TTouch and Reiki at Bideawee: Update on Panther - A Small Step Back, a Leap Forward

Panther is a very handsome, extremely shy black medium-length fur kitty at Bideawee.  He and his sister had formerly lived in a store.  His sister was as outgoing as he is shy, and quickly got adopted.  It was clear he would need some time.  He is not aggressive at all, just very wary of people, particularly being touched by them.
Panther is housed in a "resort" at Bideawee, a lovely small room filled with cat trees, toys, etc.  The space is maximized by making good use of vertical space with ramps and cat trees.  He lives in the room with two other cats at the moment, Mariah and Cleo.  They mostly seem to ignore him, although they are more interested when he is receiving treats!
When I first met Panther, I did some Reiki from a short distance with him, and could generally TTouch him with a paintbrush, and occasionally with my hand as well.  At some point a couple of weeks ago, however, he started to seem irritated by the paintbrush, and afraid of my hand again, so I decided I needed to take a couple of steps back.
I began only doing Reiki from a short distance with him, and not approaching him either with the brush or my hand for a while.  Meanwhile, we discovered that he did like treats, and was fine with taking treats from people's hands.  So I would lure him towards me by feeding him treats from my hand or making a little trail of treats, then would begin to send him Reiki from a short distance.
His most comfortable place to be is in a little cube-like space on a cat tree in the room, which has two openings.  Sometimes I stand near the enclosure to send Reiki.  There were also times when he was comfortable being out of the enclosure as I sent Reiki to him, as long as I kept my distance, so that was great.

About a week ago, he was in his little box and he seemed so relaxed with me while taking the treats from my hand, I decided to try the paintbrush again.  This time, he was receptive to it.  And shortly after that, I was able to do a few strokes lightly along the side of his face with the back of my hand.  And he began to really settle into the TTouches directly with my hand, and to be responsive to them, even pushing into them a bit, so that was really new for him.  I spoke softly to him, praising him.  It was such a lovely feeling, to feel that connection, to feel him being comfortable with my hand doing the circular TTouches.  I even was able to do a bit of TTouch on his body, which I had not been able to do.  I paused, did a little bit more, and then decided that was enough.
A couple of days later, Kerrie had told me that she was able to lightly stroke the side of his face with her hand as she gave him treats, which was great to hear.  That may have been just enough touch for the day, because when I worked with him, he initially seemed receptive but then seemed to be afraid of the brush again, so I backed off again, just doing Reiki from a short distance.
When I returned to the shelter a couple of days ago, I decided to focus on the treats, and gradually take it from there as far as direct contact.  I crumbled up the treats on my hand.  He was out of his box, and came right to me for the treats, licking my hand after he had licked the powder from the treats off, so that was great.  I did that a few tiems, then did a Reiki session with him.
Then a couple of days after that, when I returned to the shelter, Panther once again stayed out of his box, came right beside me for the treats, and even took a few treats off my leg.  He licked my hand after the treats were gone. 
Mariah was also very interested in the treats, so she planted herself on my lap.  Panther didn't run away at that point, both of them stayed, enjoying the treats, which I crumbled into tiny bits to get more mileage out of them.
As I gave Panther the treats, I was able to stroke him a bit under the chin and alongside his face.  I want it to all feel like an organic process, so I am not pushing the contact.  With a very shy animal, it is often a matter of breaking down a process into small enough steps so that they always remain comfortable, yet you are able to inch forward with them a little at a time.
Panther has definitely been more out and about in the room lately, which is fantastic.  He has been receiving custom Bach Flower Remedies from me as well, in both spray and drops form, so I am sure that is helping him to feel more at ease as well.
It is such a beautiful feeling when working with a shy animal, and I am able find that little opening where they are comfortable and that connection can happen.  It is a feeling of our hearts connecting, a feeling of love and trust, of our energies merging.  I am always so honored when this happens.  And I always thank them after the session.
Much love to you Panther!!! And much love and appreciation, as always, to the Bideawee folks who give the animals so much love and care.

TTouch with Selena at Bideawee - A Little Bit Goes a Long Way

Recently I taught some TTouch workshops at Bideawee, and I enjoyed it there so much that I began volunteering there.  The shelter is very thoughtfully set up for the animals and is staffed by such caring people - a great place! 

And it has been a joy to re-connect with Kerrie McKeon, one of the main keepers of the kitties at bideawee and cat expert extraodinaire.  Check out her website, http://catsleuth.com.  We met at the first TTouch training I took in NYC some years back. 

There are quite a few cats who I would love to share about, but first I will tell you about Selena.

Selena is a beautiful nine year old cat.  She can be wary, and initially hesitant to being approached and to being touched, so in my first session with her, I did Reiki with her with my hands about half a foot away, which she was quite comfortable with.  She was out of her cage at this point (the cats who are caged have a chance to be out of their cages on a rotating basis), and settled on a towel on top of one of the cages.  This felt like a good way to get her acquainted with my energy, giving her some space and time to trust me.  She settled right into the calming energy, tucking her legs under her body and closing her eyes.

The second time I worked with her, which was yesterday, I decided to see if I could do some TTouches with her, using a paintbrush as a tool, so that would still give her some space. 

Even with the paintbrush, I knew that it would have to be a little at a time at first.  The first couple of times I approached her with the paintbrush, she was a bit unsure, batting at it or moving away from it.  I gave her a minute, and the next time I made sure she had a chance to sniff it, and she rubbed her face into it, then the next time rubbed her face and body against it and rolled on her side.  A connection had been made. 

The whole time, I had been silently telling her that I was here to help her, that she need only do as much or as little as she was ready to do.  It is so important for the animals to feel that they have a choice, and that they are not being forced to do something.

