Connecting with Luther: Helping a Sensitive Soul Unwind

Luther is a beautiful tabby cat who I have worked with off and on for the past couple of years.  He has two adopted cat brothers, Mr. Maps and Scrumble.  They live in a wonderful home with their kind and caring people, Suzanne and Mike.

Following is a link to a post about Luther and Mr. Maps after their brother Bunny (the dear kitty who I first worked with in this household) had passed, and before Scrumble was adopted. to give more of a back story of Luther:
http://sarahsuricat.blogspot.com/2014/09/my-journey-with-luther-and-mr-maps.html

Luther is an extremely sensitive cat, and can get overstimulated easily.  When I first started working with him, this would happen more easily and he could go into attack mode.  I worked with him very gently and carefully, giving him plenty of space, and allowing him to come closer as he was comfortable.  After some months of TTouch, Reiki, Bach Flower remedies and clicker training, this behavior calmed substantially, and his people were able to be closer to him and even pick him up and hold him, which was wonderful.

But there are times when he goes back into a more stressed mode, and needs some reminding of how to be in a calmer state.  Most recently I was called to work with him because he had started peeing off the side of counters.  I came for a session, and brought a Bach Flower remedy for him as well.

Luther

Luther is extremely receptive to Reiki.  By now he is so familiar with the energy that when I start to create the Reiki space, he feels and connects with it right away, and starts to settle.

I started our session in the bigger space of the loft, which is where we usually start with some clicker training.  I left the doors open so that all the cats could join if they wanted, and move around as they pleased.  After a bit of clicker training, I sat on the floor with all of them and let the Reiki f

Scrumble

At this point I felt all the cats connect with the energy, calming.  Scrumble came right near me and settled down next to my feet, and Mr. Maps and Luther settled at a comfortable distance.  Since Luther is so sensitive, I sit with a sideways orientation to him, rather than straight-on, and soften my gaze.  This is actually something that I do when working with animals in general, but it is especially important with a very sensitive animal.

 Mr. Maps

I felt a very tangible connection of my heart to Luther's, as well as a connection with the other two cats.  And I felt this deep sense of love connecting us.

Reiki can facilitate this feeling:  a timeless, universal feeling of love and connection.  I felt all four of us connected, but particularly felt the energy that connected Luther and me, our hearts connecting and the energy passing back and forth between us.  At this time I was also speaking to him in a soft, soothing, rhythmic voice, which can add another level of calmness in combination with the Reiki energy.  After a time I was quiet, still feeling the energy of a soft voice there.  Luther visibly calmed, and I had a sense of him calming internally as well.

After a time, Luther got up and moved into a smaller room which is used as a walk-in closet.  Luther started to settle there.  I waited a moment, and after sensing he wanted me to join him in there, I went in the room and settled a few feet away from him, the Reiki energy continuing to flow.

I felt him comforted by the smaller space, as well as by feeling the softness of the carpet underneath him.  There was light coming in the window, and I could feel Luther's sense that this was where he wanted to be.  Here with the energy, coziness, softness and light.  As I continued to share Reiki with him, he calmed further and further, slowly stretching out and reaching complete relaxation.

Such a beautiful feeling, his spirit and body really unwinding.  We stayed here for the rest of his session.  It was almost difficult to end the session, as I could feel him absorbing the energy so much.  I ended the session very softly, thanking him and thanking Reiki.

Afterwards, I told Suzanne and Mike what had happened, and suggested that it could benefit him to have a smallish, soft space, such as a crate with towels inside and draped over the top and three sides of it, so that he could have a little place to go and calm down when he needed it.  They told me that he always has access to the closet as well, so that is good too.  They have a crate, so they set this up for him, and sent me this photo of him looking very cozy indeed!

I checked in with them a few days ago, and his behavior has been good.  They said they don't often see him in his "apartment", but he seems to be glad it is there:) 
With much love and gratitude, xoxo

Reiki with the Cats at Bideawee: Oneness and Eternal Love

I always love my time with animals, and have meaningful connections with them every day.  But at times there are those special moments that sneak up on you and surprise you in the most beautiful way.

