Moment to Moment with Mrs. P and Mrs. Q

 

Mrs. P (above) and Mrs. Q (below) are two beautiful young cats who were feral or at least semi-feral, who had been rescued and brought into BARC Shelter at the same time.  Both cats were terrified upon first arriving at the shelter.  Mrs. Q was literally climbing the walls of her cage at first, whereas Mrs. P curled up in a ball at the back of her cage. 

With a cat who is new in the shelter, I most often approach them with a tool of some kind, to give them some space, and for the safety of both the animal and me, as I am often not sure how they will react to being touched.  I started with Mrs. P with a back scratcher, which has a long handle, which is especially helpful in this situation so that I didn't have to lean way into the cage, as she was all the way at the back. 

After a few TTouch circles and strokes with the scratcher, it was clear that she was not aggressive at all, just very frightened.  I worked with her a little at a time, giving her breaks, and soon worked my hand down the back scratcher to touch her with my hands.  I did some hair slides, which are very calming (see my youtube channel http://youtube.com/sarahsuricat for a demo of this), as well as some of the circular TTouches.  Pretty soon she started to stretch out her body and become more comfortable.

I knew that I would have to go much more slowly with Mrs. Q.  The picture above is actually after I had worked with her a few times.  Before even opening her cage. I went to the side of the cage and tried an approach which I used with one of my cats, Emmylou, when she first arrived at the shelter.  The idea is to be as gentle and non-threatening as possible, and to go slowly to determine what they are comfortable with at that given moment.

What I did was to speak to her very softly and I didn't even touch her quite yet.  I used a paintbrush and stroked the air about an inch or two parallel to where her whiskers are.  So it was as if I was stroking her whiskers, only I was slightly in front of them.  I just did this a few times and stopped. 

After I moved the paintbrush out of the cage, Mrs. Q got more relaxed, changing her body position to a much more relaxed position, lying down with her front paws tucked under her body.  I tried this a few more times, and little by little she became more relaxed with me. 

The next time I worked with her, I started out the same way, and also did something else I had done with Emmylou that had worked very well.  I stroked gently down the front of her front legs, and down her paws.  I know, one would not necessarily think this would be something a cat would like! But I have seen some very scared cats respond to this approach.  I know that in TTouch for horses, people stroke down the legs of the horse with wands to comfort them, so there must be something neurologically calming about this.
After working with Mrs. Q a few times just through the cage, sitting to the side of her cage, then I was able to open her cage and begin to do TTouch circles on her body with a paintbrush.  As you can see from the photo above, at first she was a bit startled by this, but eventually the TTouches began to calm her.  I did TTouch circles with the paintbrush down the sides of her body, and along the sides of her mouth.  Once in a while I did some TTouches on the top of her head as well, but not till a bit later on, as this was a scarier area for her to be touched.  Each time, she would be a little nervous at first, but then each time I worked with her, the nervous time has gotten shorter and she has settled into touch more quickly.















Now I still start out by using the paintbrush, but can usually progress quickly to TTouching her directly with my hand.  I most often will start with the TTouches using the back of my hand, as that is less intense than the front of the hand.  I have to go a little bit at a time though, as she still can be nervous about this.  At times she is completely receptive, but other times I may just hold my hand still to send Reiki energy very gently, then do some more TTouches.

Mrs Q has been more and more interested in play as time has gone on, as well.  Many of the volunteers can play with her, and she is responsive to that.  Mrs. P has started to play a bit as well.

Meanwhile, Mrs P (below) was becoming more responsive to touch as well.  I was doing TTouches over most of her body, on her head, and even sometimes on her paws.  As you can see by the photo below, she will most often relax on her side and in this picture, she was very receptive to very light little circular TTouches on her paws.  Again, this was a surprise to me that she would be comfortable with me touching her paws, but when she is in the mood, it seems to be very calming for her. 

Recently I started another element to my work with these cats:  treats!  As both cats are much more comfortable, but still often remain at the back of their cages, I have wanted to see what I could do to encourage them to come forward. 