Giving Selena plenty of breaks, I let her sniff again, and again she rubbed her face against the brush.  I did a few TTouches and strokes on the outside of her mouth.  I repeated this a few times, and then found that she was particularly responsive to TTouch circles on the top of her head.

I slowed the circles down as I went, pausing at the end of each circle and a quarter, consciously slowing my own thoughts down, as though I was hearing them in slow motion.  I like to do this because the animal picks up on that slowing down of the energy and it helps them to relax.  Her eyes began to close and I actually started hearing a purrrrrrr.  I got a bit closer to make sure it was her purring, and... it was.

Every so often I would pause, taking the brush away and observing what she was doing. Each time she got more and more settled, getting into very sleepy mode.  Each time I put the paintbrush back, I didn't get a pulling away, but instead, she relaxed right into it.

She was getting so relaxed with what I was doing, that I decided to try transitioning to using my finger to do the TTouches.  Slowly I worked my hand down the handle of the paintbrush, keeping it there so that I could go back to using it if I needed to. 

You will see in the video just a small portion of our work, showing how I went from using the paintbrush to using my finger.  It is best not to rush this process - to make sure that they are completely comfortable with being touched with the paintbrush or other tool before transitioning to using the hand.





















I really felt the space around calm down as I worked.  TTouch and Reiki both seem to affect the whole space around the animal, as well as affecting the animal who you are working on.  Another cat who I work with often, Coral, was nearby inside a box in a cat tree, and she was snoozing away by the time I finished.

When I felt it was time to stop, I thanked Selena silently, and gently moved away.  For the rest of the time that I was there, she remained relaxed and comfortable, as you see in the photo above.  Today I felt that I reached a very deep part of her and that she was able to really let go.

It felt like such an honor to connect with this dear being, for her to allow me in, especially to make a connection that felt at such a deep level.  I can literally feel it in my heart when this happens, and in myself I feel simultaneously such a profound sorrow and joy in that moment. The sorrow feels like a deep letting go, and the joy feels like an exuberant opening of the heart.

I am so grateful that Reiki and TTouch can enable this type of connection, especially for shelter animals who have been through so much.

I look forward to working with Selena again soon :)

Thanks to all at bideawee who do so much for these dear creatures! 

xo

Update on Nadia, Slow and Steady Work Facilitates a Heart Connection

 

 

Nadia is a gorgeous, very shy cat at BARC Shelter, who I have been working with for some time now.  She was dumped in front of the shelter with another cat, who was adopted fairly quickly because she was friendly.  Nadia is very cautious of most people, though she has been slowly starting to trust people more and more.  If someone approaches her too quickly, she may hiss or snap at them, but that behavior has been increasingly subsiding.

 

I have worked with her very slowly, often using a paintbrush to touch her, as that gives her the space she needs to feel comfortable.  More recently, I have also been luring her to the front of the cage to lick baby food off my finger, which has been really helpful as well.  If you want to try this with a frightened cat, I would suggest first putting the food on a spoon or if the cat is very afraid and may bite, something else with a longer handle so that you can try it with some space in between you and the cat, to assure that you don't get bitten!  Also, use only all-meat baby food with no onions.  Gerber's Turkey in Turkey gravy seems to be a pretty universally popular flavor.

 

Though I most likely could touch her right away with my hand without reaction, I am still starting out with her by doing TTouch circles and strokes with the paintbrush, and then transitioning to using my fingers, so it gives her a chance to get comfortable with me.  It feels very important to give her space.  Touching her with the paintbrush also gets her accustomed to the sensation of being touched without having a feeling of being threatened.  So, once she gets very used to that, then eventually she will feel the same way about being touched with hands.  I have found that it helps so much with a very fearful cat to take everything in very small steps.

 

I have shared how I work with Nadia with the regular volunteers and staff, and it has been helpful for some of them to be working with Nadia with the paintbrush too.

We have in her cage a cave-like little bed so that she can go in there to feel safe when things get noisy or hectic in the shelter.  A while back, I started taking the bed out of her cage for part of the day so people could socialize with her more easily, and so she could gradually start to realize that it is ok to be out of the cave-bed.  I would gently turn the bed so the entrance was facing sideways to me, and then tip it a bit til she came out.  Most often, she would loudly hiss at first, but little by little she has become accustomed to that as well. Lately, I don't take the bed out any more, but speak to her and put the paintbrush so she can sniff it, and she will come out of the bed on her own and walk towards me, as you see in the clip below (she was already out of the bed). 

 

 

What has been especially sweet is that now after she walks to the front of the cage, she will nuzzle against my hand or lick it a bit.   It is beautiful to see her seeking out attention on her own, and really responding to attention and touch as well.   I'm happy, too, that others are also starting to see the sweet, loving cat that Nadia truly is, underneath her fear.  She even looks more beautiful, as her face has gotten so much more open, and her body language more comfortable.

It is easy to be impatient or to have out ego want to make contact with a cat right away, but it is so much more beneficial for the animal to really slow down and go at the pace that they need.  In the end, you will be able to facilitate a connection with the animal that is more powerful and deep than you could imagine!

Love you Nadia, thank you for teaching me so much, as do all the animals who I work with every day.  And thanks to all the BARC Shelter people for all they do for the animals.

Nadia: A Gentle, Multi-Sided Approach to a Fearful Cat

 

 

Nadia was dumped at BARC Shelter, squished into a carrier with another cat.  The two cats were friends, if not related, so they were put together in a cage.  Nadia’s friend was extremely outgoing so was adopted pretty quickly.  I am sure Nadia missed and probably still misses her friend, but she is adjusting.

Nadia was very much more fearful than her friend, sometimes nipping or scratching.  I have shown other volunteers at the shelter how to connect with cats who are scared by using a tool with a handle, such as a paintbrush or back scratcher, as that feels a lot safer for most fearful cats, as it gives them more space.  It is also safer for the human, in case the cat gets frightened and reacts by biting or scratching.   When working with a tool, I approach the cat from a diagonal, so you are not sticking it in their face or straight towards them, as that can be scary for an animal. 

