Casanova has a new home in Seer Farms Sanctuary. Seer Farms is a combination temporary foster for family's in crisis and sanctuary. Currently Casanova is in a kennel as he gets used to his new environment and then will live in a space with outdoor area, and cottage with air conditioning and heat.

Update On Cats of Long Street

 5.3.16
I have gotten behind in updating. Very happy to say that most of the cats here now have homes! Updates are below. All of today's updates are in red.

7.12.15
We are URGENTLY trying to find financial support and placement for the following cats. There have been several injuries in this colony. There are too many beings living too close together here. We are trying to move all the cats out. I will list them in the order of priority.

Casanova is living at Seer Farms!

Casanova, a handsome, widefaced orange tabby, who was spotted 8 weeks ago dragging his leg, after being trapped, brought to Dr. Cameron and examined/xrayed was found to have a broken femur. He is very fearful, was trusting of the feeder for his colony, so we know he has potential. We are looking to place him in a sanctuary and need to raise funds ($1000?...looking into this). This is for a lifetime of care, food and shelter. He is Micky's son, app. 2 yrs old, FeLV/FIV neg. He is still at the veterinary hospital--should have left 2 weeks ago--desperately needs to get out into a healthier environment. (working on getting a photo)

Micky (in Foster Care) ADOPTED 12.15 He now has his own Facebook page by his new owners Mickey :)

about 4 years old, was rescued July 3rd and almost died of an infection in his bones. But at the last minute he rallied! His R hind hock is horribly bitten up and L knee is shattered. He will most likely need reconstructive surgery. He needs an angel to help with vet bills and a forever home because he is a sweet guy who lost his home when the owner moved away due to foreclosure and left him behind.

Snickers (in Foster Care) Adopted 10.15!

 is still on Long Street. We want to try and rescue him this week. Most likely he had an abcess that burst. We need to get him before the infection gets too deep. He is a friendly guy and needs a forever home.

Why these placements are so urgent:

We had been trying to get Cleo and Dunkin (mother and son--Dunkin is a tuxedo cat) a home together. Were planning to get them off Long Street. Cleo comes very close to her feeder and follows her around, goes for walks with her and her dog. Dunkin was very attached to Cleo. Unfortunately, Dunkin got into some bad brawl and his faced was very badly mauled. We tried for two weeks to trap him, but to no avail. He would disappear and then reappear. Then it was 2, then 3, then 5 days and he did not reappear. We had to accept the very hard fact that we had lost him. RIP Dunkin. We miss you and know that you are in a better place. Your passing is a lesson that we can't save you all and also to seriously consider that this is not a safe area for cats. See them in action

New trio that could be adopted:
Cleo has now bonded with little girl--a couple months after the loss of Dunkin. These two, along with a beautiful long-haired tuxedo named Fella spend their days together. They would do well together in a barn-type situation. Little Girl can be petted, Cleo loves to be close, and Fella loves to be a part of the group--he is under the car below, a little harder to spot.

Crystal

is 12 y/o and still not spayed--very hard to trap. She's very intelligent, hasn't lasted on the street this long by luck. She's given birth to many litters; has had numerous male suitors. I'm hoping to trap her in the next week or so, looking to woo her slowly into a crate and get her spayed and vaccinated. Looking to find a place for her so she can spend her senior days in a safe and caring environment. This lady deserves a break!

The Cats of Long Street

The following cats need placement urgently! I offered to help with TNVR program developing in East Orange, NJ and got involved with the colony of cats on Long Street. The situation is getting more dangerous for them there as one woman in the complex is harassing the feeder and throwing down moth balls all over, recently ammonia; throwing poop all around, stalking the feeder. Police and SPCA are involved. They are mostly strays. Their photos and descriptions follow.

Please share! And contact me with any leads or questions. There will be help with vetting.
ktyates@gmail.com

Cleo, app. 8, spayed, vaccinated, treated for tape worms. Mother to Duncan (neutered and vaccinated), the two are almost inseparable and very affectionate with each other. They wait outside the feeder's door and Cleo follows the feeder around, walks with her as she walks the dog. Was once an indoor cat. She would love being around her human. She settled very nicely in the inside environment when she was recuperating. Duncan is a little more fearful--currently is dealing with wound under his neck. Would love to get him in with his mom.

Cleo

Cleo and Duncan waiting outside feeders apt

Would like to get these 8 month olds out of this volatile environment. Baby Girl keeps going back into the trap. Seems she liked being inside.

Baby Girl and Beau--both fixed and vaccinated

Jasper--in foster care! 4/22/15
UPDATE: Jasper is living at the BARKS Shelter and is much loved.
Super affectionate, long and lean, FeLV/FIV neg., has slight cough--7 years young. Ideally would love to get him in a home of his own. Has so much love to give!

Percy--Adopted 4/22/15

He has been rescued and is living out his days in an FelV?FIV + Home May 1, 2015

Very affectionate, app. 3 y/o, petite guy, dying to come inside. He did live inside, but was abused and thrown out. His hind left leg remains a little stiff from injury.

Thank You, Scooter

Our family cat, really Dad's cat, crossed over 7.19.14. (I had been writing about him then and only now am able to catch up.) Scooter was an amazing teaching cat--he challenged us to the very edge of our patience, torturing us with spraying the house inside and out, and wacking us when we least expected it. But, we loved him. Anyone with common sense would have sent him to a farm or a refuge.

