RPM FELINE FRIDAYS

How you doing? Hello everyone! Good morning America! I hope you're all there.

Morning!

Oh, do you know what, this is just going to become— so we're in this mode today. So everybody should be below me. I just, I just wanted to be on top. It's amazing. So, you know, if we're upsetting you because you're not on a mobile device and you don't like it in this format, really sorry. We've been told this is the way to do it. So we're going to be stacked from here on in. Now, guys, tell me about your month. What have you been up to?

Are we going down the pipeline? Should I go down the wire?

Come on, Julianne, tell us about your month. What's going on? What are you looking forward to?

So my month. So I took a week off. That was very novel. That was interesting. It's nice to have a break. And we've been doing some of the chakra book promotion, but the biggest thing for this month is that we have started to do Naturally Cats Conference preparation. So February, February 2024 is a date that is becoming more and more familiar in my day-to-day job right now as we look at graphics and content and speakers and timings and topics. So it's all about the conference, Naturally Cats Conference, here we come. That's been my world recently.

Oh, come on, that's your world recently. It's every year.

I know, I know.

All the time, isn't it?

I love it. Look at that. Yay for the conference. Oh, hi David. Hi Heidi. Yeah, that's, that's been me. The boys survived whilst I was away, much to my disappointment. They were, they were good. They were fine. They were alive when I got home. So yeah, it's, it's all been about the conference. How about you, Amaya? What have you been up to?

Well, another conference, but it's coming right now, next, in less than a month, uh, let's say 3 weeks from now. Um, well, not only the conference itself and everything that entails that— well, if you, uh, if you didn't know, I'm also a singer, so I'm going to be entertaining the people coming as well. So yeah, if, if you don't have your ticket yet, that's No, it's the time right now. RFES, the Raffaeting Materialized Society conference, and, uh, with the president gala has a different, uh, a different ticket to book. And well, the— all the behind, uh, all this, uh, with Mark, we are working really, really hard to make it work. And also it happens to be that all people that, you know, return from their holidays, and I have loads and loads of work, which I really appreciate, but it's driving me mad.

Oh, you're getting tired, is it?

Yeah.

So if she slowly goes like this—

yeah, kind of. Um, the thing is that it's really hard not to focus from the holiday theme and the beach and the, and the nice weather to suddenly Okay, you have to work now. It is time. It is time to do things. So yeah, that's been my, my month.

Oh wow. Well, today is all about feline anxiety.

We said a second, Brendan. What about your month? What about your month? Come on, let's go full circle on the line. Just because you're at the top doesn't mean you get away from it. Come on, back up to you.

Look, I've had So much going on this month. Unfortunately, we've had somebody pass away in the family. So there's a lot of grief stuff going on. And bless my wife is taking the brunt of that. So I am doing support. So it's been a little bit of a challenge this month. My heart is with you, Christina, still, even though you're traveling around trying to sort all of the bits out that comes with all of that. So I've then had so many places we've been since we were last together. Had I already, I think I'd come back from Aalborg. Had I been back? Had I been to Denmark? You see, things are just in such a tizz at the moment. So I went over to Denmark. I was speaking to a sort of feeding conference, a pet food conference. There talking about raw food and sustainability. Um, I have been, uh, obviously doing the lives with the lads. Uh, I have been rushing around. I was speaking to Nottingham University about raw food feeding on Tuesday. So, you know, all of that. I, I just don't think I've touched the ground. I'm sort of like, you know, I'm still in a little bit of a—

I'm laying down and you're floating. That's why you're in the car.

I mean, some important topics that we've got to talk about, touch on, is that the Cyprus version of FIP has landed in the UK. And so that's the devastating disease that is, instead of it just being a mild diarrhea that in some cats genetically converts and causes FIP actually in the genetically converted form can be passed back out through the faeces and infected direct into these cats. And that's why nearly 600,000 cats in Cyprus have passed away from this new variant of FIP. Devastatingly, it has made its way across with imported rescue cats into the UK, I found out this month. So, you know, be aware. You know, it's not— as much as we love to rescue cats and bring them, you know, back to what we consider a safe environment, that is a challenge when we do this, that there is no border controls to stop that coming across. And you may not realize it, but you may be bringing those little putty cats into naive populations. So we are desperately, desperately trying to make sure that this doesn't spread through the UK cat population. So little things like that, lots of stuff, sort of questions going on about raw food and cats in the social media, sort of like, you know, diseases that can be caught. There's a lot of speculation going on that we're trying to work out, and so I don't want to go in too much more than that because there's companies involved and it shouldn't really go for those for that because it is truly speculation at the moment. There is no proof. APHA have said that there should be no further conversations about some of those foodborne diseases until they have managed to find with the Food Standards Authority as well to check whether these are legitimate claims or whether actually they are not because they have implications on the whole of the meat industry.

