Carole is available for bi-coastal house calls, speaking engagements anywhere, phone consults nationally and internationally. She also sees patients by appointment at Westside Veterinary Center in Manhattan. Her latest book is The Complete Guide To Understanding And Caring For Your Cat. Her recently released CD of spoken cat advice and soothing music is Caring For Your Cat, The Wilbourn Way.
Come back to Carole's home page monthly for cat news and Carole's most recent replies to behavior inquiries from worried cat guardians. To have this home page emailed to you after the story update, click here. You will receive this exact page by email, and it will link you to the other pages in her site, and to the rest of the IDA web site.
THE WILBOURN WAY (AKA Cats on the Couch) July, 2010
THE MESSAGE IS IN THE SUBTEXT
ORION'S REMINDER
My cat, Orion, looks very comfy on my Reiki book. But his position is a double entendre. It's my reminder to give him his Reiki treatment.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY IN THE WHITE HOUSE
(Orion, a former rescue, will represent cats and offer nuggets of wisdom regarding Beau, the rescued First Dog—a Portuguese Water Dog.)
LET'S MOVE IT
The fun is in the run. Orion has the long, lean look. It's from fun on the run. Don't wait to lose weight! Let's Move, the First Lady's campaign to fight childhood obesity, is the key to longevity for our animal companions. Orion wants Bo to be the mascot for this crucial campaign.
THE RIPPLE EFFECT
Hi Carole,
We recently took our senior and top cat Beau to Woods Hole, Mass., for a long weekend and left his three adopted brothers with their favorite cat sitter. Beau has a few physical ailments, and we felt he should be with us. But we thought he might miss his brothers.
Weren't we surprised when he perked up almost like his old younger self. Beau even walked with a spring in his gait, which is remarkable for a cat who's arthritic. He did settle in with our other guys when we returned home so there wasn't any adjustment problem. What are your thoughts on this situation?
Best,
Mary Ann, N.Y.C.
Hi Guardian Mary Ann,
You gave Beau an absolute gift of being the solo cat in your life on your Woods Hole jaunt. I recommend an encore of this preferential Beau treatment. Your Beau returned home in a rejuvenated state that was contagious. So you now have four very contented cats. Keep up the good work!
CATCENTRIC
This could be a striking but ordinary image of Sophie, a real looker of a cat, curled around a look-alike image. But what makes this quite extraordinary is that this photo is of the late Bugsy, Sophie's predecessor, whom she resembles but never met. A coincidence, perhaps?
TRAUMATIC ROAD TRIP
Hi Carole,
I recently made a five-day road trip to relocate to Washington State with my girlfriend, Malissa, and our two cats, Seth and Calypso—and what a road trip! On the last day of our drive across the country, our Seth had a near-death experience. As Malissa and I had never been to Washington before, we were unaware of the desert we had to drive through in eastern Wash. (Next time we’ll be more thorough in our travel research.) We had given Seth a half-dose of a sedative to calm his nerves about an hour before the temperature went from the 70's up to 103º. Because we were pulling a 4,500-pound trailer behind our vehicle and driving through the mountains, air conditioning was not an option. Thankfully, we were able to cool him down because the temperature dropped within the first hour as we moved across the desert.
When we arrived at our new apartment, we put Seth and Calypso in a room together (about 12' x 16'), so they wouldn't freak out as we moved our things in.
We are really quite pleased with our two guys. They were far from buddies in our New York apartment, and now they've become bed buddies. What a leap! Did our move create this extraordinary change? Have they re-invented themselves?
Chris
Hi Guardian Chris,
What a cat-antastic transformation! It sounds like Seth and Calypso have become re-invented. Washington must agree with them. It could be because you and Malissa are on a roll in your new digs. Your guys mirror your good feelings. Also, Seth released enormous angst with his traumatic near-death experience that softened his feelings. He and Calypso were able to feel somewhat united in their private space as you moved your belongings into your new apartment. These incidents helped pave the way for a breakthrough in their relationship. Your bed is a symbol of relaxation and territory, which is associated with you and Malissa. How very cool that they can coexist on your bed—such an exclusively identified territory. Many a cat feud is bed-related.
I have one major tip to assist them in their transformed relationship; whenever you interact with Calypso, acknowledge Seth verbally, e.g., "Right, Seth." Acknowledge Calypso verbally—e.g., "Right, Calypso," whenever you interact with Seth. This very simple segue enhances their emotional cat balance, Chris, you can refer to my site (Scroll to top of this page) for my CD, which will be another plus to their buddy-boost.
Congratulations from IDA on your new home with your cats in favor of your choice of location.
THE FATAL LEAP
Hi Carole,
We are moving from our house to an apartment on the sixth floor that has a large balcony. This would be a fun place for our cat to get a whiff of the outdoors and to have an extended playground. But how can we keep him from taking intended or accidental sky dives from this wide open, unprotected space? How can we cat-proof and make this a cat-friendly balcony for our cat?
Thanks.
Michelle
Hi Guardian Michelle,
I want to thank you for your wisdom in preventing a "fatal feline leap." A cat does not possess the best of depth perception. That is why so many a cat is a victim of "high-rise syndrome" - where a cat goes to chase an object and down the cat goes—through an open window, terrace, or balcony. A cat does not always land on his or her feet—especially if the fall is below the fifth floor. There is a way to make your balcony cat- friendly. You can purchase an enclosure or catio for him. There's one that can be attached to your balcony door that comes in different sizes, so he can have all kinds of protected play space. But make sure you supervise his balcony playtime. You can find out about this enclosure called Kitty Walk on my site that is located at the top of this page. IDA wants to applaud you for your thoughtful and critical preparations for your cat's welfare.
THE ELEPHANTS NEED YOUR HELP
You can help prevent the sale of elephant ivory. Please visit http://www.idausa.org
You can now follow Carole on Twitter.
QUESTIONS TO CAROLE
Please consult with your veterinarian first to make certain that your animal companion's problem is not due to any medical condition.
If you have a question for Carole, you can email her at thecattherapist@idausa.org. We're sorry that Carole won’t be able to answer all questions, but the answers to many questions can be found in her IDA archives.
Oscar the Cat Predicts Death
Oscar is the feline resident at a nursing home in Providence, Rhode Island who seems to have predicted the deaths of 25 of the residents. In case after case, when he has curled up next to someone, it usually means they have less than four hours of life left. I was interviewed about Oscar by NBC-TV. Read all about Oscar on their site. To watch my video, click here.
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