Ashanti

Last week, towards the end of my afternoon working with the cats at Bideawee, I decided to go into the main cat room to work with Ashanti, one of my long-time kitty friends there.  The cats in this room generally are cats who prefer to be only cats, so they reside in cages but are let out to roam freely in the room in shifts, so they all have time out.  There are two adjacent cat rooms which each house 4-5 cats, and one can see the cats in this room through the glass walls.

Ashanti was having his time out.  As it was a quiet time of day, I decided to sit on the floor in the middle of the room and offer Reiki to him.

Ashanti first came up to me, looked at me, and then climbed to an upper area in the room, where he loves to be, and laid down, squinting his eyes, absorbing the energy.

As the energy began to flow, it expanded through the room and I felt it connecting with the other cats in the room as well.  The radio was playing quietly.  I felt such a peacefulness come over the room.

Coral

I felt the energy become stronger and stronger, and felt the connections with all the cats in the room, as well as those in the adjacent rooms.  I felt the history of my connections with these cats, some of whom I have known for a good while.  The strength and beauty of that shared history.

Buddy

I felt a huge energy of love filling up the room.  This feeling of an eternal kind of love, a love beyond the boundaries of time and space.  Boundless joy and infinite connection with the cats and with the universe.

Bandit

I felt such happiness and gratitude for the animals for this time with them, for all the time I have had with them, for their openness with me, for all that they give to me and teach me, and for all the love they share with me.

Rocky

I felt suspended in time, connected with these beautiful animals with the energy and connection of love and gratitude.  Connected with them all and connected with the eternal feeling of love.  Love that goes beyond time and space.  Feeling like I am exactly where I need to be, that we were all exactly where we needed to be in this moment. 

Jax and Jayne

All the cats in the room, and in the adjacent rooms, were peaceful and calm.  A few cats were eating or grooming, others were just resting peacefully.

Jo

It was such a beautiful way to end my day with them. When the time was right, I slowly ended the session, thanking Reiki, and thanking the cats.  I looked around the room at all of them, and told them to have a wonderful night.  I can't wait to see them again! xxooo

Jungle

The Power and Beauty of Intention (and the Importance of Flexibility) - with Lenore and Bandit at Bideawee

 Lenore

This is a post about the power and beauty of intention, which is so vital to keep in mind when working with animals.  It is also about the importance of being flexible, and always being open to learning.

In the following post I will share with you a beautifully simple, but powerful technique that I used with both Lenore and Bandit at Bideawee, as they were both in the cat receiving area when I first met them. (I will do separate posts on Lenore and Bandit at another time, as these are both cats who I have worked with quite extensively).

 Bandit

Bandit was brought in as a feral cat.  She has one eye, and also went through treatment for breast cancer before arriving at the shelter.  So one can imagine that those factors, in addition to the complete change of environment, added up to a very scared cat.  She was extremely shut-down, and would hiss any time her cage was opened.  

 Lenore

Lenore was also extremely frightened when I first met her, but more apt to lash out when approached rather than hide at the back of the cage like Bandit.  She had been adopted as a kitten by a family with a child, and then was returned about a year and a half later as she had been reactive in the home.  Without knowing all the circumstances, I think there is a good probability that the energy of the child was just too much for her.  Cats are extremely sensitive beings, and the hectic and out-of-control energy of children can be too overwhelming for some cats. And of course, as great a shelter as Bideawee is, Lenore was still extremely stressed by being back at the shelter.

When a cat is extremely fearful and hesitant to be approached, it is best for me to begin by using techniques that can be done from a distance, such as Reiki from a short distance, or TTouch using tools such as a paintbrush or back scratcher.  

 TTouch with Bandit with a paintbrush

Lenore and Bandit were both extremely receptive to Reiki, as I did not have to even open their cage to share the energy with them.  The Reiki helped them both to relax in my presence, their body postures relaxing and their eyes closing. 

I also found that both cats were very receptive to being spoken to in a calm, slow, quiet voice.  