It can take experimentation with different tools to find out which surface is most comfortable for the animal.  In this case, Nadia seems most comfortable with a paintbrush with rather firm but flexible bristles about an inch or so wide. 



 

In working with the paintbrush, I usually will start out by doing little circles and strokes alongside the mouth and under the chin.  You can see below, I let her sniff the brush first, then I will stroke her with it.  

 

 
 
















Many cats will accept touches in this area, but it can take some experimentation to find the area of their body where they feel the most comfortable being touched.  Once I figure that out, I will start there, and then slowly move to other parts of the body, just a little at a time, then return to the area that is most comfortable.

 

When she is more comfortable, then I work my hand down the paintbrush and start to do a few TTouches directly with my hand.  If she seems comfortable, I continue that way but if she shows any signs of discomfort then I will go back to using the paintbrush.

 

 
 

 

 

 

I have found that working very gently this way gives the cat time and space to become used to touch in a very non-threatening way.  I will ask other volunteers to only use the paintbrush or other tool until a cat becomes more comfortable, so that the cat can get used to being touched by other people in a non-threatening way as well.

 



 

 

Nadia is often at the back of her cage, or curled up inside a tent-like cat bed.  Sometimes I take the bed out while I am working with her, as it is easier to work with her, and it gives her a chance to experience the TTouches outside of the bed and realize that everything is OK.

Because she stays at the back of the cage so much, I decided to also incorporate baby food (use all-meat baby food with no onions, Gerber’s Turkey in Turkey gravy works really well) into my process of working with her.  And it has turned out that feeding baby food off my finger to Nadia has been really helpful in connecting with her.  Often, I can gradually lure her to come to the front of the cage. 

However, please be very careful if you plan to use baby food.  I would suggest putting some baby food on a spoon or something else with a handle first if you are in any danger of being bitten.  I took a risk by directly using my finger, but I had worked with Nadia using the paintbrush, and later connecting with TTouches directly with my hands as well, for at least a couple of months, so I had built up a lot of trust with her.  I would not do that if it was a cat that I didn’t know. 

Anyway, when feeding off the finger, I don’t stick my finger right in her face but kind of come to her in a diagonal path, keeping my finger somewhat off to the side, and a few inches away.  She starts to sniff the baby food and then very gently starts to lick it.  Her eyes start to close and I can feel a whole softening in her personality.  Sometimes she goes to eat her regular cat food out of her dish after this, which she is usually afraid to do with a person in such close proximity.

At first, I let her experience the baby food without the further challenge of moving forward, but once she got used to it, I started to put my finger a little closer to the front of the cage each time, and pretty soon she was right at the front of the cage.  This process can take a number of sessions, as it really is best to go at a leisurely pace with a fearful cat.

After working with the baby food, I do TTouches with her.  I always start out by using the paintbrush, as hands can still startle her initially.  As I have continued to work with Nadia, I have been more and more able to transition from TTouches on her head to TTouches on her body, and most recently she has started lifting her back to push into the TTouches on her body, which is so lovely to see. 

Sometimes if she looks very cozy in the tent bed, I don’t remove the bed, but just connect with TTouches with the paintbrush and she remains in the bed.  This is valuable to do, to vary up the method of working.  The last couple of times I have worked with her I have let her remain in the bed, and she has rolled over on her side as I stroke her with the paintbrush.  It is a joy to see her so comfortable!

Most recently, as she has become more used to coming to the front of the cage for the baby food, she has started to use this without the baby food.  I still start out by touching her with the paintbrush, and have found that in addition to doing the TTouch circles with the paintbrush, doing zigzags with the paintbrush really helps her to become "unfrozen" and often now she will start to walk right towards me once I begin to do this.  Once she gets closer to the front of the cage, I then transition to touching her directly with my hands, and by that time she is very comfortable with that.

In this picture, you see her stretch as she gets ready to come forward in the cage :)

Nadia's general look on her face and body language has started to change, as well.  Instead of looking tight, pulled in and afraid, you can now more often see a more open expression on her face, and start to see the truly beautiful being that she really is, which has been hidden beneath her fear. 

I can't stress enough how important it is with a scared cat to be very patient and take the time to let them become comfortable with you, instead of rushing to try to give them a lot of direct contact.  It will make such a difference in their relationship with you and with anyone else who comes in contact with them, as they will not always be afraid someone is going to try to grab them or stroke them before they are ready.

Look forward to working with you again soon, Nadia!! And I know one day the right person will arrive to adopt you, someone who is patient enough to give you the time to get comfortable and let the beauty of your personality come through.  xo

Connecting with Krishna: Closer and Closer...

Krishna is a beautiful black cat who is generally very fearful of people other than his human caretakers. That fear can manifest itself in hissing, swatting behavior.  But I have found that if I approach him from a very quiet place in myself, he is able to be calmed by my energy. His human mom Rebecca had tried a new cat sitter, and Krishna had been scared and then scared her, stalking and cornering her, etc.  Rebecca was afraid that Krishna may have had a setback from that experience. 

So when I met with them, I wanted to be extra-careful not to startle Krishna, and to do my best to really be in the moment with him.  On my way to the appointment, I began sending Reiki energy to him.

When I walked in, he came right up to me to sniff me, which was great.  I stayed very still and did not try to touch him, just let him sniff me and walk away.

Then I started doing some TTouches with a very soft paintbrush that I have used before with him that he has responded to very well.  It is like a makeup brush, but with a longer handle.  Then, to give us more space, I tied the brush to a wooden dowel. 

