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[QUOTE]<strong> Dogs! No, cats! I mean dogs! No, cats are best! Oh, rats!
<img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="images/icons/tongue.gif" /> bump </strong>

I'd like to share my cat story.
It happened not too long ago.

My H and I adopted a cat from the SPCA six years ago. Since we don't have any children, the cat is as precious as one to us.

My H moved out after I discovered his past As. I was hospitalized a month after that and during that time, we housed the cat in a cattery at the local animal welfare. My H and I do not like the cattery. Although there was shelther, the cages would get wet when there is wind and rain. The place is not as clean as we would like it to be, and I suspect that our cat would not touch the food or litter box provided. There were dogs housed opposite the cattery, and when they get excited, they bark and howl. But, it had a big cage- almost 12x4 and that was the reason why we brought it there.

After my stay at the hospital, I spent another ten days at my mother's house recuperating. My H and I could not wait to get the cat back home, but before heading home, she went to the vet for a bath, deworming and de-flea-ing. Naturally, that was a lot of stress for her.

During the next three months, whenever I felt lonely or miserable, I would pop over to mom's and stay for three or four days, or a week. The cat would be left alone in the apartment, and I would pop in every two or three days to refill its food. It was during this time that she vomitted a lot. The vet said that it was getting old, and is having problems with hairballs. He recommended a cream which I had to put on the cat's paw for it to lick off. The cream worked, but the cat hated it. It would struggle and run away everytime it saw me with the cream or reaching for the cream. Soon it avoided me because I was the " Bad Cream Person". I didn't like the cat much at that time. To me, it was another burden that my H had left behind. I had to feed it, clean its litter and nurse its hairball problems. I had my own problems to take care of.

Months past and the cat withdrew itself. She stopped talking to me. She stopped greeting me when I come home, and she would hide herself from me for hours. She stopped going out, she stopped being curious and she stopped eating too.

One day, I noticed that she had a limp on her hind leg. She didn't move around very much. She prefered to spend her time in the back room. If she was up on the footstool, and decided to get down on the floor, she would move around looking for a 'safe' place to jump so as not to injure her leg. Whenever she gets up from her resting position, she would use her leg tenderly. It was painful to watch her, so we brought her back to the vet. He confirmed an injury, but was not certain whether it was the joint or muscle. He gave some supplements for joint maintenance and some steroids to help her with the pain. And as expected, I would be the one who administer the medication. It was another struggle, although this time she cannot run away because of her bad leg. She became more fearful of me and no coaxing will make her close and dear to me.

One day, I was at the homeopath's and saw some remedies for pets. Remedies for emotional upsets like fear, depression, loneliness, remembering the past, uncertainty, self-isolation, letting go, resignation etc. I got her a mix of seven remedies, some fish and liver, which was her favourite, and because I was too busy with my own life, have stopped making for her. When I went home, the first thing I did was put a drop in her mouth and rubbed her body with it. I also put the remedy in her food and water. The results were amazing.

For the first time that day in many, many months she stood on her hind legs and asked me to hurry up with the fish. She pressed her body back and forth against my legs till no end.

The next day, she greeted me when I came home. Eventually, she left the back room. She asked to go out. She caught lizards and other bugs. Her appetite came back. She followed me around. She visits me when I am in the bathroom and talks to me. Her new routine is to jump on the bed when I am in the shower and waits for me there till I go to bed. Sometimes I would go to bed early and read, just to be with her. She sits with me when I am watching tv. She purrs non-stop and asks to be stroked. A few nights ago she hid under the blankets to jump a suprise on me when I went to bed.

So what did I learn from all this? Why did the cat heal so quickly? Because animals do not hide their emotions. When they feel happy and safe, they show it. She displayed her need to be loved, and in her own ways, asked me to spend more time with her without sulking or demanding for it. She waited patiently for me to come home, and when I come home, it was love, love, love, I miss you all day, I love you, cuddle me a little. Look, I caught a lizard, it's in your shoe. She's depositing into the Love Bank ALL THE TIME!!

I am trying to apply these attitudes in rebuilding my own marriage. I try not to LB all the time though it's difficult. I try to give love first and forget the past. And I try to be patient.

What I do wish is that my H would come home, and enjoy me and the cat. She (the cat) has shown me that love is possible, and will always be there.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Ruffled:
[QB] I got her a mix of seven remedies, some fish and liver, which was her favourite, and because I was too busy with my own life, have stopped making for her. When I went home, the first thing I did was put a drop in her mouth and rubbed her body with it. I also put the remedy in her food and water. The results were amazing.</i>

That is a nice story. We can all learn from our pets. I suppose a scientist would point to the fish and liver as the change catlyst here, but who am I to criticize? <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" />

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oops, here it is. Context for my update post on The Cat.