What's that organization, Brendan? That abbreviation you just gave?

The Animal and Plant Health Authority. Okay, so the APHA. Okay, so they are the people who override public health and the sort of making sure that diseases of plants and animals are controlled within the UK borders. Okay, so, so just so much going on, as you can see, that's all rammed into my life, as well as being a vet, you know, and a family and you. So, so it's amazing, just sort of like to think how much stuff is going on in life. So where shall we start? We should go into anxiety. What, what sort of elements should we sort of deal with first? Because we've got so much going up in the UK that we would consider with Bonfire Night and fireworks. But actually around the world, many people go, what's that all about? So what, you know, 400 years ago somebody tried to blow up Parliament. What's that all about? Who cares?

The thing is with anxiety is we may attribute it to, you know, we've got that date coming up, but anxiety in cats isn't just about special occasions. It's not just, you know, anxiety is not just for Christmas. Do you know what I mean? Like, you know, it's heartbreaking.

It's when people notice the special occasions bed. It's something that it's underneath all the time.

Yeah, it's, it's worse at special occasions, but actually it's something that's there, you know, all the time. With humans, we don't just get anxious around, you know, special occasions, you know. It's, um, it's, it's always— and I think you said it's very true. I think like you said, Amaya, like, you know, it might be around those times that people or guardians are more aware of it, you know, more aware of an anxious cat because that's, you know, like cause and effect, isn't it? Bonfire night, you know, fireworks, loud noises equals hiding cat or trembling cat or whatever it may be, you know.

Yep. And what I would say about this is that at least people that have the best interest in their cats usually don't know how to handle the situations because what I see is that most of the time, for example, if a cat overeats and has anxiety with food, the solution is always deciding if I'm gonna buy an automatic feeder and find a patch that it's going to work with instead of understanding that that might be a cause of anxiety and things like this, you know, we come up with small solutions, but we don't understand how the cat is actually feeling and how this— it's something that, well, you will find a patch here, but then something else is going to show up. And then, and then so in the end you will end up with a lot of behavioral issues, but you have never tried to to address the basics is the anxious and the way the cat perceives life. Because this can go back to how he was raised or if he had the chance to be with his mother. It's not always your fault as well. That's what I also wanted to say. It's not always going to be the guardian's fault. Sometimes it's the way that the cat sees life, the same way we do. We don't have the same traumas, we don't have the same experiences, experiences. And we have to understand that the things that causes— that can cause anxiety to us, it's something that can, you know, go back through to our childhood or even be far away. So that's, that's something we have to understand, and we have to look for those small details. Every time you're trying to put a patch, say, okay, I'm going to put a patch here, but I'm going to try to look for the underlying costs, right?

I think it's really interesting what you said there about it being, you know, the disposition of the cats and also like the guardians recognizing it's not their fault, you know. And you know, you guys know I'll talk about energy, which I'll save for a bit later, about how we're connected and our anxieties mirrored in the cat, etc., etc. But I think it's really helpful to start with saying like, if you've got an anxious cat, it's not your fault, you know. And I really hope people can hear that kind of message because yes, there are ways to support them, but In my opinion, every cat is with you for a reason, you know, and if you've got an anxious one or all of a sudden something happens— because again, anxiety, like you said, Amaya, can be from kittenhood, from those early experiences, can also be brought on by a situation and events, the environment— but, you know, it's about understanding and accepting what you're dealing with, you know, rather than Some of the clients that I work with, I wish I didn't have an anxious cat. Well, you're never going to be able to fully support them if you can't embrace the way that they are, you know, like we would do with kids. You know, you, you might want your kid to act a certain way, but you know, if you want them to be quiet when you're sat in church, for example, and they're, you know, just shouting and screaming and, you know, want to play, like, you've got to deal with what you've got in life. And it's the same with cats. You accept what it is that you're dealing with, and that's the first step to dealing with anxiety, aggression, or whatever it may be.

Yeah.

Yes. So where we're dealing with these emotional states, where do you feel— do you feel that it's always going to be present for these animals, as we're saying here, that anything can set it off? Do you speak to clients about the fact that actually there will be certain times that that anxiety comes to the fore that they may note? And how do you help them recognize, because there'll be some people out there that just go, well, my cat, why is it they're not anxious? You know, as they're hiding under the sofa. And, you know, it's sort of like, so what, what sort of idea are you, how are you addressing this with clients as to one, to recognize it, to, to recognize the sort of key trigger things that can happen. Where would you go with that, Julia?

