THE WILBOURN WAY BLOG
(AKA Cats on the Couch) For a better view Click http://cattherapist.blogspot.com/
Dear Readers,
As we share our Thanksgiving Day, let us all take a breath for a tribute of love and silence for all of those lives lost in the recent outbreaks of world-wide terror attacks and give gratitude for those who cared for the displaced and injured.
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Hero Dog Will Receive Animal Victoria Cross
He will receive an Animal Victoria Cross.
Russian police offer puppy Dobrynya "in solidarity with French people and the police in the fight against terrorism".
SET YOUR CALENDAR, ALERT YOUR SMART PHONES, YOUR OTHER DEVICES!
You'll want to join me and my feline co-presenter, Monkee, Tuesday December 10 when I present as part of the lecture series, Safe and Sound Hounds.
You Adore Your Cat But .... There's probably some issue you'd love to remedy. Bring along your questions. There will be a drawing for a complimentary phone or video consult, one of my books and Multipet Toys for the most senior cats. You'll learn the Wilbourn Way to nurture your animal companions, and yourself, as you greet the holidays and create happiness during these challenging times.
SSH is an educational series and resource center for guardians of animal companions with emotional and behavioral issues. Various speakers will present on such topics as behavior, health and legal issues. All proceeds from events will go to animal charities.
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| Monkee is no longer toddler-phobic |
You Adore Your Cat But .... There's probably some issue you'd love to remedy. Bring along your questions. There will be a drawing for a complimentary phone or video consult, one of my books and Multipet Toys for the most senior cats. You'll learn the Wilbourn Way to nurture your animal companions, and yourself, as you greet the holidays and create happiness during these challenging times.
SSH is an educational series and resource center for guardians of animal companions with emotional and behavioral issues. Various speakers will present on such topics as behavior, health and legal issues. All proceeds from events will go to animal charities.
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| Orion and Peyton |
Orion, an equal opportunity advocator, endorses my presentation in the SSH lecture series.
https://m.facebook.com/safeandsoundhounds
Venue: The Open Center
22 East 30th Street, NY 10016
Date: Tuesday, Dec 10, 2015 Time: 7:00 p.m.
Admission is $20, but SSH is a fund-raising organization and all proceeds for my event will go to Farm Sanctuary
http://www.farmsanctuary.org
Carole's Take on Oscar The Cat Who .....
Tokyo's Kitty Cat Nite Clubhttp://www.meowingtons.com/blogs/lolcats/18160705-tokyos-kitty-cat-nightclub
Reiki, Emotional Catnip For Post Vet Angst
"Your distant Reiki treatment last night really kicked in," Eva texted. "Take a look at my two guys' selfies. Iggy, the former Ninja warrior, is nestled against Clyde. Next is Clyde, the former victim, who returns the favor. Happiness reigns in our new, bigger and sunnier apartment."
"Looks like a truce," I replied. Iggy had attacked Clyde a month after Clyde was hospitalized for a bladder problem. ever since the attack, the two cats had to be kept in separate rooms and could only tolerate each other's company for short intervals before Iggy's fur bristled and Clyde's tail started to flick. I had made a home visit and one of my recommendations was to set up an expandable gate in the connecting doorway so they could see each other and act out their feelings without physical contact.
(Scroll through May's Blog to see Post Vet Angst
Eva wondered why Iggy beat up Clyde a month after he was hositalized. "Why such a delayed reaction?" I explained that during that month she had to medicate Clyde and spend extra time with him. That caused Iggy's resentment to build and Clyde became "the enemy". I went on to say that her search for a new apartment stirred the pot of angst for the three of them.
A larger and sunnier apartment added to their bliss. And its location was more convenient for Eva’s friend to be their “Surrogate Eva” when Eva had to work around the clock. I reminded her to continue with their behavioral program so they could sustain their bliss.
Snow wants what she wants, and she gets it," said Dora. "She hangs out in her favorite room and ventures out when she wants a change of scenery."
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| Snow |
FEAR OF INTIMACY
Dora laughed as she told me how Snow now climbs on her lap and loves the attention, but when she’s had enough, takes her position by the window, a signal for Dora to leave so Snow can have her privacy. It took a while for Dora to "get it". She focused on how I repeated and showed her how Snow preferred company and affection in small doses. That was her m.o. for happiness. I explained that Snow had a fear of intimacy and as Dora obeyed Snow's signals, gradually she would be able to accept more and more of Dora's attention. Her contact-tolerance would grow.
