Wednesday 29 July 2009

Some of my lovely cat friends....... Enrico

All the cats I look after are complete individuals, all so different to each other. It's what makes my job so much fun and so enjoyable. I'm going to tell you about some of them - I'm changing names, but you might recognise your own pets from these descriptions.

Enrico is a big black bear of a cuddly cat. He's fairly new to me and I've looked after him a couple of times recently now. When I first went to meet him and his humans he was incredibly shy, hiding in the corner of the kitchen by the fridge. They told me that he was always like that and really expected that on my visits I might not see him at all. I might just have to put food down, sort out his litter, go and then return the next day to see that the food had been eaten - the only way I might know he was there at all!!

Well, the first couple of days that was pretty much what happened. I'd been shown where one of his hiding places was, and sure enough there he was, but very unwilling to come out. Knowing that you don't crowd or rush cats, I left him to it, but was rather sad for him, as he was getting no human company at all while his people were away.

On the third visit, I tried to tempt him out with one of his dangly toys. To my surprise he responded, and came out from his hiding place to follow it. I sat down on the sofa, teasing him with the toy, and he played happily with it on the carpet, but kept a bit of a distance from me.

The fourth visit was a complete surprise. I've no idea what had been going through his head, but he'd obviously decided that I was ok, and immediately jumped on to my lap. From that point he became the soppiest cat I've worked with, and I've known a few!! He stands on my lap, puts his hands on my shoulders and nuzzles into my neck, shoulder and hair. He runs his fingers through my hair and licks my face!! I decided at first that he was a cat that thought he was a dog, but a couple of visits later changed my mind. He's a big cat, with a big round bear-like face, and with the way he hugs me, I've decided he's a bear.

We're completely in love with each other. Gorgeous Enrico. xx

Sticky Cats and Dogs


No, they're not cats and dogs who like to roll around in unspeakable stuff getting themselves all messy and smelly.

In the world of animal sanctuaries, sticky animals are those who stay with them for a little while - those who it's sometimes trickier to find new homes for. There can be any number of reasons for this.

Cute kittens and puppies don't hang around - they're what everyone wants, and they always find new homes very quickly. There's often a waiting list, or people phoning regularly to see if there are any who've come in recently. Sadly, though, when they stop being cute kittens and puppies, they can find their way back - if they're lucky. Even then though, it doesn't usually take long for someone to come and decide they'd like to given them a home.

The difficult ones are the older animals, those with medical problems, others with behavioural issues, and often siblings who can't be separated. Understandably perhaps, people want an animal who's going to be with them for a while - there's a better chance of this with younger animals, so the older ones tend to get a little overlooked. But older animals have so much to give, especially if they've spent much of their lives in loving homes.

Imagine a cat or dog who's given years of love and loyalty to an older person who then dies - that animal goes through a desperate period of grieving and just wants to be loved and to love again. Our pets can, and do, live to good ages these days, so may have many more years of love and devotion in them.

Often this is compounded by the fact that there are siblings who've always been together. To separate them would be too stressful, so it's important that a home is found where they can continue to live together. They often are a little older, and then of course, because there are two (or maybe more), the feeding and care costs increase. But the costs needn't be prohibitive, and the comfort of having a sibling around can hold back the stress that often starts or compounds medical problems.

Looking after an animal demands real commitment, and in many ways this costs money. An animal with a medical condition will obviously cost even more, but animal sanctuaries will often waive an adoption fee, and maybe even provide medication at cost (much cheaper than from a vet) for the rest of their lives. Also, vets are understanding in this situation, and will sometimes provide prescriptions so that you can purchase medication direct on-line. There are options, so a cat with a medical condition needn't be a worry.

Behavioural issues are the hardest. As well as being sticky animals they can also be boomerangs. Dogs that are hard to handle, and cats that bite are the most frequent returners. Sanctuary staff will do all they can to ensure that an animal goes to a person who understands what's needed, what the issues are, if they can handle them - but frequently people don't properly listen.

Most dogs can be trained, but commitment from the human is required here - in terms of accepting the cost of training and understanding that they themselves are often part of the problem, and hence the solution. Be prepared to be open-minded, and to accept the need to change yourself too.

Cats might look soft and fluffy, but in any number of situations the teeth and claws can come out. Some cats have never been properly socialised, and have never learnt how to be with people, but that doesn't mean that they can't be good pets. It just requires time and patience, and also acceptance of the animal as they are. If a habit of biting and scratching has developed, it can take a long time (and sometimes never) to overcome. Don't crowd or push a cat, give it room and space, let it come to you when it's ready.

All cats and dogs deserve a good home, and not just because they're cute kittens and puppies. If you're thinking about offering a home, try to think about what you can do for the animal, not what the animal can do for you. It's important to take the offering of a home to an animal seriously - but then the rewards can be enormous.

Sunday 26 July 2009

Did you know?

It's a wet, miserable Sunday morning, so I thought I'd lighten things a little with some odd facts about cats. Some things you might know, some you might not........ Feel free to add your own too!!

I always thought that all ginger cats were males, and I've come across lots of other people who think that too. Then one day I came across a gorgeous ginger cat that the owner called Sally - clearly a girl's name. I was convinced that they'd got it wrong, but no, it was definitely a girl. Then I learnt that although the vast majority are in fact toms, about 10% are female. Strangely though, among all the the ginger cats I've had the pleasure to look after, the majority have been female.....

Cats can have a bit of a reputation for being promiscuous, and it appears it's well founded. It's entirely possible for a litter of kittens to have more than one father!! It's all to do with a cat's reproductive system - works very differently to ours. So if a female is un-neutered and on heat, she'll attract all the un-neutered toms for miles. Now if you see a litter of kittens all with very different markings and even appearances, you'll know that they've probably got different fathers. A note of seriousness here though.... There are so many unwanted kittens, that frequently, and very tragically, meet a very sad end. To help ensure that this doesn't happen, we need to be certain that all our pets are neutered.

People tend to think that their cat is getting into old age by the time they're 11 or 12, but they can live for a lot longer. A well cared for and well nourished cat can live well into its late teens and sometimes even early 20s. Just as we as a human race are now living longer than ever before, the same is true for the animals in our lives. My sister recently lost her cat at the age of 21, and I'm now often meeting people who have cats of around this age. It's said that the oldest reliably recorded cat was a female tabby who lived until she was 34!!

Beware!! We tend to think that cats only purr when they are happy. Well, that's not quite true - they can also purr when in pain or fear. Vets and animal behaviourists are still not 100% sure exactly what purring is all about, and how it's produced, but it's well worth being aware that it doesn't always happen when they're happy! Our domestic cats purr at about 26 cycles per second - that's about the same frequency as an idling diesel engine.

If you have a cat in your family, you'll probably have noticed that they see, hear and smell things that we've no idea about. They can hear frequencies up to about 65 kHz. To put that in perspective, humans only hear up to about 20 kHz. You might have noticed that if you cat sees something it's not come across before, as well as going for a look, and perhaps touching it, it will sniff it. This is probably the most important sense for a cat, and it gets a great deal of its information from its sense of smell. Cats' sense of smell is around 14 times stronger than ours.

Lots of other interesting Did You Know stuff about cats on Wikipedia - www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Cats/Did_you_know*

Tuesday 21 July 2009

How Bella Changed my Life


As many of you will know by now, Bella is my cat, adopted when she was just 6 months old from Animals in Distress.

At the time she came to live with me I knew that I was going to be made redundant in a few months. I saw this as a great opportunity, and knew that I wanted my life to be very different - I wanted some variety in what I was doing, I desperately needed to lose the routine aspect to my working life, and most importantly I wanted to do things that made me happy. More than that at the time I didn't know, although lots of ideas kept on occurring to me.

She'd not been here long when she had one of those days where she wasn't feeling very well. Nothing I could put my finger on, and at that point no great reason to rush her off to the vet. She was lying on my bed, being very lethargic, and I could almost feel how she was feeling. Without knowing I was going to do it, I sat down on the side of the bed with her, and placed my hands on her. Almost immediately I became aware that something was going on - I knew that my hands were helping to heal her. We sat and lay there like that for about 30 minutes or so, then she opened her eyes, looked at me, and skipped off the bed. She was absolutely fine again.

