Meet Nemo - he's my real life hero and no, I'm not biased. He comes by that label honestly because during his working career he provided twenty-two packets of blood products that restored life and health to felines across the country. His job was very important as there are only four animal blood banks in the entire U.S.!

I first learned of the animal blood donor program and our local facility when I accompanied my best friend last year to choose a retired donor to adopt. The majority of the cats in the program are rescued from the humane society - animals literally on death row with the clock ticking down. After they pass a rigorous blood screen and physical exam they are brought into the closed colony cattery where they serve one year as a donor and then are made available for adoption. Adoption promotions are run twice a year.

I have encountered some people who criticize the program saying that the cats should not be made to give blood as they do not have the ability to choose whether they wish to do so or not. My feeling is that these furry guys and gals would all choose one year in a clean, bright environment where they are well fed and looked after with love and compassion, even though they have to put up with that brief poke every three weeks. After all, their other choice in most cases is death! They then have another chance to find a home and if for some reason that does not happen, the worst they will face is more time at the facility - cats are not euthanized if they are not adopted.

I know several people who have adopted retired donors and all are extremely happy with their companions. Some of them have even gone back and adopted a second cat when it became available. I know I had a very hard time taking just one and there are several more on my wish list! Adopting a retired donor has quite a few advantages - the cats are all healthy, current on vaccinations, spayed or neutered, litter-box trained, used to living with other felines, and some are even de-clawed.

Back to Nemo - when my friend and I left the facility that first time and she had chosen her cat, a handsome black DSH named Darth, I asked, "Guess which one I would pick if I were getting another cat?" Without hesitation she responded, "That big gold one with the neurological problem - you wouldn't know what to do with a perfectly normal one!" Well, it took another four months and quite a bit of convincing as far as my husband goes but Nemo finally came home to live with us. He had suffered some very severe, deep ear infections and has a hole in one eardrum. He has a head tilt and some balance problems when he jumps or turns too quickly but to me he is perfectly wonderful. He was quiet and passive in the cattery - rarely playing and almost never moving faster than a slow walk. He has changed so much that sometimes I can't believe he is the same cat! Now he rarely walks, choosing to trot or run. He pesters and play fights with our other cats, wants to play nearly every waking moment, and is a great lap warmer. His fur is a brighter gold, soft and shiny instead of pale and dull. As time passes, he holds his head up more and more giving us a direct stare. It's interesting though that when he is being scolded (like for getting on the table) the head tilt comes back making him look pitiful and of course making it very hard to be mad at him. I'm certain that he would not be doing it on purpose (yeah, right!). Even though we do not have information on any particular cats that Nemo helped save, I know every time I look at him that he is a true hero.

You can visit Nemo at http://pets.burnerkitty.com/2751. As you will read there, he and I both advocate adopting an adult cat whether it be a retired blood donor or one of the thousands of lost, stray or abandoned felines to be found at shelters all across the country.

Becky Adams