But, the thing is, Dad loved him. And when I petted Scooter I was reminded of dad's big warm hands that would calm, soothe. You felt truly comforted when you felt Dad's hand. And I have a vivid memory of my father reaching his long arm down to the floor to pet Scooter, lying right next to him.

The spraying was a nightmare. He sprayed, at one time or another, just about everything in the house--nothing was too good for Scooter. Windows, doors, chairs, coffee maker, computer, the stove and me.

He was very territorial, nervous, unpredictable. He lived 17 long, 17 short years. I began working with him when I was in the TTouch training, and after I was certified I think I must have worked with him almost every day. We went through sooooo much together. Not the least was the loss of my father.

His spraying did slow down, but we could never get rid of all the triggers, like feral or stray cats in our neighborhood--they got him all riled. And, perhaps this was not the best thing to do, but I rescued some of those cats. I kept trying to explain to him that we have to share, that we don't always get our own way, but I don't think he ever quite got my point. even though I made sure to give him attention every day.

So, I'm sorry, Scooter, if I overwhelmed you. But I did keep two upstairs and away from you. Only Cuddles and Bonnie (Mia before Bonnie) were on the first floor--I had a room divider connected to the walls at the top of the stairs, 2nd floor. And you also had the basement.

It was fascinating, however, to see the changes Scooter was able to make. He went from hiding in the basement any time he heard the doorbell to coming up and looking to see who arrived when folks came to the door. This is at 16 -17 years of age. I'll never forget the first time it happened. Our neighbor Carol was sitting in the living room and we were chatting and in walks Scooter, right up to Carol and sniffed her. Carol put her hand down, Scooter sniffed it and Carol gave him a short light stroke. Hurray, Scooter! Cats really can overcome some of their fears!

Also, I work with children in my Feldenkrais® practice and a few times he jumped on the table to see them. And it was so wonderful, in a couple of instances, to see the child reach out with her challenged hand to stroke him--so very rewarding.

In case you are interested in details, when I worked with Scooter, because he got very stimulated by petting, I would keep the sessions very brief. I stayed to his side--he was less threatened by this and less likely to whack me there than if I stood facing him. And I would touch him only where he was very comfortable. I started with slides along his neck to mid-torso. He always seemed to love ear slides. These help increase circulation and oxygen--can help bring animals out of shock. He also liked hair pulls along the top of his head and down the back into his neck. Gradually I was able to go through more of his body. And the more I worked with him the sooner I could detect if he had enough and stop before he batted me. As the weeks went by I was able to stroke through his whole body. I then added turtle touches which are circles the opposite way on his shoulders, ribs and hips. He loved this! And I would see him settle down into the ground more, close his eyes. (If you want any details on these touches you can go to TTouch.com)

This all came in very handy the time he got sprayed by a skunk. He really let me clean him all over--and did he need it!!! Even though I was very very upset about this, I couldn't help but think about turnabout as fair play...just a little.

For those of you who do not approve of cats going outside, this was what made it possible for us to live with Scooter--letting him do some of the spraying outside. He did not really go after birds--he was more interested in things on the ground, like worms and mice--mostly chasing them. And he loved racing out of the house and up the tree in the front of the house. He always knew how to get down.

Here's a sweet moment when Scooter walked in and settled near Bonnie. It was not threatening, thought Bonnie wasn't sure what to make of it. Scooter was more likely to do something like this when thunder storms were coming on.

 And here is a somewhat rare moment, but sweet nonetheless when all rested together.

Scooter has left a big hole in our home. It smells a whole lot better to be sure. And I'm only recently resting bags on the floor without jumping to quickly pick them up. Sometimes I get a whiff of spray and think that Scooter has zoomed by for a visit. It took quite a while to stop expecting to see him in his favorite resting places, and being very sad when he wasn't. He was such a big presence--all the strategies and vet visits to investigate, to try and get him to stop spraying, it made us miss him all the more. I hope when I cross over I get to see him and give him a few more touches. Scoot on happily my feline friend.

Ins and Outs, Ups and Downs

[This was an entry from 2011 when Mia and Scooter were still with us]

The hardest thing in this household with five animals is a rainy day. This is because the downstairs cats, Cuddles and Scooter, can't go outside and they meow like crazy because they hear the upstairs cats romping. I'm hoping that Mr W and Ms P will find their forever home soon because Scooter and Cuddles are very upset about the upstairs noises. Cuddles, who lives up to her name, growls like a tigress when she sees Mr W. This is most likely because when they both were living outside, before I rescued them, he was courting her very persistently--this is the gentlest way I can put it. The other thing is that it's possible Mr W has a vision problem. He seems to rush up at things in a clumsy way. He never sees treats until I put them right under his nose. So he tries to get up close--I've seen him do this with Patches. She understands him now and will either rub noses or bite him on the head, depending on her mood.

Mia just puts her head down between her paws in her doggy bed. She's a good sport with 4 cats.

When the weather is nice, and Scooter and Cuddles take their evening walk in the 'hood, I let Mr and Ms come downstairs. Here they were cuddling while we all watched "About a Boy."

The upstairs duo have become very adept at getting past the room divider. It was such a beautiful thing when it worked. My latest idea to keep them upstairs was to put the vacuum, which they run from, in front of it. This worked for a little while only. In the end, when they want to come down, they find a way. Once see you see one of them downstairs, you know the other is not far behind.
[I have now secured this room divider with hooks that have closures.]