Which is what brings me to this technique that I used with them.  It is something that was taught to me when I was learning about using muscle testing.  When using muscle testing, especially in the beginning, it is easy to be unsure about what you are doing.  So I was taught this mantra, which is helpful in centering and relaxing in such a way that one can go forward with the muscle testing.  When one is doing the mantra for oneself, one says, “I am very loved, and very safe”.  This is repeated over and over a number of times.

So then when working with the animals in the shelter, I thought why not use this to help the animals?

So I would sit in front of Lenore’s cage or Bandit’s cage, first sending Reiki to them, then imagining the words before I said them.  Then when I said it, I said it slowly, pausing after “loved” and “safe”, really feeling and imagining what I was saying.  “You are verrryyyy loved………. And you are verrrry safe.”  I repeated it quietly, slowly, continuing the Reiki flow and imagining the cat safe and protected with light and love.  Both Bandit and Lenore really responded to this, closing their eyes, relaxing, taking it in. 

 Lenore relaxing

I have used this with other cats as well, and it always helps to create such a beautiful energy around the animal and me, that we are connected with this calming light and energy.

 Bandit enjoying TTouch

Many months later, after much slow, careful work with Reiki and TTouch, Bandit is now doing really well and is comfortable with direct TTouch from me.  You will hear more about her soon!

Here is a video of the technique, early on with Bandit, and a later session with Lenore which you will read more about below:

And to skip some months down the road with Lenore, she was transferred a ways back to Bideawee’s Westhampton facility, which has been a great change for her.  She is able to be in a room with a lot of space, and she is so much more at ease.

 Lenore at Westhampton

I have been going out to the Westhampton facility every week or two to work with Lenore (and, of course, a number of other kitties!).  One day recently, I just felt like Lenore and I were not connecting.  And it occurred to me to try the mantra again. 

“You are verrry loved, and verrry safe, you are verrry loved, and verrry safe”.  

 Lenore

Lenore had been sitting several feet from me, facing out the window, a bit hyped up because of some flying leaves and birds outside.  After the first time of saying it, I saw her body posture visibly relax.  She shifted herself and looked right at me.  It was as though she had gone back to that moment when she had been so scared, and when I had said that, and it had helped her.  I felt she was thanking me.

I kept saying it, slowly, pausing after “loved” and “safe”, really visualizing and feeling it.  She kept facing me, and her eyes slowly closed, getting so relaxed.   

After a while I stopped saying it out loud, just kept hearing it in my head, and kept feeling the energy of that.  

Sky

There is a glass wall in her room separating Lenore from another room where there were two cats, Sky and Pumpkin. They always respond when I am doing Reiki with Lenore, and they were responding to this as well.  Sky was sitting near the glass, relaxing his eyes, and Pumpkin was sleeping.

 Lenore

We were all part of this lovely, relaxing energy.  And it was interesting, too, to feel that connection with Lenore that felt like it stretched back those months ago when she was first learning to trust me.

This session reminded me, too, that it is always important to keep my mind flexible.  The animals remind me of this every day.  If something is not working, try something else.  Sometimes it will be Reiki, sometimes it will be TTouch, sometimes it will be play time, sometimes it will be talking in a calm voice, etc.  If one TTouch doesn’t work, then maybe another will.  If one TTouch tool is not effective, then maybe another one will be. 

The most important thing when working with an animal is to truly be there in the moment with them.  Because when you are really there in that moment, that is when the magic can unfold.  

I thank the animals for reminding me of that, and for all they have to teach me.   And I thank all the beings at the shelter, both human and animal, for all the love, caring and beauty that they have to share. :) xxoo

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

My Journey with Luther and Mr. Maps: Relaxation, Recovery and Focus with TTouch, Reiki and Clicker Training

Above left: Luther, above right, Mr. Maps

Some months ago, I began doing Reiki sessions with a dear black Persian cat named Bunny, who had kidney disease. You can read more about him in a past post, http://sarahsuricat.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-power-of-patience-and-quiet.html.  His people, Suzanne and Mike, did everything they could to help him but sadly, this quiet, sweet and powerfully spiritual creature passed away the end of June.