I looked at my hands in amazement and knew somehow I'd done this. I'd heard the word "Reiki" and knew vaguely that it was about delivering healing energy using the hands. I wondered whether that's what I'd been doing. I was so intrigued that I started Googling, to learn as much as I could. I discovered that in order to deliver Reiki energy I'd have to be attuned and properly trained, but I still knew that I'd healed her. In fact I believed then, and still do, that we all have the ability to heal - it's just a matter of believing it, wanting to do it, and most importantly doing it with love.

It wasn't long before I'd enrolled on a course, and graduated at Level 1, wanting to do lots of practice before going on to Level 2. At this time I had two opportunties, both actually quite sad.......

The first was with Bella's own cat sitter's dog (hope that makes sense). She was about 12, and had suffered with arthritis ever since she'd been involved in a car accident when she was 5. The Reiki I gave with her very obviously provided some relief, and also helped to rebuild her confidence in using her legs - I was told she'd even started jumping up onto the sofa, something she'd not done for a long time. Sadly, this was short lived, and it became clear that she was approaching the end of her life. But still I returned to give her lots of Reiki love to help her to be more comfortable when there was really nothing else left. Her human carer told me that she was so happy I'd been able to come and do this for her.

The other situation involved Bella herself, and I still find it difficult to talk (or write) about this. I shall be in tears, I know...... Bella was involved in a freak accident, when she was being chased by another cat just as a car was reversing up a driveway - her tail got caught momentarily and as she was still running away, tore her abdominal muscles. She spent a week in hospital, having major surgery and recovering. I'll admit there were times we thought we'd lost her, but I was helped by all the love that everyone who knew her sent.

When she came home I spent a week nursing her with Reiki. By then I had been made redundant so didn't have a job to go to - I was lucky, I could spend all my time with her, and I did. At the end of that week, we returned to the hospital for her check up, and the staff there couldn't believe how well she'd recovered, and so quickly.

The experience helped me to understand how Reiki can help, even in such a situation. I'm a person who will always look for the positive aspects to anything - even though sometimes it's very difficult. I realised that this was furthering my learning in how to heal animals, although I couldn't quite get my head around how such a beautiful, innocent little creature should suffer so that this could happen. Still can't......... Anyway, she's right as rain now, runs around and jumps all over the place, and you'd never know. A happy little cat, although at times it's obvious it did dent her confidence a little.

But that's not all....... Working with her pet sitter's dog helped me to get to know her pet sitter well, and she me. She could see how much I loved animals, and how good I was with them. It was also clear that Reiki helps in any circumstance, not just with injury or illness. I was still wondering what to do with my life, when she suggested I should also become a pet sitter. To be honest the thought had occurred to me, but to have her also say this really pushed me on.

So, as they say, the rest is history...... I have built up a lovely clientele of regulars and now and agains, and get the opportunity to bring them comfort and ease while their human carers are away. My approach even to pet sitting is one of healing, and I know now that this is what I should be doing. I love every second I spend with each of my charges, and I've never been happier.......

So, many, many thanks to that lovely little Bella cat for being in my life.

Sunday 19 July 2009

So difficult to leave them.....

When I go to visit cats, I'm mostly booked for half hour visits. This normally gives sufficient time to wash food bowls and feed them, sort out the litter, and perhaps 10 minutes for a bit of a fuss...... However, if they've gone outside it can be difficult to get them back in, and now and again there's a bit of a mess to clear up, so things can take longer.

Although feeding is important, as is keeping them and their surroundings clean, the cats feel that the main reason for the visit is to give them lots of tlc. They all like this in their own ways; some love jumping onto my lap and spend ages headbutting me (called bunting, apparently), others just need to know I'm near by. They all get quite talkative, and I find if I spend time talking to them, they're really attentive. I'm surprised how few of them want to be playing with their toys, although there are one or two who get so excited!!

