Miss Kitty's Lost Her Mojo - Carole Wilbourn
Carole Wilbourn, The Cat Therapist, has been the leading voice in feline therapy for over 5 decades. She has helped thousands of cat moms and dads explore, face, and resolve cat behavioral and health issues. Carole is truly the most trusted Cat Therapist in the United States.
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19 Jul Miss Kitty’s Lost Her Mojo

Posted at 01:10h in Blog by

From player to couch potato.

Miss Kitty

Arthur couldn’t understand why Miss Kitty’s demeanor went from high performer to couch kitty. Play, her inimitable signature, was now replaced by cat naps.
A few weeks ago one of her window balcony’s suction supports collapsed, and Miss Kitty landed on the floor with a thud. She darted off and recovered in one of her sun basked baskets. Arthur wasn’t surprised that she napped a lot the next day. Fortunately her appetite and other bodily functions weren’t affected. He became really concerned when after a week, Miss Kitty was still unresponsive to any prolonged play.

No Physical Problems
A vet visit and diagnostic tests were all unremarkable. Arthur felt somewhat relieved when she slowly started to respond to his
efforts to engage her in play. When two weeks passed, and play was on
her short list, he reached out to me for a consult.

Miss Kitty loves the feel of paper

Miss Kitty’s Bio
Arthur told me that Miss Kitty was about two weeks old when rescued. She had an eye infection and was the only survivor of her barnyard litter-mates. That was seven years ago. During that time she went from a totally feral kitty to a her-choice cuddle-cat and loyal bedtime bud

Emotionally Fragile Slippery Slope
I told Arthur that Miss Kitty’s sudden traumatic fall caused her to relive
old unresolved painful feelings from her muscle memory — the abandonment and kitten deprivation from her barnyard days. The impact of her fall was the catalyst for her current emotional slippery slope. She’s now cautious about any activity. When in doubt, she naps. Her behavior is a result of post traumatic stress disorder.

“Although this makes sense to me, how long will it take for her to
recover, and how can I help her?” said Arthur.
I explained that a slow, steady recovery would allow her to integrate new coping mechanisms — so she’d be more confident and less vulnerable to these stressful flash-backs. Her cat naps enable her body to relax. The looser her body, the better she feels. Relaxation becomes more of a constant, rather than her residual tension.

Treatment Plan To Build Confidence And Mojo

  • Encourage Miss Kitty when she plays. Praise her. Be her cheer leader.
  • Brush her to increase her relaxation. Stop before she becomes resistant.
  • A cat friendly heating pad will soothe her body and spirits.
  • Catnip will usually produce physical activity, followed by chillin’.
  • Play the music from her session to reinforce her comfortability and confidence.
  • Remember it’s a paw at a time as she recovers and increases her confidence. It’s a new chapter.

A Positive Break-Through
“Miss Kitty does react when I flash her kitty laser. I guess that’s a paw in the recovery direction.”
“Yes, #hash tag laser.” I went on to tell Arthur that there would be breakdowns and breakthroughs. He should focus on the good stuff so it became a given. Feel better, and she will mirror your feelings. Chill out together!