So, like, great questions. I mean, the first step is knowing your cat. And I know Amaya and I have said this, and you say it from a kind of the physical side, Brendan. You know, we say a lot on our Feline Fridays, knowing your cat, their weight, their height, you know, their weight, their stature, their, their appetites, whatever it may be. But knowing your cat is, is the key. So, like, I've known Leo for over 4 years. And like Amaya said, you know, he was feral for the first 18 months. He is a nervous cat. I wouldn't necessarily say he's always anxious, but he is nervous. If someone comes to our door, they ring the doorbell, he runs outside. For many years, I wanted him to stay in the house. I'm like, oh buddy, why are you running away? Don't, you don't leave the house. You're fine. You're safe. What's your problem? And now I'm like, but that's what he needs to do to feel safe. So I'm now, I say to him, buddy, someone's coming to the door quick. If you want to go outside, now's your chance. You know, and it changes the whole dynamic of our situation. So my first advice with clients is, like we said, accepting what you're dealing with, you know. So if you've got a nervous cat, okay, first let's try exactly like Amaia said, to look at where is this coming from, what is the cause of it, whether it's chronic or acute, and then look at how we can help you all together. And I, I'm just going to pause there before I talk about what anxiety looks like because I just want to see if Amaia you've got anything that you want to add to that bit in terms of, you know, if you were dealing with a client that came to you with an anxious cat before we talk about signs of anxiety, like what would you, what would you, how would you work with them? What would you say?

Well, my cat was an aggressive and anxious cat, but it was, he was like the biggest teacher for me because I understood what actually being present meant because you can learn a lot about mindfulness and all those things, but It's a good journey to get into the real thing, right? Yeah. And actually cats are the best to show you that if you let them, right? But one of the things that I always tell people is, and one of the reasons I became also, I studied to be a coach as well for humans because I, first of all, one of the things I understood is that we don't know what anxiety really is. So we have to separate stress, which it can be beneficial and detrimental depending on how you experience and how— what are your responses and the time it lasts. And also then anxiety comes from the idea that you're going to be attacked or even you can think that you can die. You know, it depends. It's more, it's very deep in your brain and it's the fastest brain that you have. It reacts really easy and fast. And even you don't have the time to even process the information. You simply react to it, right? This is a short version because I could do a whole course about anxiety, but you and me both. But the idea is that it could be, it could be real. And it could be imaginary, but usually it's maybe it started being something real that you felt that you had a trauma or something, but then it repeats, it stays in a long period of time. And then humans tend to have an anxiety level. They tend to have this idea of, oh, he's a very loving cat. He loves to be pet. He loves to be, 'cause sometimes it's a good, you know, you feel like it's a good thing that the cat actually loves to be petted and loves you and it's really anxious to cuddle with you, that's anxiety as well. So you have to understand that sometimes we choose a cat from our own anxiety or needs or a need of being nurtured. And as nurtured human beings that we are, we tend to accept certain types of anxiety and says that other types of anxiety are bad. But in the end, every, how do you say, expression, a big expression of a feeling can always come from a root of anxiety. So if you want to learn a little bit on how to read and understand and know your cat, because that's a thing that's very important, you also need to start, if you have that problem, try to look into your own life as well. Because you will find that you, you have certain patterns, and the anxiety that your cat is expressing, it can be, you know, mirrored to yours in a way. And I've seen this so many times. Um, I actually had a pancreatitis, uh, um, cat, pancreatic cat with, um, with symptoms, and nobody could actually detect because there wasn't enough blood tests, enough blood work that would say, no, this is a pancreatic and you have to be careful in this. And I started asking the guardian what things were there. And we found out that her way to address that illness was actually causing the symptoms coming back over and over again. So we had to change her habits. To see a result on the anxiety of the cat, and then we can address the pancreatic issue that was there underlying it. So, and you have to understand that there's a relationship between the both. It's not your fault, but you can make it worse. You can make it, and you have to look in as well.

And you also make a really important point that actually the mental and emotional state can have physical manifestations, you know, in disease. And that's where a lot of when we're dealing with remedies, you know, homeopathic remedies, even herbal remedies, is actually addressing some of those emotional states can correct the physical states. And sometimes we'll only get to those remedies by seeing the physical symptoms and signs. And that will lead us into the understanding that there may be those emotional states at rest. And, you know, the classic is looking at the information behind iris vers. So, you know, you can take the materia medica. I've got my well-used one here. Okay. Just take it off the shelf. And you can see it's well used. Well used.

