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| www.thecattherapist.com |
Dear Readers,
I must recommend an outstanding French animated film that will keep you thoroughly entranced. It’s A CAT IN PARIS, a hand-drawn film that Toulouse Lautrec would have applauded. The jazz, delightful backdrops and especially the cat who led two totally different lives will tickle your heart strings. Although made with kids in mind, adults can’t help but be engaged. Don’t be surprised if it becomes a repeat on your play list.
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| A CAT IN PARIS |
Recommendations from Carole
OUR NEUTERED PERRY GETS IT ON WITH OUR SPAYED SCARLET
Hi
Carole,
What’s
your take on this feline erotica? Our six-year-old, neutered Perry, mounts our
Scarlet, who’s nine and spayed. Perry’s display of passion occurs with
frequency. Scarlet sometimes shrieks and dismantles him, but very often she
accommodates him. I’m a bit conflicted. Should we break it up or let the two of
them rock on? We didn’t think that neutered and spayed cats could get it on like
this.
Thanks, B.H.
P.S. Simeon, the patriarchal cat prefers to be
the voyeur.
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| Simeon the patriarch |
My
vote is to let them rock on. It’s not extraordinary for neutered and spayed
cats to have the sexual urge. They are still very capable and receptive to
sensual feelings and overtures. Scarlet, evidently, wants what she wants when
she wants it. She becomes the drama cat when she doesn’t. Perry will have to
accept Scarlet’s needs. Why not, after all she’s a feline female who is very
fetching vis a vis Perry. And it does appear that he has an exclusive on her
sexual needs.
MEG, A BRIT MOOGIE, MEOWS AND MEOWS
Yesterday
I Skyped with Lynn and her cat Meg who live in Dublin.
“Meg
won’t stop meowing,” said Lynn. “She sometimes stops, maybe to catch her
breath, but otherwise, she is relentless.”
Lynn
explained how it all started in January when they had to find a home for Lily, Meg’s
sister. She and her husband had adopted Sunshine, a large, very affectionate
dog a year ago. Lily hated the dog and kept to herself. Lynn tried to console
her but to no avail. She sadly found
another home for Lily with an older lady where Lily would be her only animal
companion. Fortunately, it was an ideal match, and the two of them are very
happy. But Lynn suspects that although Meg and Lily were not very close, Lily’s
departure was the cause and start of Meg’s little-stop meowing. Meg is now
seven, and the two were litter mates. Her relationship with Sunshine,
the dog, is very loving. They often sleep curled up together.
Lynn and her
husband are particularly concerned about Meg’s incessant meowing because they
are expecting a baby in October. “No
way, do I want to part with Meg. After all we’re a family, but don’t know how
we can go on this way,” said
Lynn.
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| With Sunshine |
As
I continued to take Meg’s case history, I had Lynn play a recording of Clair de
Lune to relax Meg. Lynn mentioned she
could play this on the piano which was perfect. Meg would associate it with her session and
feel very special and secure. The music would become Meg’s security object.
Undoubtedly, Meg
was acknowledged now. There wasn’t one meow. We appreciated her time
off.
I
agreed with Lynn that Meg’s meowing was a reaction to Lily’s departure, clearly separation
anxiety, but I felt there were other ingredients that triggered Meg’s deviant
behavior. Although she was close to Sunshine, there had to be rivalry. Whereas
Sunshine was very affectionate and social, Meg was not. So Sunshine probably
scored highly in attention getting and being front and center. Lynn nodded her
head and agreed that Meg probably did get the short end of their attention.
Sunshine was always ready and willing. Meg seemed indifferent. As
Lynn shifted in her chair, I asked her when she became pregnant. "It was January." "And that's when Meg started her meowing," I said. Lynn sighed and remarked how that had never occurred to them. Yes
indeed, I explained that January was
clearly a month of many transitions. Not only was Meg separated from Lily, she
could sense that Lynn was different, and
she wasn’t as familiar -- another feeling of separation anxiety. It was only
natural that Lynn felt different to Meg. She was different, and Meg noticed and
was affected by even the subtleties of Lynn’s body and other behavior. Her
reaction or defense was a protest, a continuous meow. She felt abandoned.
“Wow, our poor, dear Meg. So how do we fix our
Meg?”
This
is the treatment plan I gave to Lynn: MEG’S
TREATMENT PLAN
- Acknowledge Meg verbally whenever they interact with Sunshine -- even if Meg can’t hear or see them. She could instinctively sense their interactions and her tension and insecurity would continue to grow, along with her meows. All they had to say was “Right Meg, or we’re taking care of Sunshine so you don’t have to be bothered.” Meg would pick up the feeling that their attention to Sunshine was on Meg’s behalf and not a threat to their love for her. If they continued to keep her in the Sunshine loop, she would calm down and her need to meow would slowly vanish.
- Play the piano or recording of Clair de Lune to reinforce the time Meg heard it during her Skype session. This will have a positive effect on her. The better she feels, the better she will behave.
- Since Meg enjoys your fresh grown catnip, offer her some a few times a week. A daily dose may become too humdrum.
- Daily sessions with the laser light will also help to work out her energy.
- Tell her often how pretty and special she is. She may not understand your words, but she’ll easily grasp your feeling and intent. After all, she’s a cat!
I
told Lynn that they should also include Meg verbally when they speak of the baby
and after he arrives. They could tell
her how they would take care of the baby for her -- not to worry. On arrival
day, they might want to have someone there to dote on Meg, and I gave Lynn the
link to my online CNN “Baby Intro” http://us.cnn.com/2013/05/01/living/pet-and-new-baby/index.html?hpt=hp_t4
Lynn
thanked me for Meg’s session, and we bid each other good bye.
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| Siberian Cats, Charlie and Fritz |
For
those unfortunate cat-lovers who are
allergic to cats, they sometimes find that they are less allergic to a spayed female because she produces less
allergens than a male. Others do well
with a Devon or Cornish Rex or a Sphynx which is hairless. There is also a long
haired domestic cat, the Siberian, that has been present in Russia for
centuries and is available in the states.
Charlie
and Fritz are two Siberian cats who were chosen because they are claimed to
produce a reduced amount of the allergen Fel d1. Many
allergic cat-lovers are able to build up a tolerance to cats with the
assistance of injections which usually work, special air filters, washable
rugs, and I have had allergic clients
where chiropractic treatments were the solution. And we all know of friends who built up a
resistance to cat allergens on a day to day basis. Gradually, they no longer were allergic to
their cats. It’s wonderful when this occurs.
THE MESSAGE IS IN THE SUBTEXT
My
Orion is all blissed out. It isn’t only
that he’s relaxed and comfy. It has to do with the cat below.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY IN THE WHITE HOUSE
My
Orion is all blissed out. It isn’t only
that he’s relaxed and comfy. It has to do with the cat below. 
A PROTECTED ASIAN CAT
He lives in a Hong Kong grocery store. Hong Kong is an Asian country where it is illegal to kill cats and dogs for food.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY IN THE WHITE HOUSE
(Orion, a former rescue, will represent cats and offer nuggets of wisdom regarding Bo, the rescued First Dog -- a Portuguese Water Dog.)
SOLAR PANELS TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE
Solar panels have been installed in Bo’s
presidential doghouse. His carbon paw print is now reduced. Now there’s clean
energy for his home. Orion wonders if this innovation will be
the catalyst for expansive solar power in the presidential house. Let’s all do
what we can to chip away at climate change..
