Cat Care Society – what a wonderful place for cats : http://www.catcaresociety.org
Reading London’s story is heart breaking:
When London came to us 6 months ago, she spit through the bars of her cage in receiving and also hid under her bed for several weeks. Dave started putting treats near the bed and could sometimes see London’s paw coming out from under the bed to get the treat so they know she likes treats and now, she will eat treats out of the hands of the few people she has come to trust. She also loves to play with a foam ball and one of the photos I’m sending shows Suellen holding the ball out to London. She’s very sensitive but if approached can be aggressive, especially to hands. She has twice bit someone: first, when she was surrendered, the new boyfriend of the surrendering owner tried to get her out of the carrier and she bit him, and second, one of the cleaning crew pulled her by her hind leg when she got behind a copier and she bit him. She can’t be picked up or petted, but if certain people whom she’s learned to trust sit quietly in her room and don’t approach her, she will come to them and head butt and/or sit on their outstretched legs and has also crawled into Suellen’s lap when Suellen was on the floor with her legs outstretched. Suellen says that “she’s in there” and also that she wants love so badly but doesn’t know how to receive it.
Several months ago a volunteer who knew healing touch said that London was abused and is “broken.” We don’t have any information about abuse but that really doesn’t mean anything. You can tell when you go in her room that she’s very shocked and shattered. I’m sure her heart is broken, or at least very, very hurt. She is in a room by herself, obviously, but yesterday, they put the cats who live in the main hall—a dozen or so—behind closed doors and let London out into the hall and Dave said she was okay with exploring the new place for about an hour and they did so again today, tho leather gloves had to be used to get her back into her room today. Our vet tech, who has also taken a special interest in London, is resigning as of Friday so that’s the main reason they decided to try and expand London’s horizons. This feels rather urgent because she won’t allow any medical work or check up or handling and there is some question in the air about how long she will be allowed to live. We don’t euthanize cats who are troubled or shy or sad or need a ton of extra care—we only euthanize for extreme, accelerated failing health and extreme and “hopeless” behavior issues. We have had cats who have lived there for years on special kidney medicine and treatments and extreme social issues and many other health issues, and the cats always get what they need, but London seems possibly to be moving into the extreme and hopeless category in some people’s eyes, not that or Dave or Suellen I agree with that. It’s a medical opinion. I mention these urgent issues because I’m sure London has picked that up and that can only add to her despair/sadness/anger. As I mentioned in a previous e mail, I think that the abandonment of the cats is the most harmful issue they have to deal with, more than sickness and injury and homelessness.
London is easily startled and it takes her a long time to get used to new people. Her room is closed to the public. She is quiet in her room and can be talkative but cannot be approached. When I was taking pictures, I got a little too near and she started growling. She loves sitting on the edge of her table and hanging partly over (see photos).
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When we connected with London, we started very slowly… and gently.. Reiki is love. Love is the highest vibration on the planet and all wanted to do is surround London with love…
London said London wants you to stay back and heed London’s warnings. No no no London does not want to hear from you or you (referring to the both of us) London feels adversity from people now. Once London felt hope and kindness but then this was cast aside tossed away. London never wanted to be an obstacle but a pet to be loved . London survived filled with sadness. The guardian angel is not a threat in fact London feels the angel surrounding London with real love and protection. How amazing London feels the spark inside again. Thank you, really thank you.
It felt as if her heart opened a little . We asked the Angels to stay with her .
I enjoyed reading this sentence in some of the feedback we received : London got on her blue cube and had her legs hanging off. Soon I noticed she was falling asleep . I said look guys she is comfortable enough to close her eyes with all of us in the room. I was so proud of her .