I have used baby food as a tool in socializing my cats Emmylou and Natalia, and have often used it in the past for socializing kittens.  All-meat baby food with no onions is what works best.  Gerber turkey in turkey gravy is what I most often use - I was advised of this by Mike Phillips, who runs Urban Cat League and from whom I took a wonderful seminar on working with feral cats.  It helps the cat learn not to be afraid of human hands coming in their direction, and they learn to gently lick, rather than bite, fingers.  Don't try this if you are working with an aggressive cat, because you could very well be scratched or bitten!! But with a non-agressive, shy cat of any age, this can be a wonderful tool. 
Both of these cats were reluctant at first to take the baby food. 
With Mrs. P, I found that if I did TTouch circles around her mouth area, then offered her the food and continued doing TTouches under her chin and around her head, she would take the food and then, as she got more comfortable, I started to be able to encourage her to come further and further forward in the cage.  At that point, at first I just let her take the food. then after a couple of times, I approached her diagonally with my other hand, going right to her back instead of her head, so I wouldn't scare her, and she was very comfortable with me TTouching her as she tood the food.  So sweet to see her coming forward!
With Mrs Q, it was a matter of patience, waiting for her to take the food. as she just looked at it at first, not quite comfortable with my finger being near her mouth.  Then I just touched my finger gently to her mouth, so a bit of the baby food was on the outside of her mouth, and once she licked it, she realized that it tasted very good.  She still was a little nervous about me being that close to her, so I just did it a few times with her, and will start leading her forward sometime soon.
It is beautiful to see how much progress these two creatures have made in a very short time, especially considering how terrified they were upon first entering the shelter.  They remind me a bit of my own two cats, who were just a few months older than these two when they were brought in from outside.  I know I am learning at least as much from them as they are from me, and I feel honored to spend time with these special beings and that they feel comfortable enough to connect with me.  And of course thank you to BARC shelter for all they do for the animals,

Quiet Moments Near the End of the Road: Pallino

Hi folks, this one doesn't have any photos, as I wanted to share what my impression of this cat was, who had such a beautiful spirit.  He arrived at the shelter with advanced kidney issues, and recently we had to say goodbye to him.  I will always remember his gentle, sweet nature, so filled with gratitude.

Please read more about him and my experience with him on the post I wrote on my art blog:

http://sarahhauserart.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-power-of-simplicity-pencil-ink-and.html

RIP, sweet kitty.  You were very loved.  And thank you to all the people at BARC who help the animals every day and make it a beautiful place for me to volunteer.

Update on Berry: Getting Closer!

Berry is a gorgeous young little cat, apparently feral, who was brought into BARC shelter right before Hurricane Sandy.  She actually was rescued from the same backyard as my two cats who I adopted from BARC, Natalia and Emmylou.  And interestingly enough, she does somewhat resemble Emmylou! 
Of course, the combination of where she came from and the fact that she is so fearful have both helped me to feel an especially endearing bond with her.
She was terrified and quite sick when she was first rescued, and it has been so heartening to see both her behavior and her health improving.  When she first arrived, she would swat and hiss when approached.  I have worked with her very gradually, doing TTouches on her with the back of the hand part of a plastic back scratcher.  Sometimes now I can transition to touching her directly with my hand, but I just do that for short amounts of time, as she still can get easily overstimulated.  I have shown a few other regulars at the shelter how to work with her, and she has been making very steady and noticeable progress. 

Now instead of staying in the back of her cage, most often she will rest in the front of her cage, watching everybody with interest instead of being afraid.  She will come to the front of her cage for a treat from other volunteers, and easily will come to the front of her cage to get to her food and water bowls, and will eat in front of other people, whereas before she would be hesitant to do this.

One of the huge changes that has happened recently is that when I approach her cage and say "Hi Berry!" to her, she comes to the front of the cage, kneading her paws and rubbing her face against the front of the cage.  She also does a little hello meow. 

Little by little she is beginning to trust me as well as some of the BARC staff and volunteers.

Now that she is feeling better, she also wants to play.  Like many ferals who are in the process of becoming less fearful, she can get confused between play mode and cuddle mode and sometimes swat. So I have started working with two back scratchers so that if she starts playing with one of them, then I can stroke her with the other.  I also give her frequent breaks to avoid her getting overstimulated.  Over some time, this way of working gently will influence a cat's behavior so that they will learn to play with a toy and not with your hand, while they are also getting more comfortable being touched.  When it feels safe to do so, I slide my hand down the back scratcher and do TTouches with my hand, keeping the second back scratcher ready to show her to use if she starts to want to paw at something.
Her whole expression and look on her face has changed as well - so beautiful to see!!
Love you Berry! and look forward to seeing continued progress with you.  And thanks to one and all at BARC shelter for showing her and all the animals such kindness. 