For some reason, he usually reacts to this brush as though it were catnip, rubbing his face against it and rolling around, which he did this time.  In the process of doing the rolling around, he came very close to me.  If he started to stare at my eyes, I would avert my gaze, so we wouldn't get into a locked staring contest.  I was watching his body language very closely.

After a bit, he settled with his body sideways to me, quite close to where I was. I had started letting Reiki flow from my hands as soon as I came in the apartment, but at this point I concentrated more on the flow of the energy, and kept doing deep breathing to help the flow and to keep myself (and him).

Eventually Krishna got into in his cat bed (pictured above), which is a safe place for him. Shy cats will often have certain places where they feel especially safe receiving contact, and for him at this moment it is the cat bed.  Still kneeling sideways to him, I slowly inched toward where he was. I was sending continuous Reiki and I felt a lot of energy flowing. My hands were very warm. 

And after inching towards him in a kneeling position, I ended up kneeling right next to his bed.  Slowly I began doing little circles with the paintbrush on his head near his ears and on his forehead. He relaxed more and more. 

Little by little worked my hand down the brush to do some chimp TTouches (circular TTouches using the back of the fingers) and strokes on his head.  In the photo below, I am gently stroking the back of his head with the back of the upper part of my fingers.  The back surfaces of the hand and fingers are less intense-feeling as there is less heat and energy there, and so that can be less threatening for a frightened animal.  After doing the TTouches and strokes for a few moments, I would pause to observe his body language, then start again if it felt right to continue.  He continued to get more and more relaxed, laying his head down to go to sleep.  Again, I kept checking in on my own breathing and relaxation so that I stayed relaxed as well.  We continued like this - I was very much in the moment, so it felt like we were there a long time, but it could have been about ten minutes - I'm not sure!! 

This is the second session with him where I have been able to have extended direct contact with him, which feels like a great honor, as he is generally only receptive to being touched by his two human guardians.  It was lovely to feel him become more and more relaxed as I worked with him. 

When it felt right, I gently ended the session and thanked him, and told him I looked forward to seeing him soon :).

Once again, Krishna reminded me to let go of whatever expectations I may have, and to truly be in the moment with him.  It is during these special moments that the most beautiful breakthroughs are able to happen.

Connecting with Krishna: Making Contact

Yesterday I went to work with Krishna.  He is a beautiful, very smart cat who I have been working with off and on for quite a while.  He is fearful of people other than his guardians Rebecca and Tim, but over time my connection with him has gotten closer and closer.  I have worked with him with a combination of Reiki, TTouch, and Bach Flower remedies, and have also found that interacting with him through play is another non-threatening way to connect with him. 
I hadn't seen him in a couple of months.  When I entered the apartment, he was in another room at first but Rebecca coaxed him out.  I lowered myself into a squatting type of position.  He slowly came up to me to sniff me.  I stayed very still, and if he tried to engage me in a stare, I softened my eyes and turned away a bit, so he wouldn't feel that I'm a threat.  He settled a short distance from me.
First I did some TTouches, just very gentle little circles and strokes, just a couple at a time, using a very soft paintbrush, similar to a long-handled makeup brush, that he had responded to well in the past few sessions.
Again, as he has before, he rolled around as though he had just had some catnip.  I have seen one or two other cats do this when they rub their face on the soft brush.  I'm not sure whether it is something about the smell, the texture, or what, but it seems to be comforting.  While he was rolling around, he seemed very unconcerned that he was within inches of me.  At a couple of points he stopped, his eyes getting very big and looking at me - and again, I softened my eyes and turned away so as not to lock into a stare.  This generally helps to avert him getting scared and meowing or swatting.
At that point, I began to offer him Reiki energy (of course, telling him silently that he need only take as much or as little energy as he would like) .  I was about a foot away, sitting on the floor.  As the energy began to flow, I felt him begin to pull it in, very strongly, as though he were pulling it into his body.  He relaxed, laying down with one of his rear legs stretched out, eventually laying his head down and going to sleep for a while.
After a long while, he got up, went to his bed, and curled up there.  I began to offer him Reiki again, and he was very calm, resting with his head down and his eyes closed.  I moved closer to him slowly and quietly. and began to do circular TTouches and strokes all around his head with the soft paintbrush.  He completely settled into the TTouches.
Just having this much contact with him really was a lot, but after a bit, I decided to nudge a bit further in a very gentle way, to see what could happen.  Little by little I moved my pinky finger next to where the brush was touching his skin, incorporating it into the TTouches, giving breaks every so often to allow him to process the work, and to observe what his reaction was. 
He continued to be completely at ease, just as at ease as he was with the brush.  Then, little by little, I began to TTouch him directly with my hand without the paintbrush at all. 
He remained completely relaxed, still with his head down, completely relaxing into it.  I had to continue to check in on myself too, to make sure I continued to be relaxed.  This is the most direct contact I have had with Krishna.  We felt completely in synch with each other.  I would pause every so often and take my hands off him, to see what his reaction was, and then start again.  It is really important to give breaks to the animal, and to give yourself a chance to feel what's happening and decide whether to stop or continue.  When I felt it was enough, I slowly moved my hands away and gently moved away from him.  At that point, he lifted his head up and looked at me, but not with a frozen, frightened stare - with a much softer, more relaxed look.
I was reminded once again that it is so important to let go of our expectations when we are working with an animal - to simply be in the moment with the animal ... and it is in that moment of connection that the most amazing things can happen...
Thank you Krishna - and I look forward to seeing you again this weekend :)

Connecting with Krishna, Closer and Closer

When I am working with animals, I always try to be sensitive to what they are comfortable with, and work from there.  There are times when it is good to give a little nudge so that they can try something new, but it is good to first find what makes them feel safe and at ease, rather than having a pre-conceived notion of what you would like to have happen.  What happened today may seem rather subtle to the reader, but for this cat I believe it was a huge step.

Today I went to work with Krishna, a stunning black kitty who is generally fearful of those other than his human caretakers, particularly his human "mommy" Rebecca.  However, over the time I have worked with him, we have developed a lovely connection.  He is still very shy though, so I have to be very sensitive to what he is comfortable with at any given moment.
I hadn't seen him in a while, and, as I always try to do, I began sending him Reiki energy as I was on my way there, feeling the connection with him and picturing him responding in a positive way. 
When I arrived, he came right up to me.  I slowly went down on a knee to be closer to his level, and he put his nose right on my hand.  The least movement can startle him, so I stayed very still, speaking to him in a very calm, soft voice, telling him I had missed him so much and was so happy to see him. This was the boldest greeting that I have ever received from him.  I feel so especially honored when such a shy kitty feels comfortable enough to let down their guard to connect with me.
Since our last appointment, Rebecca and Krishna had a session with my friend and colleague, Eileen Garfinkel (http://dreamsofamelia.com), who is a fantastic animal communicator.  One of the things Eileen had picked up from Krishna was that he would like Rebecca to let go of what her expectations of him were.  And it had seemed that often I have been able to achieve a closer connection with Krishna when she is not present - possibly he felt some pressure from her or maybe just was more interested in connecting with her than with me.  So we decided it would be beneficial for her to leave the apartment for at least half the session.
After she left, I sat down a few feet away from Krishna, sending him Reiki all the while.  I brought out a very soft paintbrush that he had responded to in the past, and, as he had done previously, he immediately sniffed it and then began rolling around, rubbing himself against it.  I was not even holding on to the handle of the brush, just letting him experience the brush.  In doing this, he was practically touching me, and suddenly he got scared and and hissed and swatted me and ran way from me for a minute. 
But it was just a moment for him of being scared.  He didn't run in the bedroom to hide, which is where he will go if he is very afraid.  Instead he remained in the living room, and got in his cat bed, which feels like a safe place.  I went and sat on the couch near where he was, and continued to send him Reiki energy.  I could see him start to relax, his eyes getting a bit droopy.  After a while, I sat down on the floor near him and got a bit closer.  He relaxed more and more, came out of the bed and began getting closer.  When I put out the soft brush again, he rubbed against it and rolled on his back, very comfortable and looking right at me.  So sweet!  I resisted the temptation to try to hold the other end of the brush and touch him, I just wanted him to be cozy being near me.  After this, he laid down near me and, as I continued to send Reiki, he started to lay down and put his head down.
Just a few moments after this, Rebecca returned and sat on the floor near where we were.  Krishna wanted to interact with her, so they did for a little bit, then she stopped and he came over near where I was again.  I was continually sending Reiki during this time, so again, he began to get comfortable.  I did try touching him with a couple of different paintbrushes, but I could see by his reaction that the best thing to do for this session was to continue with the Reiki energy and see what could happen.  I tried to very much keep in mind what Eileen had said about allowing Krishna to be who he was and not push him too much.  He got more and more calm and ended up laying down just inches away from me, actually facing away from me.

This felt like wonderful progress - first of all, it was amazing how close he was to me and had his guard completely down.  Also, when he is nervous, he faces me direectly and stares with huge open eyes at me, so the fact that he was comfortable facing away from me was interesting as well.  We stayed this way for quite a while, and I continued to send Reiki to him, imagining the energy relaxing him, filling him with light, releasing any worries from the past or present.  I could feel him pulling the energy from my hands. 

Sometimes when we can really let go of our expectations are when these breakthrough moments are truly able to happen.
After I ended our Reiki session and slowly stood up, Krishna was looking at me, but not with a wide-eyed fearful look - much more of a centered, grounded, relaxed presence.  It was lovely to see him feeling so at ease.
Thank you so much Krishna - you teach me every time I work with you.  Look forward to seeing you soon...

From the Litter Box to My Lap: TTouch with Angela at BARC Shelter

Angela is a beautiful cat who was dumped at BARC Shelter about a week ago, left outside the shelter in a carrier.  Who knows what she went through before she arrived at the shelter? At any rate, she was terrified and hissing when she first arrived there, huddled in her box.  When I opened her cage, you can see the skeptical look she gave me.  I decided to very gradually and gently try to work with her.  I calmed myself, taking some deep breaths before I began working with her.  Standing sideways to her cage, I gently stroked her head with a paintbrush one time and then pulled it away, to see what her reaction was.  Then I tried again.  Within a short time, she had rolled onto her side in a playful way, stretching out and looking cozy.  But she still was a bit unsure, and sometimes would want to bite the brush or didn't seem completely comfortable with it.  I kept the session short - after a few times of trying this she gave a little hiss to let me know that was enough.  So I closed the cage and let her have a break.  I worked with her a couple of more short times that day, and she gradually grew more comfortable.

The next time I worked with her, though she was still in her litter box, she started out looking more comfortable to begin with than she had previously, and she quickly settled into some circular TTouches on her head, then some strokes down the body as well, but not too much so as not to frighten her.

Then, on Saturday when I went to see her, her litter box was placed closer to the front of the cage and when I opened the cage, she actually got up and came to the front of the cage to see me.  I began by doing TTouch circles with the paintbrush on the top of her head, under the chin, and then some down the body.  She was very affectionate and was rubbing her head into the paintbrush.  So I moved my hand down the paintbrush and began to do TTouches on her directly with my hand.  I was mostly doing TTouches using the back surfaces of my hand, as the back of your hand is less threatening to a fearful animal than the front of your hand.

Then she really surprised me by calmly walking out onto my lap!

I sat very quietly, mostly sending her gentle Reiki with my hands loosely on her, doing a few TTouches here and there, and she seemed quite at ease there, continuing to rub her head into my hands.  When I had first contact with her last week, I had a feeling that she wasn't feral, just frightened, but I didn't know the transition would be this fast!!

So she didn't get overstimulated and unsure, I very gently started to make the first tiny movement in the direction of standing up, and she went back into the cage. 

This was so wonderful to see this cat who had been so frightened come such a long way in the space of a week.  Looking forward to seeing you soon, Angela!  And thank you for trusting me....

T

Connecting with Krishna, Feb. 2012: Day 3: The Comfort of a Soft Brush

Today was my third day cat sitting for Krishna, who is fearful of people other than his guardians, Rebecca and Tim, so when they are away, it is especially hard for him. We have been doing well though, and I have found that a combination of play and relaxation techniques have helped me to feel a stronger connection with Krishna. One of the most important things for me is to respect his space and what is is ready and comfortable to do. It is OK to nudge those boundaries a bit in order to move to the next level, but a very gentle nudge.

Today when I entered the apartment, he was irritated at first, greeting me with a loud meow and hiss. I'm sure he is missing his people, and he was also hungry. As in the past he has pounced on other cat sitters' feet, my approach when this happens is to stand very still sending Reiki, as he gets in a bit of a stalking mode and is more apt to pounce if I move at that point.

As I continued to send the energy he calmed down, actually pretty quickly, and laid down to wait for me to fix his food.

He ate a little, then looked at me as though he was ready to play. So for a while we played his favorite game to play with me, which is chasing the light from the flashlight as I move it around. He can really get going!!

After he was done, he ate a little more and was in a more relaxed mode.

Then I took out a very soft paintbrush - it looks like a makeup brush but with a longer handle, which works well with him as it is good to have more distance, at least in the beginning. He was very curious about the brush, sniffing it a lot and began to rub himself against it a bit. Perhaps it was something about the texture of the brush, but at this point he got very cozy and he began to roll around and rub himself all over rug. I have seen this reaction sometimes with shelter cats who are initially very frozen but there is something about the paintbrush (or other tool that I use with them) that helps them to feel a LOT more at ease, and they begin to roll around on their back and stretch out etc.

I stroked Krishna a bit under his chin with the brush, and then a little on the side of his face, but I found he was more comfortable if I put the brush on the floor and he rubbed himself against it. At one point he was on his back and touched his nose right to my hand. I just stayed still, not wanting to startle him. At that point he was stretched out right next to me.

I feel so honored when a very shy cat lets his guard down that and is able to trust me enough to be so close to me.

I felt such a strong connection to Krishna today - I think the brush helped us to make a wonderful breakthrough.

Shortly before I left I was speaking to a friend on the phone and, instead of going back into the bedroom for some private time, as he often does when he has had enough socialization with me, he actually followed me back into the living room, sitting near me and blinking! xo

Connecting with Krishna, February 2012: Day One

Hi folks! Krishna is a wonderful kitty I have worked with for a while, and occasionally I have the opportunity to cat sit for him. He is very shy, and it is hard for him when his people are away. I approach him very quietly and gently.

Today when I went, it was the first day of cat sitting him, and I wasn't sure whether he would be a bit miffed to see me. I began to send him Reiki energy as I was on the subway traveling to his apartment. For those unfamiliar with Reiki, it can be done remotely or hands-on. When I arrived, he was actually pretty calm, given the situation. He sat down near his food bowls and waited as I prepared his food for him. I was sending him Reiki energy as I got his food ready, cleaned his box etc. He ate a bit, then was ready to play.

He loves to chase the light from a flashlight, so this was a great way to get any pent-up energy out and get him more relaxed. He really got going chasing the light around, and when I stopped for a minute, he did something he usually does, went up to the flashlight to sniff it, as if to prompt me to continue.

He appears to know that the light comes from the flashlight, but that doesn't diminish his enjoyment of the game!

After he had enough, he seemed much more relaxed. He was very cute, started rubbing his face against the legs of an easel that was near where we were playing.

He then went to eat some of his food with gusto, unconcerned that I was sitting nearby. After he was done, he sat off to the side of his bowls, and I did some Reiki from a short distance away. I could see him relaxing as I did this. I tried something which I recently did with a feral at the shelter - I used a paintbrush and just gently made a stroking motion a few inches in front of where his whiskers are.

The feral cat had found this relaxing, and he responded to it as well. He is so sensitive that it was as if I was actually touching him.

He then went to eat some more, and I got ready to go. I had explained to him how many times it would get dark before his people returned, reassured him that they would return, and told him that I would be there every day to give him food, play with him etc. Thanks a lot Krishna, it was such a pleasure to spend time with you once again.

Listening to Harry

Harry (above) is a new arrival at the boarding facility where I work with rescue cats through Tavi and Friends & the Mayor's Alliance. He was hunched in the back of his cage when I arrived. I opened the cage very quietly, speaking to him a little bit in a soft voice. He meowed, but it seemed like a frightened meow, so I decided to try to first make contact using the back of the hand part of a long-handled back scratcher. The tool seemed to frighten him, so I gave him a break for a few minutes, and decided to try with a softer surface.

I took out a long-handled flat paintbrush that is 2-3 inches wide, and began to gently stroke him under his chin. This immediately really clicked with him, and he began to rub himself against the brush, and against the surfaces of his cage, eventually stretching and rolling around. It was very sweet to see! I would stop for a few seconds to give him a break, sometimes closing the cage, then started again. Little by little he became more and more comfortable, venturing forward in his cage, and I was able to do some TTouches directly with my hand as well as with the tool. I did chimp TTouches with him, which use the back surface of the middle digit of the fingers (see my youtube channel for a demo, http://youtube.com/sarahsuricat), as back surfaces of the hand are less intense than the front surfaces. I mostly used the paintbrush though, as I wanted to make sure that he felt very safe. It is important, too, to realize and be sensitive to the fact that a tool or technique that works for one cat may not work for another cat, and that even working with the same cat in multiple sessions, their tastes and preferences can change.

By the end of the session, he was so much more comfortable than in the beginning, and I feel that it will not take him long for him to come more completely out of his shell. Most cats are very terrified when they are first rescued - and some have their true personality buried very deep, but others just need to shake of the initial fear and then rather quickly become friendly and quite comfortable. But it is essential to be very sensitive to what they are ready to do, and not push to achieve a pre-conceived agenda. What animals remind me of every day is the importance of truly being in the moment.

Much love to you Harry!! see you soon! xo

Soothing Feral Kittens at BARC Shelter

A few days ago I began working with two feral kittens at BARC shelter (since these pix, two more have been trapped), and this blog post discusses my first session with them. The picture above is actually after I had worked with them for a while, but you can see the black and white one still has the wide-eyed scared look. It's interesting, because the one on the right is actually more shy in its behavior.

When I opened the cage, they both hissed at me. When kittens or cats are terrified initially, I begin working with them either by doing Reiki from a short distance away, or by doing TTouch using a tool, such as a long-handled paintbrush. I began my work with them using a "fan" style paintbrush, which they were very receptive to. Sometimes I need to try a variety of tools before finding the one that really works, but this seemed to do the trick. I did little circular TTouches and strokes on the top of their heads, the outside of their mouth area, and then gradually started working some circular TTouches and strokes going down their body.

I just did a very little bit at a time, alternating between one kitten and another. When one kitten starts to get comfortable, usually the other does as well. After a few minutes, I was able to work my hand down the handle of the brush and began doing TTouches on the kittens with my hand, again, starting around the head area, top of head, ears, outside of mouth, then working down the body. I often used the back surfaces of my hand and fingers to do the ttouches, which is why you see my hand in a curved position below.


You can see the black and white kitten watching as I'm TTouching the other kitten, and the tabby and white kitten being a bit hesitant, but after a bit they settled into it. Again, I was doing a few TTouches on one kitten, then switching to the other, back and forth. At various points in the session, I would hold my hand still and just let the Reiki energy (which was constantly flowing) to flow over them.

I gave them a bit of a break, closing the cage, and when I opened the cage again, they were one on top of the other as you see here.

Again, I did some circular TTouches, mostly on their head areas, using the backs of my fingers. Around the forehead is a great area to work, and the ear strokes and TTouches around the outside of the mouth were also quite calming. The ears have many acupressure points, which have to do with respiration, digestion, etc, and the mouth area connects with the limbic system, which governs the emotions, so working these areas can help to really bring the stress level of an animal down.

By the time I had finished working with them, they were quite cozy, cuddled as you see here. See you soon, little ones!

Taking it Sllllow and Easy with a Shy Cat: TTouch and Reiki with Krishna, Nov. 2

Krishna is a beautiful black cat who is generally very afraid of anyone except for his people, Rebecca and Tim. I have worked with him off and on over the past months and he has gotten progressively comfortable with me, though I still have to give him the time he needs to warm up to me and go very very slowly as far as contact goes - mostly touching him with a paintbrush, or, at most, a few seconds of TTouch with my hand on his head area.

Rebecca contacted me recently, as she wanted me to have a session with Krishna and also to cat sit for a couple of days with him. She said that after their move to a larger apartment, Krishna is doing better - that he seems more comfortable in general, and doesn't seem so terrified when other people come over -- that, in fact, he can even seem OK sometimes with other people around, which is great.

I hadn't seen him for a few months so really wanted to take it slow. I started out by sending him Reiki from a short distance away. After a few minutes, he settled down and started to get somewhat more comfortable. Then I started to do some TTouches on his head using a paintbrush - just a little at a time. Little by little he became more comfortable, stretching out his body and rolling a bit on the floor. It seemed he was also more comfortable today because Rebecca sat near us (instead of across the room, or further away) and occasionally would pet him or reassure him, as sometimes with me he will be very comfortable, but then suddenly get unsure and frightened. We agreed that will probably be a good strategy when she is getting him used to another person, and that the person should touch him with a tool instead of their hand at first.

I gave Krishna breaks as I went along, so any tension building up had a chance to dissipate. Today I found I was able to incorporate TTouches on his body with the paintbrush, going from the head to the body and back again. This was the first time I was able to do this, so this was great progress. As I was doing the TTouches, I was also consciously letting Reiki flow through both hands.

I tried using a thin dowel about a foot and a half long w/a bit of Ace bandage wrapped around it, and he was pretty comfortable as I stroked his back and rolled it a bit down his back. Again, it felt like real progress for him to be comfortable with this. I also tried TTouching him with the back of the hand of a plastic back scratcher, but this seemed to scare him a bit, I think the size of the tool was too big to him.

Later on, after Rebecca and I spoke for a bit, Krishna really seemed to know that this meant that they would be going away soon, so he started to get pissy with Rebecca, trying to attack her feet a bit. Then he went over to his blanket on the couch, one of his cozy places. After he was there for a few minutes, I went and sat down on the couch, a couple of feet away from him and began to send him Reiki. I could see him start to calm down again, grooming a bit.

Then I began to do some TTouches on him, using the paintbrush. I could see him being calmed by these, so I slowly worked my hand down the paintbrush and began to do some raccoon TTouches on his head directly using my hand. Occasionally I would go back to using the paintbrush if he seemed like he was starting to get a bit unsure. He started relaxing into the TTouches done with my hand, and so I did some more around his head area, going down the back of his head and around the back of his neck area. He seemed quite relaxed there, til he suddenly became unsure and jumped off the couch - so that taught me that next time I need to keep this part (doing TTouches with my hand) a bit shorter - but I felt that we made really great progress today. I do believe that, given time, he will get more and more used to contact with people other than Rebecca, it will just take continued time and patience on everyone's part. Rebecca said that she has been regularly doing TTouches with Krishna, and now Tim is also regularly doing TTouches with Krishna as well, so this is all good. In addition to the TTouches being calming for Krishna, they will help him to be more comfortable, as he has a congenital hip issue. So I'm sure it will maximize his potential for comfort and mobility as well.