Sign of a good book.

Sign of a good book. So, Yeah, but over that, what happens is that over the centuries of looking at how remedies work, this is a compilation of all of that information, whether that be mental symptoms, physical symptoms. They draw all of that information together. If you look up those, the information you'll get behind, in this case, a remedy for pancreatitis, you know, iris vers, the amount of grief and anxiety and background stress that can come with that can be a real insight into sometimes the emotional state that may be connected. And often there is a sympathetic driver, and I've talked about this before, that that is a pro-inflammatory driver to disease. But so therefore, it sort of all comes round in this wonderful sort of like, wheel of how to treat. Now, I'm not saying that iris versi is the treatment for all anxiety at all. But it is just interesting how there is that connection, emotional to physical disease, that we will see. And I absolutely agree with you, Maya, the number of times that we see the reflection of the owner's emotional state within their pet. And that's often because there is a relationship, you know, the relationship between the two that's so close that they will gain that, um, that transmission, if you like, that almost, you know, uh, this passage of state between the two.

And I would also say, just to go a little bit off on a tangent, I completely agree with you, Brendan, about that connection. And this may, may not resonate for some of the viewers, and that's fine if it doesn't. Take what, what works and leave the rest. There is a contract, there is a soul contract with you and your cat. So you are with your cat for a reason, and sometimes that may be that they've got this sickness, this illness, this issue. And when you're trying— like I said about that client with the pancreatitis— when you're trying to find the answer, you then come into contact with these other people that actually help you as the human, you know. So the cat will be pulled— I mean Look at Pickle, you know, she was poorly for two-thirds of the time we had her, during which my drive to help her to get better and to be happy, healthy, and well led me to train in self-selection, communication, energy work, you know, and then Naturally Cats was born from that. So I agree with you, there is that connection, and at times for some humans it's easier to see it in your cat and try to get them help than it is to see it in ourselves and to get ourselves the help that we need to heal that same issue, to deal with that same physical and/or emotional issue. Like, like Amaya said, attachment or abandonment, grief, whatever it may be. And like you said, Brendan, this is, this is my language, you know, like energy— emotions are made of energy. So yes, the emotions cause are connected to, rooted in, whichever language you like to use, the physical issues, you know. And, and particularly with anxiety, it can be almost like the foundations for a lot of physical issues in the body, which can be heartbreaking in a way to, to see that the mental and emotional state of a cat is what is causing the physical problems, you know. You give a treatment, a medication, an option for the physical part But unless you deal with the energy and the emotions as well, you're only ever going to be kind of partway there to a resolution.

Yeah. And look, for all of those people out there that are taking, you know, oh, I'm not sure about all of this. Look, if you are a vet out there watching this or a veterinary nurse out there watching this, you know, what is the classic underlying cause to idiopathic cystitis in cats? Okay, we're taught about the emotional state because of anxiety or whatever emotion that's going on within a cat household that may lead them to that. So that is just like IBS in people and dogs that can be linked to that emotional state. Okay, exactly the same happens for our cats. So take on board that are those connections, we need to deal with that. Let's start dealing a little bit more therefore with what we can provide. And I think where I'd like to start with that is, what do you advise the first parts for owners to be able to do at home before we come in as therapists, or, you know, giving them specific things to direct them to? What would you say, where would you establish a start point for owners?

Amaya, do you want to go first?

Uh, I'm thinking, I'm trying to get it, the whole of the question.

Okay, so my first port of call, my first port of call is despite being desperate to get to the humans and to work with them, that's never my first step because I would say 80% of the people that come to me with cat problems aren't quite ready to deal with themselves or their selves. So my first step is environment. It's ensuring the cat has the resources they need. So do you have the litter trays, the scratching posts, the freedom to behave, to just demonstrate cat behaviors? You know, how are you feeding them? What are you feeding them? So it's kind of like, I would say like cat basics, but it's like kind of like Cat 101. If you, you know, If you've got an anxious cat, I firmly believe it's 90% of the time to do with the emotional, the emotions. However, you do need to look at resources, and not everybody is aware of how many litter trays are optimal, and not everyone understands that, you know, feeding their cat kibble can also lead to anxiety and, and the whole host of, you know, physical issues which can contribute to anxiety. So my first step is environment and resources. As much as I generally— I'm not trying to be like, come from a place of ego, but it's rarely that's the problem. But if you give the guardian a step, if you give them something to do, they feel like they're starting to make a difference. And that, in that step there, by giving them capacity to make changes, to implement a litter tray, or to make changes in their home— look at cat beds, heights, levels, hidey-holes, whatever it may be— you are already creating a change in their energetic and emotional state, which would positively impact the cat because they are able to do something, to take action, to take control, to make a difference. And that already empowers them, which shifts their energy. So that's, that's where I would start. Amaya?

