This is the archive of my old blog posts, from Dec 2012 to May 2018
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Wednesday, December 23, 2015

December 2015



THE WILBOURN WAY BLOG  

(AKA Cats on the Couch)  For a better view Click http://cattherapist.blogspot.com/ 

Dear Readers,
‘Tis the season to be jolly, but there are those moments when we need to quiet the mind. You can do that with HAPPINESS CALLS YOUR NAME. This book of short one-minute meditations can be your mentor. Take a look at this stunning book by Lorrie Kazan.

Whatever you decide to do for the holidays, have fun and be oh so good to yourself. Your cat(s) will love you for it.


O'Keefe and Stieglitz In and Out of Sync
Georgia O’Keefe and Alfred Stieglitz carried on a long, mostly long distance relationship in the early years of the 20th century. Alfred was a cat person and Georgia sent many paintings of cats from her home in the desert to Stieglitz in New York. He sent her many photos of flowers and cow skulls- her favorites. When later their romance started to fade, she wrote, “ It is beyond me why when you know I want lilies and cow skulls, you send me hydrants and taxicab bumpers. Stieglitz replied, “At least my photograph of a fire hydrant resembles a fire hydrant. Why is it that all of your paintings of cats manage to look like flowers?"   (“Cats Of The Masters”, Michael Patrick)



November Blog
A computer glitch may have caused some problems with the November mailing. In case you did not get your copy of the November Blog we repeat the link here http://cattherapist.blogspot.com/2015/11/november-2015.html Please click for the Thanksgiving issue.

Subscribe to Carole's free monthly Blog -- The Wilbourn Way   

UPS Driver Spots Kittens
Buzzy and Boo
Barry thought it was a rock when he first spotted them in a snowbank. But when he saw movement, a closer look revealed two curled up kittens. No foot prints or paw prints! Only tire tracks! Someone probably threw the kittens from a car window. Barry removed his woolen hat and placed it beside them. The kittens slowly scampered in. They spent the rest of the day in the UPS truck with Barry. It was Christmas Eve so he felt sure his wife would not object to a couple of feline visitors. He presented them to her in a UPS box. “Kittens, OMG, what will we do with two kittens?” she said. “Give them names and find a home for them,” Barry said.
So the kittens were dubbed Buzzy and Boo. And Barry's wife insisted that their home would be best. They celebrated Christmas together with the kittens in their new "forever" home.

Cat's Emotions -- News.Mic
I first wrote about cats and their emotions in the early seventies. At that time I was a tail or trail-blazer in the treatment and documentation of feline mental health. 
Recently I was mentioned in an article by Jon Levine for News.Mic -- read more


Carole's Take on Oscar The Cat Who .....  
A Relaxation Session To Boost Courage
Laura had engaged me to do a relaxation session for Dunkin, their three-year-old and for her daughter’s two cats who were “visiting cats in residence” while her daughter was out of the country.

Dunkin
They lived in a large house and Dunkin was a love with Laura and her husband. But he was usually the phantom cat with visitors and could use a boost to become more people-friendly Her daughter’s cats were also people sensitive and would periodically *avoid the litter box. Laura realized that their un-catlike behavior was a symptom of angst. She felt a session would increase their toleration of stress. It would be the start of a new chapter.

As Laura led me to their favorite room, we made ourselves comfortable. Laura turned on the link to the music I had sent, which I instructed her to play continuously. “Ah, it will be their security object, so whenever they hear it, they’ll be reminded of the session and chill,” Laura said. I nodded and added that as their body relaxed, they would be less threatened and fearful. Their coping mechanisms would slowly accelerate. As I spoke, I spread some catnip on their toys and also on the new ones I had brought as gifts from my cat.
One of my recommendations was to speak of the cats’ favorite room as their “happy” or “bliss” room. As they spoke these words, their body and tone of voice would relay a positive association to the cats, who would gradually be able to extend this feeling of comfort and security beyond this room.
Ari (in front) and Jasmine

Laura felt that Dunkin would be Jasmine and Ari’s role model in their transformation to be more relaxed and courageous. I agreed as Dunkin wasn’t as emotionally fragile.

My final recommendation was to sequester Jasmine and Ari in this room if they had another bout of indiscriminate urination. Dunkin could, of course, visit when he wasn’t in play with their two cat-friendly dogs. But I told Laura that the cats could come out whenever she and her husband could hang out with them. They could also set up an expandable gate that would extend from the floor to the top of the door frame so the cats had the option to see beyond their room.

After I finished with the cats’ treatment program, I gave Laura a Reiki chair treatment to ease and balance her body, mind and spirit. Although the three cats were out of sight, I told Laura that they would get a contact high from her treatment. (Read more about Reiki.)

HALFWAY THROUGH LAURA’S REIKI TREATMENT
Here comes Dunkin,” I whispered to Laura as he slowly made his way in to the room. I continued Laura’s treatment, while Dunkin checked out the toys and rubbed against Laura’s chair, before he went on his way.
Tyson

“That was quite a breakthrough for my Dunkin,” said Laura. “He really shared the benefit I got from my Reiki treatment.”

