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

 Lenore

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

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

 Bandit

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

 Lenore

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

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

 TTouch with Bandit with a paintbrush

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

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

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

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

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

 Lenore relaxing

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

 Bandit enjoying TTouch

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

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

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

 Lenore at Westhampton

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

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

 Lenore

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

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

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

Sky

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

 Lenore

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

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

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

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

Slow and Steady with two Fearful Cats: Pearl and Georgi Girl (and a bit about Amy) at Bideawee Westhampton

Some months ago, I began to travel to Westhampton Bideawee to offer TTouch and Reiki to the cats there, in addition to volunteering at the facility in Manhattan.  This happened as a result of two Manhattan cats being transferred to Westhampton - but that is another story which I will explore at another time.

 Above: Pearl

As my heart particularly connects with feral and fearful cats, of course I was drawn to Pearl and Georgi Girl.

Above: Georgi Girl

Pearl and Georgi Girl were abandoned in carriers outside of the Adoption Center back in July. They were in separate carriers from one another and there was a note attached. The note said that the girls' original owner became ill and went to a nursing home and left the two cats behind with no one to care for them. The note was written by a neighbor who had taken over the responsibility of caring for them. The neighbor then had to move, and explained that the neighborhood was hostile towards cats, and they feared for the cats' lives if she left them behind. They provided the names, and a description of each of them, so the shelter could tell who was Georgi Girl, and who was Pearl. They wrote on the note "Please take care of us, you are our only hope."

Upon meeting the two girls, I could tell how scared they were.  And at the time, I did not know their whole story, and did not realize they had been in a home previously.  I just knew that they had been dumped at the shelter.  Actually I didn't know that they had previously been in a home until quite recently.  

So I thought that they were feral, because of their behavior.  They seemed so dazed and were afraid of anyone approaching them.  Yet I could tell right away that they are so gentle and sweet under the fear.  They remind me a great deal of my dear formerly-feral cats, Lulu and Natalia. 

Initially, they were in a cage, but fortunately the shelter soon had a nice room available for them to live in, where they have shelves to climb in, cozy hidey places to hang out, etc.

 TTouch with the handle of a paintbrush with Pearl

  Right away it became clear that Pearl was the less shy of the two - she would allow just a tiny bit of touch.  She was wary of tools as well as hands, so I kept switching up the tool that I was using with her.  Sometimes it was a paintbrush, sometimes a toothbrush, sometimes the handle of a paintbrush.  Sometimes she preferred a hand to a tool.  

 TTouch with a toothbrush with Pearl

But it was in tiny increments of just a few seconds.  I would let the Reiki flow the whole time I was there, so that she and Georgi Girl could feel the calming energy. I could see both of them relaxing their eyes and their bodies with the energy.  

I also spoke to them in a gentle, slow, calm voice, and they both respond to that as well.  

I have tried to connect with Georgi Girl with the tools, and touching her with a tool is still too scary for her, so I most often will work with her with Reiki, and with "Air TTouches".  I do the air TTouches either with a tool or with my hand, quite far away from Georgi Girl, sometimes even several feet or more away.  I do the circular motion of a TTouch, and then usually a pause or slide.  And my internal feeling, intention and energy is as though I were touching her.  And I feel that connection with her as I do it, that our energies connect.  It is a very definite feeling.  And I can see her respond as I am "touching" her.

 Georgi Girl

Here is a video which shows some of the processes I have done with these two kitties:

In the first part of the video, you see me connecting with Pearl with gentle play.  This can be a great way to help shift the dynamic with a cat if they are afraid to be touched at first.  And it is always done so it is at their comfort level.  Pearl didn't want to come out of her cave just yet, so I let her just reach for the mouse from where she was.

 Pearl

Another great tool to use with Pearl was treats, Temptation Treats in the yellow package, to be more specific.  I found right away that she is very treat-motivated.  Little by little I was able to urge her to come closer to me for the treats, even to come out of the cave.  And in later sessions, she would come right out of the cave for the treats.  As she grew comfortable with this, I was able to touch her occasionally while she was eating.  Mostly, she was too hesitant to do that though.
But Pearl did start to be more receptive to touch in general, just a tiny bit at a time.  I would do literally just a few TTouches or strokes under her chin, or on the side of her face, then give her a break, then try again in a while.

Above: Georgi Girl

Georgi Girl is too afraid to play, or to take treats, or to let me touch her still, but is continuing to respond to air TTouches and Reiki at a distance, and her face looks more open when I see her now, rather than being terrified that I am in the room.

Amy and me

For a short time, there was an orange and white senior kitty named Amy who was in their room.  Amy had just recently arrived at the shelter (she was surrendered by her owner who is in poor physical condition and couldn't care for her), and so she was scared to be there, but loves people.  

I immediately made a connection with Amy, and she has a REALLY loud purr.  So when I came in the room, the room would resonate with Amy's purr.  

Though Amy and the girls did not appear to want to have much to do with each other, I think there was something about Amy purring and being so comfortable that helped them.  