Tuesday: Quieting the Atmosphere with an Extremely Sensitive Cat

Tuesday is a gorgeous and very intense cat.  She is completely bonded with her guardian, Leila, but is terrified of pretty much anyone else.  She often hisses, swats and sometimes lunges at them.  Leila has had her for about 8 years.  Years ago, she was accepting of attention from people with a very gentle energy but at one point Leila was in a noisier household and since then, Tuesday has had an increasingly difficult time with people other than Leila.
It is so important with ultra-sensitive cats such as Tuesday to think of energy in terms of proportional volume.  What I mean is, what to us might be a tiny sound or movement, could seem huge to a cat that is frightened and hyper-sensitive.  So when working with this type of cat, I have to quiet and slow my energy down even more than I generally do when working with any animal.  In this way, I can start to really feel where they are and to be in that place where the smallest movement or sound can be huge.
When I arrived for the first session, Tuesday seemed to know that I was coming for her.  She came out and stared at me with very huge eyes.  I spoke calmly and tried to reassure her that I was there to help her.  When I walked across the room (which was not directly towards her but generally in her direction, she lunged at me, hissing.  I had Leila hand me the long wands which I use for doing TTouch with cats who are very scared of being touched directly, and just very carefully and quietly began to try a few TTouches with the wands, a few on her, and a few on the floor.  I could tell she was still very amped up, so I decided to give her a break.  Leila and I sat at the kitchen table, and I showed Leila some TTouches on a stuffed cat which I had brought.  During this time, Tuesday had some time to settle a bit.  She remained in the room, watching what we were doing, but got a bit more relaxed.
After that, I decided to offer her Reiki from a short distance for the second half of the session.  I felt that working from a distance with the wands was too overwhelming for her at this time.
From where I was sitting in a chair, I gently began to offer Reiki energy to Tuesday, silently letting her know that she only need take as much or as little energy as she wanted. 
It took her a while to settle, but eventually she did.  Every once in a while, she would look at Leila, as though for confirmation that it was ok for her to receive the energy.  As we worked, I felt her pulling the energy in more and more. 
When we were done, she was calmer, but unfortunately she got jumpy again when Leila and I both stood up as I got ready to leave.
Leila got back to me after a few days had passed, and said that Tuesday was agitated right after the appointment, but then began to get much better.  She said she and her boyfriend sat on the floor while she did some of the TTouches and that Tuesday was very calmed by them - and that she had continued doing the TTouches with Tuesday at various intervals in between this initial session and my next session with them. Leila said that Tuesday was much calmer about her boyfriend.
As a further challenge, Leila had gone away for a few days. Upon returning, the cat sitter said that Tuesday was actually rather docile.  And when Leila and her boyfriend returned from the trip, they took a nap and when they awoke, Tuesday was actually asleep on top of her boyfriend!
When I came for the second session (a couple of weeks had passed), I first gave Leila a Bach Flower remedy which I made for Tuesday, which should help to calm her energy.  Then I showed Leila TTouches using back of hand, which are especially useful for animals that are really on edge and apt to get easily over-stimulated. 

The rest of the session, I offered Reiki to Tuesday from a short distance.  However, this time I did not remain in the chair, but kneeled on the floor in order to lower my position, which can be calming for frightened animals.  I knew I was taking a risk, as Tuesday could get suddenly scared and then lunge at me, but I had to follow my intuition that this felt like the right move. 
As I began to offer the energy to Tuesday, I felt that the area that felt it needed the most healing at that moment was the heart chakra.  As the session progressed, I also felt the energy pulled to the base chakra and to the solar plexus chakra.  These chakras can relate to quite a few things, so are a bit too complex to detail here, but balancing these three chakras felt they would help Tuesday with emotional issues and the nervous system as well as issues of security and grounding,
As I continued, I felt an increasingly strong flow of energy coming out of my hands and out of my body, and felt the energy filling her body.  I remained in the same position throughout the session, instead of trying to move closer, as I didn't want to take the chance of startling her.
While all of this was going on, little by little her body language changed - first she shifted her sitting position a few times.  Then she little by little shifted herself until she was lying down.  Next she stretched one paw out, then finally she rolled completely on her side, exposing her belly, and she stretched out in that position.  Her eyes, which initially were in that huge, extremely wide-open ultra-alert position, softened.  During this session, again she would sometimes look at Leila as if for guidance or approval or confirmation that this energy was ok to receive.  Tuesday is so completely connected with Leila. 
As Tuesday stretched out on her side, exposing her belly to me, I felt tears come to my eyes, as I do so often when I feel the animal is really letting go of something held in very deeply.  It felt profound, almost as if she had been holding her breath for a long time, and now finally, in stages, was letting it go.  I felt a huge shift had occurred.
As Leila and I spoke after the session, Tuesday remained relaxed, with a much softer gaze.  And when I stood up to leave, she was still relaxed and didn't get startled.  Later that day, Leila emailed me that Tuesday had continued to be very relaxed and mellow for the rest of the day.
Thank you Tuesday, for trusting me enough to let go....I keep picturing you so stretched out and relaxed .. .. and look forward to seeing you soon.... xo

