
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 27, 1990                   TAG: 9006270182
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: E-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: The New York Times
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

SPECIALLY DESIGNED RAMP GIVES AILING PETS A LEG UP

Pets who are old, ailing or injured don't have to be confined to the floor. Even if they find it difficult to jump to their favorite high spot, they can now make it there with the aid of PawsWay, a ramp designed for cats and small dogs with limited mobility.

The idea came from Mary Coeli Meyer of Acworth, Ga., who built a ramp for her mother's 18-year-old arthritic cat last year.

"She gets lost if she can't get to where she wants," Meyer said.

With the ramp, "she could get where she wanted instead of howling for help."

Dr. Pam Webb, a veterinarian at Bells Ferry Veterinary Hospital in Acworth, who helped Ms. Meyer modify the design, said old pets, or those who have recently had surgery, need to rest on soft surfaces and may feel they are being punished if they must stay on the floor. PawsWay can help them get on a chair or sofa.

PawsWay is a 7 1/4 -inch-wide wooden ramp with a gradual incline and a carpeted surface. It can be adjusted to six lengths, from 4 1/2 inches to 19 inches.

"It isn't much different from using a wooden plank," Dr. Webb said. "It's just a piece of furniture and a little more attractive."

At Meyer's request, the ramps are being built by unemployed veterans through a program run by the Veterans Administration.

It has been on the market for about six weeks and has mostly been advertised in pet industry journals and at pet shows.

by CNB