THE WILBOURN WAY BLOG
(AKA Cats on the Couch) For a better view Click http://cattherapist.blogspot.com/
Did you know that Orange is the new black in movie cats?
Enter Orange Cats
Audrey Hepburn’s domestic partner in Breakfast At Tiffanys (196l)
was an orange cat. This “nameless” cat, was a scene stealer and catalyst for Oliver, my first feline domestic partner, when I was a student at NYU.
Ulysses was the orange cat in the Coen Brothers' Inside Llewyn Davis and the new super star at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/cannes-film-festival/10067075/The-new-superstar-at-Cannes-a-ginger-tom-cat.html
Many characters are short-changed in the current film, Gone Girl, but not the couple’s cat, who follows along in subtle, low profile but cat-like substantial style. Have I said enough?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/26/gone-girl-premiere_n_5891804.html
Black Cats -- Film Feline Forerunners
Felix The Cat was the black, funny animal cartoon character who was created in the silent film era. This anthropomorphic black cat was the first animated character who attained sufficient popularity to draw movie audiences.
Krazy Cat was another black cat who first appeared in an American comic strip in 1880 which was later animated several times.
I’ve always had an affinity for black cats. A black cat was the inspiration for The Cat Practice, the first veterinary hospital in New York City exclusively devoted to cats, which I co-founded with the veterinarian, Dr. Paul Rowan. The Cat Practice was my main venue for cat behavior which was the catalyst for my creation or founding of “Cat Therapy”.
THE MEOW PARLOUR, NYC
Catnip For People
This cat cafe offers a place to snuggle .... with reservations.
You’ll want to make a reservation to have some refreshments and hang out with these splendid adoptable cats -- especially after you read all about it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/16/nyregion/cat-cafe-offers-a-place-to-snuggle-with-reservations.html?_r=0
I stopped by and had a cat speak with Fang, a fun-loving 10 year old -- the perfect "greeter". http://www.meowparlour.com
Vibie Re-invents Herself As A Lap Cat
“Vibie is 20 and still re-inventing herself,” said Edie, one of my trainers at the Apple Store. She went on to tell me how when she recently flew home for a visit, her parents were Vibie-ecstatic.
“Watch this," they said as her mother sat down on the couch with a wooly blanket on her lap. Slow but steady, Vibie made her way towards the couch and scrambled on to the blanket. She had never been a lap cat, blanket or no blanket. This was such a gift for the family, especially for Edie. “With Vibie on her blanket on my lap, I was couch-bound,” she said, “and I loved every minute of it.”
“What a cool looking 20,” I said, as Vibie's selfie flashed on Edie’s iPhone.
“And your take on Vibie’s behavior?”
I told Edie that as many a cat reaches the 'very golden years', what appears to be cat centric or atypical behavior can be triggered by increased muscle relaxation and less unpleasant muscle and brain memory. Or simply, Vibie's blanket is her comfort or security magnet, and comfort chips away at her fear of intimacy.
“Well, I’ll take it as a very mutual comfort,” Edie said with a grin.
“What a gift," I said.
CATS WHO HERD SKUNKS
“Really, your cats formed a triangle around the skunk," I repeated, to one of my clients. He nodded and told me how, Horace, the oldest cat, was the leader. The two younger cats followed his lead. They herded the skunk down to the property line, where they stopped, and the skunk moved on. Horace's instinctive intention was property specific -- well aware of his boundaries -- but careful not to spook the skunk.
Intellectual Vs Emotional Intelligence
I’m frequently asked what is a cat and what makes a cat so unique?
I answer that a cat strives overtly to please him/herself. This may make a cat appear selfish, which a cat is, but this selfishness is the key to a cat’s happiness. When a cat is pleased, a cat feels good. This good feeling can be shared with the cat’s companions -- a happiness template.
A cat is a very sensitive animal -- how a cat acts is how a cat feels. So it’s very important to know how your cat is feeling. The feelings in reaction or response to stimuli (some natural stimuli, of which we are often unaware) are more precise than reason. A cat doesn’t intellectualize feelings as people do, so the cat’s feelings surface much faster -- manifested vocally or by body language.
Cat Sense
That said, a cat downloads our feelings by our body language, facial expressions and voice inflections. And because a cat is very sensitive to fluctuations in surrounding energy fields, that is why a cat can early on sense someone at the door, is attracted to your relaxed energy, or can sense an internal, organic change in an animal or human companion before it’s externally evident.
But do cats think?
Emotional Intelligence
Although cats have definite cognitive ability, they draw primarily on their feelings or emotions. It’s this well-developed sensitivity that makes the cat such an exquisite creature.