For some reason, Mr Whiskers has to get to the basement where Scooter likes to go. Then I find them crouched near each other. If someone knows what this is about I would like to know. I'm thinking it might be that Mr W is going to vie for head of the house, or he's just curious cause he knows Scooter from outside. Interesting that both of these males who appear very macho and territorial are very sensitive, nervous cats. Mr Whiskers will run under the furniture if the noises outside the house are too loud for too long. Scooter also runs from loud noises--anything out of the ordinary; will hide if company shows up, though he is getting a bit more confident in this area. Cuddles and Patches are curious. Cuddles who has quite a bit of Maine Coon personality will walk very freely around anyone she chooses--cat, dog, human. Patches will sit under a chair, peeking out with her cute little black nose and orange cheeks. Peeking out you see round little eyes, black nose and orange cheeks.

So far I let the four cats intermingle for short periods of time and offer lots of treats. It really isn't fair to bring the outside cats in to invade Scooter's territory (looking at this through Scooter's eyes). But, I keep trying to explain that he is doing a really good thing letting these felines stay in his house while we try and find them a home.

One real big plus for having the upstairs cats is that Scooter will not be spraying my bed. Yeay!!! My mother doesn't love the idea of haivng 4 cats in the house, but she appreciates this aspect. Because we love Scooter, and he was Dad's cat,  we could never make the decision to keep him out of the second floor, so thank you Mr W and Ms P for helping us out with this!

To make everyone feel comfortable and loved, I spend a little quality time with Cuddles in the living room, then Mia, who gets regular ttouch for her arthritis. Then I go to the basement to brush Scooter--his very favorite thing. Then I move upstairs and play a little with Mr Whiskers and Ms Patches. I've gotten pretty adept at two-handed feather games. I so wish I could keep these two, they are a hoot together. I hope and pray someone comes soon to adopt because it gets harder and harder to think about them not being here.

So...Good night Mia in your cozy dog bed in the dining room, Cuddles on Mom's chair, Scooter in the basement where the spraying is not so devastating, Mr Whiskers in the front bedroom with his own window near the food bowls, and Ms Patches with me.

Grace in a Little Furry Ball

Speaking of cats as spirits, one of the many gifts I got from my friend Jase was meeting and getting to know his sister, Jan. Jan is a very special human being. She is also a lover of animals. Not long after Jase passed, a little black and white kitty showed up in her yard. One single kitty. A gift... from Jase.

I had the pleasure of meeting this lovely little being. And so happy that it brought pleasure and love to Jan who was hurting immensely. I hope to get more photos of Kayley.

Mia, Not a Cat, Passing

I have not written here in quite a while because there has been much to deal with. I cannot go forward without first noting the passing of my true and faithful companion. Knowing when to let your pet go is one of the hardest things in life to deal with (IMHO). We know that the quality of our pet's life is in our hands, but to realize that their living and dying is in your hands can be a bit overwhelming. When is the right time? Am I keeping him/her for their quality of life or for me?

Mia was a very special creature and her passing was also very special. When I could see the bone cancer advancing--the swelling in her leg increasing, not wanting to spend time outside, not eating much, I pretty much knew, but one vet was suggesting amputation and while another said absolutely not. It's very hard when you're so close to see things clearly. I considered the fact that she was 14, that she had arthritis and spondylosis. She lost continence and we controlled it with meds, but she would lose it now and then and I could see this was very upsetting to her. Mia had been through so many life changes with me--divorce, two moves, nursing home visits to see my dad suffering with Alzheimers. It felt like losing her was losing her companionship and a connecting link to my past. I did not want her to go.

Once, during this time, we were walking down the street, and we passed a neighbor who I knew that Mia did not trust (he is dealing with drug issues). She nudged my knee with her nose  like she was saying "See I need to be here to protect you." I remembered a time when we were living in the West Village and she had dire-rear late at night. I took her out and as we got half a block from the apt I noticed a man behind us with a very scary look on his face--like Silence of the Lambs. Mia saw him in an instant and began barking--she has a very deep and threatening bark which I sometimes found annoying because she would scare people at times unnecessarily, but that night was extremely thankful for this deep and solid warning. There were also men that I dated that she did not like--she was always right.

The deciding moment came when I accepted that amputation was not a consideration and Mia was not enjoying going outside. She was in increasing pain that I could not manage. I called that Vet who suggested looking into amputation and said that because I thought she would not be able to get through this surgery and adapt i would have to let her go. Without hesitation she said, "I agree." My heart sank but I knew that it was time to end her suffering. I arranged for another Vet to come to the house. The day he was to come there was a terrible thunder storm. Extremely heavy downpour for much of the day and thunder and lightening. In her later years Mia shook during these storms. I was very upset that this had to be happening on her last day here. The Vet was at least an hour late which was both good and bad. It gave me a bit more time with my Mia--every moment was precious. This day I could tell she was really hurting, so I was also hoping he would hurry up. She looked weaker than she had ever looked, which also gave me a little relief and confidence that I made the right decision. I stroked her and told her she was the best dog ever and that she was going to get to see her best friend Bonnie and Dad and all her buddies that had passed before her. My sister came and my friend who lives across the street who used to walk with us and we prayed and listened to a spiritual song. When the vet arrived things happened very quickly except that Mia did not like this vet and when he went to shave her leg she growled very viciously at him and then went out to pee--the first time she had gotten up since the morning (it was now 6PM). My mind started spinning, "no", I thought, "I can't do this now, it's not the right time!!" But he was there, we had it decided, she was very sick. ARRGHHH, why did this have to be so complicated?! Mia went to the front yard and left her last mark. I was happy that she had that statement. She came back in and settled. The last shot was administered and as she left, the clouds passed and sun came streaming in the windows. it as instantaneous. I sobbed unselfconsciously, surprising myself at the pain of the loss. Thank you God, I thought, through the pain and sadness, for that sun sign.

