Louis J. Camuti

Louis J. Camuti
Born(1893-08-30)August 30, 1893
Parma, Italy
DiedFebruary 24, 1981(1981-02-24) (aged 87)
New York City
Notable workAll My Patients Are Under The Bed: Memoirs of a Cat Doctor

Louis J. Camuti (August 30, 1893 – February 24, 1981) was a New York City cat veterinarian who made housecalls on cats and their people for over sixty years. He was the first veterinarian in the United States to devote his entire practice to cats. Camuti co-authored two books, Park Avenue Vet with Lloyd Alexander, published in 1962, and his autobiography, All My Patients Are Under The Bed: Memoirs of a Cat Doctor with Marilyn and Haskel Frankel, published in 1980.

Biography

Camuti was born in Parma, Italy,[1] on August 30, 1893, and grew up in Manhattan, New York.[2]

He is a 1920 graduate of the New York University Veterinary College, after studying at Cornell University.[3]

When Camuti was about 11 years old, he had typhoid fever, and while sick in bed, his mother left the house with food cooking on the stove. When the pot boiled over, gas began to fill the home. The family cat jumped onto young Camuti's chest and weaved her head back and forth. The young Camuti was too weak to get out of bed, and felt the cat's efforts may have saved his life.[4]

Camuti began specializing in cat medicine around 1932–33. At the time, veterinarians did not spend much time providing services to cats.[5] Camuti appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1962.[6]

Camuti died of a heart attack while travelling to see a patient.[4]

Memorial fund

Former patients and friends honor Camuti's commitment to the health of cats through the Dr. Louis J. Camuti Memorial Fund at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine's Feline Health Center, which commemorates Camuti's specialty.[7]

Bibliography

  • Camuti, Louis J.; Alexander, Lloyd (1962). Park Avenue Vet. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. ASIN B0000CLL93.
  • Camuti, Louis J.; Haskel, Marilyn; Frankel, Haskel (1980). All My Patients Are Under The Bed: Memoirs of a Cat Doctor. New York: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-0-671-24271-8.; also published as: Alle meine Patienten sind unterm Bett: Erinnerungen des Katzendoktors (in German). Translated by Mertz-Rychner, Claudia. München: Blanvalet. 1980. ISBN 978-3-7645-3185-0.

References

  1. ^ "Dr. Louis J. Camuti, Cat Specialist". The New York Times. 27 February 1981. Retrieved 2018-01-01.
  2. ^ Smith, Donald F. "A Biography of and Interview About Louis J. Camuti, DVM" (PDF). Cornell University Library. Retrieved 2018-01-01.
  3. ^ A biography of and interview about Louis J. Camuti
  4. ^ a b Bedell, Jane M. (2017). "Spotlight: Louis J. Camuti (1893–1981), The First Cat Doctor". So, you want to work with animals?: discover fantastic ways to work with animals, from veterinary science to aquatic biology. Simon and Schuster. pp. 30–31. ISBN 978-1-58270-596-5.
  5. ^ Cat People, Bill Hayward, introduction by Rogers E. M. Whitaker. New York: Dolphin/Doubleday, 1978 (p. 114)
  6. ^ Donald F., Donald F. (23 June 2014). "Monuments to Veterinary Medicine, Part 1". Cornell University. hdl:1813/46105.
  7. ^ "Practice Bulletin". Feline Practice. 15. Veterinary Practice Publishing Company: 24. 1985. ISSN 0046-3639. OCLC 1713642.