The problem comes when it's time for me to go. Cats are masters of the art of emotional blackmail, and there's many a time when I'll say, "oh go on then, just a few more minutes." But of course that's never enough, and they don't care that I have lots of other cats to go and fuss over. As I communicate intuitively with animals, I've probably made this even more difficult for myself, and they know this. I can hear what they're saying and I feel so guilty leaving them.......

Of course, half an hour isn't very long, and when you've been on your own for 24 hours and only get one 30 minute visit a day, I get the point. "What do you mean, you've just got here, and you're going already!"

So, if you ever book a cat sitter to come and look after your little treasures while you're away, please have a think first as to whether one 30 minute visit a day is really enough. Perhaps a longer visit every other day, or visits twice a day instead. They'll love you for it!!

Thursday 16 July 2009

The Tale of the Three Three Legged Cats

One of the great things about working with animals is the opportunity to learn so much from them. They can teach us so much and all we need to do is observe and consider. In recent weeks, I've worked with three cats at Animals in Distress who've all had to cope with removal of a leg, and been amazed at how well they coped and just got on with it. These are their stories....

A few weeks ago a cat (named Phelps by the staff) came into Animals in Distress with a badly injured and infected leg. The vet decided that it should be amputated if he was to have any chance of recovery. After the operation he was feeling decidedly sorry for himself, but I could tell immediately that he didn't need any pity - he would recover best from hearing how big and strong he was now, and I gave him many a motivational talk. He really seemed to respond to this, and whenever I visited him he wanted to show me how well he was doing. He was a great character, and soon found himself and his confidence again. It wasn't long before he had a lovely new home.

While he was there another cat came in - Murphy - with a leg that was completely useless and he just dragged around with him. However, he'd got used to having just 3 legs, and would race around quite happily on the ones that worked. The vet had suggested that the useless leg should be amputated, and we were all a little dubious - after all, he was coping fine, why put him through major surgery? In the end however, we could understand the vet's point - once he was rehomed, what if he was running around and got his leg caught somewhere? He couldn't feel it, so every chance that this might happen. After the op, you just wouldn't have known what he'd just been through. He'd been happy and confident before, and was the same after. Was still running around on three legs, but at least he didn't have one getting in the way. Another one who found a new home very quickly.

Then there was Austin - another cat who came in just after Murphy, with a very poorly leg. Once again amputation was the answer. Austin has a big personality, and knows what he wants and what he doesn't. He can be a bit feisty, and losing a leg hasn't dented his confidence in the slightest. As I write, Austin is still waiting for a new home, but I know it won't be long.

Actually, the title of this blog is wrong as there's now a 4th cat in this story...... I recently met a new customer and her cat, Archie. Archie also has 3 legs, and has been this way for a long time. I sat there open mouthed as he raced around the flat, as though he'd have no idea what to do if he had the full complement. He's a very happy cat, full of life and energy. Since writing this, Archie's human carer has read my Blog, and tells me that he also came from Animals in Distress - about 10 years ago.

These amazing animals can teach us so much about dealing with adversity in our lives. Cats are quite stoical creatures, and don't wallow, they just get on with things. I've learnt from them that there's absolutely no point in lamenting what's gone or what you don't have. The best way is always to work with what you do have and celebrate that, no matter how much or little. Thanks boys!!

Sunday 12 July 2009

Thinking of adopting a pet?

As many of you will know, for the last couple of years, I've been a volunteer at an animal sanctuary. Many of the animals are brought in in a poor physical state, and almost always suffering emotionally. I come to give them Reiki treatments to help them to recover both physically and emotionally - very often an emotional hurt can linger for longer than a physical one, and can impede full recovery.

I'm going to give them a name check, because they do fantastic work and I think this needs recognising (these are my words in this blog, I'm not claiming to speak for them). At Animals in Distress in Irlam, there's only a small paid staff and an army of amazing volunteers who give up their time to come and care for the animals. They're a charity, and depend greatly on donations from the public to keep them going. Vet bills are huge these days, and they need to spend a vast amount from their funds in this way.

They never ever put a healthy animal down, and will keep on looking after, feeding, and provding necessary vet treatment for as long as an animal is with them.

