Share this newsletter with the amputees Fu N Fact: JELLYFISH HAVE A PROSTHESIS
THE STORY OF GRANDPA MASON
How a Feral Cat Came to Care for Orphaned Kittens
For nearly all of human existence, we’ve wondered about (and feared!) the darkest depths of the sea. To date, we’ve only explored about 5%-10% of our oceans. Although we’ve theorized about the many kinds of near-supernatural life forms and living conditions that exist in the sea’s deepest reaches, we can now use advances in adaptable and cost-effective technology to find answers. That’s why scientists agree: Humanity’s next step in aquatic exploration is creating bionic jellyfish.
When cats are orphaned as kittens, they don’t get the chance to develop all the skills needed to become successful cats. Just like human children, kittens need older role models too. The most famous cat role model had a rough start in life but became an inspiration for kittens and humans alike. His name was Grandpa Mason, and during the last years of his life, he stepped up and gave love, care, and guidance to the orphaned kittens that lived with him. The Canadian animal rescue group TinyKittens rescued Grandpa Mason in 2016 from a property that was scheduled to be bulldozed. The poor feral tabby was suffering from many health problems, including severe dental issues, a badly injured paw, and advanced kidney disease. Since TinyKittens is a no-kill rescue organization, euthanization was out of the question. Given his health conditions, veterinarians predicted the battle-scarred Grandpa Mason didn’t have long to live, so TinyKittens’ founder, Shelly Roche, took him in and provided him with a comfortable place to sleep, plenty of food, and time to relax in the last months of his life. Grandpa Mason had a hard time adjusting to domestic life and would often shy away from being petted. In an interview with The Dodo, Roche described him as “an elderly gentleman [who] lived his whole life a certain way, and then, all of a sudden, [was] forced to live completely differently.” After Grandpa Mason grew accustomed to his home, Roche took in several foster kittens, and those new roommates completely altered Grandpa Mason’s behavior. Roche expected him to hiss, swat, or growl at the kittens when they invaded his space, but he didn’t. Instead, he allowed them to crawl all over him and appeared to enjoy it when they licked his ear. Suddenly a playful, affectionate, and gentle
Wait — what exactly is a bionic jellyfish? Scientists at Caltech and Standford University are now creating tiny prosthetic ligaments for jellyfish that will allow them to swim faster while using less energy. These ligaments are completely harmless to the sea creatures and allow scientists to gather important data. Why jellyfish? Caltech’s lead researcher John Dabiri says, “We want to take advantage of the fact that jellyfish are everywhere already to make a leap from ship-based [versus ocean-based] measurements, which are limited in number due to their high cost.” Keeping Your Prosth
YOUR PROSTHETIST IS HERE TO HELP!
personality came out of Grandpa Mason as he played with, bathed, taught, and cared for the orphaned kittens that Roche welcomed into her home. Potentially
We know your amputee can have a lot going on in their day — that’s why they may want to keep their prosthesis extra clean, especially after going outside during the COVID-19 crisis. Prosthetic liners, socks, and sockets still require the most cleaning since they’re in direct contact with the limb and are huge magnets for germs. However, now your patient may want to clean the exterior of their prosthetic more often as well. If you’re looking for a place to become a bit more familiar with prosthesis hygiene, then you’ve opened the right newsletter, my friend. First of all, as long as a patient cleans out their liners and washes their hands regularly — as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization recommend — a weekly cleaning of the exterior of their prosthetic should still be fine. Prosthetic cleansers, gentle dishwashing soap, and your own body wash are all effective for cleaning liners. The most important part of cleaning your liner is making sure the cleaner you use doesn’t irritate your skin, which is
due to the kittens’ influence, Grandpa Mason surpassed his prognosis by more than two years. During the last few years of his life, Grandpa Mason passed on important lessons and good manners to the
kittens he looked after and adored, as a true grandfather should. He passed last September, but he spent his last night in his ultimate happy place: snuggling in his bed surrounded by kittens.
2
RINELLA-OP.COM
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator