bubbles

A good friend, Lisa, recently chastised me because I saw catnip bubbles in the cat-store but didn't purchase them. So, on the next visit to the store, the catnip bubbles came home with me.

Lisa promised that the cats would love the bubbles, that they would experience hours of amazing fun and silliness. Lisa promised that I would see flying cats snatching bubbles out of the air.

Reality looked a little different than Lisa's vision, as the cats were a little more inhibited in their expressions of overwhelming delight.

Willow sniffing a bubble. She went on to cautiously pop a few with her nose.

Nahum enjoyed popping the bubbles with his paw.

Willow investigates and pops another bubble while Nahum works hard to contain his enthusiasm.






After reporting to Lisa the disappointing results of the bubble play session, she offered to have her dog's best dog-friend teach the cats how to freely express their inner-bubble-passion. Now that could be exciting!

improvements

In class this morning Theo seemed more comfortable than before. I wasn't sure that could be possible because he was so easy going from the start!

He meowed a lot less. He wanted to explore the space and even played with his toys for a bit. Eventually he sprawled on the floor and rolled over - all this with the big dogs nearby. These are all things that a sacred cat would not be doing.

Theo did just fine in all the practice exercises today. He draws many compliments on his gentle, easy going nature, which is fun to hear. I feel like the proud papa, like I had anything to do with Theo's sweet disposition! He came this way, but I suppose the world doesn't need to know that!

delay

Today I received some disappointing news at class. The Delta Society requires the handler to have known their potential therapy animal for at least 6 months before completing the evaluation to become registered. This means I will need to wait until June to complete the registration process.

It is not the end of the world but it is disappointing to wait more, I feel like I have been waiting years already!

I understand Delta's requirement, it makes perfect sense. The Delta Society lists three requirements for a good therapy animal. The animal must be reliable, predictable and controllable. Being able to predict an animal's behavior in diverse conditions is only going to happen after spending lots of time together. I have only known Theo now for about 5 weeks, which is not nearly long enough to know how he will respond to most situations. I can guess that he would meet any situation with his gentle easy going nature but time is needed to know for sure.

So, I will finish the class at the end of March and then get three months to continually practice everything before the big test. Then I hope we both pass!

willpower

Some people come wired with strong amount of willpower. I am not one of those people, thus I am subject to making emotional in the moment decisions rather than sticking to the plan.

Willow seems to know this about me and she frequently tries to exploit this weakness. The cats each get one third of a cup of dry nuggets twice a day. Nahum and Theo wolf them all down with great gusto. Willow likes to take her time and spread her meal out over several hours. She makes frequent trips to her bowl gobbling down a few nuggets each time. Sadly, her style of eating is not very compatible with Nahum and Theo, who will gladly eat all her nuggets in her absence.

A few hours after her nuggets have been depleted, she starts working me over. She lays by her bowl and makes herself look as though she is about to expire - a horrible fate that could easily be avoided if only I would give her a few nuggets. So, I admit, sometimes I sneak her just a few nuggets to get her through another couple of hours.

Trouble is, she is kind of pudgy. Some of that may be do to the medication she has to take for her asthma. Yet, it could also have something to do with all the extra bits of nuggets she often gets.

How do I resist giving her something she so desperately wants? Cognitively, I know she doesn't need them and my giving them to her actually hurts her and yet, her expression of dire misery so often yields nuggets.

As a kitty parent, Willow needs me to be strong in my ability to resist her manipulative ways. This is my challenge - to love well by being willing to disappoint and trusting that it is for the greater good. Willow gives me many opportunities to practice strengthening my willpower.

pet partners class no. 2

Monday was session two of class. Nahum got an excused absence and stayed home, I don't think he is completely over the traumatic experience of the previous week. However Theo was up for the challenge.

We started the class by practicing how to communicate a polite yet firm boundary to keep an approaching person with an animal from having contact with your animal. The exercise requires being attune to and controlling your animal at all times, engaging the approaching person and animal and paying attention to the surroundings. Thats a lot to do while politely telling someone 'no, I do not want your animal interacting with my therapy cat.'