It's always a cause for celebration when one of the animals finds a new home. But unfortunately, things don't always go perfectly. Animals are sometimes returned (they'll always take them back), often because the new carers didn't fully realise what they were taking on. It's such a shame, as this can be very stressful for an animal.

Kittens and puppies are very cute, but you should always be aware how much hard work they can be. Older animals need homes too, and have usually learnt how to be house trained, and be with people. Nevertheless, older animals can come with baggage, not all of which will have been apparent during their time in the sanctuary. However, the staff will always tell you what they know about the animal you're thinking about adopting, and it's a good idea to listen to their advice.

For example, if you're told a dog or cat is not good with children, and you have children, it would be better to find another animal. Some cats don't particularly like either men or women, others prefer to be the only cat in a household, but others enjoy the company of other cats or dogs. There are all sorts of idiosyncracies in the animal world. One important point - if you are thinking of integrating a new pet into a household with more than one animal, be sure you do this properly. There is lots of good advice out there - have a look at Vetontheweb. The sanctuary staff and your vet will also be able to help you.

At the sanctuary, many of the animals have been found or brought in as strays, so little is known. Some of these animals can take some time to get used to human company - some may hide away, others will bite or scratch when approached. This doesn't mean that they won't become good pets - frequently they do, but they need time, patience and lots of love. Don't crowd them, take your lead from what the animal is telling you. Just be happy that you're able to give an animal a safe place to live, with good vet care, and regular good quality food. Think about what you can do for the animal, not what the animal can do for you. And don't give up on them...... please. There are lots of people who can help - your vet can refer you to an animal behaviourist, or other therapies, such as Reiki, may be able to help.

Adopting an animal who wouldn't otherwise have a safe and loving home is a wonderful thing to do, but it's not a decision to be taken lightly - do please think whether you are able to give an animal a good home, and have the patience and love to help them to settle in, no matter how long it takes.

Finally, Animals in Distress are at 55 Silver Street, Irlam, and can be contacted on 0161 775 2221.






Bella and the magpies

I've just been watching Bella in the garden having a right old argument with a family of magpies. Very funny!!

In fact, it's not the first time - they seem to have built up quite a relationship, and have endless conversations. That is, until more and more magpies come to join in, and Bella just gets really frustrated and runs indoors complaining all the way.

I've got a small garden, but it's got a lovely silver birch tree in the corner, and plenty of shrubs all around. I love having birds come to visit, so always make sure there's food in the garden for them. Bella loves it too, and can spend ages sitting the shrubbery under the tree cackling away at them. They know she's there, and she knows they know - it's almost as though they have a respect for each other.

Now and again she'll adopt the pose, especially if there's a bird on the lawn and she's hidden somewhere. But the birds know exactly what she's doing, and I think have fun teasing her. They know they can always get away, even though she's very quick. And she knows this too, although she can't avoid her cat instincts.

She's always been rather wary of the magpies though, as if she knows they could be quite vicious if they wanted to be. She can spend ages sitting below the fence they're all congretated on, and the conversation goes on and on........

I'm aware that some people would worry about the birds and might say that I really shouldn't encourage them to come into the garden with a cat around. But it's quite clear that they both enjoy the interaction, and I think the birds are firmly in charge!!

Friday 10 July 2009

Keep your cat happy while you're away

If you have pets, whenever you go away, even if it's just for a weekend, you have to decide how to take care of them. Dogs tend to go either to kennels or to boarding with a professional dog boarder, or perhaps to friends.

If it's a cat you have, you can choose to book him into a cattery, but more and more these days people say their cats are far happier if they can remain at home - in their own comfortable and familiar environment, with all the smells and sounds they're used to. They're very territorial animals and many don't take kindly to being uprooted and put in a small cage or run for the whole week, or perhaps longer. There's no doubt that there are some excellent catteries that care extremely well for their residents, but for many it's just not home.

So, you've decided to leave your cat at home - who's going to come and feed him? Some people have some great neighbours, or perhaps friends or family they can rely on. But often there's no-one nearby, or you just feel it's an imposition, especially when it comes to dealing with the litter.

