THE WILBOURN WAY BLOG
(AKA Cats on the Couch)
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For a better view Click http://cattherapist.blogspot.com/
Dear Readers,
LIBRARY
CONNECTION
My
next confirmed library appearance will be in Hoboken. I
will have a feline Co-speaker. Do come along with all of your questions.
Here’s the venue:
Here’s the venue:
Hoboken,
New Jersey
Hoboken Public Library, 500 Park Avenue
June 12, 2014 Thursday at 6:00 P.M. http://hoboken.bccls.org
Hoboken Public Library, 500 Park Avenue
June 12, 2014 Thursday at 6:00 P.M. http://hoboken.bccls.org
AT
LAST A HOME FOR BABY
Baby
is twelve -- definitely a senior cat. When she was diagnosed with diabetes her previous guardian couldn't deal with daily injections of insulin. So Baby became homeless. Now she would be living with guardians who could and would give her the care she needed. And were they in for a treat.
She
purrs to head strokes, tummy rubs, and often a smile her way will light
up her face. Play time is another high-point for Baby. She so appreciates attention and gives so much back in affection. Baby and the word “gratitude” are
synonymous.
I
must confess I have a major attraction to black cats. Evidently Baby’s
guardians do too. As I talked and played with Baby, I realized how we’d all miss her, but Baby, a senior cat is going to live with an older couple. Her new home is a perfect match.
THE MESSAGE IS IN THE SUBTEXT
Train Chasing Dog
Yes,
my Orion is smiling and relaxed.
He’s so proud of the Metro Railroad conductor who braked for the
daredevil dog who ran along the tracks. And especially proud of the New Yorkers
and other riders who cheered when the dog and train reached Grand Central. A
real New York story. This amazing dog, now named Tie, has many potential
adopters if Tie’s guardian doesn’t appear.
DANTE
ATTACKS HIS TWO COMPANIONS
(A
Triple Loss Triggers Aggression.)
As I bicycled home, I thought about
Adam. He had lived with his partner and five cats. Within the last two years,
his partner and their two older cats had passed on. Now it was three cats and
Adam. Caro and Bello, of ten years
were his partner’s cats. Dante, of seven years was Adam’s cat.
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| Dante |
Truly, he
loved all three, but now the boundaries had become blurred.
Adam had contacted me to do a grief and
restorative session because lately Dante had become aggressive with his two
companions. They used to be very close, and Dante was the lowest on the cat
pole. But no more. Caro
and Bello even started to retreat to the kitchen cabinets when Dante was
on the attack. The kitchen had become their security spot. Adam didn’t know
what to make of it.
I
told Adam that a triple loss had triggered Dante’s abusive behavior toward his
companions. With the loss of his
partner, Adam was now the sole guardian for the three cats, whereas before,
Dante had Adam as his prime
person, and Caro and Bello had his partner. But now that Dante had to share
Adam, he felt betrayed and anxious. Caro and Bello,who had lost their special
person, resorted to ‘flight’ as Dante chose ‘fight’. The two guys became his
tension targets.
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| Caro & Bello |
”So
much loss and so much grief for the three of you,” I said. Fortunately, Adam
realized he needed some professional intervention and reached out before the
situation became hopeless.
When
I arrived at Adam’s apartment, I selected some relaxation music on
my iPad to ease the cat-mosphere and gave Adam a CD so he could carry on after
the session with the reinforcement of the relaxed mood.
I explained that at first we would
concentrate on Dante, because the better he felt, the better he would react
with his companions. As I took a case history, the music played, and I
sprinkled some catnip on some tissue paper. Very slowly Dante decided to take a
taste, and his body slowly loosened. The other two guys were stretched out in
the kitchen cabinets.
I told Adam that he should put a
flexible gate on the kitchen doorway so Caro and Bello would always feel safe
when they wanted to move about in the kitchen. Once they realized that Dante
couldn’t get to them, they wouldn’t feel so threatened. It would probably
take a week or so before they
really felt safe. I reassured Adam that they would not be kitchen- sequestered
forever. But for now, they needed to feel confident and to slowly defuse their
fear in this small protected space. As they felt less anxious, Dante would too.
This
is the treatment plan I devised:
- Once Caro and Bello have settled, gradually move their food close to the gate and Dante’s on the other side. This will enable them to face each other without physical contact.
- Several days after they’ve accepted this arrangement, use a toy or two to play with the three of them on either side of the gate. This engagement will chip away at their angst. As they’re diverted by play, they’ll begin to slowly interact with less and less animosity at such close proximity.
- Their CD should play continuously to reinforce the associations from their session. "It will be relaxation for the four of you."
- Add a supplement of Omega-3 fatty acids to their food -- especially for Dante who has had skin problems.
- A horizontal scratching pad and vertical post from Felix Katnip Tree will give them a hearty workout. http://www.felixtreecompany.com
- The laser light is another source of fun for them.
- When possible, arrange for a cat-loving friend to play with the two guys as you interact with Dante.
Adam was pleased and relieved to have a
treatment plan, but I told him it was his interactions with Caro and Bello that
upset and freaked Dante out. “ But I have to give them attention. I’m all they
have,” said Adam. I nodded in agreement and told Adam there was a way to do
this where Dante would feel included -- instead of rejected and furious.
ACKNOWLEDGE
DANTE
Whenever he interacted with Caro and
Bello, even if he was positive that Dante couldn’t hear or see, he should
mention Dante’s name. This way Dante’s radar would be stroked instead of
neglected. It would take time and repetition,
but this was the key.
“What
about when they need to be brushed or fed?” Adam asked.
You
can say “I’m brushing them so you don’t have to do it and feeding them so they
don’t eat your food."
“I get it. Dante will react to my body language and tone of voice -- happy familiarity.”
“I get it. Dante will react to my body language and tone of voice -- happy familiarity.”
REIKI
Before
I left, I did a distant Reiki treatment for
balance of mind, body and emotional well-being. If we did a follow-up session,
I would give Adam a chair treatment, and his cats would be included. http://www.thecattherapist.com/moreaboutreiki.asp
When Adam contacts me with a progress report, I will evaluate and decide if an anti-anxiety drug and/or homeopathic remedy will be needed to supplement their behavioral/emotional treatment. He agrees that he wants to initiate their new behavioral program first.
When Adam contacts me with a progress report, I will evaluate and decide if an anti-anxiety drug and/or homeopathic remedy will be needed to supplement their behavioral/emotional treatment. He agrees that he wants to initiate their new behavioral program first.
PROGNOSIS
The recovery and fence-mending will take time, but I felt that the
session was a break-through for the whole family. Adam has the will and patience
to see them through.
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)
CATS vs MICE
Our neighborhood deli recently received a $400
fine because they had a cat on their premises. Orion rightly concludes
that customers would prefer to have a cat in residence instead of a mouse
or vermin. As long as the litter box is clean and the cat is in good health,
what’s the problem?
This may be an issue to be evaluated by The First Lady and Pres.
I arranged to do a grief therapy session for
Sabrina and Kathy and will
write about Sabrina’s breakthroughs in my May
Blog.
Carole’s Take on Oscar The Cat Who .....
A Free Consultation With The Cat Therapist