All right.

Oh, that wasn't the cat.

That was me. That was totally me. Anyway. Um, I just want to make an entrance.

Um, look, I should buy something now. You two have done it.

I just dropped something like a cat would do. Um, well, my thoughts are, despite it, I totally agree with you that that would be the case, is that, uh, the past few years I've been having clients that usually have all the environment you know, sorted and actually really good. They spend a lot of money, they do it really good, they have habits, they— so, and the problem's still there, right?

I imagine when you start to work with them though, that's what I mean. So I might not do, you know, I might not work with them, but that's the first thing you check, right?

Yeah, yeah, as always. Yeah, I always go to— and, and usually I go to also those, uh, small things because I had a case that actually changed my mind forever. Uh, I'm gonna share this because, uh, you know, the cat was not using the litter tray. Everything was fine, everything was perfect, but the cat was not using the litter tray. We discarded everything, we didn't find anything. So I said, please send me a video of exactly all the bathroom stuff and everything. You know, he had a bottle of mouthwash, you know, that reflected through the window onto the litter tray, and it was upsetting for the cat. Yep, we simply took out the mouthwash bottle out of it and the cats started using the litter tray. Yeah, of course there is an anxiety there because if that can cause you not to use the litter tray and, and start using the sink or whatever, there is something under, underneath that. But sometimes we look for the obvious things and not always is. And, and I've I found really difficult situations like this that actually challenged me. I love to be challenged though. But then what I usually do is the first step I take is trying to make them understand that it's not their fault. Because if people get frustrated, usually when they call me, they are already panicking, trying to send the cat back to their animal protection service or whatever place they took it from. They are desperate and The first thing I said, I mean, first of all, we need to calm down. That's the thing. This is the situation. This is the real thing. And I go really deep into the message of, you know, if your cat is not using the litter tray or he's doing something that upsets you, I try to make them understand this is a message. This is something that has to come across. It's the only way he knows how to communicate with you. Sometimes it would be biting, sometimes it would be food, sometimes it's going to be something else. So the message has to be very, very clear for that guardian. Then I said, how do you feel? I talk a lot about how do you feel, how it makes you feel, uh, this situation, because we need to— I need to help you with this, because otherwise you're not going to be able to see the solution or to see that things are progressing. So I, I try to make sure that both, you know, what, like as a moderator in a, in a, in a discussion, you know, I sit in the middle and say, okay, your cat is trying to say something and you are receiving different information. So let's put that together. Let's set that. And then solutions, we can figure it out as many as possible. And then I start, okay, environment, food, and then, and go and move from there. Right. And usually one of the biggest tools you have to, to make the message be heard or addressed is to pharmacognosy because people, they can take simple herbs and they see the cat react, so they have the time to see, okay, oh, this is okay, they are doing, oh, look how they're playing with the valerian root, and then something shifts, and then they are understanding that the cat has a different language than they do. And this is kind of my steps.

Okay, so I mean, that's That's a really interesting point. I think from the point of view of the OCD-ness of having a very simple shade or color or something that's affecting, you know, where those cats can go to the loo, you know, that's, that's an example. We would talk about that as OCD within the human sphere. And I think that's just, just showing that anxiety is so individual. And so varied in its severity, um, in cats too, as well as in humans. And so we sort of— you almost have to scale it. But for some people, they won't even realize their cat's got anxiety because it's not so obvious that there's a problem. And yet I think it's important for welfare that we actually can create that environment, as you say, that is less confrontation, less of a stressor to your cats. And maybe if we can talk before we go into the ZooPharma and the different herbs, but I know Julianne, you've got a great little herb garden kit for people to utilize. And that can be as important when you're giving a history or taking a history to see what those cats are engaging with verb-wise, to understand what emotional state they may be in. But what would be the main things? I mean, certainly if you've got a multi-cat household, for me, some people don't realize, but not all cats are super social. And so some of them need space. And so creating a house that's got not a minimalist, you know, very neat, zero-clutter environment can actually be quite stressful for some cats because they've got nowhere to hide. You know, it's all out on display, and if there's another cat in the household that they're not necessarily getting on particularly well with, you know, that's a face-to-face, you know, right there that they could do without. So I used to love the demonstrations on home environments where you can actually create a little bit more sort of furniture obstruction, you know, hallways. You can give them multiple levels to walk along rather than just being at floor level, you know, all of those aspects. Is there anything that you particularly like to give cats in that home environment that's physically there that will help them adjust if they've got issues with other cats.