One day I sat on a couch in the room, with Amy near me, purring away, and the other kitties in their respective cozy places, and I felt such a positive and peaceful feeling throughout the room, connecting all of us.  Calm music was playing on the radio, adding to the beautiful feeling of unity and connection. 

I had been working very steadily and gradually with the girls, and was really happy with their progress, but nothing prepared me for the breakthrough that happened a couple of weeks ago with Pearl.
I entered their room and saw right away that the cave beds had been removed, probably to clean them.  I wondered if they were scared not to have them in there, but Pearl was out and about, and when I said hi to her, she came up to me, purring, and began to rub her head against my hand.  After she did this for a minute, she would get momentarily scared and run away, but then if I called to her again, she would come up to me again and rub and purr.  

It is hard to describe in words the joy one can feel when that beautiful kind of connection can happen, when an animal really trusts you, when you feel that you have been able to reach through the fear and touch the heart of another being.  It has to be one of the most beautiful things that one can experience.

It is interesting, too, that Pearl was now responding to the type of voice that I had been using with Amy.  Instead of a really quiet voice, it was a happy friendly voice, like "hey Pearlie! what's going on Pearlie? such a good girl", that kind of thing.  Not a loud voice, but an enthusiastic happy voice.  I had started using that voice with Amy when I first met her, just intuitively.  It worked, and just felt right.  And now, it seemed that Pearl was ready for that kind of voice. 
Please do have a look at the video embedded in this post, and if you have any trouble accessing it, it is on my youtube channel, 
direct link is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKSVTLDJwtc

I look forward to seeing these girls again soon, and to my continued work with them.  They are such beautiful, gentle souls.  It is such a delight to see Pearlie actually enjoying contact with me.  

I feel that it is only a matter of time, patience, and continued love and work with Georgi Girl before she follows Pearl in feeling comfortable with being touched.  Usually when there is one in a pair that starts to feel more comfortable, it will help the other to come along, at least to the extent they are able. And in the meantime I will give her all the time and space she needs for that.
 
Thank you so much Bideawee.  It is a pleasure and honor to work with the dear animals in your shelters, and thank you so much for taking these dear girls in and for all the love and care you show to the animals. xoxo

The Power of Love: TTouch and Reiki with Annette at Bideawee.

I feel that I make a meaningful connection with every cat that I work with, but some cats just curl right up in the center of my heart.  And I know that they will live there forever.  Annette is one of those cats.

Annette is a beautiful older tuxedo cat at Bideawee.  Bideawee pulled her from the city shelter (where she would most likely have been euthanized), and brought her to the safety of Bideawee (which is no-kill). She is very shy and sensitive, and can become fearful and suddenly meow and/or swat if someone gets too close to her and she is not ready for it, or if she becomes overstimulated. 

She also had some very bad digestive issues -- advanced IBD and most likely cancer.  She has been receiving medical treatment, which is helping her.  So that is great.

I wanted to see what I could do to add to her comfort physically and emotionally.

When I first started working with her right after she first arrived, she was in very bad shape and extremely fearful, hunched down in the litter box.  She had been vomiting frequently and I could tell she did not feel well.  Unfortunately I do not have any pix from the beginning of our working together as the light was not good in her cage at that time. 
When I opened her cage, we connected very quickly.  I had been sharing Reiki with another cat in the same area and I am sure she had been feeling it. 
She started rubbing against my hand right away, but then after a bit, I could see her start to become overstimulated because she is so extremely sensitive that the contact soon became too much.  So I began to alternate using my hand and using a paintbrush, switching to the paintbrush when I felt she needed more space.

I discovered that the most comfortable approach with her was to share Reiki with her from a short distance away, and/or doing TTouches with the paintbrush (and with my hand when comfortable).  When she is at ease and comes closer to me, I will do TTouches with my hand for a short bit and then go back to using the brush again.  It is best to start out well within her comfort zone, and very gradually ease into the next level of closeness.
I mostly did circular TTouches around her head area - the top of her head, around the outside of the mouth, and under the chin, and occasionally could do a bit on her body as well, depending on her comfort level. 
I use an extremely light touch with her.  I generally do use a very light touch with TTouch, but particularly with sensitive and fearful animals. 

Over time, Annette became more and more comfortable with me.  She came right to me for attention, and we were able to have longer periods of contact.  She would rub her head into the brush or my hand, and lay down and roll around comfortably.  
She started to visibly recognize me when I opened her cage, and she seemed to look forward to the contact and connection.

A while ago, she was moved to a lower cage, so I could sit on the floor beside her cage and work with her.  To my surprise, one day she came out of the cage and right onto my lap, brushing her face against my face, and my hands and arms, so sweet!  Our energies truly became one, our hearts and our breath feeling as one being. She stayed there a short time, then went back in.  

This became a pattern, and now she will come out for longer periods of time, settling for Reiki in my lap sometimes.  She will spend whatever time is comfortable for her out of the cage with me, then go back into the cage and settle in her bed for Reiki.  I feel her absorb the energy more and more each time, trusting it and going deeper.  I feel the loving, beautiful energy connecting us and surrounding us.