The day after she passed i had to teach in a music conference which I had been very much looking forward to, except that day I was aching with the loss of was Mia. As I was listening to the opening speaker, I had this vision of Mia--the young and frolicking Mia, racing around, panting happily. Go, Mia, run free and happy. I will join you one day and when that day comes i will not be sad to leave this earth, because of the love that I have awaiting me.

I was later told by an animal communicator who was highly recommended, that this was indeed her time and that this was her last time on earth and now she would be helping from the next world. Whether it is true or not, I like it, it feels right. I can imagine that Mia still does not trust that I will be safe on my own and she will take breaks from her heavenly romps to check on me from time to time.

Endings and Beginnings

It's  Friday night. Fridays were for Jase. My heart is heavy with the loss of Jase, who started this blog for me. He was a gentle, brave, funny, inventive and complex human being; A good friend.

Aroo was his feline and I see now that he showed Jase the way by leaving first. I'm sure he was waiting there for Jase on the other side.

Why? Just after my father's death a friend from church shared that her heart had stopped during a cancer surgery and during the time they were trying to revive her she experienced such joy that she never been experienced since. She was in  beautiful place and met by her father and grandfather and other relatives who had passed on. Her dog and cat from childhood came bounding to meet her also. (she now rescues sick cats.) There have been studies done on these experiences. It has been documented that these kinds of experiences are not dreams, because there is no brain activity when the heart stops for a period of time. So my friend is released from his pain and suffering and led by the angels to a place of great joy. Now it is for us to wait til the time when we can join in the joy of eternity.

Meanwhile we are all stuck with our here and now. So I will write in my blog, though heavy hearted, to honor my friend.

My here and now involves a bunch of restless beings. I'm trying to unwind and write in the quiet, but this is not to be.

Mia (not a cat) is dealing with bone cancer. This is heartbreaking. She also is having to deal with Cuddles who has decided she wants Mia's bed. If you have ever tried to shoo a cat from a place they've decided is their nap space, you know what an impossible task this is. I tried several times this night and left the room only to return and find Cuddles in Mia's bed. Finally, Mia gave up and got into Cuddles bed. But it was really not fair. But then again life is so not fair.

Then I have to leave these two to let Scooter, the spraying cat in. I put him right into the kitchen, close the doors and give him some treats. Here Cuddles cannot intimidate Scooter out of his treats. He can eat in leisure and peace and quiet. Well. except for the thumping upstairs as Mr Whiskers gets into his nighttime Mr Hyde and starts pouncing on Patches. More unfairness. She is so sweet and docile. Patches just loves to play. Most of the day they get along. But something happens at night and he becomes a stalker, and very possessive.

I was thinking I might try and adopt Mr W out by himself because he is so possessive of me, pushing Ms Patches who is a little shier anyway, into the background. But one morning as I was going downstairs, I spied them on the futon--together.

I used to tell jase my cat stories. I confided that maybe I was not more actively pursuing homes for these guys because I was getting very attached. He said that I had to get them a home so that I could rescue others. I guess he's right.

I feel badly that I never brought any animals over for Jase to visit with, but for some reason or other the time was never right. Then I was afraid he would run one of them over cause he would go zooming around the apt with his motorized chair. I'm so, so sad tonight, I'm happy for Jase that he is released from his suffering. And I am comforted by the love of these furry beings.

God and all the saints and angels and your loved ones be with you. You will live forever in my heart.

Dreaming About Cats

I've gone past trying to figure it out and/or make excuses, but I now dream about these creatures.

It's a bit stressful here because there are one too many alpha beings. Mia is basically spoiled and wants all my attention, so she whines when anyone else gets attention (even Petey the parakeet). Cuddles believes she is the head of the household. Scooter sprays to remind everyone he IS the head of the household and Mr. Whiskers reminds me of a caged lion. He knows he's meant to be the head of a house, but we won't let him off the second floor. He would like nothing better than to follow me around and sit near me, claiming me as "his human." (Actually, I wish he had someone who was just his, but I hold back the search while we try to get him healthy.)

Once in a while the cats meet up and it is not pretty, lots of hissing and some growling--mostly Cuddles--who, as you can tell by her name, we took to be simply a sweet, melt in your lap cat, but no. One time when Mr Whiskers got downstairs, he started to go after Mia. One of the few, perhaps, only time I've seen his hair stand and seen him hissing, bearing teeth. I could not redirect him, he started to follow us, so I got Mia out of the house, my neighbor held her, while I whisked Whiskers upstairs with treats. We have the barrier to the second floor reinforced now.

Anyway, my dream was that I stumbled upon all four cats and they were sleeping together like kittens, all folded in and over each other. I'm going to hold to this vision.

(Cuddles with her kittens in 2007)

I had this dream when I got back from the Embodied Life Retreat with Russell Delman, where we explored Feldenkrais, meditation and version of focusing. It was exquisitely refreshing (no urine smells, ahh, it was is very "green" so there were all natural scents: lemon, verbana, cedar. It was olfactory heaven!)