I love the way you said, what would you give them that's physically there? Because I was just about to say, what would I give them? I'd give them a voice. I'm glad that you said like, what's the physical thing that would be— God damn it, Brendan!

I knew what you were gonna say. I knew what you were gonna say. I just can't.

I love that.

I love that.

Damn it. It would, so yes, it would be the, the resources, you know, and like you said, multi-cat homes are, you know, it is essential to cater to the cat's needs. One cat, six cats, if you've got cats, you have to understand they're not small dogs. They are just like humans in that every single cat is unique, you know. Some humans are huggers, some humans love to be with people all the time, some humans like me don't like a lot of humans, you know, human time, like, you know, need time to themselves to recharge, and you know, it's cats are different, cats are unique, and it comes back to understanding their needs, you know. So like you said, heights, hidey-holes, you know, places to eat, you know, a bit of routine, structure, connection. Again, I kind of consider those cat basics, if I'm honest. I think one of the new tools that I've come into contact with the last sort of 18 months— I said yes, there's herbs, happy to talk about that— is color. You know, like color therapy is just— I used to say that, you know, a herb garden is just as an essential resource as a litter tray. And I'm like, oh, I'm changing my line now because like color, I'm like, oh, color herb garden, which one is it? Yeah, I know. Like, oh, um, I— so, you know, everything we talk about, everything has— is made of energy, everything has a frequency, colors have a frequency. I noticed you two are in, you know, boring colors today, and I'm here with my beautiful purple, you know. And so my frequency is like this, everyone. That— no, I'm joking, I'm joking. I think it was 2 months ago when we all had the same color t-shirt on.

Purposely didn't go for that though.

So, you know, every, every color has a different frequency. And we know that color impacts us, you know, things that we eat, you know, we know red means stop or red means, you know, angry or bad or whatever. And cats can feel the energy in color. So giving your cats the opportunity to use color around the house, you know, have you ever noticed that your cat will use a certain cat bed or will never use a colored cat bed, you know? So for me, I would say bring color in, whether it's pieces of paper, old t-shirts, scarves, pieces of fabric, whatever it may be, blankets. Leo, I've got it on my legs. Leo loves my red blanket, you know. So put bits of colored fabric or color around the house. You're terrible, you're terrible. Ignore him, people. My cheeks are going red now. God damn it. Anyway.

I love your passion. Anyway, so from a point of view, so from a point of view of, um, for anxiety cases, where would you say cats in that state would tend to veer in their color? So for people out there listening going, oh well, how do I know that my cat's anxious? What, what sort of color tendencies? Because it's not going to be all because they're all individual. But what tendencies do you find for those cats?

There's generally two. So it's red because they're ungrounded and they're anxious in their environment and they need to feel that kind of anchor into the support of their environment. Or it's green, which is the heart chakra, which, you know, is connection to the human. Don't sound super cheesy, but the space of love, you know, feeling unconditionally supported, nurtured, held. You know, like I said, cats have those needs just like us humans. So if you've got an anxious cat and you don't have all the colors under the rainbow, I would say start with two. Start with red and green, because those are the two chakras that generally are out of balance if anxiety is present.

Yeah, Christmas is coming, it's red and green.

There we go.

Sorry, I would add yellow if it— if they have any metabolic issue. Yeah, okay, because I've been, I've been using a lot of yellow for, uh, well, uh, digestive issues, but not only digestive, anything that it's inflammatory. In the end, it's all come through the gut, right? So, uh, yellow, it's been, it's been, uh, it's been chosen like a lot for, for this type of cats. But I totally agree with you with the, with the colors. I would add something else, which is sound. That's where I'm—

you're getting into that.