The reason for the boundary is twofold, the therapy animal is working not playing and second, you don't want to take the risk that the animal's owner may not be able to control their animal or their animal becoming aggressive. Best to just avoid such contact.

Theo had no problem with this. Even though a stranger with a dog approached fairly closely he remained completely calm and slightly curious.

The second part of class was to introduce your animal to various pieces of medical equipment to see how they would respond. A wheelchair and walker were maneuvered near all the animals. Some of the dogs were slightly stressed while Theo was unimpressed.

The third segment was to calm your animal as it hears a loud startling sound. The instructor would drop a large book on the floor, which made a loud sound. Again some dogs got sacred. Theo remained quite calm, looking back to see where the noise came from while enjoying the closeness of being held.

So far Theo's easygoing nature is making the class exercises seem simple.

rescue dream

A childhood dream has come true! I remember as a little boy my mom and I would dream together about having the resources to be able to rescue every unwanted dog we found and provide it food, water, shelter, medical care and unlimited love.

This dream fit comfortably in my animal-orientated-compassionate heart and was intensified by some animal related trauma.

A horrific scene from childhood remains burned in my mind. I couldn't have been older than about ten. I was riding in the car with my mom as we travelled the highway at about 60 mph. A short distance in front of us we saw a mother duck leading her family of ducklings into traffic. Time slowed as we watched the ducks get slaughtered one by one under the wheels of passing traffic. Feathers spread across the lanes. My heart wrenched in pain as I felt the overwhelming feeling of my powerlessness, there was nothing I could do to prevent what was transpiring. My mom and I vowed to somehow attempt to rescue the animal if we ever had the opportunity again.

One day back when I lived in Vermont, I was heading to an early breakfast meeting when I found a loose dog wandering dangerously in the traffic lanes of the interstate. I could not just leave it to a horrible fate, so I pulled over and somehow managed to get it out of traffic without getting either of us killed. I shared some of my pancakes with the hungry and very friendly dog and then brought it to the local vet. I later learned they euthanized it due to its age and condition. I was devastated.

A few years ago, while working in my yard I discovered a seriously wounded cat hiding in the bushes. Unsure what to do, I allerted the staff at the nearby veterinarian office (which is adjacent to our house.) Several staff members came immediately over and retrieved the cat. I learned later the cat was injuried beyond repair and was suffering greatly, so they did the humane thing and ended it's pain.

December 31st, 2009 was the day my dream came true. An abandoned house-cat had appeared on my in-laws doorstep a few days earlier, hungry and freezing. We learned it had first appeared several weeks prior. After checking into the nearly nonexistant animal control resources in rural Indiana we decided the best option for the little guy was to take him home with us. So we flew him home with us with the intent of either giving him a home with food and all the love he could want or finding him a good home. This lovey, sweet guy soon became known as Theo, which is of Greek origin and means "a gift of God".

I had been desiring a lap cat and a candidate for a therapy cat for a long time and Theo is both of these. Theo and I are currently working toward becoming a registered Pet Partner team through the Delta Society.

It may have taken 30 years, but my dream has come true, I have directly made a difference in the life of a suffering animal and in doing so have received a great gift.

greens

Nahum loves his green leafy veg! We first noticed this when we brought home celery from the grocery. We found him chowing on the little celery leaves that were sticking out of the bag. After the next shopping trip he poked his way through the bags and found a supply of lettuce leaves. Yum!

Recently Laura had a fresh bunch of basil rehabing in a glass of water on the kitchen counter overnight. In the morning we found a lone stalk of basil on the floor with the leaves munched off. The mysterious greens thief struck again!

We have since stored the basil in the microwave but the few times it was accidentally left out we found evidence of nibbling on the leaves.

In an attempt to discover the guilty party, I placed the basil on the floor. Willow and Theo gave it a cursory sniff then moved on. Nahum was transfixed and quickly shifted into graze mode!

Salads beware!