To digress from the animals a moment, I wonder what the dream means? I was wondering about the possibility of it meaning that all parts of me were coming together, maybe something like body/mind/soul integration. I say this because I have heard it said that all characters in your dreams are a part of the dreamer. Just wondering...

Tomorrow is the second anniversary of my father's death. It is largely because of him that I am here in the family house with my mother and these creatures. Ok, Dad, you did not twist my arm and say take these in, but your example and perhaps, my holding of your memory of love and generosity lead me to this. You are well-loved and remembered tonight.

Update--Feline Hyperesthesia

First the good news: Mr Whiskers teeth look better. I was happily surprised! I think this is also due to his raw food diet because it includes bone (crushed in the food--Oma's). And Mr W and Ms P are getting along really well.

Now the challenging news: Mr Whiskers has something called feline hyperesthesia--we're still learning here. He has rippling skin on his back and belly and his tail twitches. He may start biting his legs or his tail, then he starts to run, like he's running away from invisible enemy. It's very hard to watch, because he looks so uncomfortable. I want to give him something to take it all away. We're working on this with a homeopathic vet, and meanwhile some slides along his body, grounding and following his breath with my hand seem to help, but they do not stop this strange syndrome.

When I brought Mr Whiskers back from the vet, Ms Patches came up to him and started licking him. Gone for such a short time and she missed him.

Here is a link to more detailed information and symptoms.
http://www.purelypets.com/articles/felinehyperesthesia.htm
And here is a link to a few videos, these really helped me to decide that this is what Mr Whiskers is dealing with: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTbH9H2j5Ds&feature=related

I'm mentioning this to hopefully save someone else time if they see their cat with strange symptoms and have not heard of this issue. The first vet I saw did not diagnose this, he called it epilepsy, which perhaps by a long stretch it fits in this family and some vets prescribe the same thing, phenobarbital and valium. Since I have been working holistically, I don't want to just mask the symptoms, I would like to get at the root cause. And he is not that well a guy cat, so I worry a bit about the side effects of medicines.

This has been a hard phase, I have to say, because my dog, Mia, has just gone through a bout of incontinency, where I was cleaning up constantly (hormones have done wonders, but also looking to homeopathy), she's still got some irritation, and on top of this we still have Scooter who sprays. So I feel we are being a bit tortured here. I know there are many worse problems in the world, but a house filled with urine seems a perverse variation of water torture.

Mr Whiskers Gets His Teeth Brushed

Recently, when I got a little closer to Mr Whiskers face, I noticed a smell I didn't feel too good about. Mr Whiskers, I thought, "you need your teeth brushed!" I guessed gingivitus at least. Dr Buchoff, a holistic vet, had introduced me to pet care like brushing their coat, tapping on their sternum to boost the immune system, and teeth brushing.  Growing up with animals we never brushed their teeth and they seemed to do just fine. I thought this was a little over the top, but I did try a bit with my cats, then it kind of slipped away. But now it seems like a really good idea.

I took a good look when Mr W yawned and by golly his teeth are kinda really yellow. So I got out the toothpaste and the little cat toothbrush. I put some on my finger to see if he liked it. He did. Of course, Mr W likes just about everything that's edible. So I let him eat a bit off my finger. I figured by licking it he would get some on his teeth. Next I put some on the brush, and let him sniff that.


Then Patches came over to see what Mr W was so interested in. There is also a kind of thimble looking thing that has little bristles, but this was too big for his mouth. he did not like this, The toothbrush was a better size.

I should back  up a little and mention that I have been doing mouth circles w Mr W. I used the tip of my finger and did little circles all along his lips. As he got comfortable with this, his lips began to soften, loosen, I began to get in his mouth and onto his gums (just along the upper teeth). This can help anxious cats to calm down. I believe it can help with aggression, and probably other things. But here it helped him get used to having things in his mouth. This is actually really important and a valuable practice in case you need to medicate a cat. I hope I never have to pill Mr W, but one step at a time.

Slowly we worked up to the point where I was able to hold him gently but firmly on the scruff of his neck and use the toothbrush. As soon as he pulled strongly, I let go, let him walk around a bit, then when he was ready to come back I tried it again on the other side of his mouth. When I saw him go into a crouch and not look at me or move his head, I decided he had had enough. I gave him a pet and told him what a good boy he was. Next time I tried it was pretty much the same routine. i think he's really going to be ok with this. And I have this vision of him being like the cat I saw on youtube who just looooved to get his teeth brushed. Here's a link to that video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HTYRYvhP8Y

Getting Along

Mr Whiskers and Ms Patches have some really beautiful moments and then some tumultuous exchanges, probably not unlike any relationship. Mr Whiskers kind of pushes her out of the way when he wants my full attention--I mean completely out of the room. In trying to decide if I should adopt them out together i consulted with my TTouch Mentor, a wonderful animal trainer and supporter, Mary Bruce (see http://taviandfriends.org/). She said I may be able to alter this behavior but I have to catch them in the act. So I try to redirect Mr Whiskers, or I hold him at his chest and say "leave Ms patches alone, she belongs here." I try to do some simultaneous  slides on them while they are there together.

