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The Bramleys’ Cats

All Creatures Great and Small

This flow traces Herriot’s efforts to help the Bramley family protect a valued line of working cats from infectious disease.

increasingupBearing stren­gth in each eventdowndecreasing
An Isolated HouseholdAn Isolated Household from "All Creatures Great and Small". An Isolated Household A Distinct Way of Life The Bramleys live on a remote farm with little contact with the outside world.
An Isolated Household A Distinct Way of Life The Bramleys live on a remote farm with little contact with the outside world. Their quiet routines and numerous cats make the household seem untouched by modern life. Unexpected Grief When feline enteritis spreads among the young cats, the family’s distress surprises Herriot. The animals are not merely pest control; they are companions and part of the family’s daily world.
A Possible VaccineA Possible Vaccine from "All Creatures Great and Small". A Possible Vaccine A Desperate Question Miss Bramley fears that the infection will pass through the whole group, especially endangering Topsy’s kittens.
A Possible Vaccine A Desperate Question Miss Bramley fears that the infection will pass through the whole group, especially endangering Topsy’s kittens. Herriot has few effective treatments and recognizes that his usual medicines are not enough. A Small Experiment He contacts Burroughs Wellcome and obtains experimental vaccine doses. The decision offers a cautious chance of prevention rather than a promise of cure.
The Brief ReportThe Brief Report from "All Creatures Great and Small". The Brief Report Waiting for Results Herriot vaccinates the kittens twice and asks the family to report what happens.
The Brief Report Waiting for Results Herriot vaccinates the kittens twice and asks the family to report what happens. Months pass without news, and he nearly forgets the experiment. Survival in Plain Words A short letter eventually reports that the kittens have become big cats. Its spare language carries the relief of a family that has kept its treasured animals alive.
During Herriot’s early years in the practice
After several Bramley cats become ill
Several months after vaccination