Mr. Maps

Bunny had two adopted brothers, Luther and Mr. Maps.  Luther is a handsome young tabby and Mr. Maps is a delightful white Persian cat with two different colored eyes. Mr. Maps seemed to take Bunny's death especially hard, so I made both cats Bach Flower remedies following Bunny's passing.  It was a loss, an adjustment and a shift in dynamics in the household, but both cats are now doing quite well, and most likely have become closer to each other.

Luther had been adopted when he was still recuperating from a broken leg, so he was on cage rest for a while.  When he was able to emerge from the cage, the people soon were able to see more of his behavior.  He is very energetic, being a young cat, but is so sensitive that he can become overstimulated extremely easily.  And when he becomes overstimulated, he sometimes will exhibit that with scratching, pouncing on you, etc.   It was often difficult to handle or pet Luther without him becoming overstimulated and reactive.

I began working with Luther after I had been working with Bunny for a bit, as Suzanne and Mike wanted me to do what I could to help Luther calm down.

Initially, I worked with Luther using long TTouch wands, so I could give Luther plenty of space.  I felt he needed the space as he was so sensitive to any kind of direct contact with people, even though I sensed he really was a very loving being, and that he longed for contact.  This worked very well at first, and doing the TTouches with him this way got him accustomed to being touched in a gentle way, yet not having someone too close to him.

After a while, he wanted to use the wands as toys, so I decided to shift to a different approach.  I did some TTouches on him using paintbrushes, but also began doing Reiki with him.  Reiki energy helps to calm on a very deep level, and my hope was to release some of the trauma that he may have been holding from having the broken leg and whatever else he may have gone through before he was rescued.

Luther, relaxing into Reiki

Luther, being so sensitive, is very receptive to Reiki, and usually settles into it right away, stretching out and closing his eyes, taking it in.  After he settles for a while, he often will come up to me and sniff me and start brushing his body against me.  I stay very still when this happens, as I do not want to risk him becoming startled or possibly reactive if I move.  What he generally does after this is to go a few feet away from me and settle down again.  It is really beautiful to see him become so truly peaceful, to sense a very tangible shift in his whole energy.

Luther, relaxing into Reiki

Over the past couple of months, I have started to feel a very tangible shift in Luther's presence.  He is still a lively and playful cat, but he seems to have more openness and ability to shift into a more mellow space, which is great.  And if he does get overexcited and jumps at you or hits you with his paw, it is much more gentle and the claws are usually in. 

And as he has gotten more used to me and to the energy, I think we both have become more comfortable around each other, and I know that over time he will start to receive the energy on an even deeper level.

Mr Maps, relaxing into Reiki

I began doing Reiki with Mr. Maps after Bunny passed away, as Mr. Maps seemed particularly distraught.  Mr. Maps is super-affectionate, so I started out by doing some TTouches with him, and then began sending the Reiki energy to him.  He has been more and more receptive to it each time I have worked with him, and now he completely stretches out on his back or on his stomach with his back legs stretched out behind, with his eyes closed and a blissful look on his face.

Mr Maps, relaxing into Reiki

I have recently added some clicker training into the sessions, particularly for Luther's benefit, as I think it helps him to feel a more focused energy.  Mr. Maps seems to enjoy it as well, but he is not really interested in the treats, so for him, I click and then reward him by a little stroking around his chin and chest area.  I have wooden dowels which I set up in various configurations, sometimes in a path, sometimes in more of a labyrinth.  But even just going through the dowels set up in the path seems very effective, so I often just stick with that.  Cats can have a pretty short attention span for  clicker training, so I observe them closely to see when they are done with it.

Mike and Suzanne were away recently, so I came by to do Reiki with the cats while they were away.  I had been doing sessions with them separately, but it felt right to have both boys in the room with me and just start to let the energy flow to both of them.  Then at different parts of the session, I would focus on one cat, and then the other.  Both kitties completely stretched out as if they were sunbathing, really letting go.  So beautiful to feel this connection, to feel such peacefulness and joy with both of these cats, with the sun coming in through the windows and a slight breeze - that late summer, balmy temperature.