I know that her condition is a serious one, but I am so glad that she is doing well for now, and that the work we do together can give her comfort and peacefulness, and that the love that we share brings such joy to us both.  And I believe that the energy of love is tremendously healing. 

Though she still will often hang out in her cavelike bed, the minute she sees me, she comes to the front of the cage and even meows for me to come and work with her.  

Sometimes she will come all the way out into the room, and I was so delighted one day recently when she got very cozy in a big dog bed which was out in the room.  At times when the shelter is now more quiet, she will come out and rest on the bed for Reiki for a while.  At these times she will often be comfortable with my hands directly on or at least very close to her body, the waves of energy and love connecting us.  I am always careful to let her guide how much or how little space she needs between my hands and her body.

Her face is so much more open now, and she less frightened of other people opening her cage and making contact with her.  Last weekend she came out onto the lap of one of the other volunteers, rubbing her face on him:)

Thank you always Annette, you are such a thoughtful and lovely soul.  I cherish our quiet moments together, and am glad that for now you are doing very well.  You are a beautiful warrior, and I am so grateful to know you.  Look forward to seeing you soon!   xoxo

Keeping Things Interesting: Update on Sylvie at Downtown Veterinary Clinic

I have been working for a while with dear Sylvie at Downtown Veterinary Clinic.  Sylvie was taken in by the clinic after having been abandoned on the streets of New York City in a roller suitcase.

She was terrified at first, understandably, and was very distrustful of people and of other animals, hissing and swatting at anyone who came near her. 

I have been working with her very slowly and carefully using a combination of Reiki, TTouch, treats, play, and some other tools and tricks.  Reiki is wonderful because I do not have to touch her physically for her to feel the calming energy.  So on days when she is not in the mood to be touched, I will just sit near her and let the Reiki flow.  She has been comfortable with more and more contact over time, and is more at ease with me just sitting near her.   

However, a couple of weeks ago, I felt like she was starting to be a bit more withdrawn again, I think as there had temporarily been more traffic of people and animals in the office area where she is living.  I knew I had to throw something new into the mix to capture her interest and help her fear subside. 

When you are working with an animal and things are feeling as though they are stuck or moving backwards, I think it is helpful to follow your intuition and try something new.  As the TTouches do their magic by working with non-habitual movements, adding some variety into an animal's routine can often help you move forward with them.  In the case of cats, you need to use sense and sensitivity, as cats are generally resistant to change.  But changing something as simple as bringing in a new toy or treat can do the trick!

I brought some baby food and a long soda fountain-type spoon (all-meat baby food without onion such as turkey or chicken, Gerbers is generally a good brand) to see if she would like that as a treat.  I also brought a long piece of string, as some cats really enjoy playing with it.  [FYI please never leave string around, as your cat may chew and swallow it.  Always supervise your pet when playing with them with a piece of string, and put it away safely when done.]

Sylvie was sitting on a shelf when I arrived.  First I fed her a bit of the baby food, which she liked.  But when I pulled out the piece of string, her face truly lit up.  She jumped off the shelf to come down on the floor and play.  We did this for quite a while.  I moved the string closer and closer to me, and she ended up sitting right next to me comfortably. 

We did some TTouch there, first with a flat wooden craft stick that looks like a doctor's tongue depressor, and then directly with my hand.  I also gave her a few Temptation treats. 

After we played, she settled right by me, resting her foot right on my foot.  The sweetness of the trust of that was just so powerful and moving.

In the latest sessions with her, I have continued to present her with the string when I get there, and she usually jumps right down to play with me.  Her other new thing which is very sweet is that she likes to come down and sit right by my bag.  Part of that may well be that treats and toys come from that bag, but she also seems to feel safe sitting there, as she feels safe sitting next to me.

The other resident cat, Mama, often tries to join in, which is hard for Sylvie as she is not sure about Mama even though Mama is very gentle and sweet.  But when that happens I sit right in between them and that seems to work out well.  And it was interesting that the first time I brought the string, Mama sat off to the side and watched, as if she knew that Sylvie needed the time alone with me.

Just bringing this simple new toy started a whole new level of progress and comfort with Sylvie, which I am so pleased to see.  Her face and body posture are starting to be much more relaxed than they were.  She used to have a very pinched, pulled in expression on her face and that is starting to change.  Her eyes are more open and more relaxed.

Other people in the clinic are noticing the progress, and are able to have more positive interactions with her. 

It makes me smile to see her feeling better! And I know that the progress will continue.  And if things get static again, it is time to try something new:) 

Thank you to the Clinic for all your love and care, and thank you Sylvie for trusting me.  Much love as always  xxoo

The Power of Quiet Connection

 

Hi folks, today I am referring you to Bideawee's site, where I have a blog post up.  I work with the kitties at Bideawee, and share about my experience there and about the work I do.  Thanks Bideawee! you are awesome and I am delighted to be there!

https://www.bideawee.org/Blog-The-Power-of-Quiet-Connection-1