STOMATITIS
Snow
was the female kitten of a trio that Dora adopted from a shelter ten
years ago. They had a multitude of health problems which included
stomatitis, a severe inflammation of the mouth, that has resulted in
extensive dentistry with many extractions. Dora told me how Snow
went in to withdrawal after her last dental procedure. When Dora had
to take Snow in for her latest procedure, she arranged a phone
consult on speaker phone because she noticed that Snow relaxed and
purred when she heard my voice -- together with distant Reiki and
the musical recording of one of her sessions. The next day she texted
that Snow was groggy but not freaked out as she was after her last
dentistry.
SNOW’S BROTHERS
“Carole, Dr. Dougherty, wrote a script for Prozac for Mau, and together with his behavioral program, I’ve been nip and scratch-free,” was Sondra’s phone message.
During
Mau’s session, I enhanced Mau’s five senses - hearing, sight,
taste, touch and smell - with cat-friendly music, catnip, verbal
acknowledgments and play. He was clearly the center of our attention.
The Michael Jordan of cats -- Sondra eyes followed Mau as he
catapulted about and batted his toys.You could see he held a major
key to her heart.
SNOW’S BROTHERS
Gem
and Paint, unlike Snow, were people-friendly and hung out together
when they wanted to play. Snow tolerated her brothers but preferred
Gem. Dora referred to Gem as her low key, problem-free cat. Unlike
his brother, Paint had a low stress tolerance which triggered his
un-cat-like dysfunctional behavior. His food intake had to be
monitored because he
lived
to eat. Low calorie veggies helped to curb his oral fixation.
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| Paint and Gem |
INDISCRIMINATE
DEFECATION -- SYMPTOM OF ANGST
But
his tell tale
symptom
of angst was his early morning ritual. “Most mornings Paint leaves
his signature -- a dump beside the litter box,” said Dora. When
I took Paint’s case history, it was clear that Dora had already followed
all the elementary recommendations which included several litter
boxes, special food, a plug-in pheromone diffuser for calming, a
thorough medical exam, blood test, urinalysis and other diagnostic
tests. Homeopathic remedies and anti-anxiety drugs were either
ineffective or short
lasting. Sometimes Dora would get so agitated, she would tell him he
was a bad boy and skip his breakfast. “His next dump might be
on target, but he couldn’t sustain this behavior,” said
Dora.*
DORA’S
EPIPHANY
She
mentioned that as Snow’s angst receded with her behavioral program.
she noticed Paint was calmer, more relaxed. But he still had periodic dumps. So when she went out of town for a week, and the cat
sitter told her how amazed she was that Paint’s “dumps” were on
target every day, Dora had an epiphany. “I decided that perhaps his
morning deposit was now in part habit, and I needed to give him a
stronger message. So the
next morning as I disposed of his deposit, I told him he was a bad
boy, with every
part of my being
-- so no breakfast for him."
A
MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH
"The
morning after, the floor was clean. He had used the box.” She added
that it was always easy for her to identify his deposit in the litter
box. Anyway, a month went by, and Paint had only one more incident on
the floor and one skipped breakfast. Dora felt that he had finally
turned the corner.
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| Paint's favorite resting place -- on tissue |
THE
TIES THAT BIND
Dora
remarked how Snow recovered so quickly from her angst and continues
to be more affectionate with her. She’s less territorial and only
gives an occasional hiss when her brothers get in her away. “That’s
when she’s upstairs in her favorite room, on the window ledge where
she watches the world go by,” said Dora. “Her brothers are not as
room-specific.” Dora went on to say how unlike his sister’s
healing ability, Paint’s has been a longer process. “ I know his
major breakthrough was triggered by my entire
demeanor.
Thanks to your therapy with me and my guys I was able to connect with
him."
I
nodded and explained that the combination of her direct and
unequivocal tone of voice, body language, together with his breakfast
ban was the critical ultimatum. And we had ruled out all the
variables that could cause him to have such deviant behavior -- so that now his behavioral program was complete.
“I’ll
provide progress reports as they continue to recover and evolve -- thanks to “The Wilbourn Way,” said Dora.
* You can refer to The Total Cat and my other books on Amazon for more info on litter box issues.
* You can refer to The Total Cat and my other books on Amazon for more info on litter box issues.
A Halt To Mau's Aggressive Behavior
“Carole, Dr. Dougherty, wrote a script for Prozac for Mau, and together with his behavioral program, I’ve been nip and scratch-free,” was Sondra’s phone message.
Dr.
