Theresa & Martha's Story
Theresa and her 6 ½ year old cat, Martha, adore each other. Theresa will do almost anything for Martha. Lately Theresa has spent a lot of money trying different varieties of high quality cat food. For a long time Martha liked Eukanuba, but lately she’s become extremely picky. Tuna is the only thing she likes. Because of the mercury content, Theresa doesn’t think it’s good for Martha to eat tuna every day, but when she tries to feed her something else, Martha takes a bite and walks away.
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When I looked at Martha’s energy and asked her what was going on I saw that she was concerned for Theresa, and she was slightly depressed. I asked Theresa how she was doing. Pulled down by negative politics and employee challenges, she was struggling. Theresa expends a lot of energy caring for others but sometimes forgets to take care of herself.
Theresa told me she was trying to put on a happy face and was telling Martha not to worry. “Yes” I said, “but Martha sees right through it. She’s picking up on what you’re really feeling and she’s acting out her concern. Food is an area she can exert control over.”
Theresa recognized that she needed to take time to care for herself. “That’s right” I said, “and as you feel more peaceful, Martha will pick up on it, know you’re o.k. and she’ll probably start eating better.”
Additionally, after living with a human and feline roommate for several years, Theresa and Martha had recently moved to their own place. “Martha isn’t getting as much stimulation during the day when she’s home alone” I told her. “I was concerned about that” Theresa said “what about an electronic toy?” I looked at Martha’s energy to see. “She might like that” I replied.
“I leave classical music on during the day,” Theresa said “does she like it?” I asked Martha. She said it was o.k., but she’d prefer something funkier. “What other kinds of music do you like?” I asked Theresa. “Disco, pop, dance” she laughed. “Try some of that” I recommended. “O.k.” she said. “What about talk radio?” “Sure” I said “but make sure it’s something you’d enjoy listening too, though, if you were there. She’ll pick up on the energy and like what you like.”
By the end of our session Theresa felt much better. The next day she sent me a video of Martha cavorting with her catnip toy. Over the weekend, Theresa took some rejuvenation time. Afterward she felt more positive and optimistic. Martha perked up even more. A couple days later she started eating her usual food again.