Musings of an Esther Honey volunteer
With Jess off enjoying her holiday in Sydney, I’ve been given the exciting opportunity to write a few posts. Let’s start with an introduction. My name is Marguerite Kissel (known at the Clinic as “Marg”). Avid Esther Honey Facebook page fans may recognize me from a photo in our Christmas album of me wearing my infamous heart-shaped glasses while cuddling a kitten. I have been volunteering at Esther Honey since November and am here gaining experience before applying to veterinary school once I return to the United States in a few months. Since arriving in Rarotonga, I have seen incredible work performed and developed friendships with many wonderful volunteers. One of the most beneficial aspects of getting to work alongside so many international volunteers, most of them either vet students or vets, has been getting exposed to varying perspectives on vet schools and practices around the world. The insight I have gained will be invaluable as I continue on my own veterinary journey.
As Jess mentioned in her last post, the Clinic is currently FULL of eager Massey students, which has made the surgery room an especially fantastic place to learn. The vets do a great job of explaining concepts and engaging us as they operate, and we feel fortunate to have such enthusiastic teachers. Before heading to Oz, Jess even taught us how to do intradermal stitches utilizing some discarded suture material and foam blocks we found around the Clinic. We soon discovered that our skilled vets make them look much easier to do in surgery than they actually are!
Outside the surgery room, one of our top priorities this week has been tending to the 15+ kittens, of varying ages, that have been dropped off at the Clinic over the past few days. They are absolutely adorable but many are orphaned and need daily baths since they don’t have a mum to clean them. The fact that they often throw themselves completely into their food bowls during meals doesn’t help! Marcus (one of the Massey students) and I took on a 7-kitten litter and had to create a full-on bathing assembly line to get them all nice and washed up. Oh well, all in a day’s work for the Esther Honeys.
As Jess mentioned in her last post, the Clinic is currently FULL of eager Massey students, which has made the surgery room an especially fantastic place to learn. The vets do a great job of explaining concepts and engaging us as they operate, and we feel fortunate to have such enthusiastic teachers. Before heading to Oz, Jess even taught us how to do intradermal stitches utilizing some discarded suture material and foam blocks we found around the Clinic. We soon discovered that our skilled vets make them look much easier to do in surgery than they actually are!
Outside the surgery room, one of our top priorities this week has been tending to the 15+ kittens, of varying ages, that have been dropped off at the Clinic over the past few days. They are absolutely adorable but many are orphaned and need daily baths since they don’t have a mum to clean them. The fact that they often throw themselves completely into their food bowls during meals doesn’t help! Marcus (one of the Massey students) and I took on a 7-kitten litter and had to create a full-on bathing assembly line to get them all nice and washed up. Oh well, all in a day’s work for the Esther Honeys.
Have a great weekend, more from me next week!
posted by JessMJ at
1:39 PM
