The Healer

Today I learned something very interesting: my cat Faith, is a healer. Now, I know a lot of you must be thinking :duh, most cats are in some way or another...in fact, most ANIMALS are in some way (dogs, including mine, going into rehab centers or nursing homes, horses used as therapy animals for riding etc. etc.)

Thats what most people think of as animal healers; other people are touched by their own animals in a much deeper way. A majority of the books that I own and read are about the human-animal bond; animals saving their owners from true danger like a house fire, or from drowning. Some other people have animals that have healed them in more spiritual ways; mending broken hearts and lives. That is where my animals fit. Ive tried to make my mental and physical illnesses no secret. There is no difference between the chemical imbalance in my brain sending my body fight or flight panic signals, and the electrical impulses that control the rhythm of my heart. I have come to terms with those facts, and those illnesses. However, although I am COMFORTABLE with what I have to live with, I am always trying to learn. I try to get something new out of every session with either my cardiologist or my therapist.

Today, I happened to learn something new from my therapist....that my cat is healing me. Again, going beyond helping me get up every morning, and get her food ready; taking her for a walk in the stroller, snuggling with me when Im down, etc. (My dogs do all of this too, by the way; I definitely dont want to minimize what THEY do for me everyday!) But it turns out that Faith is doing two things that my dogs are not...

The first thing Faith does, is that she sits or lies on me. Now, this may seem like no big deal since billions of cats all over the world do the same thing for their pet parents. But this is something that can actually help me in my panic. After having a pretty bad panic attack a few days ago at my aunts, my therapist suggested that I have a talk with my family about what they can do to help me should it happen again (not a question of if, but when...). She suggested that because my brain goes into "primal" mode (meaning it is going through fight/flight pattern because of the panic and the adrenaline surging increasing those feelings), I am often unable to speak, or if I can, make much since~because my brain is not working right. So the best thing they can do, instead of asking me questions or trying to "talk some sense into me", would be to tightly hug me, or to swaddle me in a blanket because that primal tactile sensation will calm me down; like it can do with people with brain injuries, Alzheimer's, or other emotional disorders.

So I asked if there was anything I could do about a panic attack either when Im alone, or in a situation when I cant get this feeling from someone else. She suggested that I might want to get a weighted blanket or shawl to "fake" the hug pressure. Then I thought about Faith...I always feel better when she is sitting on me: me chest, my stomach, my lap, wherever. And now I know its the pressure her little body is exerting thats making me feel better.

The other thing that she can do that the dogs cat is purr. Purring has been scientifically shown to heal; its frequency is like using ultrasound. Here is a great article about the healing benefits of purring: http://consciouscat.net/2009/09/14/the-cats-purr-a-biomechanical-healing-mechanism/

As you can see, cats are the ultimate healers! Im going to go hug my little Faith right now and let her know how much I appreciate her help. Id love to hear how your kitties are healing you!

Chit Chat Cat

Ive never met a more vocal cat than Faith. Now, I know breeds of the Oriental variety are supposed to be very talkative, but Im not just talking about meowing here. Faith makes all KINDS of noises that I just think enhance her cuteness to the max. It started when she was at the vet when I first met her and she chose me as her human. The vet actually said that she might be in heat because she was so vocal in her cage to ANYONE who walked by. She was spayed soon after we had that conversation, and it was determined that not only was she not in heat, but she was younger than previously thought.

Then, she decided to show her talkative self when we went home; and then back to the vet for various appointments. She was always very clear on letting me know how she felt about being in her travel bag (and now plastic carrier). She has loud meows. She has soft meows. She has plaintive meows. She has questioning meows. All kinds of meows come from that little princess inside the carrier.

At home, she was always pretty quiet; again she was living in close quarters with two male cats and two other dogs besides my own. But now, she has REALLY come into her own. She chats with me every time I touch her pretty much. She talks to me when ever we greet each other; when I wake up in the morning, and when I come upstairs where she lives. It always seems to be chastising, like my oldest sheltie Heidi sounds like: "where have you been?" "do you know how long you've been gone?" "you're doing it wrong" and the clearest message: "wheres my FOOD?" She carries on her conversation with my prompting, and we chat all the way down the hall into either my bedroom, or the bathroom where her cat tower is (where she eats). And she makes ALL KINDS of noises along the way: she meows, chirps, purrs and yowls. Again, all the same basic message.

Now she has really let her guard down, and has started making "comfort" noises. Now, Ive never heard another cat make these noises, nor have I heard OF other cats making these sounds. Theyre "sighs". Theyre "moans". Theyre purrs of pleasure. Its so sweet to hear her curl up next to me at night and let a quiet "hhhmmmmmm" go; like shes had a rough day being a cat and is glad the work is finally over. The most precious sound is the quiet "aaahhhhhhh" sigh that she does in my ear when she lays on my shoulder. It sounds like the quiet "coo" a baby makes.

All this factored into my new registered name for her, through TICA where I plan to show her in the House Hold Pet division. She is known as Faith to her fans, but to the show world, she will now be known as "Jenns Little Gossip Girl" =0)

I just love all the sounds my baby makes...do your cats have any unique habits or sounds they make?

Dwellers

Have you ever seen the show on Animal Planet called "My Cat From Hell"? Its hosted by a great feline behaviorist, Jackson Galaxy. He goes around and tries to help different families who are having issues with their kitty companions. A lot of the issues have to do with either aggression (towards human or other cat family members) or destructive behavior (mostly having to do with litter box issues and scratching). Ive learned A TON about cats from the show, as he explains everything hes doing, and the cats doing, very well. Its not just entertaining to watch the transformations of the cats with his help, but its also a great show to explain "why does my cat do that?"

One of Jackson's theories, is that a cat is either a "bush dweller" or a "tree dweller", and you can figure this out on your own about your own cat. Does your cat enjoy being up high, climbing on furniture and enjoying their cat tree or shelves? Or would your cat be more comfortable on the floor, either under the furniture or on low pieces?

I have figured out that my little darling, Faith, is a "bush dweller". She used to enjoy her cat tower immensely and could always be found in it, but this was when we were living in the other house with the other 2-3 cats and 4 dogs. Usually she would be up there after being chased by one of the boy cats (the dogs never chased the cats) or it would be time to eat. I think a lot of the time she spent up there was merely just to stay out of trouble. But now that she is on her own, and only has my 2 elderly shelties to worry about (who could care less about her, to be frank), she is mostly floor bound. She of course sleeps in my bed, and on me IN the bed; and she sits in my window sill, but sometimes she hides under the bed or under the furniture. She still eats in her cat tree and RUNS up it when its that time, but she doesn't spend hardly any time in it any more.

So, Ive come to the conclusion that buying her the AWESOME cat furniture from hauspanther.com would be a waste of money =0( But, I do like my "bush dweller" because shes always by my side. I feel like if she had more of an explorative nature, maybe we wouldn't be so close. We're very bonded and I like the fact that she waits for me at the top of the stairs or see her beautiful silhouette in the pre-dawn light while she is perched in my window when I wake up.

So knowing all of this, and maybe doing some research on your own, (this is a great article: http://consciouscat.net/2013/07/24/is-your-cat-a-tree-dweller-or-a-bush-dweller/) what do you think your furry friend is?