Lily Howls And Howls - The Serial Howler - 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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22 Mar Lily Howls And Howls — The Serial Howler

Posted at 15:42h in Blog by

Lily’s OCD howls are a symptom of loneliness and rivalry

Lily Howls And Howls— The Serial Howler
(Obsessive Compulsive Disorder — OCD)

Lily keeps a low and distant profile

“We don’t get it,” said Eva. “Our Lily howls non-stop every morning soon after her breakfast.” Eva went on to say how Lily usually howled from the powder room not far from the kitchen where she and her husband sat and read the paper while they ate their breakfast. 
Sometimes her littermate, Louie, would check her out with a sniff here and a sniff there. But most of the time he kept his distance while they gave her attention …… to no avail. There was a time when Louie was protective of Lily but soon became more interested in people contact and admiration. Lily used to be front and center when there were visitors, but now she preferred to keep a low profile while Louie was the star attraction.

Loneliness Triggers These Howls — Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
I pointed out to Eva that Lily’s obsessive howls seemed to have started at around the time when Eva’s work schedule changed, and she now had her mornings at home. As Eva hangs out with her husband over a long leisurely breakfast, Lily feels neglected, shut out.

Unwittingly, Eva’s behavior agitates Lily, and she has an anxiety attack. She wants to be part of the breakfast action now that Eva is at home. Once Lily starts to howl, she can’t stop until she’s really worn out. I also noted that Lily withdrew from her fun interaction with visitors. Rather than to have to compete with Louie she chose not to be present. With the existing breakfast situation, instead of a “quiet” withdrawal, Lily’s discomfort is manifested in howling angst. Her obsessive howl is a symptom of angst.

Lily’s Treatment Program
Some of my recommendations for Lily’s Treatment Plan:
• Before you sit down to breakfast set up a nearby chair or cushion for Lily’
• Acknowledge her verbally. You want her to feel very welcome.
• A brief brushing will lift her spirits.
• Provide her with a heating pad which will relax her body. The looser her body is, the better she’ll feel and act.
• Remember once she starts to howl, it’s a continuous cycle. You want to engage her before she freaks out.

Louie, Too — Acknowledge Louie
“Carole, what about Louie? Won’t he feel left out?” said Eva. “I remember you’ve written how it’s important to keep cats in the loop to defuse rivalry. So if we mention Louie’s name when we acknowledge Lily, will that satisfy him?”
I told Eva it would. “That’s the key. If you mention their names or “right guys” now and again in your conversation with your husband, they’ll both feel included.  No one likes to feel left out.”

Louie poses while Lily tucks into the covers

Pica — More OCD
Eva mentioned that Lily is a compulsive rubber ingestor. I explained that this compulsive behavior, called pica, is another symptom of Lily’s angst. She is attracted by the scent and consistency of the rubber. This activity distracts her from her feelings of angst. It puts her in the comfort zone. Unfortunately, it is a destructive activity. I recommended that a multi vitamin supplement could be added to her diet. Sometimes brewers yeast is the answer as it is rich in the B vitamins and good for stress. Lily’s treatment program will act on her rubber ingestion. A blood test would rule out any medical problems such as anemia.

Music Therapy And Bob’s Legacy
I reminded Eva that the music she played during Lily’s phone consult should play continuously to reinforce the therapy of the phone consult. “It will be your guy’s mantra,” I said.

Eva was referred to me by a friend in D.C. I had made a home visit for his cat Bob in Manhattan and later in D.C. Bob, as with Lily, was a “serial howler”.  He was a golden twenty when he passed on. Lily’s session was Bob’s legacy.

Reiki Soothes
“Let’s end Lily’s session with a distant Reiki treatment and we’ll include Bob.”