Luther and Mr Maps, relaxing into Reiki

After a recent appointment, Mike picked Luther up and gave him a good hug and kiss, which was so sweet to see.  Mike said that a few months ago, that would not have been possible at all, and he remarked at how he also had noticed Luther's behavior shifting.  Not only that, but he mentioned that the house call vet who they use had been there recently and she immediately remarked on the change.  This is the kind of feedback that truly makes my day :)

I look forward to a continuing and interesting journey with both of these dear beings.xxoo

TTouch and Reiki with Ms. Tuna at Bideawee: A Deep Sigh for an Anxious Cat

 Ms. Tuna is a dear grey and white female kitty at Bideawee, and I had the pleasure and honor of starting to work with her recently.
She has Feline Hyperesthesia, which can involve episodes of extreme distress and obsessive behavior taken to the extreme:  rippling and rolling skin, suddenly obsessively grooming, dashing around as if trying to get away from something terrifying.  So whatever can be done to keep her stress level lower is good.  She is living in one of the staff's offices, and that works well for her, as she can be out of a cage and not in a room with many other animals.
She seeks human contact, but seems to be afraid of people actually touching her.
For my first session with Tuna, I entered the office with a handful of tools which I use for doing TTouch with cats who may not want to be directly touched:  several types of paintbrushes, a feather, and a plastic back scratcher.  I also had in mind that Reiki would be of help to bring down her stress level.
I walked into the office and quietly sat in the chair next to the desk.  Ms Tuna came right up to me, started rubbing against me and sniffing my hand.  She actually put a paw up on the chair as though she might jump in my lap.  I didn't want to scare her, so I sat very still initially.  Then I held out the back scratcher so she could come and rub herself against it, which she did, so I started to do a few TTouches at a time on her back as she walked back and forth.  I would do a few TTouches, pause, and then try again.  After a few times of this, I would give her a longer break and watch her body language to see what I should do next.  She seemed to enjoy the TTouches, at times leaning a bit into them. 
I also tried doing TTouches with a feather and with a small fan brush.  She responded well to these also, but the back scratcher seemed to work best, as that gave her the most space.  She also seemed to enjoy the hard, smooth surface of the back scratcher.
At times I kneeled on the floor, but mostly I sat in the chair, feeling that it was best not to be too much in her face or at the same vertical level.
At one point I did a long pause, and began to send her Reiki energy.  I slid to the side of my chair, as she had looked at me several times as though she would like to sit next to me.  She stepped onto the chair and put her nose to my hand - but unfortunately, she got a little shock because of the dry winter air creating static electricity! 
She didn't seem to be too scared but did back off, sitting at chair height, facing me, on a cat tree.
I continued sending Reiki energy.  As I often do, I could feel her mind working, wondering, what is this feeling? what is this energy?  It is a new feeling.
She got more and more settled as I continued.  Silently, I told her, "I am here for you.  You only need take as much or as little energy as you like."

Then, what made my day the most was what happened next.  I saw and heard her do a huge sigh - that huge body sigh that felt so deep.  That felt like she had let go from such a deep place, and felt a relief and release that was profound.  Such a beautiful moment to share with this cat.  She curled up and got into a napping position. I continued for a while longer, and then left her to nap in peace. 
I have worked with her a couple of times since that day.  Last week, I got her started on a Bach Flower remedy, so that will be interesting to see what happens as a result of that.  I gave it to her the first time last week, and after the combination of that and a TTouch/Reiki session, she looked very at comfortable.
I have been working with her slowly with TTouches, but what I find she is most responsive to Reiki, quite possibly as that is so powerful, yet doesn't need to involve touching at all, so she is less apt to get in that overstimulated place.  She is starting to recognize the Reiki energy now - she looks at me as though to say, "oh that's right, that makes me feel relaxed", and I see her body slowly begin to be more at ease.  She is also starting to recognize that more relaxed feeling as a place where she is comfortable, where she wants to be.
It is so beautiful to see this cat looking peaceful.
I look forward to working with her tomorrow, and love and thanks to all at Bideawee :)

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

TTouch and Reiki at Bideawee: Quieting the Space with Panther

Panther is a handsome long-haired black cat at Bideawee shelter who was rescued, along with his sister Samantha, when they were being evicted from the store where they were living.  Samantha is extremely outgoing, whereas Panther is very shy.

