Archive: Around Town

Leverne Andrew Nesmith honestly thought that his cat, Cassidy, had been killed by coyotes. An escape artist, Cassidy disappeared from his home last October. Mr. Nesmith searched high and low for the five-year old kitty and asked his neighbors for information, to no avail. Cassidy had a special place in Leverne’s heart since the day Leverne rescued him from local kids who were throwing him around. He had been injured and grew up with a limp in his left leg.

Unbeknownst to Mr. Nesmith and his family, the lovely gray and white cat had been caught in a live-trap not too far from his Nelson Road home and taken to the SPCA of Tompkins County. By this time, he had an upper respiratory infection and the shelter veterinary staff diagnosed severe arthritis in his left hindquarters. “Oliver,” as the SPCA staff dubbed him, recovered during the fall months and was placed on medication for pain.

Oliver soon became a fixture in the lobby of the Dorothy and Roy Park Pet Adoption Center. He was very social and often greeted guests by rubbing up against their legs or, during his many journeys on the lobby desk, by reaching up and placing both paws on guests’ shoulders --- thereby becoming “Huggable Oliver.” He was occasionally cranky, but staff and volunteers chalked this up pain from his arthritis and spent lots of time taking special care of him.

The SPCA highlighted “Huggable Oliver” in the May 30th issue of Tailbearer, the shelter newsletter published in the Ithaca Journal, in hopes of finding him an adoptive family. At the same time, the SPCA opened a satellite adoption center, the SPCA Annex, at the Shops at Ithaca Mall. “Tailbearer” was displayed on the wall in the Annex as an information piece.

Leverne’s daughter, AdaBella, took a trip to the mall Memorial Day weekend to get her ears pierced. She spotted the Annex and encouraged her father to stop in and look and the cats and kittens available for adoption. Leverne spotted Oliver’s picture on the wall and thought that it looked exactly like his missing Cassidy. He made inquiries and made a special trip to the SPCA the following day. Does the cat have a limp, he asked? Sure enough, the cat was really Cassidy!

Cassidy is back home now. Leverne reports that the cat was nervous for the first two days, only coming out of hiding for his food and medicine, but that he acclimated to being home again quickly. Leverne says that when he is on the deck grilling steaks, Cassidy meows and wants to get outside and join him. Cassidy recognizes the sound of the door opening and comes running, but Leverne is trying very hard to keep him safe inside so that he never wanders off again. Leverne is thrilled to be reunited with Cassidy, and says that he thinks Cassidy knows him – he licked his hand when he came into the shelter to see him. 

Should Cassidy ever wander again, he is now micro-chipped, as all animals adopted from the SPCA are – a new animal welfare tool that is immensely helpful in reuniting lost and stray animals with their guardians.

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