Real People Don't Own Monkeys: And Other Stories of Pets, Their People and the Vets Who See It All

by J. Veronika Kiklevich

How do you get a recalcitrant tiger out from under your bed? These true stories evoke the hilarious, often poignant world of a veteran veterinarian where pet owners play as large a role as the pets... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1570718229
• ISBN13: 9781570718229
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Sourcebooks
• Length: 248 Pages
• Weight: 0.88 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.1" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Write a second one Dr. K!

See my comment to the vet student who could't handle the Tale of Tom-cat McGee. Review therein. And I add here: Excellent read; I upgraded it from bathroom reading to late night wind down. I don't have time for reading for fun lately, but I was forced to make room for this one.

Animals Best Friend

In many ways Dr. Kiklevich's book can be summed up in one anecdote she recounts -- as a new vet straight out of internship she joined a small practice with several established vets. When she discovered one of them was secretly being cruel to the animals, she laid down an ultimatim -- either the cruel doctor had to be fired or she'd quit.The director of the clinic thought it over and wisely decided in her favor. Such devotion to her patients cannot be taught, and in the end is much more valuable than experience or seniority. Veronika says she knew she wanted to be a vet from the time she was a toddler -- after reading this book you will believe her. She is funny, self-deprecating, witty, charming and most of all passionately, PASSIONATELY devoted to her patients.I wish I could make her my vet.

Welcome to the Real World of Dr. Kiklevich

This book is guaranteed to make to you laugh, cry and exclaim in wonder and indignation as you follow the author through her thoroughly "real," but remarkably fanciful day-to-day experiences as a small animal vet. It seems almost impossible that one person could have encountered so many characters in a single lifetime. On the other hand, as you will quickly surmise within the first 10 pages of the book, Dr. Veronika Kiklevich is no ordinary vet. Here is a woman with a wicked sense of humor, the stamina of a steam engine and an absolute commitment to the well-being of animals. This commitment leads her into all sorts of peculiar, poignant and occasionally dangerous adventures. We hear of her time spent as the vet for a wolf pack, her confrontation with a co-worker who is subsequently fired for cruelty, the vacation spent on a tropical island neutering cats, and her blatant manipulation of friends, family, co-workers and casual acquaintances in her quest to find homes for abandoned pets. Not surprisingly, there are stories about human beings as well - the elegant, eloquent doctor who spared no expense on his dog's care, but turned out to be an imposter wanted in several states for forgery; the "special look" as she calls it (think "1980's grunge with may be a faint overlay of whips-and-chains panache") of Iguana owners; and the money hungry vet who liked to add "aggravation charges" to his clients' bills.It is appropriate that all is not fun and laughter in this book, despite its author's gift for telling a ribald tale. Hers is a world where grisly things happen, and she makes no attempt to hide the gory details. Many a time I found myself setting the book aside, taking and deep breath and thinking, "whoa." However, if you can handle the heat this is a book that will delight, entertain and enlighten. Somehow the world seems like a better place knowing Dr. Kiklevich is out there practicing medicine.