Tavin: Moment by Moment with a Fearful Dog

Tavin is a dear, lovely dog.  At the moment, though, whatever combination of nature and nurture (or lack thereof) which occurred before her present guardian adopted her presently has much of her inner beauty hidden behind a lot of fear.  She is a very hypersensitive, fearful Chihuahua who can bite when she gets especially scared.  She has guarding issues, and can be unpredictable as far as being approached by people to be petted.  She seems to be nearly constantly on alert, and really has a hard time relaxing.  It is also hard for Tavin to have anything put on her body, so to put a harness on is very difficult for both her and for her guardian, Carol.  Carol can touch Tavin just about anywhere on her body, but when it comes to putting something on her, that is a different story.
Carol (http://superdogtraining.com/), who kindly took her in recently, has been doing all she can to help Tavin to feel comfortable and safe.  There are also four cats in the household, who are often wary of Tavin, and who Tavin sometimes chases.  The first couple of appointments, I only saw Kitty, the most social of the four cats.  The rest of them remained under the bed.
I sense, as I do with fearful animals, that the more Tavin can feel at ease, the more her true personality will be able to come forth, and that in time, with gentle and patient work, that will be able to happen.
In working with her, I wanted to feel safe as well as having Tavin feel safe, so I have had Carol put a muzzle on Tavin while I am working with her.  During the first session, I showed Carol many of the TTouches so that she can do them on Tavin, also how to do a couple of simple TTouch wraps.  TTouch can help to balance the nervous system and, over time, can cause animals to react differently to stress.  It will also help an animal to react differently when it is touched, as it begins to associate touch with a very positive feeling.  But more than that, there is a very deep and profound way that the gentle TTouches influence the nervous system - which helps to explain how it is more effective in changing behavior than simply petting the animal.
After this initial session, I made a Bach Flower Remedy for Tavin, in both drop and spray form, so that it can be given to Tavin internally and can be sprayed into the environment.  Also, in the course of the first two sessions, I showed Carol how set up a simple labyrinth in her apartment so that she could practice that with Tavin in between sessions.
During the next session, I also began to do some Reiki work with Tavin, and that appeared to affect her on an even deeper level than the TTouches.  That is not to say that one modality is "better" than the other.  Each animal is individual as to what approach or sequence of approaches will be optimal for them.  With animals that are as sensitive as Tavin, it is often beneficial to start out with Reiki, and then begin to work in TTouches.  Your intuition will help to guide you.
With Tavin, I first send the energy to her with my hands off, and eventually she moved towards me and helped guide my hands to where she wanted them to be, which was near the base of her spine, or over the Base or Root Chakra (chakras are energy centers in the body).  This Chakra has to do with feeling safe, at home, and grounded.  It made complete sense that she guided my hands there.  I saw some huge sighs, and felt her letting go in a very deep way.  It looked like she had a smile on her face.
During the third session last week, I once again decided to focus on Reiki with her, with a few TTouches blended in.  It took Tavin a while to settle.  Initially Tavin was a bit distracted as Carol was not sitting on the bed with us.  She did start to relax bit by bit, though, at times partially sitting on my lap to move her body into my hands as I offered her Reiki. 
Once Carol sat on the bed with us, Tavin became more focused and relaxed, and after a short while Tavin settled in very nicely on Carol's lap, which Carol said she rarely does.  At this point, I had my hands a bit away from her.  With very sensitive animals, one has to be particularly sensitive as to how close they want your hands to be, because the Reiki energy can sometimes be too overwhelming to do hands-on.  However, many times it will become more comfortable for them as they begin to relax.  Carol also had some relaxing music on, which can be of tremendous help.
As I continued to let the energy flow, I felt the atmosphere of the whole apartment become more quiet and calm and light.  Kitty came up on the bed, rubbed her head into one of my hands, and settled on one side of Carol. I gradually moved closer to Tavin and eventually had one of my hands directly on her.  As in the previous appointment, my hand was drawn to her base chakra, and for some reason it felt very right for just my fingertips (rather than my whole hand) to be in contact with this part of her body.  My fingers were so strongly connected, it felt as though they were plugged into her body - that the energy didn't stop at where her body and my fingers met, that it was being pulled into and absorbed inside her body.  Tavin was becoming more and more relaxed, in a sleeping position with her head down.  And she did a couple of those wonderful big sighs of letting go.