It is pretty typical for him to push her off my bed after a while. So today, I had to remind him a few times. Then he surprised me. He came over to her on my bed, and lay next to her. This is usually a prelude to putting his arm over her shoulder, a kind of dominance move. But instead, he started to clean himself. Then Ms Patches started to clean herself.

Then after about 5 minutes of this they curled up and fell asleep. So sweet! The first time I've seen them sleep so close. Now I'm not naive enough to think they will be perfectly happy from now on, but I think their relationship is developing very nicely. Thanks Mary!





When I came back from work they were in my office, sleeping together again, on the sofa. Sweet.

Ms Patches Grooms Mr Whiskers

So, these two appear to be getting along very well now. They still have their moments. I'll hear them brawling and have to separate them--time out, so to speak--but they always come back together. Mr Whiskers is like a football player, strong and solid. I can feel this when I pet him, the way he leans with force into my hand. He butts her with his head when she goes by, in a gentle but clear way.

Twice now, I've been sitting with them and Ms Patches started to groom him--so sweet she is. Patches is very dainty and I think his strong advances scare her. What is so touching is that she always comes back.

Here she's grooming once again. (Clearest photos I can get with my iphone.)

he leans in to accomodate

Then he rolls back to "embrace".

This is too much for Ms P, who vanishes.

I continue to observe because I am not sure whether to work to have them adopted together or separately. I do think cats enjoy company even if it is not the perfect match. For example, my mother's and my cat are not the best of friends, but I notice they look for each other. And when they rest I see all three Mia, my dog, Cuddles, and Scooter rest together--especially during a storm.

P.S. When Whiskers and Patches brawl upstairs, Mia hides under the kitchen table and Scooter and Cuddles cry to be let outside...quite the scene.

Ms Patches Loves to Play

Ms Patches is such a joyful cat. She learned to play from her kittens. She used to watch them from a safe place in the 244 West 10th apt. This was before she was comfortable with people. I thought once they left she would hide under the bed, but to my surprise she leapt out and started pushing the balls with the bells around, batting at string, chasing feathers.

Also, as the kittens were leaving, she went into heat. Although it was an unfortunate turn of events in one way, it allowed us an "in" with her, as she would let almost anyone pet her. I tried many different strategies to calm her. The idea was to wait until she went out of heat to spay her, some vets will disagree with this, but this is what I was told at first. But she never went out of heat. I waited longer than i perhaps should have and learned a lesson along the way, BUT it allowed me the opportunity to get closer to Patches, because the touches seemed to be somewhat soothing. I usually started out by letting the back of my hand slide along her body as she passed by.  Gradually I was able to stroke along her ears, her neck, did some small circles on her neck, and did circles with opposite hands, simultaneously (called the "turtle" in TTouch) on her thighs. This became a bonding time.

It was mostly an extremely stressful time, because I knew she was uncomfortable, but we came through this period all the wiser. I'm guessing by her behavior that Patches learned that humans can be "ok" and even preferable to be around (as opposed to not being around) and I learned that sometimes you have to spay a cat when it's in heat. You just have to go to someone who is very experienced.
And so now I have one very, very playful torty female. I think playing is a very good exercise for the cats. And it can be bonding.

She loves to play mole rat. This game was first taught to me by my ex-husband Curt. We first played this with Mia. She's not really into it any more, but Patches can't get enough of it. You move something under a blanket, like the stick, and she'll follow it. The only down side to this game is that your cat might want to play this game with your toes when you are trying to go to sleep. I strongly recommend not getting this game started on your bed, OR sleep with a thick blanket.

Patches also likes to chase things. She'll chase a ball or treats and sometimes she even catches them with her paws. I think her favorite is the feather on the stick. She'll play with this for hours.

She sometimes upsets Mr Whiskers with her zooming around, chasing imaginary objects, or tiny things she finds to push around, like paper clips, but she has a way spreading cheer with her antics.

Settling In

So happy to be able to say that things are settling down. The stress of moving affected us all and knowing how cats hate change I would say they did pretty well through it all. Mr Whiskers decided to move down to the second floor and I was happy for this, though this was where all the renovation was taking place. It was too hot up there--no air conditioning--and we've been having record setting heat waves. (There is an attic fan which is heavenly on cool nights.) The fact that he is venturing down, means he is getting more comfortable with us. His first time down was very cute because he meuwed his whole way down. He crept low and carefully, but steadily. It was kind of like he was saying, "I'm coming down, ok? ...Is this really ok? I'm almost down, ok? I'm down, ok?"  I thought it was a bit comical because I would think if you were creeping you would want to be really quiet. I think he's down to stay. He does have the third floor to retreat to if things get too busy on this floor.

 I only had to separate Mr Whiskers and Ms Patches a couple of nights--this was because they started brawling just after I turned the lights out to go to sleep. And because it began after I closed my eyes, I was never exactly sure what they were spatting about. This was disturbing because initially they got along fine. Even began eating together (dishes side-by-side). Once I heard the brawling, I thought the romance was defiinitely over (if you are new to their story you can get their history at the "Mr Whiskers and TTouch" posting). I had the feeling Mr Whiskers was trying to take over my room and this was where Ms Patches was getting used to sleeping. I as too exhausted to to do any observations, so Mr Whiskers slept on the third floor with a fan and lots of water. I had consulted with a vet who said that cats have the ability to adjust to extreme weather. He did do alright with the heat--he was fine in the morning--hungry and love-seeking as ever. And he and Ms Patches ate together peacefully.

