Statler is one of cats at BARC shelter in Brooklyn who arrived at the shelter because their owner passed away. He is a beautiful long-haired cat, still very shy but very gentle and you can tell he has a very sweet disposition, it is just taking some time for him to adjust and to trust.
I have been working with him slowly, a little bit at a time. One of the areas I have been working on with him is on the outside of his mouth, which can hold a lot of tension, and can be a key to a lot of relaxation. I have been doing little raccoon touches (circular touches with the tip of your finger) on the outside of his mouth, going back to his jaw area. I can feel him start to relax when I do this, and sometimes he starts to rub his mouth against my hand a little bit. I have also been stroking his ears, and even doing little slides on his extremely long whiskers. For these, you gently stroke the whiskers from the base all the way out to the tip, and sometimes you can do an extremely gentle circle and stroke on the whiskers. Please keep in mind this is very gentle, not pulling.
Another thing which can provide a lot of relaxation and promote good digestion and breathing is a belly lift. Just gently put your hand underneath the belly and lift up just the tinest amount, then slowly release it. Again, this is the subtlest of movements. When I did this with Statler the first time, he rolled over onto his side, exposing his belly to me, which was a very brave breakthrough for him.
Often when I finish doing TTouch with him, he often will look straight at me with such a sweet expression, which I feel all the way inside my heart. I think and sometimes say to him that he is in a safe place. And, as with the other cats who have just arrived, we put Rescue remedy in their water, and sometimes I put it on the tips of their ears, as I do with Statler, to help provide some more relaxation for them.
Thank you Statler, we will be patient with you and let you take the time it takes to become comfortable with new people.
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