The secret lives of Lakeland's "public" pets
Find these furry three on campus and you're sure to find three new friends
Carlos Millan
Issue date: 3/11/10 Section: Features
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Tika was the first pet allowed on campus in the residence halls. Part of the reason why Lakeland decided to change their policy was because pets are good disguises that allow students to talk to the residence hall directors more freely.
Bork commented on how students walk in and begin petting Tika. This is a way to make the students feel like they are in a safe environment. While these students are petting and scratching Tika behind the ears, they begin to talk about things that are bothering them or troubles they have been having.
The residents in Brotz really have a connection with Tika. "In some years people have brought in dog treats for Tika," said Bork.
But Tika's life does not revolve completely around the students. During the summer days, when most of the full-time students have returned home, she will run around and sniff all day. "Her nose gets in charge of her," said Bork.
On days that her nose controls her, Tika's eyes will become bright and intense with excitement. On most summer days you can see this expression on her. Tika is like most dogs, as she knows all the basic commands like sit, lay down, roll over, and shake. She is also very loving, compassionate, and, most of all, she loves to sleep.
A funny quirk that Tika possesses is that when she dreams, her feet start to twitch. People have been trying to imagine what dreams she must be having that cause her feet to twitch at odd hours of the day and night. Maybe she is chasing after that always-elusive squirrel; no one knows.
Another quirk she has is that during the winter time Tika will sniff around and dive head-first into the snow. She will flop around like some sort of four-legged fish trying to make doggie snow angels. Bork has no idea where Tika got the idea, but one day she just started doing it.
Tika is a lover. When the weather gets better you can see Tika walking around campus with Bork. You can also catch Tika during her play dates with Kelly Stone's dog, Claire.
Kelly Stone adopted Claire from the American Brittany Rescue in mid-summer 2006.
At first glance Claire seems to be a very sassy dog. She is very, very, very energetic. I cannot express how much energy this dog has. I imagine it comes with the Brittany breed. Along with this energy, Claire socializes well with other dogs and people.
She is very cuddly and likes to be close to people. She is so affectionate that she does not like to be in a room alone. One of the things Claire loves to do is fetch balls. "She'll play ball until she can't play ball anymore," said Stone.
Claire is so fixated on fetching a ball that Kelly Stone and her husband, John, cannot even say the word "ball" in the house. They have to spell it, "B-A-L-L."
An amusing quirk that Claire does is she gives people high-fives. She will sit and stare at you with those big round eyes and then, as you raise your hand, she will slam it with her paw. In her case I call this trick the "high-paw."
Claire does something else that is extremely interesting and puzzling. She likes to watch things pass by - like shadows, people, and, most of all, light.
Kelly Stone clarifies by saying, "She has an obsession with light." If you carry a flashlight with you and Claire is in your presence, that dog will stare and stare at it until you hide it. She knows that a flashlight emits light."
Stone learned about this obsession when she noticed that Claire had stared all night at a drawer containing a flashlight. Stone commented that she feels Claire believes that it is her job to watch or guard light.
Once, when the Stones were away cleaning out a cabin, they had to tie Claire up in the backyard. Claire would not stop barking. They did everything they could. They brought her inside and she was very disruptive. They took her outside again, and she kept on barking. So, they took advantage of her obsession with light.
They brought out a flashlight and placed it near her. They did not hear a peep out of her for the rest of the day. Claire just lay down and kept her eyes fixated on the flashlight.
Tim Vallier had an encounter with Kentucky that proves how resilient cats really are. Long ago, maybe even ages, Vallier was doing construction work on a home when he found a helpless cat inside of a wall.
"I found her in a wall…literally, she was in a hole," said Vallier. "She probably weighed like half or one pound…all skin and bones."
He got her out of the wall by coaxing her with a plate of food. It was then that Vallier realized that this cat was wearing a collar that was wrapped around one of her front legs and her neck. "I don't know if a local kid did it or if it was an accident," Vallier added.
Once he gently removed the collar, he was met with a foul stench. The collar had begun to eat into her skin under her leg, and the skin was rotting underneath. All Vallier could do was take her to the Humane Society.
The Humane Society took the cat in and said they would do everything they could for her, but were not sure if she would make it. Vallier checked on the cat days later and was greeted with great news. The Humane Society told him that a vet had come in and performed three surgeries to restore the cat's full use of her leg.
The Humane Society allowed Vallier to come in that day to pet the cat as long as he did not wake her. After much needed petting, Vallier left her in the care of the wonderful people of the Humane Society. Vallier then had to wait another week to visit the cat because she was recuperating.
When she was healthy enough to accept visitors, the cat jumped out of her cage into her savior's arms and hugged him. "She wrapped both arms around my neck and rubbed her head under my chin," said Vallier.
"It was like she had remembered me saving her from that wall. So that pretty much melted my heart, and all the surrounding major organs, and I knew I had to adopt her," said Vallier.
She was in the care of the Humane Society for about three weeks before Vallier could take her home. At the Humane Society, they name animals after the street they were found on, and Vallier was working on Eleventh and Kentucky.
"Eleven would be an odd name for a cat (good for a hamster maybe), sooo boom goes the dynamite, Kentucky was her nameo," said Vallier.
Although Kentucky experienced this trauma, she is still a loving creature. Vallier dares people to find another cat friendlier than her. "She pretty much mauls anyone with love that will allow her near them."
Giving hugs and showing affection aren't the only things that Kentucky does. Vallier taught her to jump into a person's arms when that person pats his or her chest. She will also do a tuck-and-roll maneuver, something strange in a cat. She will tuck-and-roll onto a person's feet, and then she likes to be pushed across the floor.
But, ultimately, Kentucky is known for her hugs.
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