But before that, I would like to say that, for example, what I do with territory and how the cat perceives the environment, most people that I deal with, they rent their houses, so they are not able to put heights or install things for the cats. So, uh, I keep it simple and I said use boxes. And if you want to know how your cat actually manages the, the, the territory, uh, if you have a hallway, which is kind of the place, the war zone, sometimes even a multi-cat household though, it's like, oh, I have to get across, I have to get across to go to the bathroom over there. You know, I just I just tried to make fun. And every time I tell a story, like the cat, the cat that is not sociable, I said, look, the cat is trying to get to the litter box, but he has to go across the hallway. You know? So I put the music behind, right? So what I say is just put boxes in between. Just try it. It doesn't have to be there because I also believe your house has to be your temple and it has to be, you know, it has to look good as for you as well. But if you're trying to figure it out, how the cat interacts with the environment and with other cats, put boxes all around, but in specific strategic places where you think the problem might be there. If the cat hides and uses the boxes as a safe home, right? Then you might have to look and work on that specific space. And that will solve certain issues. Of course, in multi-cat households, you have to be, you know, you have to look into many, many other things. But, and one of the things for me, it's the way you feed them. That's one of the things, because you're going to see that the anxiety will come not only because of being social or how they perceive reality, the way they feel pressure to, you know, to eat all together, for example, or to use the same litter box. Because I also see, you know, having enough litter boxes, but all in the same place. So if you have them all in the same place, it's like having a huge sandbox, but you still have to get across that hallway to get that. And there's the bully outside, you know, trying to get you.

I think there's something you said, Amaya, about, you know, understanding what— where it's coming from, like, and reading them, right? So if, like you said, just then, like, at the literature age, if you've got 6, great, but if they're all in the same space, how is that going to help? And when you said the cat is trying to tell you something, that's something that I, again, firmly try to kind of reflect back to the guardian when they come to me for work support or a treatment, because, you know, what— where are they doing the behavior that you don't like? Where are they displaying something that you would consider either anxious or bad or naughty, because that's the key. Like, if they're weeing on your bed, that's where they feel the safest. If they're weeing in the wardrobe, that's where they feel the safest. So start to put things in those places. If they're scratching on a certain place, that's where you put the scratching post, you know. So like you said, read— you can read what's going on in front of you, and it's just about shifting that lens of I want the cat to change the behavior because it's bad versus What is the cat trying to tell me?

And you can practice that as a human as well, because sometimes I've seen this a lot here in Spain, for example, is that people inherit a lot of furniture from their families and families and families, and they keep having their houses like this, full of things, and it's awful and they hate it. And I said, the same way you have to read your cat, start getting rid of things that you're not comfortable with. You know, because you're never going to be able to read your cat if you don't do that for yourself.

Oh dear, my hoarding tendencies are not going to go down well. I was also really fearful of what you were going to say is, you know, when we start talking about peeing in wardrobes and I was saying as humans we've got to start not doing the same things as our cats.

There are a lot of parallels between humans and cats, but hopefully that's not one of them.

Yes. So could I also therefore say, so I just put a little post up here of, you know, how do you go about managing desensitizing, in their case, the cat, that's, you know, to car rides to the vet or, you know, other things that cause anxiety. Would it be that you would say, in that car situation, you know, because sometimes, you know, they're not going to go in the car all the time, and putting them into a novel environment is an anxious state to be in. So how would you say to people out there where we're taking them from the home environment we've just been talking about to actually taking them somewhere because they're poorly or whatever, and we know that's going to be stressful, how would you desensitize cats to that? Would it just be, well, let's You've talked quite eloquently about putting red and green and, you know, color options into the card. I'm guessing that's one. What other things would you talk about?

