Teaching TTouch to Cat Rescuers: Relaxation for the Rescued (and the Rescuers!)

 

Above:  Sugar

Rafael and his girlfriend Loren rescue and TNR cats in both Brooklyn and Manhattan, so they are constantly in contact with frightened and abused cats, as well as older cats and cats with health issues.  They do a beautiful job of taking care of these cats (often with the help of Kitty Kind, find them homes), as well as taking great care of their own cats.  Rafael had contacted me after noticing a flier about my TTouch class at BARC Shelter, which had already passed.  I offered to come to them for a private lesson, which was even better, as it would give us a chance to work on their cats. 
When I arrived, I entered into their lovely space which was very clean and completely set up for the cats' enjoyment, including a safe outdoor space where they can go to play and get fresh air.  I was greeted by some of the cats right away - Charlie, an older gentleman cat who has diabetes, Henry, a sweet blind cat, and a couple of lively teenage kitties.  A small kitten named Bella, who looked as if she had a wise-beyond-her-years quality to her, also trotted by - they told me she had been extremely sick and starving initially, and they had lovingly nursed her back to health.

Above:  Charlie

I began by showing Rafael and Loren some of the basic TTouches on Charlie.  I explained how TTouch can be of benefit to animals with health issues, as well as behavior issues, that it can bring a sense of balance and well-being to both the body and mind.
Charlie is a very sweet cat, but I could tell he is a very sensitive cat, so I went slowly, beginning at the front of his body, as he seemed more sensitive towards his back end.  It is important to give the cats little breaks as you work with them, so you can let them process and to help you determine if they are ready for more or need to have more of a break. 
Rafael and Loren picked up the TTouches extremely well, both are naturals at it.  They both also have a quiet energy, which cats really respond to.  So, fairly soon into the session, they started trying some of the TTouches with the cats.  And here is when some magic really began...

Above:  Sugar

Loren began working with Sugar, who I also did some TTouch and a little Reiki with as well. Sugar is generally a very nervous cat, always on edge, even when resting never quite seems at ease, and she also has IBD.  When I was sending Reiki to her, I felt a great deal of heat around the middle of her body (I had my hands on her side), which makes a lot of sense with her digestive issues.
Sugar's response to the TTouches was extraordinary.  It was as though TTouch was the perfect key to her relaxation.  As Loren continued to work with her, Sugar's eyes got relaxed and sleepy, and you could see her muscles and her whole presence soften and relax.  Rafael and Loren said that Sugar's usual mode is constant alert, and so to see her really let go like this was such a change! 
I believe that the process of doing TTouch creates a calm energy in the environment, as well as directly affecting the individual animal who is being worked on, which helps them to feel a greater degree of safety.
Another wonderful surprise, one of the much more fearful cats, Seven, came to where we were working, which was dramatic enough in itself.  Then Rafael began working with him, and Seven visibly began to calm.  His eyes were still a bit in wide-open mode but he was comfortable staying there.  I was sitting right next to them.  At one point I moved a little closer and Seven became a bit concerned and moved away a bit, but then Rafael began working with Seven again, and he calmed again. The fact that he came where we were and remained there was a huge step for him, as he generally will hide when a new person comes in.
A bit later on I was working with Charlie again (Rafael had worked with him as well), and I could feel how much more relaxed he was.  His coat and skin even felt different, smooth, relaxed, and so when I tried some abalone TTouches (circular TTouches using the whole hand) down on his lower back, instead of feeling resistance or flinching, he relaxed right into them.

Above: Henry

I also did some work during the session off and on with Henry, who is blind.  He is a dear, and I could feel him sensing the energy around him, which was so interesting.  Even when I was sitting a couple of feet away from him, he sensed exactly where I was, and knew exactly where he was going to make contact with me for a nice head butt :)  He was in a walking mood, so a little bit of TTouch at a time was good for him.  TTouch work helps with proprioception, which has to do with sensing where a body is in space, so can be of very real benefit to Henry, even though obviously he is doing a great job of this already.
I explained some of the more practical aspects of TTouch, such as how a slow progression incorporating circular TTouches and belly lifts can eventually lead to being able to pick a cat up (just a tiny bit off the ground at first), and how to combine the TTouches with very small lifts to help make this into an experience that is pleasant, instead of always associating being picked up with being put into a carrier to go to the vet!  The same concept can be applied when doing TTouches on the paws (eventually for toenail clipping) or mouth area (giving medication). TTouch can also help to bring more harmony, and if there are two cats who are not getting along, it can be helpful for two people to simultaneously do TTouches on the two cats in the same room (a distance apart, which can get closer over time), so that they can become accustomed to having something that feels good happen when they are in proximity to each other.

Above:  Clara

I did not meet Clara, as they had her in another room.  They didn't want to overwhelm her with meeting a new person.  She was abused, and so even though she comes to them for petting, she will flinch when they first touch her.  I told them that in time, TTouch should help her to be more relaxed in general, and eventually will help her react differently to touch and to stress. So I look forward to hearing from them about Clara's progress.
Meanwhile, back in the big room where we were working, by the end of the session, the cats seemed very relaxed, especially little Sugar.  It was beautiful to see her so at ease. 
I was so energized after this session, especially knowing that Rafael and Loren will be able to help so many animals with the TTouches. 
Rafael contacted me after the session, and said that later on, he had another session with Sugar, and they both had fallen asleep.  One of the many lovely things about TTouch is that it can bring relaxation to the person doing the TTouch as well as the animal :) 
Thank you Rafael and Loren for all you do for the animals, and thank you to all the cats for being such wonderful creatures and teachers always.
(Thank you Rafael for the photographs for this blog post)

Doris, R.I.P.

