About Me as a Cat WhispererI currently live in Knoxville, TN, and I've lived in many parts of the country. I've been to college, and I've gone back to it recently. My mom used to tell me that I anthropromorphize cats, or think of them like people. Well, in many ways, I do. I believe that cats have souls, just like dogs and other living creatures, but not like humans. I think of cats as little people in cat-suits. They seem to have feelings and thoughts; can reason things out, and often come to independent conclusions. They can forsee outcomes and forecast consequences. Any dedicated cat watcher can see this as it happens and will agree with me.
I can often talk to cats so that they understand - even a cat I've never met before. They figure out real quick how to talk to me in return. This makes me a Cat Whisperer. I use my understanding of cats, their behaviors, needs and wants, and put it into words that people can understand, which helps the cat owner with a problem. Each cat has a different personality, individual needs, wants and wishes; just like people. Dogs can be like this too, in a lesser way. Dogs see people as their pack and will do anything to stay in good graces with the pack leaders (their human owners) because their survival depends on it. Cats are solitary by nature so have a much weaker tie to their people. Cats can usually survive independently of a family unit once grown to adulthood. This is NOT to say that a cat can be safely abandoned and survive, because we've bred self-sufficiency out of them over many centuries. But, cats choose their people, so to be truly loved by a cat is to be blessed.
I feel a real responsibility to my cats. The ones I've chosen didn't ask to come to my home and be cared for by me. I want to make sure they have full, healthy lives. When they come for cuddles and communicate with me, I know that I'm doing this well. Those cats that "show up" in the backyard or at the door are different. They want shelter, love and food. Not necessarily in that order. I feel even more responsible to them because they went through so much before they got to me. I can usually figure out what happened by putting their behaviors to a plausable past. It may be fantasy, which I indulge in frequently, but if it works --- And it does seem to work. The cat will tell me in subtle ways what happened to them and I can fix that with the right treatments, both emotionally and physically, for the cat.
I love cats because they are affectionate, soft, sweet and smart. Beasley is smart enough to jump right over a dog who is harassing him. He's spoiled rotten and I take full responsibility for that. He has to compete with 4 other cats for cuddles and snuggles, and you can see the look on his face when he wants to come over and there's no room for him. His face shows all his emotions. Princess is smart enough to know that Beasley will never fight her very hard. She has learned that I walk into a room to do what I need to do, not to harass her or pick her up. She's learned that I may scratch behind her ears, but never force her to do what she doesn't want to do. She's learning to trust. She's been living on borrowed time for 6 years and is currently recovering from an illness that took half her body weight. I snuggle her and cater to her needs. I feed her extra, give her snuggles when she comes for them, and generally spoil her. Three years ago, I rescued 3 more, Pretty Girl (now Fluffy) now 7 years old, Bugs (now 5 years old) and Queenie (now 6 years old). These three girls had never lived outside a cage. Fluffy was so fat she could barely stand up, and was covered with mats. In the time she's been with me, she has slimmed down and become quite playful. She still has some mats, but only because she won't let me groom her regularly. She loves to be held and snuggles whenever she gets a chance. Bugs and Queenie needed to be spayed. Because of the vet shortage, it took a while to get them both done, but that's done now. Bugs was first because she went into heat and never came out. It was horrible! She is still trying to "make up to me" for being such a pain. She's become so cute and round that I forgive her. She has very big feet but is very small, like a kitten. Her growth was stunted with her first litter of kittens at 7 months. She's filling out, but her bones are done growing, so she has a tendency to get a bit round. I can't be angry with her. She cuddles freely and plays vigorously. She likes to help me make the bed. She's the instigator of most of the trouble she ends up in, and she has a perpetual look on her face that says she wants to be included in anything going on.
I found out a few of years ago that I'm allergic to cats and dogs. I didn't know this. I had a year-round cold and lots of sinus infections. When the Doctor told me I was allergic to cats, he put me on medicine and told me I needed to change some things in the way I deal with my cats. I now live in a place with carpets, take my medicine and groom my cats a lot and vacuum every week to keep the cat hair down. I also cover the furniture and wash the covers twice a week. It's a lot of work with these five! As soon as I can, I'm taking up the carpets and putting down hard floors. I will always have a cat near me. I've been visited by cats, usually black or ginger colored, in every place I've lived. I don't know why. Maybe cats know a cat-person when they see one. Maybe they see the love my cats have for me and want to live with me because of that. Maybe my cats tell the visitors how good they have it and then invite the visitor in. I'm not really sure. They live in their own world, and I can only guess at how it works. And at that, I seem to be pretty good. Hence, For the Love of Cats. (Last updated June 2011) A note about dogs - my insurance doesn't cover "Dog Whispering" because of the danger a person may be in with a vicious dog. A dog can kill, but a cat won't and can't. So, I will leave the dogs to those with the sole intent of training them. Other Pages "About"
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