At this moment, the most surprising thing happened.  Seemingly from out of nowhere, Layla, a gorgeous long-haired grey cat, gracefully leaped up on the bed and began rubbing herself against my hand that was not in contact with Tavin.  Carol said that Layla was by far the shyest of her cats, and the most traumatized by Tavin's presence.  She said that the other cats recover fairly quickly if Tavin chases them, but not Layla.  And yet here was Layla up on the bed, rubbing into my hand, wanting attention, and settling very near where Tavin was.  I think that Tavin was so relaxed that she was giving off a completely different vibe, so that Layla felt comfortable being there.  I did some TTouch with her, all the while keeping my other hand connected to Tavin, and then began to send Reiki to both of them, one hand on Tavin and the other on Layla (they were on either side of me).  Layla relaxed and stayed next to me for the rest of the session.  Both animals were taking in the energy and were completely at ease.  Reiki can help to create such a peaceful atmosphere, and can be so helpful in bringing more harmony in a household.
Thank you to Carol and to all your wonderful animals.  This was a very magical day, and I look forward to seeing you again soon. :)

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.

Calming Feral Kitty Berry: Slow, Steady, and in the Moment

I'm calling this dear little feral kitty Berry.  She was rescued from the same backyard as my two cats (Emmylou and Natalia).  She is younger, and has medium/long fur, but has a bit of resemblance to Emmylou, I think.  She was brought into BARC shelter right before Hurricane Sandy. 
Because Hurricane Sandy left many of us, including me, without power and hot water for about a week, it took me a week to get back to BARC, but I was eager to do what I could to help calm her.
When I came back to the shelter, it was clear she was as terrified as when she had been brought in.  When I first work with a new cat, unless they come right up to the front of the cage to greet me, I most often use a long-handled tool such as a plastic back scratcher or paintbrush to touch them. 
But before I even do that, I talk quietly (or silently, inside my mind) to them, reassuring them I am there to help them, and would only do as much as they are ready to do.  I start sending Reiki energy to them from outside the cage. 

When I first opened the cage and gently stroked her head with the back scratcher, she wasn't quite ready for that and hissed and swatted at the back scratcher.  I told her that was ok, and then just continued to send her Reiki for a while.  I tried the back scratcher again, still she was too scared to accept it, so I again took it back out of the cage and sent her Reiki energy from outside the cage.


The next time I worked with her, I gently approached her with the back scratcher (standing sideways to the cage, and kind of approaching her from a diagonal instead of straight-on), stroking the sides of her cheeks and under her chin a bit.  At first she was a bit hesitant, but then she started to gently rub her face against the back scratcher a bit.  I worked with her for a while this way, giving her breaks, then starting again.  I also did some TTouch circles with the scratcher on the top of her head and the base of her ears.
Each time I continued to work with her, she was more receptive to touch and began to come forward and eat her food while I was working with her.  At this point I could do TTouch circles and zigzags on her body as well as her head. 

One day when I opened the cage and began to work with her she sat straight up and looked at me right in the eye.  I could tell we were having a breakthrough by the way we were connecting.  She was really looking at me and I felt the energy from her go right to my heart.  she began to push her head into the back scratcher and began to walk forward towards the cage door. 

I began to work my hand down the handle til I was touching her directly.  She was rubbing into my hand and kneading her paws, looking a bit like she was marching.  I thought she was going to come out the door!!  She seemed so energized and felt so good from the session, first she went to her wet food, then her dry food, then her water :)

Since that session, when I first see her I blink at her and she recognizes me, as opposed to starting with a hiss.  I showed a couple of other people in the shelter how to work with her gently and they have had good success working with her as well.  Now I am able to approach her with my hand, though I still start from a bit of a diagonal approach, first putting the back of my fingers on the back of her head and working from there, so I am not sticking my hand in her face.  It is really important, especially for frightened cats, not to just directly face them and stick your hand in their face.

She now comes right to the front of the cage, kneading and sometimes flopping on her side. Last time I worked with her, she literally jumped up to butt her head into my hand. She really is a beautiful little cat, and it is amazing to see her inner beauty coming forth as well. 
It will take her a while to be comfortable enough to be receptive to others, especially potential adopters she is meeting the first time, but she has come such a long way in a few weeks, it is beautiful to see. 
Of course I feel an extra connection with her too, being that she was rescued from the same yard as my two. 
Thank you Berry, it is such an honor to connect with you.  Look forward to seeing you soon!