That's where a professional and caring cat sitter can be invaluable. But there are a few important things to consider if you want your cat to be as happy as you are while you're away.

Firstly, take care to find the right cat sitter for you and your cat.

  • Perhaps get a couple to come and visit to see who you and your cat feel happier with. Don't just go for the cheapest - after all, when you decided to have a cat you knew there would be costs involved in providing the right food, good vet care, and of course while you're away. Ask questions, find out why they became a pet sitter, what training do they have, are they fully insured and CRB checked? If your cat needs to take medication, are they experienced in doing this? Above all, trust your intuition.

Where possible, given your cat the run of the house.

  • Or at least, as much as possible. I've looked after cats who have been confined to just one room while their human carers were away, and they were so miserable. If you're concerned about the furniture, what can you do to protect it?

Cat proof your house.

  • Before you go, just have a look around to be sure there's nothing lying around that your cat could knock down, break, or even be injured by. Don't get too carried away, but it makes sense to take a few precautions.

Ensure your cat is calm, relaxed and happy.

  • Our cats are used to human company, and can come to depend on it - I find it's a fallacy that most cats are aloof and not bothered about us. A cat sitter will provide some company, but it won't be you, and they won't be there for as long. Despite the fact that the cat will be happier in his own environment, will look forward to the cat sitter's visits, and will possibly sleep for a lot of the time, there's no doubt that they can fret and become anxious during a prolonged period of your absence. There are a few simple ways that this can be alleviated.
  • Firstly, ask your vet for a Feliway diffuser (works like a plug in air freshener), and use this while you're away. They normally last for about 4 weeks of constant use. This mimics certain cat pheromones, which helps to reduce anxiety.
  • The next thing you could do is provide your cat sitter with a bottle of Bach Flower Walnut Remedy, and ask them add this to your cat's water each day. This helps with the emotions connected with loss and change, and I've had some great success where I use it. For more information - on use and dosing: http://www.bachremedies.co.uk/. (Good for people too!).
  • Don't change your sheets, or instead put a used sheet (or perhaps a worn item of clothing) on or close to where your cats sleeps or spends time during the day. This will carry your scent, which will be very reassuring.
  • Finally, you could book an animal Reiki practitioner to come and provide treatments once or twice during your absence. Put them in touch with your cat sitter and they can arrange it between them. Even better, book a cat sitter who's also an animal Reiki practitioner (like me!!), and they'll get a dose of calming Reiki every visit. Have a look at my website to learn more about how Reiki can help animals: http://www.whiskerspetcare.co.uk/ (also good for people!).

Silence is Golden?

  • Normally the house is full of all sorts of noises, and this is very reassuring for a cat. It's amazing what they can sleep through!! When there's no-one in for days on end, the house feels very empty. If it's possible, consider leaving a radio on, on low volume, on either a classical music or talk station. Cats respond well to music, and the sound of people talking. Another way to ensure that your cat is calm and relaxed. Also much more pleasant for the cat sitter!

How many visits and how long for?

  • I find that people typically just book one half hour visit a day, sometimes without really thinking through what's best for the cat. If you feel your cat would benefit from a longer visit, or more frequent visits, then discuss this with your cat sitter. Perhaps a longer visit every few days would be a good idea. However, please don't think your cat will be fine with a visit any less frequently than daily. They really do need human company more frequently than that, and you should also consider what would happen if your cat became poorly or injured himself.

Tell your cat what's happening.

  • Have you noticed that when you talk to your cat, he really seems to understand what you say? Although cats don't actually understand the language, they do seem to get used to familiar words. Animals communicate far more with feelings than we do (it's pretty much a lost art for people as we've come to depend upon verbal communication so much) and are great at receiving the sense behind the words.
  • So, why not sit down with your cat and let him know what's happening? Tell him that you'll be away and explain that humans have a need to get away from their home territory from time to time. Reassure that you'll be back again in a few days (although time doesn't mean much to animals, they'll get the sense of this). Explain that while you're away, someone will be coming in every day to feed him, and most importantly, give him lots of TLC.