This is the archive of my old blog posts, from Dec 2012 to May 2018
To read my current blog posts, please visit TheCatTherapist.com


Thursday, February 13, 2014

February 2014

THE WILBOURN WAY BLOG  
(AKA Cats on the Couch) 
















For a better view Click http://cattherapist.blogspot.com/
Dear Readers,

OH MY CAT?  FOR VALENTINE’S DAY
This is a unisex, uni-species cologne that you and your cat can share.



Carole’s Take on Oscar The Cat Who .....  
RADIO SCORES WITH ORION
Bug the Pug and her family moved away. That was last year. But my Orion still went to her then door. Bug had been Orion’s exclusive pup-pal and play-date. Orion  meowed and meowed for Bug’s door to open. It didn’t. 
Orion at Bug's Then Door

Radio
But today was the start of a new relationship. Radio, a cool, young, puppy stopped by to check out Orion. This allowed Radio’s significant other, Rozwell, some private cat time. 

Bug was a golden femme demure but Orion is an equal opportunity, non gender preference cat, so Radio hits the spot. 
Radio In Orion's Bed
Radio & Significant Other Rozwell

APPLE WAS OBSTRUCTED
Apple stopped eating.  She very quickly became listless. Apple wasn’t “herself". When she hid under under a low table and wouldn't come out, Karen and Dale freaked out.
They immediately took her to the vet. She had a slight fever. The vet prescribed some pills and scheduled a follow-up. The next day Apple was still ferverish, so the vet ordered an ultra-sound. It uncovered a small, perfectly round mass in her abdomen which appeared to be an obstruction. It was lodged in the path from the stomach to the intestine. A blockage! Exploratory surgery revealed an ear plug.

Apple had swallowed an ear plug that had ossified. Chances are it had been there for awhile before she showed any signs of distress. Sixteen years old when she had the surgery. Perfectly recovered -- a golden girl, indeed!


FACE TIME FAMILY THERAPY FOR A TEXAS CATDOM
Hi Carole,
Thanks so much for your Face Time consult tonight for my cat family of five -- especially for my gad-about, nine-month-old Escondido. After our session, I got out their cat brush and brushed and lavished him with attention. He was like a new cat, I could instantly see the difference in his face and demeanor. When I broke out the catnip for all of them, I very quickly had five very happy, mellow cats.
Escondido

CHIMAYO IS CHINATI’S VALENTINE 
Chimayo & Chinati
I’ve attached a picture of Chimayo and Chinati. It was taken a few months after I adopted them in 2011. 

They bonded immediately. As Chimayo recovered from her spay surgery and hung out under my bed, Chinati would bring her mouthfuls of cat food. Such a “papa” he was to her.

When I adopted the trio of rescued feral kittens this past June, I was sure Chimayo would assume the “mother” role. No way. Once again, Chinati has taken on the “papa kitty” role. Funny how things turn out. Chinati has done a brilliant job of socializing the trio. Such a role model!
Kitten Trio
Best,
Patti

PROGNOSIS
Well Patti, sounds like you’re doing a fine job with their therapy program. Chinati certainly has your catdom’s back, whereas, Chimayo prefers to be the liberated
chatte fatale. Actually they’re sort of mirroring today’s sexual break-throughs.
Your cat family’s prognosis is looking good.

A BED-MATE FOR VALENTINE’S DAY
Daisy

Daisy always tucks in with her guardian Nancy at bedtime. Nancy’s bed is also a daytime favorite with Daisy. Whereas, Nancy’s Dad, who’s 97 slept all alone since Nancy’s Mom passed on. But that’s all changed since Tomas moved in.
Tomas

At first Tomas climbed into bed with “the girls”, but  Daisy dissed him. After a few rejections, Tomas made the cool move. Nancy’s Dad no longer sleeps alone. His bed is where the”boys” can be found.




INDIE HAS IT IN FOR LOLA
(New Cat Competition)
Sammy, your four-year-old, is what I call a Zen cat”, I said to Sara. But your Indie, a year younger, has issues with Lola, the new cat.”  Sara was referred to me by Westside Veterinary Center where I am in residence.
Sammy & Indie
When I arrived to do the session Sara showed me how she kept Lola in a separate part of the apartment so Indie wouldn’t terrorize her. Sara was able to allow Indie to visit when she could position herself so that Indie kept his distance. She’d been doing this since December when Lola, a spayed, three-year-old, moved in. Sara’s father adopted Lola from The Vieques Humane society in Vieques, Puerto Rico where he is a volunteer. The other two cats were also Vieques adoptees. 
Lola

Sammy, the first cat, was adopted at about seven months, and Indie joined him later as a kitten. It was a perfect match from day one, so Sara felt it would be
the same when Lola arrived. But Dr. Bodkin, her veterinarian, from Westside, had told Sara that Sammy and Indie had a terrific relationship, so why rock the boat. However, with her husband, three children and a roomy apartment, Sara didn’t anticipate any problem with a third cat.

I explained to Sara that it’s usually always easier to introduce a kitten, such as Indie was, to an older cat; whereas Lola was already 3. That was okay with Sammy, but not Indie. He resented Lola’s presence. She was very people-friendly, which was one of the reasons Sara’s father had wanted to find a home for her. But I told Sara that this was exactly what threatened Indie. He did not choose to share the family’s affection and attention with Lola. 

I started to outline a behavioral program that would modify Indie’s behavior with Lola and emphasized that it would take quite awhile for Indie to let go of his reaction to make Lola his 'scape-cat'. But Sara mentioned a good friend had fallen in love with Lola and she and her family were cat-less. “My friend mentioned that Lola would be welcome in her home. What do you think, Carole?” Sara added.

“OMG, Lola’s dream digs, the only cat and lots of undivided love,” I said.”Why should Lola have less? Sure, I can help you to establish a cat truce and toleration, but there’s no contest.”

“Well I wanted you to evaluate the situation, and so you have,” Sara said. “Yes I do love my cats and want the best for them, despite the fact that I'll miss Lola."

“Your family has been a rehab for Lola,and now she’ll be part of an extended family. A win-win for everyone!

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY IN THE WHITE HOUSE
(Orion, a former rescue, will represent cats and offer nuggets of wisdom regarding Bo and Sunny, the rescued First Dogs -- Portuguese Water Dogs) 

PUPPY LOVE WINS 2014 SUPER BOWL AD METER
This Bud ad where the puppy becomes “buds” with the Clydesdale horses personifies how animals can and will accept “others” and even “like them”.
Orion proposes that this should be the template for “human” animals -- at least --
to accept.