His beautiful, quiet energy does remind me of a panther, and I have been mindful to especially quiet my own energy down when working with him.

Quieting the space can happen in a few ways.  First comes quieting down my own energy.  Then, in the process of Reiki, TTouch, or both, the energy from these modalities feels like it literally changes the feeling in the space, even the texture of the air.

Panther is in a room (called a "resort") with several other cats.  There are toys, things to climb on (great use of vertical space in these rooms) and some nice little hidey spaces for privacy so he is quite comfortable there.  Bideawee puts a lot of care into how the rooms are set up and which cats are together so that everyone can be comfortable.

When I first started working with Panther, he seemed so scared that I decided that the best way to start with him was to share Reiki with him, at a short distance.  If he was on an upper level in the room, I would sit down and just begin to offer it from where I was, and he would gradually come closer to where I was.  If he was down on a lower level, I would stand a couple of feet from where he was.  Little by little, I would see signs of him absorbing the energy: his eyes closing, his body starting to relax. 

At times, I would then see if I could do TTouches or strokes with him with a paintbrush or feather.  Sometimes, even this remote contact seemed a little much for him, so I would go back to doing Reiki from a short distance.  Other times, he would start to enjoy the contact, especially being stroked under his chin.  Being touched on his body was too overwhelming.  

So I would try to take the cues from him of where he was for any particular day, but then gently see if I could nudge him forward a bit, try something new.  Even if we seemed to go two steps forward and one back at times, I always felt we were continually moving forward and gradually establishing trust. 

I have found in general, that if he is in an enclosed place, he feels safer about being approached and is more apt to be responsive to TTouch. 

Yesterday, he was on a lower level and in the little enclosure you see in the photos that is part of a cat tree in the room.  He was looking out of one opening, and there was an opening on the side that I could put my hand through.  I didn’t want to move my hand towards his face, as that would have scared him. 

I started out by sending him Reiki from where I was (I was kneeling down so I was lowering my body position), and he soon was blinking and closing his eyes.  I spoke to him softly, telling him ahead of time what I was going to try (usually this I would do silently). Then I gently put the paintbrush through the side opening and began to do TTouch circles with him on his forehead.  He immediately began to relax into it, instead of his initial reaction being to pull away.  I would do a little bit, then pause, and then try a little more.  I stroked him underneath his chin with the paintbrush and he started to lean into it a little bit.  For him, this was very good progress.  In the clip above, you will see just a few moments of my work with him.  Such a pleasure to see him start to relax and close his eyes.

Then I decided to try something new.  I began to send him Reiki holding one hand a few inches above his solar plexus chakra (in the middle of the back).  One of the things this chakra has to do with is confidence, sense of self.  I felt a good amount of heat there.  After a bit, I just stroked him lightly, a few strokes, on his upper back, and he was ok with that.  I kept sending him Reiki.  In addition to Reiki near the solar plexus chakra, I also sent him Reiki directed at his heart chakra, which is in the center of the upper back, as I feel this is an area that could use healing. 

Then after a few minutes, I tried a few TTouch circles with him on his upper back. He was a tiny bit tentative but didn't pull away, even settled a bit.  I was doing circular TTouches with much of my hand in contact, either Lying Leopard TTouch or Abalone TTouch (see my youtube channel for demos).  This was the first time that he didn’t pull away and get frightened when I made contact in that area of his body.  Such a delight to feel him start to settle into the TTouches, to feel that connection, to feel that trust.

I didn’t want to push it so I didn’t do this too many times.  Something to always remember is that a little bit can be a LOT for a frightened animal, and generally less is more. 

I worked with a couple of other cats who are in the same room with Panther, then came back to him for a few moments, working with him around his head with the paintbrush, and again he was comfortable. 

Each time I went to work with him again, and each time I have worked with him previously, I have had in my consciousness the idea of quieting the space, quieting the space.

When I left the room, he was relaxed and blinking and closing his eyes.  Look forward to working with you again soon Panther!!!!

And thanks to all the people at Bideawee for all the love and care they give to these special creatures :)