Look forward to seeing you soon, little guy, for some cat-sitting, Reiki and more TTouch!

TTouch at BARC Shelter: Ophelia

Ophelia is a lovely grey and white kitty at BARC shelter, thought to be maybe 3 yrs old, though she looks younger as she is a small cat. She was extremely fearful when she first arrived. She is currently quite playful and seems to seek contact, though often will swat if you try to touch her. I am constantly trying different tools with her to see what she responds to and what will be helpful to get closer to her. We now have some paintbrushes and a back scratcher or two around at the shelter, so other volunteers can try touching her with the tools as well. I have showed them how to use these tools in a very gentle way.
A few days ago, I was working with her with a wide, flat brush that looks like it is made for basting. She didn't seem to be so responsive to the brush any more, so I turned it around and tried touching her with the rounded other end of the brush, as you see in these pictures. The wood of the handle is varnished and very smooth. One of the places she most responds to being touched is under her chin, so I would start there.

Then I tried some circular TTouches around the top of her head and the outside of her mouth area. I very consciously slowed myself down, tried to let go of whatever notions I might have for the outcome.. Little by little she became more and more relaxed.

I would do a few TTouches or strokes at a time, then give her a break, then start again. She can get easily over-stimulated, so it is best in this case to just do a very little bit at a time.

Gradually, as I felt her relax, I wanted to see what would happen if I worked my finger down the handle of the brush and occasionally touch her with my finger. As you can see in these pictures, I am still holding the brush but am TTouching her with my finger, then I would go back to touching her with the brush handle. Keep in mind that all of these touches are done using a very light pressure, just enough to move the skin around in a circle and a quarter.

Funny, in the picture below she is looking straight at me!
A short bit after these pictures, she got quite sleepy and I was able to do TTouches around her head directly with my hand for quite a while. I feel that with continued work with the tools, shifting from one to another, then transitioning to the hand, gradually she will get more and more used to being touched with hands.

Many thanks, Ophelia, look forward to working with you again soon.

Staying in the Moment with Krishna: And Getting Ready for a Move

Krishna is a lovely cat who is very comfortable with his people, Rebecca and Tim, but extremely fearful of most other people. I have worked with him very slowly and gradually he has come to trust me more and more, though I still have to always give him time to warm up to me.

Rebecca asked me to come for a session with him, as they are getting ready to move to a new apartment. This is a change that can be stressful, especially for animals who are fearful. I made a bach flower remedy for Rebecca to give him, and made a spritzer bottle of Rescue remedy (10 drops of Rescue Remedy, the rest water) which she can spray in his carrier, and around in the new apartment, to help him feel more at ease there.

I was very happy to see Krishna, who I hadn't seen in a while. Rebecca said that he does seem to be less stressed now when people come over - and it makes a difference too that she has told them not to try to pet him, as he needs a lot of time to get accustomed to a person - it is a real accomplishment just to sit calmly in near proximity to him. Then the next step would be to gently touch him with a tool. Another approach would be to gently engage him in play with something like a flashlight, which doesn't require you be in very close proximity, but is another way to connect with him.

I tried a few TTouches using the paintbrush, but decided it would be most beneficial for this session to do Reiki with him to help him really relax. I started sending him energy from a couple of feet away, and got closer and closer. He grew sleepy quite soon, and went to lie down in one of his favorite cozy places, on a quilt on the couch (as pictured above), and he laid down and went to sleep. Animals will often nap while they are receiving a Reiki treatment, and this generally means they are really accepting and taking in the energy, which I truly felt today. Slowly I moved closer and closer to him, til my hands were just inches away. I felt waves of heat coming out of my hands, and felt him absorbing the energy, as though my hands were being pulled towards him.

This went on for a very long time. I was very close to complete contact, but still kept my hands just an inch or so away, afraid to startle him. I felt the energy going to several different chakras during this period of time, but especially to the heart chakra. I felt a lot of heat in that area, and felt something really let go in him. I saw him do a very deep sigh a couple of times, which is always such a pleasure to see animals do - like they are realllllly letting go.

All of a sudden Krishna woke up and was staring at me. I had wanted to get up so I was sitting on the couch so my face would not be so close to him but hadn't wanted to move too much as I didn't want to startle him. At any rate, I think he was surprised at how close I was to him. He told me that it was too much with a hiss and he sort of jumped at my arm, but didn't leave a mark of any kind. I really think it was just too much for the moment and he needed to tell me to give him some space.

I moved away for a bit, then very quietly sat on the couch a couple of feet away from him. Rebecca told me she often sits on the couch next to him to pet him, so this seemed like a good place for me to be. I slowly began to send energy to him again, trying to keep the stream of energy less intense than it had been. He began to get sleepy again, and rolled on his side. Sometimes he opened one eye and sometimes he closed both of them. I did a few TTouches on his forehead area with the paintbrush. As Rebecca noticed, he ALMOST really let go there when I did it, he seemed like he was just not quite ready to do that. I backed off and finished up the Reiki session.

I slowly moved away from him and as I spoke with Rebecca for a short while, I was happy to see that he was in a very relaxed mode, as though he could easily drift off into another nap.

Krishna teaches so much to me every time about how important it is to really listen to what the animal is ready to do, and to truly stay in the moment with him.

Sending you best wishes for a smooth move, and look forward to seeing you sometime soon in the new place!! xoxox