I have a friend who is the sister of a guy I hung out with in high school. We went to different colleges. He went into the Air Force, I went into the Army. We stayed in touch over the years, and whenever he got into town we visited at the same home he lived in with his family while in high school. A very religious family. The father was a Presbyterian minister, and so is he. I stayed friendly with his sister in the last few years as she is in her 70's and not too ambulatory. She's never married, lives alone, and gets help from her church group.
For about the last 6 months her hip has caused a lot of pain and Sunday came home from the hospital after having hip replacement surgery. One of her concerns is that one of her cats is 17 years old and very weak. The cat can't jump or climb. So, now after all these years of taking care of the cat by feeding him on the floor, that is out of the question now. After the surgery, she can't bend to feed the cat, and the cat can't make it to the countertop. This is a dilemma.
So, I came up with a solution. I used 1" PVC, and a 15" x 20" rigid plastic cutting board and made a tray/carrier. The handle is 28" high, so she can lift it to the counter, place cat bowls on it and then lower it to the floor. I'll place one of those no-skid shelf liners on the tray. I was going to do this in wood, but I figured by the time I did all the joinery, sanding and finishing to make it waterproof, it wouldn't be worth it.
So, I've only got $11.00 in PVC, and $20.00 in the cutting board. Not bad. I looked in several pet stores and catalogs and online, and have never see an aid like this for someone who is physically handicapped. I finished it last night, and will give it to her today. I think she will be surprised.
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For about the last 6 months her hip has caused a lot of pain and Sunday came home from the hospital after having hip replacement surgery. One of her concerns is that one of her cats is 17 years old and very weak. The cat can't jump or climb. So, now after all these years of taking care of the cat by feeding him on the floor, that is out of the question now. After the surgery, she can't bend to feed the cat, and the cat can't make it to the countertop. This is a dilemma.
So, I came up with a solution. I used 1" PVC, and a 15" x 20" rigid plastic cutting board and made a tray/carrier. The handle is 28" high, so she can lift it to the counter, place cat bowls on it and then lower it to the floor. I'll place one of those no-skid shelf liners on the tray. I was going to do this in wood, but I figured by the time I did all the joinery, sanding and finishing to make it waterproof, it wouldn't be worth it.
So, I've only got $11.00 in PVC, and $20.00 in the cutting board. Not bad. I looked in several pet stores and catalogs and online, and have never see an aid like this for someone who is physically handicapped. I finished it last night, and will give it to her today. I think she will be surprised.
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.
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