication, if needed. Big Sid’s caters exclusively to cats who test positive for FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) or FeLV (Feline Leukemia Virus). FIV and FeLV are viruses that can, if they flare up, suppress a cat’s immune system. The shelter takes cats with FIV or FeLV from all over Michigan.

Interested in volunteering at one of the cat shelters? Email volunteer@crashslanding.org.

Can’t adopt, but still want to help? Find out how you can sponsor a cat!

Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary have a common mission: To take at-risk stray cats off the streets of the Greater Grand Rapids area, provide them with veterinary care and house them in free-roaming, no-kill facilities until dedicated, loving, permanent homes can be found.

Cat of the week: Brendan

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Look at my paw… just LOOK at it

By Sharon Wylie, Crash’s Landing

Each week WKTV features an adoptable pet — or few — from an area shelter. This week’s beauty is from Big Sid’s Sanctuary. Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary rescue organizations were founded by Jennifer Denyes, DVM (Dr. Jen), who is on staff at Clyde Park Veterinary Clinic (4245 Clyde Park Ave SW).

 

Shortly before Christmas, 2015 the wonderful Sara Y. from the Humane Society of Kent County, contacted Dr. Jen to see if she would be able to help with a fabulous Feline Leukemia-positive boy that their executive director found out in Caledonia. The (then) two-year -old (born in December of 2013) intact male happened across the absolute right path, as he was scooped up and carted away for safekeeping: neutered and vaccinated; and best of all, doted upon by all of the employees and volunteers who cared for him over the holidays.

 

The first thing that struck Dr. Jen when she laid eyes upon this happy, handsome little camper was just how darn outgoing and affectionate he was—he simply couldn’t get enough one-on-one time with her at the clinic! Every single time she walked by his cage she had to stop, pet him, fill his bowl and rub his pretty little face; he repaid her actions by bestowing the sweetest of head rubs and allowing her to tickle his tummy to her heart’s content.

 

Then it was down to the business at hand, which consisted of baseline blood work and treatment of an ear infection secondary to ear mites. Lab work unfortunately revealed a potentially life-threatening depletion of one of the key white blood cells his body needs to fight off infection, so Dr. Jen hit him hard with heavy-duty antibiotics, rechecking his parameters on a bi-weekly basis until they normalized.

 

Love me, pet me!

Since he does have FELV+, he is immuno-compromised, and this type of blood cell abnormality can be common—and devastating, so we kept a very watchful eye on this gregarious, gorgeous guy, inside and out!

 

Once at our sanctuary, boisterous Brendan could not wait to meet everyone (understatement of the year)! He was quickly dubbed a ‘belly-monster’ as his penchant for this activity is rivaled only by his fondness of laying on his back (Surrey-style) and gazing up lovingly and longingly at the volunteers!

 

We are enjoying our Brendan-time immensely and are so thankful that he was sent our way. This guy right here is by far one of the most outgoing, affectionate, happy-go-lucky cats to saunter around the sanctuary, soaking up his surroundings and charming the socks off of everyone who stops to snuggle him!

 

WE LOVE HIM TO PIECES!

More about Brendan

NOTE: A $825 grant from Lil BUB’s Big Fund for the ASPCA will enable Crash’s Landing & Big Sid’s Sanctuary, to fund comprehensive exams for five Big Sid’s Sanctuary cats before going to their new home. Each exam would include a full blood panel, dental care, radiographs, urinalysis, antibiotics and pain medication, if needed. Big Sid’s caters exclusively to cats who test positive for FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) or FeLV (Feline Leukemia Virus). FIV and FeLV are viruses that can, if they flare up, suppress a cat’s immune system. The shelter takes cats with FIV or FeLV from all over Michigan.

Interested in volunteering at one of the cat shelters? Email volunteer@crashslanding.org.

Can’t adopt, but still want to help? Find out how you can sponsor a cat!

Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary have a common mission: To take at-risk stray cats off the streets of the Greater Grand Rapids area, provide them with veterinary care and house them in free-roaming, no-kill facilities until dedicated, loving, permanent homes can be found.

Adoptable cat of the week: Beverly Leslie

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Beverly Leslie will absolutely thrive in a place where cuddles and snuggles are plentiful — and who wouldn’t want to cuddle that adorable face?

By Sharon Wylie, Crash’s Landing

Each week WKTV features an adoptable pet — or few — from an area shelter. This week’s beauty is from Crash’s Landing. Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary rescue organizations were founded by Jennifer Denyes, DVM (Dr. Jen), who is on staff at Clyde Park Veterinary Clinic (4245 Clyde Park Ave SW).

 

Here are the Cliff notes version of Beverly Leslie’s tale of woe and wonder. The frail but fabulous four-year-old (born in late 2013) was found hanging around the Wyoming condo of two of our volunteers in late October, but they weren’t able to wrangle her until two weeks later. Beverly Leslie’s initial laundry list of issues included being bloated due to a presumed pregnancy, a flea infestation, severe gingivitis and a rip-roaring bilateral ear infection secondary to untreated ear mites that ended up rupturing both eardrums.

 

A week later she was healthy enough to take to surgery to spay her where Dr. Jen discovered that the kitty was suffering from a uterine infection (no babies thankfully). At that time Dr. Jen also flushed out Beverly Leslie’s infected ear canals which unfortunately led to a complicated upper respiratory infection involving her nasal passages; this caused excessive post-nasal drip and literally weeks of batting fevers, drainage and a helluva roller-coaster ride of recuperation.

 

When Dr. Jen took her back to surgery on Nov. 27 to again address kitty’s aural issues, yet another problem presented itself: Beverly Leslie had developed nasopharyngeal polyps in both middle ears, further complicating her recovery; removal was a success but her white blood cell count was astronomically high due to the chronic nature of her conditions.

 

Thankfully with Christmas came the return of her health, and Dr. Jen was able to allow Beverly Leslie to take her hard-won spot on our adoption list!

 

In spite of everything, this darling little lady never squawked or complained, taking her nose wiping and temperature taking like the fierce warrior princess she is! Small yet feisty, she got her name from that quirky yet beloved character on the TV show Will & Grace, and let me tell you, she is a force to be reckoned with, as nothing keeps her down for long! She loves, loves, LOVES people and simply cannot get enough of their attention! It took her quite some time to adjust and accept the other kitties as her roomies, but once she did, she made a few furry friends.

 

Beverly Leslie will absolutely thrive in a place where cuddles and snuggles are plentiful and would most definitely do great with kids. We can tell you that she will receive a marvelous send off, once it is finally time for her to pack her bags and go home; if anyone deserves it, it is our magnificent marmalade Bev Les!

More about Beverly Leslie

Interested in volunteering at one of the cat shelters? Email volunteer@crashslanding.org.

Can’t adopt, but still want to help? Find out how you can sponsor a cat!

Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary have a common mission: To take at-risk stray cats off the streets of the Greater Grand Rapids area, provide them with veterinary care and house them in free-roaming, no-kill facilities until dedicated, loving, permanent homes can be found.