 Also in the heat, Mia comes up to the second floor seeking the coolness of the bathroom floor (pushing her way past the room divider I place at the top of the stairs to give the 4 cats their separate space.) So then Mia and Mr Whiskers ended up having a confrontation. I never usually sleep so deeply that I don't hear Mia coming upstairs, but evidently there was a very heated moment between them--sorry Mom!! I owe ya.  Sooo, now there is a barricade at the bottom of the stairs leading to the second floor as well as the room divider at the top of the stairs.  It is quite an event going up and down the stairs in this household at night. I've heard some people let their animals move about freely and figure it our on their own, but I'd rather control the interactions to have experiences be as positive as possible and avoid as many spats as possible. Also, Scooter, my mother's cat, sprays and we like to keep this at a minimum, for our own sanity. Keeping the foster cats upstairs, hopefully lessens his anxiety about other cats in his territory.

Once in a while Ms Patches, who has boundless curiosity, makes her way down the stairs and so I give all the cats treats and do reintroductions. When I get a bit more settled in, I will give them a little more time to interact. Ms Patches seems the most affable of all the animals. She just loves to explore.

I'm realizing that all of this doesn't really sound like settling in, so now I will get to that part. Right now, for example, we are having a rain storm. Mia hides up here in the bathroom (gets some calming touches--complete body strokes called Noah's March--these really help). I've placed a gate across my bedroom door. Ms Patches is sleeping on the bed, Mr Whiskers on the cedar chest, and Mia is happy and feeling safe in the bathroom. The only thing I don't like about this arrangement is that I have to bring the kitty litter into the bedroom. Plus I don't like keeping my long-time canine buddy out of my room, but I tell him and Cuddles it's just a phase...we all have to be patient. And I think they are.

Here's (finally) an example of settling in:
Mr Whiskers, who usually only let me pet his head, is now allowing me to touch his whole body--head through tail. I can only do slides, no circular touches (TTouch reference). So I tried to introduce a brush once again. Up til now he hated anything but my hand or along feather near him, but now he likes the brush (wire brush that holds the hair and I use a long toothed metal tick comb to remove it.) I let him smell it to begin with. Then held it and let him come towards it. Then slid it along his cheek a little, waited. He began to push against it, which is a sign he liked it--yeay!

But he did want to know why I wasn't using my hand. See him sliding his face onto my hand>>>






Before you know it, he's allowing me to move along his whole upper body. Mr Whiskers sheds quite a bit, so this is wonderful to be able to brush him. And I've heard it is very good for the skin and coat.

Felines and Moving

It's been many days since an update because of the move...so many boxes!!! A bit overwhelming dealing with the move physically and emotionally--leaving my home of 9 years...well 7 years living there and 2 years visiting working--it was my hideaway in the West Village. my home.
Now it's gone.
I'm helping mom out with the family home. I'm not actually sure how much help I am since I've managed to fill it up with felines. It could be worse, I recently spoke with a writer who had 22 cats. We only have 4--so that's like nothing, except if you met these 4, plus Mia. They have a way of more than filling the space. Mr Whiskers has taken over the third floor, he allows Ms Patches to visit when he's in the mood. He has these demanding meows that scare the downstairs cats and force me upstairs to feed and pet him. Ms Patches has taken over the whole 2nd floor--two bedrooms and one room being renovated for my office (really her room if you ask her). And the other three run the first floor--a good one to be on, since the kitchen is there and the opportunity to go outside, which Cuddle and Scooter take much advantage of.


And I found myself asking why this timing?? Why did I have to have all these cats when I have this big move?? It's enough work keeping them all fed and their rooms and boxes clean. It finally dawned on me that this moving thing being a big life shift, one of the three highest stressors in life, these guys are possibly here to help me deal, to give extra love through this time. If I let them. (Or drive me crazy, but i'm not going there.) They all adore being pet and I have begun to use the time as meditation. It's a kind of petting meditation.


Now for the felines side of things,  they have had to deal with all the hubbub and they are doing pretty well. Mr Whiskers kept to his third floor hideout and Ms Patches kept her eye on me to make sure her room renovations met with her approval. 

I had to be extremely careful with the plastering and paint because it is very toxic. But Ms P is very good at navigating around things. She has a boundless curiosity. She really cracked me up the way she kept appearing when I least expected her. I would look down to put a rag in the bucket, for example, and there she was, watching intently.


Cuddles and Scooter stayed out of the way downstairs and Mia showed up every once in a while to make sure we all knew she belonged. We're still in process of getting settled in, and it's so hot we're all taking it very slow, but that's another story.

One Step Forward, One Step Backward

Not sure why this happened, but Mr Whiskers started getting spooked and wacking me when I tried to touch him. Things were going so well. Perhaps because things are a little tense around here. I'm getting ready to let go of my apt on West 10th...so I guess I may have to change the name of the blog...I got the feather out and started using the feather again with Mr Whiskers and he was more comfortable. He let me slide over his whole body with the feather, then he sighed, stretched out, and rested on his side. So I feel there is hope.

If I thought I was overwhelmed before, ha! that was nothing. So now besides taking care of 5 animals I'm painting the rooms at my mother's that I'll be moving into and sorting through things, getting rid of stuff, reorganizing. It will be the first time in about 15 years that all my belongings will be in one place. Hopefully all the animals will not get too stressed. It is probably a good thing to have to stop and take care of them, pet them, use the touches....calming, centering. Thank God for my mother who helps with feeding and my friend Ellen who helped paint!