As Laura led me downstairs, Tyson, their retired bomb sniffer dog, greeted me with a head bump. I computed that as a thank you.



*Refer to my books for more info.

 
Sisters
A few decades or so ago, I asked my sister, Gail, “If you could make a wish to have your dream career, what would it be?”
“To become a movie producer, and you?”
“I want my passion for cats to become my profession.
At that time, cats were my avocation and Gail worked at an art gallery. 

A few years later I co-founded the first cat hospital in New York City, wrote my first book Cats Prefer It This Way and was dubbed the Founding Mother of feline psychology. Gail went on to climb the ladder to film producer. Rain Man was one of her early films.
Gail's Cats Sophie & Denzel
 
Being sisters, there are many things we share in common. Cats take the lead, and although Gail produces movies, and I treat cats, there is a connection. In my cat practice I deal with cat’s emotions. People’s emotions are a resonant theme in Gail’s movies. Her current movie is The Danish Girl. Although you won’t see a feline star, there is a dog who will tug at your heart strings.



Neutered and Spayed
“Sweet Potato makes love to my fuzzy sweater,” said Lana. “Such a zoned-out, turned-on look as he either humps, nuzzles or suckles away.” Lana couldn’t understand why her neutered, two year old was so sex-obsessed. I explained that Sweet Potato’s sensuality wasn’t doomed or deleted when he was neutered. A cat’s sensuality isn’t dependent on his sexual organs. Although, he can no longer impregnate a female, he can still get turned on by an object that excites or makes him happy. Some cats score higher than others on the sexy or sensual hormonal gene. “That’s my boy! His now sweater was my favorite, but I can replace it -- a Christmas gift for me on behalf of my Sweet Potato."
NEUTERED BARNABY IS HOT FOR SPAYED TULIP
I’m reminded of Barnaby and Tulip. Their guardian called me in a panic when she saw Barnaby bite Tulip on the neck and away they went. “Barnaby is neutered and Tulip is spayed,” said Pat. “They’re two years old and have been together since they were kittens. This is a first for this ‘mating game’ action. Why now out of nowhere?”
When I asked Pat how she was feeling, she told me how she recently started a new job — her total dream job. “Ah, your happiness is the catalyst,” I said. “They mirrored your good feelings, and Barnaby’s sexual drive was turned on —  stimulated!  I told Pat that if Tulip was okay with Barnaby’s passion, not to worry.”
A few days later Pat texted me: “I never realized Tulip was such a sex pot. She screams in protest, but her eyes are closed, and she doesn’t lift a paw or claw to get away. This ‘getting it on’ has become a nightly affair. Here’s to lust!”

Monkee Made My Day
It made my day to receive this testimonial:
A New Monkee
Thanks to Carole’s therapy sessions, our ten year old Monkee is a changed cat. We’ve been using Carole’s tips and training to help Monkee become less aggressive towards our two year old daughter. When our older cat Bear recently passed away, we noticed additional changes in Monkee. He has really blossomed into a new cat, reinvented himself and even taken on some of Bear’s old traits of sleeping next to us at night, meeting us at the door and becoming buddies with our daughter.  We’re delighted and feel grateful for this holiday blessing.  

The Wilbourn Way continues to give Monkee the confidence and motivation to become an even happier member of our family. It was our vet, Dr. Landefeld, who recommended Carole to us. What a gift!   N.V., NYC

(Scroll through my July 2015 Blog to read more about Monkee)


Orion's  Catitudes
(Orion, a recovering feral rescue, gives his cat-speak on cat issues)


Orion declares that holiday trimmings can be provocative!

Protect Your Cat From The Trimmings 
And The Trimmings From Your Cat
Let Me at 'Em
Your cat may choose to admire the Christmas tree and trimmings.  That’s a mutual plus. But if let me at ‘em” is the intent, don’t be unwittingly provocative. Protect your cat from the trimmings, and the trimmings from your cat -- especially tinsel, feathers and pine needles.

Admirer
You may not have to hang your tree from the ceiling, but you could sprinkle some tabasco sauce on seductive” areas. 

For your cat’s fun attractions offer a pot of kitty grass for some chewy nibbles and also some new favorite toys. And for alternative pleasures, maybe some tissue paper.






FOR A WINDOW ON THE WORLD

For the cat on the go who wants to be in the know, Orion suggests a look at the U-Pet Carrier.














A BOOST TO YOUR CAT’S WATER CONSUMPTION
When I purchased a Flameless Candle Fountain for aesthetic intentions, Orion claimed it for his water consumption. He mirrored my choice.

TOYS FOR FUN AND FITNESS
Orion currently has a passion for the MultiPet Toy Kicker. It’s all part of his fun-fitness program.

A toy a day keeps Orion at play. 

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




Mayor's Alliance For NYC's Animals 
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 


Adoptapalooza at Washington Square Park

ADOPT A LITTLE NEW YORKER TODAY http://www.AnimalAllianceNYC.org/index.htm




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