Doris (full name Doris Kiss Me Lips) was a sweet, gentle senior kitty whose guardian, Mari, adopted her at 10 years old and had her for 3 years. Doris had diabetes when Mari adopted her, then just recently was diagnosed with lymphosarcoma. Mari was giving her insulin, a very good diet and supplements and lots of love - doing all she could to help Doris to be comfortable in her last days. There are four other cats in the household who are so sweet and were very respectful to this gentle lady. I had the honor of doing Reiki treatments and TTouch with Doris over the past couple of months.

Doris was really a fighter - a very strong spirit inside a small, delicate body - but unfortunately she took a turn for the worse, so today I went with Mari to offer Reiki to her and say farewell.

I do think that Reiki can be of benefit during an animal's transition, for both the animal and for their person or people. It can help to promote calm in this stressful time. TTouch can also be of benefit in calming the energy of the animal and the person.


I met Mari at her apartment. Mari's other cats seemed to know that a change was about to happen. I did Reiki from a distance with Doris in the apartment for a short while, she did seem calmed by it. Then we took her in a carrier to the vet.

While we were in the cab, Mari was gently talking to Doris and petting her through the bars of the carrier, and I was sending Doris Reiki from outside the carrier. We continued this while we were in the waiting room, which, like most vet's waiting rooms, was pretty hectic with comings and goings and barks and meows. I kept visualizing a bubble of Reiki and light around us. Mari was petting Doris, talking softly to her, and doing some TTouches on her as well, while I continued sending Reiki energy to her, asking that she only take as much or little as she wanted to take. I expanded the Reiki flow to include Mari as well, as this is a very stressful situation, to say the least. Whether the animal has been sick for a long time or a short time, it is always so hard to say goodbye. As we did this, Doris stretched out and relaxed, stretching her front paw out to Mari.

Once Doris was on the vet table, Mari spoke to her softly, petted and TTouched her, looking right into her soulful eyes. I also did some TTouches, continuing the Reiki flow. This all seemed to be very soothing to her, and she stretched out. It felt like the energy was smoothing out. We continued as the injections were administered, and Doris went to sleep, then began to transition. She seemed so peaceful. I told her (silently, in my mind) several times during this process how loved she was. We both spoke softly to her and kissed her as she passed away.

Even after Doris had passed, as we stayed there for a few minutes longer, I felt I needed to continue the energy flow for a bit, as though somehow the energy was going with her as she transitioned. It still felt like the energy was pulling out of my hands towards her body. I know this is tough territory to talk about, and no one really knows what happens afterward, so I am just trying to put into words what I was feeling.

Mari, thanks so much for giving Doris so much love and care, such a loving home, and such a wonderful life with you. I send so much sympathy to you. Hugs go out too to the rest of your cats, who will be experiencing this transition as well. And Doris, you really touched my heart. I will always remember your elegant, gentle, sweet spirit. Love and thanks to you all....

Reiki and TTouch with Doris: Session 4

Doris is a gentle, sweet senior kitty who has diabetes and lymphosarcoma. I have been doing Reiki and some TTouch with her to help her to be as comfortable and balanced as she can be, given the situation. I have also showed Mari a lot of TTouches, which she has been doing with Doris, and she said that Doris really seems to love the TTouches and is very calmed by them.

Today when I went to work with Doris again, Mari said that Doris was feeling better after an adjustment on the insulin dosage, so that is great. She was sitting in the window, which seems to be one of her favorite spots, and she looked comfortable. I started out sitting on the bed, offering her Reiki from a foot or two away, as I have noticed that Doris generally is most receptive to Reiki from a short distance away. As always, I told her to take as much or as little Reiki as she felt was beneficial to her. I also remembered something that Margrit Coates (a wonderful healer with whom I have studied hands-on energy healing for animals), said about adjusting the volume of energy which is coming out, and I felt myself keeping that concept in my mind, as I didn't want to overwhelm Doris with too much energy coming at her, as she is so sensitive. It was a subtle thing, just a gentle influence of the way I was thinking about the energy flow.

Today I felt Doris really settle into the energy, staying in the window for the whole session, whereas in the previous sessions, she had needed to take breaks, then start again. I felt the energy coming out of my hand in soft waves, almost like a gentle breeze. I noticed that, as before, I often felt the energy drawn towards her abdomen area. This makes sense, as her digestive system has been under duress with her condition. I also felt the energy drawn at times towards some of the other chakras.

As I continued to send the energy, Doris became more and more relaxed, nodding off for a while. I did gradually move my hands closer to see what was most comfortable for her. At one point I felt she was letting me know that it was more comfortable a little bit away, as she got up, rearranged herself, then after I backed off (still continuing to send energy), she settled back down and laid her head down on her paws, looking at me.

As I started to feel the session was winding down, I did some TTouches around her forehead area, still sending Reiki at the same time, and thanked her. Shortly after this, she got up and went to eat from her bowl.

Speaking of food bowl.... Mari's other four cats often come near me, one at a time, while I am doing Reiki with Doris. Today they took turns sitting in the window to the right of the one where Doris sits, and they seemed to be taking in the relaxed Reiki energy as well. Mari sent me this photo of a "smile" they left in their food bowl after the Reiki session.

Thanks and love to you all, and look forward to seeing you soon...