Ms Patches has begun to come up to visit, but it wasn't the smashing reunion I hoped it might be. It was rather anticlimactic. She was more interested in him than he in her. He was more concerned that she might eat his food, so he chased her out. But there was one brief sweet encounter where they appeared to rub noses. Sort of like "hello, yes, I remember, now scram." I think he's very happy with his third floor space, windows, toys and cat climber.

You can see below by her ears that Ms Patches is a bit nervous about entering. She's such a sweet spirit, though. Rather than hiding after being chased or being aggressive or combative in return, she sits at the doorway to the room and waits. Almost like she's waiting for him to remember or get used to her. We'll see...

Scooter, The Man of the House

Scooter is enjoying the blues on the radio on a balmy Sunday morning. He loves to rest his claws in the curtain. Doesn't he look so sweet and docile? He is the number one reason why fostering cats is so hard. Scooter is a cat that sprays.
Ugh!!

Usually male cats who are not neutered spray--for various reasons. One is to claim territory. Only 10 % of neutered cats spray and Scooter is one of those.

Scooter is my parents' cat. My mother says the only reason she keeps him around is because my father loved him so much. He really is a very sweet, very disturbed guy. They thought he was a "she" when he was young. They named him Lily, changed it to Willy, when he continuously would dash out of the house he became Scooter.

Living with Scooter makes you feel like you are living in purgatory on earth. The smell from his spraying is almost impossible to get rid of. He has been tested for any possible health problems--he was found to be very healthy. I switched him to what I feel is the healthiest diet--raw. We've tried a host of things, including valium, depo-provera; pheromone plug-ins, throwing out furniture that he doesn't stop spraying...nothing has worked. His fur is looking a little dry lately (maybe a seasonal thing, or maybe he needs to go to the vet. He is on fish oil). Right now we are trying Bach Flower remedies and adding kitty litter boxes with Cat Attract around the house. Keeping my fingers crossed. I'm also thinking of arming my mother and I with water pistols so if he sprays we can spray back (while he's not looking of course).

Mr Whiskers has to stay in the attic for his health and ours and Scooter's. Scooter is extremely territorial and does not like Mr Whiskers--he knows him from the 'hood. He once went over to the porch that Mr Whiskers was living on to pick a fight. Of course I can't say for sure I didn't see it, could have been he was trying to smell Mr Whiskers food, but why was he on Mr Whiskers porch??

So we have Mr Whiskers in the attic, Ms Patches in residence in the front bedroom, and Mia, Cuddles and Scooter eaking out a living on the first floor. This whole adventure has brought Cuddles and Mia closer. The seem to hang out together more.

It is quite an exhausting venture. My evening ritual is to start out on the first floor with my animals, saying hello, petting, TTouching, particularly Mia who has arthritis; feeding, walking (Cuddles and Mia). I clap my hands when Scooter begins to spray to startle and distract him, but then Mia barks and scared Scooter and he sprays again. I spend time brushing Scooter, which he adores--especially loves to have his face brushed. I add in a little mouthwork--circle on his lips and gums. I talk with him and tell him how much we love him but he is ruining the house and really needs to stop. While we have an extended brushing session I remind him he can mark with his face and it would be just as effective. Then we all have a treat. Then up to Ms Patches for a little playtime, then upward to Mr Whiskers to feed and TTouch. Because I don't get home til evening, it's usually about 2 am when I get to bed. So you won't see any photo of me here.

The Many Sides of Mr Whiskers

Mr Whiskers is a complicated guy. He is a strong, powerful cat. When he meuws he sounds like a kitten. Now that he's feeling better, he's moving much more quickly (he's on antibiotics for a bacterial infection). When I pet him he melts. I try to do some touches while he is eating, but he's starting to like them so much that he keels over--right into his food. Yesterday, he fell into his water bowl and didn't even flinch. He just kept leaning into my hand.  I was happy to discover he trusted me enough to dry him a bit with a paper towel. I get the feeling that he is love starved. He must have been living outside at least 3 years. While out on the street he gave this veneer of tough guy. One of the reasons he looks tough, I believe, is that he does not use any calming signals. He just looks wide eyed all the time. Who knows, he may have vision problems.

Cats have very similar calming signals to dogs I have learned. They blink their eyes (or squint) or lick their lips or look away. When I'm petting Mr Whiskers I try the squinting and looking away because he's still skittish. Even though he falls over when I pet him, if I move my hand in a way he's not ready for, he jumps. I use the back of my hand to slide down his beautiful soft fur because it has less heat, is less stimulating and possibly less threatening. He may swat, but he doesn't have his claws out, I'm very careful to read his body movement. If I feel him begin to startle I stop or withdraw, close my eyes. I'm careful because his feeder while he was outside got scratched, but he has not scratched me yet. I think watching the signals carefully helps.

He rolls over on his back exposing his belly, but I'm not going there yet. Sometimes he rolls into me, resting his paws against my leg--I pray he does not decide to use his claws and he hasn't. He really must have been someone's cat at some point.

He's starting to get more comfortable on the third floor because he meuws for me to come up and feed him. And he doesn't hide under the bed when I come up the stairs.

Here I'm doing some ear slides which he loooves and starting to hold his head. He likes to fall asleep with his head in my hand.

I'm really looking forward to reintroducing him to Ms Patches. I wonder how he will feel about her now?