Update on Alison at BARC Shelter

Alison is a lovely cat who I worked with at BARC (read post to end for update!).  She had been rescued from outside and brought in by a kind volunteer.  Alison was really scared being in the shelter, and not happy being around other cats.  I worked with her very slowly with Reiki and TTouch.  The Reiki I was doing mostly from a short distance away, and TTouches I began using tools such as a back scratcher, and eventually had been able to have more contact directly with my hands.

When I last wrote, Alison was really coming out of her shell with me.  She was really comfortable with me while I worked with her within the cage.  However, I knew that the next step was helping her to be more comfortable in a playroom.  BARC had a larger-size playroom, which was really scary to Alison.  I took her in a number of times, and she would eventually settle to some degree with Reiki, but it was overwhelming and hard for her to be at ease there.

Recently BARC built a second, smaller playroom and I had a feeling that would work really well for her.  Alison could see it being built from her cage and I kept telling her how wonderful and cozy it would be.

The moment I took her in the new playroom, she seemed right at home.  I let her settle in a bit, and it wasn't too long before I was getting the same ease that she had in her cage, purring and coming to me for TTouch and Reiki, and eventually getting in my lap as well. 

The day when I took these pictures, I was so happy to feel her being so at ease.  I felt such a connection of love and joy with her.  And to have her get in my lap for a cuddle was just so sweet.  It made me smile later on just to think of it, and just thinking of it made me feel that experience all over again.

Being able to work with her in the small playroom really helped her get to another level in her ease with people and ease in being in a room, which of course is more akin to a home environment.

And Alison to become comfortable with contact with other people when she was in there.  She began initiating contact more and more, and asking for cuddles, etc. when in there.

When a positive momentum like this gets going, I usually start feeling that it is going to be her time to go home soon.  Of course, there is plenty of wishful thinking in there as well.  But you can imagine my delight when Mary, who does a wonderful job with adoptions at BARC, called me with news that Alison would be going home with two lovely people.
I thought it might take a while for Alison to get acclimated in a new environment with new people, so I made a list of tips for her new people to help her feel nice and cozy.
I was filled with joy to see photos posted on Instagram within a day that showed Alison making herself right at home!!
Many thanks to her adopters for taking this beautiful girl in, I know her inner and outer beauty will flourish in your home.  And thank you to BARC for taking Alison in and giving her this chance to have the loving home she deserves (and for making the great playrooms for the cats!). xxoo

Alison at BARC Shelter: Patience, a Gentle Approach, and a Heart Connection

This is Alison, a beautiful calico kitty who I have been working with at BARC Shelter.  She was brought in by one of the long-time volunteers.  Apparently she had been outside, but was quite friendly with her rescuer. 
However, the shelter environment is tough for Alison.  She does not like other cats, so being surrounded by other cats makes her extremely tense.  And she is very wary with people as well in this environment, becoming overstimulated easily and swatting and hissing at people who approach her too quickly.
I have been working with her very slowly and gradually, using a back scratcher (there is a wonderful one at BARC now that has an end that is like a plastic spoon that she particularly likes, also one with a shoe-horn type end which she also responds to), or sometimes a paintbrush to start with, and then transitioning to touching her with my hand if she seems comfortable enough to do that.
I have found that she is extremely responsive to Reiki, done a short distance away from her.  She has grown to recognize the energy and settles right into it now.  She starts to close her eyes and get a cozy look on her face, and her body begins to relax.  And that has really been key in establishing trust.  She associates the relaxing energy with me, and knows that I may not necessarily even try to touch her, so she doesn't go on guard when she sees me coming.
About a week ago I went to work with her, and I had not worked with her in a while so I was not sure how it was going to go.  But I could tell immediately she felt the Reiki energy.  And it seemed a connection to the energy that was stronger than I had seen before.  Like she was absorbing the concept that this felt really GOOD, and I was seeing her bask in it. She paused her movement, and her eyes got that squinty look like she was taking it in.  I was standing with my hands outside the cage, palms up, and the cage door open.

And then, she did something she had never done with me before.  She came right to the front of the cage, and extended her paw to me.

Not a gesture that was going to turn into a swat, a gesture with a soft paw that gently touched my hand.  I praised her, and asked if she would like to do it again, and she did.  She did the same thing three or four times, just reached her paw to my hand to gently touch it.

Then she came forward and began to rub her head on my hand.  I didn't want to push the issue, so just let her do the rubbing, did not start stroking her at that time.

All the while I was letting the Reiki flow, and I could tell that she was becoming relaxed by it.  After a bit, I approached her with the spoon end of the back scratcher, doing little circular TTouches with it around her head.  I was also speaking very softly to her, which helps her to relax as well.  Eventually I worked my hand down the back scratcher, and began doing soft TTouches on her head directly with the back of my hand.  The back surface of the hand is less intense-feeling than the front surface, as there is less heat coming out, so it can feel more comfortable for frightened or sensitive cats. She settled into it completely and curled up and laid her head down.  

This was a longer period of contact than I had ever experienced with her before.  And it was as though her heart was gradually opening, and I felt a surge in my heart, our hearts connecting.

The next time I worked with Alison, again I began with Reiki, and she came to the front of the cage to nuzzle against my hand.  As before, I could see her absorbing the Reiki - she would get very still and close her eyes, taking it in. 

After a while she went to the back of the cage and curled up on her cat bed.  I began to do some TTouches with her on her head with the spoon end of the back scratcher. In the following video, you can see a bit of the sequence I did with her. 

When she became quite relaxed, I worked my way down the back scratcher, and began doing the circular TTouches directly with my hand.  I used the front of my hand this time, and I kept the feeling very soft, and felt the texture of my touch very soft and gentle.  She completely relaxed into the TTouches and went to sleep.

 

After a while, I gave her a break, working on another cat for a while.  Then I came back again, first starting with TTouches with the back scratcher, then with my hand when she felt more at ease.  This time it was a shorter span of time to work up to TTouching her with my hand.

I did this same sequence a few times that day, and each time she settled into my hand.  It was really beautiful to see this and feel this, to feel her relaxing and feeling open and comfortable.  A significant shift, and each time I see her, I feel a stronger and stronger connection with her, and more confidence and trust.


I told some of the regular volunteers what had happened and the sequence I used, and encouraged them to use the back scratcher with her, and not push the touching but to just follow her lead with that, to let her come to them.

I have already heard from a couple of the volunteers that they have been able to have more contact with Alison than before, that she is more at ease with them.  And my friend and long-time volunteer Mary said that Alison reached out to her with her paw the same way that she had done with me last week.  So sweet!! Her increased comfort will also help increase her chances for adoption, which is great.  I believe that in a quiet home with no other cats, she would blossom.

The next challenge is to help Alison to be more comfortable in the play room.  This is more difficult for her, as she is able to see the resident dogs and other cats from within the play room space, and she is not so used to the space either, so it is still hard for her to be relaxed there.  So when I am in the play room with her, I do not try to make much physical contact, but mostly do Reiki from a short distance with her. I also speak to her softly, and sometimes quietly sing to her as well. Currently we have her inside of a x-pen when she is in the play room so that the space does not feel so big for her.  But I am sure in time, this will be more comfortable for her as well.  Here you can see her pretty comfortable, taking in the Reiki energy.
Much love to you Alison!!  Look forward to seeing you soon (unless, of course, the perfect person or people take you home)!  xoxox