Vocative - Putting Portland’s Ferocious Cat Lux on the Therapist’s Couch - 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.
Cat Therapist, Feline Therapist, Carole Wilbourn, Cat Problems, Cat incontinence, Cat problems, Cat health, Feline health, Feline Therapy, Cat Therapy, Feline anxiety,
19324
page-template-default,page,page-id-19324,theme-bridge,bridge-core-3.0.5,qi-blocks-1.3.4,qodef-gutenberg--no-touch,woocommerce-no-js,qode-page-transition-enabled,ajax_fade,page_not_loaded,,qode-title-hidden,side_menu_slide_from_right,columns-3,qode-theme-ver-29.2,qode-theme-bridge,wpb-js-composer js-comp-ver-7.9,vc_responsive
Putting Portland’s Ferocious Cat Lux on the Therapist’s Couch
Mar 13, 2014 at 4:24 PM ET
The 22-pound feline went berserk on his owners this week. But it wasn’t his fault—he just needs some help. Here’s what three leading cat therapists would do to get Lux’s head right
Feline therapists can agree. Lux, the humongous Himalayan that terrorized his Portland, Oregon, family and forced them to call 911, is going to need all the professional help he can get. And perhaps a new loving home to live in.
All hell broke loose this week when the 22-pound cat took a swipe at his family’s 7-month-old baby after the child yanked its tail. Lux’s owner, Lee Palmer, retaliated by booting the cat in the butt. It was not the wisest reaction. The ferocious feline went berserk and trapped the terrified family and their dog in a bedroom. The cops came. And the rest, as they say, is Internet history.
Vocativ spoke with some of the leading kitty counselors from around the country to get their take on the cat attack and learn how Lux, who is 4, might move forward with his young life. Reiki, Prozac and cat trees could all be in the cards.
Prognosis: Lux needs help. But we really don’t know what his past experience has been. He may have experienced PTSD when the baby reached out and annoyed him. Muscle memory might have prompted a flashback and caused him to relive something that happened in his past. “Oh my God, I’m going to be killed!” Or something like that. Regardless, there was a ripple effect. The father, who has a loose wire in him, lost it. He kicked the cat. If someone kicked me it would either be fight or flight. Lux chose fight. He’s a descendent of the wildcat. And that’s how the wildcat existed.
Treatment Plan: Chances are, Lux’s recovery from his PTSD will be gradual and quicker with a calm and caring environment—a single cat home and no young children. Lux will need a behavioral/emotional treatment plan that affects all of his senses. I use a combination of behavior modification, music therapy, emotional evaluation and Reiki so I can treat the total cat. Lux might need an anti-anxiety drug (psychotropic) such as Prozac, Xanax, etc. (or a homeopathic remedy) as auxiliary therapy. The drug would be slowly weaned as Lux integrated new coping mechanisms that would enable him to deal easier with stress.
Cost: House calls and home visits in Manhattan are $365, which includes phone progress reports. A phone or video consultation is $165.