Dougherty at The
Cat Practice,
had
referred Sondra to me to start Mau on a behavioral program to treat
his aggressive out-bursts which could wreak havoc with her health
issues. When Mau’s program was in place, he would prescribe an
anti-anxiety drug for reinforcement.
Now
five -years old, Mau was adopted as a kitten, A rescuer found him
abandoned and famished on the street. From the start, Mau was a high
energy kitten, but there were two people to love and indulge him. But
with the loss of Sondra’s husband last year, it was now Mau and
Sondra.
“Mau
carries out his major terror attacks when I’m in bed in the midst
of a book or emails,” said Sondra. “So what do I do in this
captive
position?”
“You
sure are a provocative target. Let’s start with the program and we can revise as we go.”
MAU’S
TREATMENT PLAN
- Keep some toys and rolled up pieces of paper beside you. Toss them with a shout of “ Go Mau go!” Make it fun for the two of you.
- If you can’t continue to indulge him, tell him you get it. He wants his own space. Lead him in to the next room, and in an upbeat voice, tell him to rock and roll as you close the door to your bedroom.
- Play his music (mp4) continuously. It will be his security cushion to recreate the healing from his session -- his template or mantra.
- Think of Mau as a mellow Zen cat. Change his image. Create a new and low key Mau.
- To avoid a delayed anxious reaction, announce transitions -- gotta go now, I’m getting up, sitting down.
- When it’s playtime, wind down slowly so he isn’t frustrated by a sudden halt.
KITTY
RADAR -- CAT SENSE
I
told Sondra that Mau gets what she says by her voice inflections and
body language. I call it kitty radar or cat sense -- or more simply,
a reaction to your action. Your body expands when you say something
positive and contracts or tightens when you say something unpleasant
or negative.
THE
SINGLE CAT SYNDROME
“A
compatible feline companion with the right introduction would give
Mau the work-out he craves," I said. “You’ve become his surrogate
cat."
“Maybe
later but not now," Sondra said. Another option was for Sondra to
arrange play dates with a cat-friendly dog, but she would have to
focus on Mau so he wouldn’t resent the dog.
SEPARATION
ANXIETY TRIGGERS STRESS
Sondra
mentioned that Mau was treated for a bladder problem. It was now
regulated with a special diet. I explained that the loss of her
husband led to this issue. It was mutual culture shock for the two of
them, and Mau’s bladder was his major stress target. I reminded her
to pamper and nurture herself, so Mau would mirror
her
gain.
“We’ll soon be off to the country for a few days, and Mau has endless distractions there. The country is my catnip,” said Sondra. I took that for my cue to sprinkle some more catnip on Mau’s Kicker toy, and he took off.
Later on I emailed Mau’s case report to Dr. Dougherty at The Cat Practice of which I was co-founder in 1973.
Good things carry on.
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| Mau, the Michael Jordan of cats -- in action |
“We’ll soon be off to the country for a few days, and Mau has endless distractions there. The country is my catnip,” said Sondra. I took that for my cue to sprinkle some more catnip on Mau’s Kicker toy, and he took off.
Later on I emailed Mau’s case report to Dr. Dougherty at The Cat Practice of which I was co-founder in 1973.
Good things carry on.
Orion's Catitudes
(Orion, a recovering feral rescue, gives his cat-speak on cat issues)
Always
an advocate for equal opportunity, Orion supports the right of
gender-identity. That said, his aunt’s
(Gail Mutrux, my sister's) movie, The
Danish Girl premiered
in Los Angeles this past weekend.
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| Handmade Lavender by Karin Ripp - rippitup@gmail.com |
You won’t see a feline star, but
there is a dog who will tug at your heart strings.We sent Gail a
rendition of the Danish Flag, a tribute to her movie.
The Babbling Brook
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A CAT DEVOTED TO HIS POST
Biggie's passion for his Sisal Rug Direct post delights his guardian whose furnishings are now catproofed.
Scroll down to Natural Cat Products at Sisal Rug Direct. Check out their special discounts.
Carole's Been Anthologized
In The Big New Yorker Book of Cats see Lulu, The Cat The New Yorker Left Behind by Lois Metzer, Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lois-metzger/lulu-the-cat-the-new-york_b_3983154.html
Subscribe to Carole's free monthly Blog -- The Wilbourn Way http://thewilbournway.com/cgi-
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| Volunteer Extraordinare |
You too can make yourself, as well as many a cat and dog happy. Become a volunteer with the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals http://animalalliancenyc.org/help/volunteer/index.htm
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Adoptapalooza at Washington Square Park
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A Free Consultation With The Cat Therapist