Cats, computers and Emotions
“Computers are learning to read emotions ….” a tagline from We Know How You Feel, an article in The New Yorker, by Raffi Khatchadourian http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/01/19/know-feel.
So a computer’s artificial intelligence is being enhanced and coupled with emotional intelligence -- a cat's inimitable signature.
ORION SPEAKS OUT ON YOUR CAT/S PREFERENCES FOR 2015
To be told: “You’re the best cat. You’re so good.”
When you say pleasant and positive things you breathe freely and your body relaxes. Your cat mirrors your reaction.
To be acknowledged verbally when you have company -- especially if you have only one cat. If an extrovert, your cat may like to be front and center for a bit.
Your cat may feel rejected if suddenly someone else is your entire focus. So remember to refer to him now and again.
A tidy litter box in a private spot. This contributes to your cat's regularity and helps avoid "out of box" incidents.
You can’t over-scoop, or over-clean. Provide extra boxes if you have a multi cat and/or large home.
Not for you to interrupt in the midst of your cat’s serious, private play; to engage for awhile, only to abruptly stop and ignore. Your cat will become frustrated. Don't be a tease.
A daily brushing if your cat favors the brush.
Brushing aids circulation, massages, deters hair balls and vomiting and contributes to less kitty fur in the cat-mosphere. Wet the brush and use a moistened paper towel to collect the loose fur. Your cat may prefer a combing.
More than one water bowl, or a water fountain so water is very accessible.
A senior cat with renal problems truly benefits by a water surplus.
At least one daily visit from a friend, neighbor or cat sitter when you're away overnight or longer. Don't rely on any technical gadgets to gauge your cat's welfare.
Anything can happen to your cat while you're away -- don't put your cat at risk.
Play -- instead of stuffing with food so you don't have to be bothered.
An overweight cat is a candidate for diabetes and other health issues. Exercise is a shared benefit.
Check out some Multi Pet Toys http://www.multipet.com/products/cat-toys/all-categories
and a sisal cat post from Sisal Rugs Direct http://www.sisalrugs.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=Sisal+scratch+post
Clean windows if your cat is a window gazer.
Yes, your cat can inspire your good housekeeping.
MAYOR'S ALLIANCE FOR NYC ANIMALS
Audrey Hepburn’s domestic partner in Breakfast At Tiffanys (196l)
was an orange cat. This “nameless” cat, was a scene stealer and catalyst for Oliver, my first feline domestic partner, when I was a student at NYU.
Ulysses was the orange cat in the Coen Brothers' Inside Llewyn Davis and the new super star at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/cannes-film-festival/10067075/The-new-superstar-at-Cannes-a-ginger-tom-cat.html
 |
| Breakfast at Tiffany's |
 |
| Inside Llewyn Davis |
 |
| Gone Girl |
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/26/gone-girl-premiere_n_5891804.html
Black Cats -- Film Feline Forerunners
Felix The Cat was the black, funny animal cartoon character who was created in the silent film era. This anthropomorphic black cat was the first animated character who attained sufficient popularity to draw movie audiences.
 |
| Felix The Cat |
 |
| Krazy Cat |
Krazy Cat was another black cat who first appeared in an American comic strip in 1880 which was later animated several times.
I’ve always had an affinity for black cats. A black cat was the inspiration for The Cat Practice, the first veterinary hospital in New York City exclusively devoted to cats, which I co-founded with the veterinarian, Dr. Paul Rowan. The Cat Practice was my main venue for cat behavior which was the catalyst for my creation or founding of “Cat Therapy”.
You''ll want to subscribe to Carole's free monthly Blog -- The Wilbourn Way
THE MEOW PARLOUR, NYC
Catnip For People
 |
| Fang |
You’ll want to make a reservation to have some refreshments and hang out with these splendid adoptable cats -- especially after you read all about it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/16/nyregion/cat-cafe-offers-a-place-to-snuggle-with-reservations.html?_r=0
I stopped by and had a cat speak with Fang, a fun-loving 10 year old -- the perfect "greeter". http://www.meowparlour.com
Carole's Take on Oscar The Cat Who .....
“Vibie is 20 and still re-inventing herself,” said Edie, one of my trainers at the Apple Store. She went on to tell me how when she recently flew home for a visit, her parents were Vibie-ecstatic.
“Watch this," they said as her mother sat down on the couch with a wooly blanket on her lap. Slow but steady, Vibie made her way towards the couch and scrambled on to the blanket. She had never been a lap cat, blanket or no blanket. This was such a gift for the family, especially for Edie. “With Vibie on her blanket on my lap, I was couch-bound,” she said, “and I loved every minute of it.”
 |
| Vibie |
“What a cool looking 20,” I said, as Vibie's selfie flashed on Edie’s iPhone.
