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It all started with a calico cat named Pizza Pie. Then came Petie, and a lifelong love affair with animals had begun for ME Undergraduate Student Advisor Susan Gow.
“As far back as I can recall, we always had a cat,” said Gow. “I was always bringing cats home, too. All they had to do was wander off their porch and I would assume they were lost and how sad was that? So, I’d lug them home. When I was 4 or 5, I told Mom—so the family history goes—that I wanted to have a Cat House when I grew up.”
While the terminology may not have been appropriate, the feeling was, and Gow became a champion for animals great and small. She recalls that her love for animals transcended type: if they were in need, she was there.
“At 10 or 11, I would rescue anything from mice to snakes,” she said. “I remember a neighbor caught a mouse in a trap and later found her nest of babies. I took them one by one and fed them by eye-dropper. I kept them in a cricket cage with an old sock for warmth, but they died, of course, because they were newborns. I took match boxes and made individual coffins and buried them in Mom’s garden. Each had a cross and I even made an actual cemetery plot right down to a sign that said, ‘Mice Heaven’.”
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Through the years, Gow has been active in animal rescue on an informal basis, although she often works closely with the local Humane Society and area veterinarians. It doesn’t matter where the animal comes from. Her little friends have come from friends, neighbors, and even students. Nearly four years ago a graduating student had to give up his two cats, and Gow is still looking for good homes for Chin-Chin and Misty.
“There is so much need in the world for cat rescue,” said Gow, “but I just do my own thing when I can. My schedule is such that I cannot lock into a formal time frame as organizations would prefer. What I do is by word of mouth or as a case presents itself. I also have a neighbor who takes in dogs. Between us we do a fair job in our little ways. I keep dog biscuits for dogs that wander into my yard, and if anyone’s pup is missing, they know where to find him or her.”
Gow’s family, in addition to her human relatives, has included a veritable menagerie. At one time or another, she’s cared for cats, dogs, guinea pigs, a rabbit, pet mice, hamsters, and a parakeet. The most she’s had at any one time was two dogs, seven cats, two pigs (guinea), and a rabbit.
“When we had the pigs,” said Gow, “I actually collected boxes from work and made doors and windows that we painted and then we added curtains. The neighbor kids and my nephew got a big kick out of helping decorate although the pigs themselves could have cared less.”
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While the size of her animal family is subject to constant change, she currently looks after five adult cats, Chin-Chin, Misty Louise, Daisy Mae, Ebony, and Domino II, who range in age from5-9, a part-timer named Bones, and a Maltese dog named Mr. Snuggles. Because Gow lives in a rural part of the Whitmore Lake area, the animals have lots of room to play.
Gow is also clear about the responsibilities of pet owners. “Pets should be neutered or spayed and kept up to date with shots. While this is a costly endeavor each year, it is essential for all responsible pet owners to do,” she said.
With all of the animals she’s had, it’s natural that there have been a number of instances when her animals have made Gow laugh. She recalled that when her brother was little, he had a blue and white parakeet named Downy. Her brother would play with his cars and trucks across the carpet, and Downy would run (not fly) and jump on the little toy and ride until it stopped. We lost poor Downy when he was hit by a car. She also recalls the time she caught her cat Domino hugging her rabbit, Cadberry Bunny, and the video of the rabbit climbing onto her Mother’s back and head while she was gardening.
Her pets have also brought her moments of comfort when she needed it. When her mother passed away 3-1/2 years ago, the end of the service was held in the parking lot of the funeral home. The funeral director released three doves in her mother’s name, and the doves headed straight toward the U–M football stadium. Gow’s mother had been an avid supporter of U–M football, and it was especially touching for Gow that the doves chose to take the route they did.
While she’s had numerous pets over the years, Gow still recalls two favorites. There was the Siamese cat called Nerd because she was so awkward looking. “She was a runt and her ears were bigger than her head as a kitten,” said Gow. “She eventually grew into them, though.” Another favorite was the cat that came with the house she bought in 1978. “We called her Cleo,” said Gow. “She wasn’t a house cat; she was just being fed outside by the prior owners. Cleo was a tiny tabby with no tail, and we weren’t sure if it was by injury or birth. She was pregnant at the time, and all her kittens were born with little stubs for a tail so we knew then that she had some Manx in her.”
Overall, in her 39 years at the University of Michigan (21 in ME), Gow has rescued birds that flew in the window, removed mice from her desk, fed a stray cat or two, placed carrots and apples in the woods for the deer, fed the geese, and hand fed every hour a nest of field mice kept in a cricket-cage. She still maintains a few birdfeeders in the window on suction cups. “I’m pleased that I receive many smiles and positive comments from students, faculty and outside visitors who come to my office,” said Gow.
Ultimately, for Gow, it’s all about simply doing the right thing for creatures who need help. She understands that some people cannot live with animals, and she can appreciate that. However, as she put it, “For me, animals give unconditional love for the little bit they get in return from us two-legged creatures.”