TTouch and Reiki at Bideawee with Jungle - a New Adventure Begins

Jungle recently arrived at Bideawee from a city shelter.  I had been told that he was quite a rambunctious and feisty young cat.

The minute I saw him, he came right to the front of the cage, putting his paws through.  I could feel his heart so wanting to connect, but his body not understanding that there are better ways to connect with people than grabbing them with your paws :) 

I started trying to do some TTouches with him with a paintbrush, and his first impulse was to hit it with his paw or to try to chew it.  That can happen sometimes, and I tried letting him play with one brush and then TTouching him with another.

I soon realized that did not feel like the best approach for him - that he was continuing to be in an over-stimulated mode, as he was getting more into a play mode than a relaxed mode.

When doing this work, I always have to keep my mind and body open to trying something new, to trying a new approach.  And the key is really to stop and listen to the animal.  By "listen", I mean to really connect with them and listen to where they are and to what will help them to feel safe.

I physically and mentally took a step back, and explained to Jungle that I was there to help him.  That everything was all right, that he was very safe.  I spoke to him in a very quiet, slow, gentle voice.  I had been sending Reiki energy all the while, but at this point felt a very strong flow of the energy.

While I did this, he got onto a little platform inside his cage into a comfortable, lying-down position.

His eyes began to look more relaxed and connected with me in a way which felt like "ok, I'm ok, I can trust you".

I knew this was a good position to try to start again, this time with a different approach.

Sometimes an animal prefers a hard surface to a soft one.  So I turned the paintbrushes around.  I have a wider, flat paintbrush (about two inches wide), with a wooden rounded end to the handle.  So I gently did a couple of circular TTouches on the outside of Jungle's mouth.  This time he didn't paw at me, but even leaned into it the slightest bit. 

Then I stood away, letting him get back into his laying down position.  I tried this again, and again he was responsive.  I continued in this way for a bit. 

As I worked with him, I could feel more and more that energetic connection and the flow of energy in between us.  Whenever I feel this first connection with an animal, particularly one who is guarded because of whatever they may have been through, I nearly always feel tears come to my eyes because of the power and beauty of this pure connection, and such honor at the level of generosity and trust that I feel from the animal, that they are letting me into their world.

Next, Jungle came forward to eat from his bowl.  I didn't want him to stop eating, but did want to see if he would let me touch him while he was eating.  I took the end of the smaller paintbrush (with a wooden handle which had a smaller, but not sharply pointed tip) and began to do some small circular TTouches on the top of his head. At first he stopped briefly, but then went back to eating, so I continued, and he became comfortable with that. 

After he finished eating, he came to the front of the cage again, sticking his paws through. 

With the paintbrushes and other tools that I use for TTouch, I will try different surfaces, including the handles, ends, and sides of them, as every animal is different as to what they prefer.

I took the flat, wide side of the handle of the brush and put it against one of his paws, very gently doing a circular TTouch.  That was something different for him.  And he didn't pull his paw away or try to dig his claws in.  He remained there.  So I was able to do a couple of these with both of his paws, and then paused. 

Like the space between the notes in music, the space of these pauses with the animal can be so important.  These pauses allow the animal to process, to shift their position, and then they are ready to try again. 

I continued to work with Jungle in this way, trying a few TTouches with the end of the handle of the brush if he was up on the platform, or a couple of TTouches on his paw if he came forward and put it towards me.  Sometimes I had the cage slightly open and sometimes I had it closed - I didn't want him to escape, so I was careful with this. 

In between, I would wait for him to go back up on the platform and get into his more restful position. 

At one point, he got really snuggly, rubbing and then resting his head against a soft ball as you see in the photo below.  When I left, he looked very comfortable, and his eyes were more open and relaxed, as you see in the photos. 

I think we got off to a great start, and I can't wait to see him again. 

Thanks, as always to the great people at Bideawee for all the loving care they give to these animals. xo

TTouch and Reiki at Bideawee: Pixie

Pixie is a beautiful young tabby girl with a lot of charisma.  She is very friendly, and is completely at ease especially with her favorite Bideawee person, Steve, and probably with others with whom she is very accustomed.  However, she can get overstimulated at times and swat, especially when someone new, such as a potential adopter, tries to make contact with her.  So I have been working with her to help encourage her to stay in a calmer zone when she is being touched. 
I have found that with cats who have this type of behavior, if you get them accustomed to having contact that does not get them to the point where they swat, over time the swatting behavior subsides.  It is so beautiful to see that process, especially in a shelter, because it not only means that the animal feels better, it also increases her chances for adoption.

First of all, what I have seen is that Pixie needs a few moments to just get used to the person being near her, rather than the person quickly sticking their hand at her to pet her.  I can understand that!
When it is Pixie's turn to be let out of her cage, I have found that it is best to leave her alone and let her explore for a while, and then when she decides to settle somewhere, I begin to do TTouches and/or Reiki with her.  And if I am working with her in the cage, I approach her gradually - standing near her cage calmly for a moment, then speaking to her a bit, approaching her a little bit at a time with a paintbrush, then gradually doing TTouches with my hand.  I actually do the same process when she is out of the cage, but adding on the part of letting her explore for a bit before approaching her.
I first saw that Pixie really responded to the energy of both TTouch and Reiki when I was actually working with another cat, Coral.  Coral was outside the cage and Pixie was in her cage, which happened to be next to where I was. 
As Coral began to calm with the work I was doing, I noticed Pixie changing from a hyper-alert look to a very mellow, relaxed look, her eyes closing.
With different cats I use different tools - I have a number of different types of paintbrushes, back scratchers, feathers, etc.  Pixie seemed like she would respond to a paintbrush, one that is not too thick, so that is what I have used with her.  I start out doing little circular TTouches around the outside of her mouth, the top of her head, and over time, have added TTouches and strokes on her body as well. 

In the beginning, I would do just a few TTouches, pause, observe her behavior, and then continue, a little at a time.  Over time, she has been comfortable with longer and longer periods of contact, leaning into the brush, rolling on her side, etc, really relaxing into it.  Only maybe once has she swatted at me, and when that happened, I gave her a break, worked with another cat or two, then came back to her later.
With this type of work, Pixie has become more and more accustomed to responding to touch by relaxing rather than striking out, as long as the approach is gentle.  It is so important to watch a cat's body language and listen to what they are ready to do, rather than imposing our will on them.  In this way, a cat does not feel cornered.

When things are really working well, it is a pure energy flow that goes back and forth between me and the cat.  Being in the moment with them, feeling where they are.
After Pixie became accustomed to me working with her with the paintbrush, I was able to start working my hand down the paintbrush and have begun doing TTouches with her directly with my hand.  I do keep my hand on the paintbrush, or keep it nearby, in case I need to transition back to the paintbrush.  It really is like a dance.  The minute I feel Pixie may get a bit unsure, I go back to using the paintbrush and then may give her a break altogether for a bit.  I am constantly watching her body language, with the idea of stopping BEFORE it is too much.  So I am watching and feeling for any subtle signs of agitation.  After a while it gets easier to anticipate those moments because I get used to her rhythm.  Even when I am doing what I think may be strictly TTouch with her, Reiki is definitely flowing, so we have a connection in that energetic way as well.

Each time I work with Pixie, it feels like the positive energy coming from her is building and building, and I know that others can see it and feel it too.  Usually when this type of momentum gets going, I feel that sometime in the near future, it will be her time, time for the right person or people to arrive to take her to her forever home. 
See you soon Pixie, unless you go home first!
As always, I have to thank all at Bideawee for all the love and care they give to the animals.  xo