Health and Psychology

Back when I was in college I was the person someone called to get the stray cat from out of the closet, from under the bed, from making life insane when all someone thought they were trying to do was help by taking the stray indoors.  

I speak cat.  Cats have about 100+ different vocalizations mainly to express how they feel or to connect with what is in their environment.  I wasn't allow cats as a child; my mother hated them.  But as soon as I left home I had cats.  I had training as a behavior specialist and I worked with cats.  Over a period of time I learned how to speak cat.  I mentioned this talent one afternoon years ago when I was watching my supervisor with his young son.  I told him the child was spending so much time with the cat he was starting to speak cat rather than human.  Stuart, my supervisor, asked me what I was talking about, and how could anyone speak cat? So I made a noise, a series of eek eek sounds coupled with clicks and his son ran over to the picture window.  Stuart was amazed.  What did you say? He asked.  Bird.  I replied.  That's the simple translation of cat into English.  But it's more complicated than that.  There's so much more nuance to it.  The eek eek sounds indicate anything flying.  The clicking noises indicate something I want to eat or recognize as potential food. There's an intonation that it needs to be closer for me to get at it.  There's a tone that indicates that I can't get to it because there is a barrier of some sort.  It's so much more than just "Bird."  So much is lost in translation.

Yesterday my cat, Tatum, was visited by her cat friend, a large female white cat with some subtle orange points.  They have communicated through the patio door for some time.  Tatum has made overtures to inviting the cat inside to share toys, food, scratching places, and has shown a great deal of friendliness towards the cat.  The other cat has been attentive but not demanding.  So I decided to invite her in yesterday because I'm the keeper of the door.

So I asked her in cat to come inside using about 35 different vocalizations to do so.  And she responded in kind.  My husband watched from the kitchen window as I spoke with the cat and reassured Tatum.  Eventually she entered.

She explored around the breakfast/work table.  Eventually Tatum hissed at her.  She continued to come in from outside and retreat to the patio over the course of an hour with Tatum staying at a distance, being vary wary.  

This reminds me a lot of what happens with new supervisees in therapy with new clients.  It parallels the process of therapy. The cat speaks her own language.  I need to learn it.  The cat has a life outside of the house that currently works more or less adequately.  I need to understand that.  The cat will come and go as they choose and I get to leave the door open.  My husband asks if the cat will stay.  I reply that I have no idea. But I suspect the cat has another home and is just visiting.  She's not scrawny and not dirty enough to be a stray.  She visits for an hour or so and leaves.  She'll likely be back.  One of my supervisees told me a therapy client returned after a year of being gone from treatment.  They do that, I told her.  Just take them where they are at and find out what they might need now.  One of my supervisees found a cat.  Can I keep it?  She asked. Cats that are not strays usually have homes.  I replied.  They having roaming territories of 1 to 3 miles.  If you want to take it home for the night feel free but it may not choose to stay with you.  If you keep it overnight take it to see if it's microchipped and return it to it's owner.  The cat took off after it reached her house walking distance from the office.  She found out it lives by the office and reunited with it's owner a day or two later.  It might return to the office or even to her house at some point in the future.  They do that.

After an hour or so the white cat left only to return at night.  Tatum sat by the door, but made no move to invite her cat friend into the house so I didn't open the door.  Eventually the cat left.  She'll likely return again.  Maybe Tatum will invite her inside.  My husband doesn't speak cat.  He understands a couple of vocalizations at best. But he can ask the cat "show me" and she will take him to what she wants.  She's learned some English as well.