“And your take on Vibie’s behavior?”
I told Edie that as many a cat reaches the 'very golden years', what appears to be cat centric or atypical behavior can be triggered by increased muscle relaxation and less unpleasant muscle and brain memory. Or simply, Vibie's blanket is her comfort or security magnet, and comfort chips away at her fear of intimacy.
“Well, I’ll take it as a very mutual comfort,” Edie said with a grin.
“What a gift," I said.
CATS WHO HERD SKUNKS
“Really, your cats formed a triangle around the skunk," I repeated, to one of my clients. He nodded and told me how, Horace, the oldest cat, was the leader. The two younger cats followed his lead. They herded the skunk down to the property line, where they stopped, and the skunk moved on. Horace's instinctive intention was property specific -- well aware of his boundaries -- but careful not to spook the skunk.
Intellectual Vs Emotional Intelligence
I’m frequently asked what is a cat and what makes a cat so unique?
I answer that a cat strives overtly to please him/herself. This may make a cat appear selfish, which a cat is, but this selfishness is the key to a cat’s happiness. When a cat is pleased, a cat feels good. This good feeling can be shared with the cat’s companions -- a happiness template.
A cat is a very sensitive animal -- how a cat acts is how a cat feels. So it’s very important to know how your cat is feeling. The feelings in reaction or response to stimuli (some natural stimuli, of which we are often unaware) are more precise than reason. A cat doesn’t intellectualize feelings as people do, so the cat’s feelings surface much faster -- manifested vocally or by body language.
 |
| Dusty Blue |
Cat Sense
That said, a cat downloads our feelings by our body language, facial expressions and voice inflections. And because a cat is very sensitive to fluctuations in surrounding energy fields, that is why a cat can early on sense someone at the door, is attracted to your relaxed energy, or can sense an internal, organic change in an animal or human companion before it’s externally evident.
But do cats think?
Emotional Intelligence
Although cats have definite cognitive ability, they draw primarily on their feelings or emotions. It’s this well-developed sensitivity that makes the cat such an exquisite creature.
Cats, computers and Emotions
“Computers are learning to read emotions ….” a tagline from We Know How You Feel, an article in The New Yorker, by Raffi Khatchadourian http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/01/19/know-feel.
So a computer’s artificial intelligence is being enhanced and coupled with emotional intelligence -- a cat's inimitable signature.
ORION'S CATITUDES
(Orion, a recovering feral rescue, gives his cat-speak on cat issues)
ORION SPEAKS OUT ON YOUR CAT/S PREFERENCES FOR 2015
To be told: “You’re the best cat. You’re so good.”
When you say pleasant and positive things you breathe freely and your body relaxes. Your cat mirrors your reaction.
To be acknowledged verbally when you have company -- especially if you have only one cat. If an extrovert, your cat may like to be front and center for a bit.
Your cat may feel rejected if suddenly someone else is your entire focus. So remember to refer to him now and again.
A tidy litter box in a private spot. This contributes to your cat's regularity and helps avoid "out of box" incidents.
You can’t over-scoop, or over-clean. Provide extra boxes if you have a multi cat and/or large home.
Not for you to interrupt in the midst of your cat’s serious, private play; to engage for awhile, only to abruptly stop and ignore. Your cat will become frustrated. Don't be a tease.
A daily brushing if your cat favors the brush.
Brushing aids circulation, massages, deters hair balls and vomiting and contributes to less kitty fur in the cat-mosphere. Wet the brush and use a moistened paper towel to collect the loose fur. Your cat may prefer a combing.
More than one water bowl, or a water fountain so water is very accessible.
A senior cat with renal problems truly benefits by a water surplus.
At least one daily visit from a friend, neighbor or cat sitter when you're away overnight or longer. Don't rely on any technical gadgets to gauge your cat's welfare.
Anything can happen to your cat while you're away -- don't put your cat at risk.
Play -- instead of stuffing with food so you don't have to be bothered.
An overweight cat is a candidate for diabetes and other health issues. Exercise is a shared benefit.
Check out some Multi Pet Toys http://www.multipet.com/products/cat-toys/all-categories
 |
| Snow |
Clean windows if your cat is a window gazer.
Yes, your cat can inspire your good housekeeping.
MAYOR'S ALLIANCE FOR NYC ANIMALS
 |
Adoptapalooza at Washington Square Park
|
And you too can make yourself, as well as many a cat and dog happy. Become a volunteer with the Mayor's Alliance for NYC Animals http://animalalliancenyc.org/help/volunteer/index.htm
A Free Consultation With The Cat Therapist