I'm not sure I'd use color in the card, I'll be honest. Okay. Well, the color is about giving them the choice to work with that energy center if they need to. So if I said to you, like, you're going to a spa and having a pedicure, If, what if you were like, well, actually I wanted to go there and have a massage, do you know what I mean? Like, so you're giving the cat the choice in their home to, to manage their energy. When it comes to something like the vets or a car ride, you've kind of got two choices. So one, you can work on a desensitization like you said, and that would be, we did this with baby Max when we had him, had him as a kitten. We behavior trained him so that we would put him in his carrier to take him from one room to another in the house. We would do that 2 or 3 times a week. Then we would put him in the carrier and we would sit in the car with him when it was static. I'd look at— I'd scroll social media on my phone. Then we'd get out of the car. Then, you know, we do that once a week. And then we would put him in the car. I think my sister did it once when I was hoovering the house. She put him in the car, drove around the block, and then came back, you know. So there is a way to build up or to desensitize whichever kind of state you're working with, the, the acceptance of a situation. And I remember Amaya saying once in a live she did with me that, you know, it's good for cats to be able to handle stress. They need to handle a certain level of stress and know how to manage that kind of ebb and flow of emotions and hormones and sort of chronic behavioral states. If it's a trip to the vet, you've got options where I would be probably offering some remedies like Maya said, bringing in some ZooPharma. I would use hydrosols. I wouldn't put them in the carrier because again, the in my experience or my opinion, the cat's got no choice. So I would be offering it up to the front of the carrier. I did this with baby Max when we took him to the treatment center a couple of years ago. So hydrosols, you could have them in the bottle, you can have it on like a piece of fabric. You can put herbs in the carrier or the car if you want to, but again, you might, might, might contribute to the stress of the cat if they don't want those remedies. And your state. So one of the biggest, biggest things you can do— I got you, Amaya, I got it in— is, is manage yourself. So the last time we took Leo to the vet, I was very nervous, and I actually sat for 3 minutes in just like stillness with my hands on my body, one on my heart and one on my tummy, and just closed my eyes and was like, everything will be fine, we're going to be okay. So that my nervous system regulated, you know, my energetic response to him wasn't frantic and stressed because they can feel it. So if you've got priors, I say if you've got previous trauma, previous experiences of a stressful situation with your cat, you're going to be a bit anxious and that's okay. And find a way to support yourself with that, you know. Do you need to sniff an essential oil before you get in the car? Do you want to hear a music track? Like, how how can you help your nervous system and your anxiety? Because that will really help your cat. And then you can offer hydrosols and herbs. And yes, if they've got a favorite piece of color, use that. And I would always put in the carrier something that smells of me. So Leo's always got a pillowcase or a t-shirt whenever we go to the vets. That's what he sits on in his carrier over the towel and stuff, because my scent for him I'd like to think, is the most comforting thing that he can have with him. So that's, that's how I would deal with it. Amaya?

Well, you've probably covered most of it. I'm just going to add the most recent things I've been working on. But, well, one of the things is I'm working on doing a course that it's going to be become a master of cats, understanding all of these things and give it a feel and and all the resources for that. But the other thing is how you use your voice. And this is the second and most recent thing that I've been working on. And this is kind of something I've been working with my own cat because in the beginning, he's very sensible to noise and to voice and to anything. If you speak too loud, if the music is loud, anything would would put him in stress. But now we live in a pretty quiet environment. The thing is that I have other cats on the other— in front that, you know, they're feral cats. So every time he listens to them, he gets really stressed. And what I found out is depending on the sound that I make or my friends make or whatever sounds similar to what he thinks it's another cat or another, or similar to that, you know, the way we use our voice can actually affect the cat's reaction and situations. And also your voice is going to be a kind of a, it's going to measure your emotional state because it's associated to breathing. So when we are tense and we are stressed because we are taking the cat to the vet, we are trying to make it on time. Then we get to the clinic and then we have to speak to the vet. And then there's so many things. We get very stressed and our voice tends to go higher. You know, the pitch goes higher and you start talking like this, and this sounds like a cat in a stress situation, you know? So we need to understand a little bit also about our voice and how this is an expression of our emotional state and also tell your vet how he should Talk at the same time, because I've been to several practices where they come screaming around, you know, loud and other things. And one of the things that I've learned in the US while I was practicing there is that, uh, they put a big note, you know, in the consultation say, if you don't whisper, you don't, I don't know. It was a, it was a rhyme, but I don't remember. It was a, if you don't whisper, your cat will whatever. I don't remember the word they use, but it is kind of, you have to talk like this all the time. They will tell you that you couldn't raise your voice, you know, and this is very, very important. And now I'm just giving it a space because it is, since it's something that I do also professionally, I figured that sound and the way you can use that is also a different way of frequency. So be aware of that. And somebody is asking about sound. There are different ways of using sound. For me, the first one you have to practice is your own voice because it's your breathing, it's your breathing pattern. And that's something you— and you have to assume that everybody can sing. So forget about, no, I mean, I had whatever excuse you make, you can sing. The second, the singing also will calm your state. And then the next level, you can use frequency sounds. There are many on YouTube, but you have to make sure they've been very well recorded, or you can use medicinal sounds. I really like one, it's called Sound and Life. I think I mentioned that before, and they record natural environments with very good— in a specific time of the year, energetically, you know, it has many levels, but they can show you the different frequencies. They do studies on them and then they say, this is good for immune system, this is good for anxiety, this is good for different, uh, things. So, um, I, I will, I will get deeper into some, but I will— it will take me all day. So that's— this is all I got for today.

I love that, Amaya, and it's so right. You know, the frequency in sound, you know, frequency, you know, frequency and energy, frequency in your, you know, the music, your volume, your tone, your picture. It's that, that is the key to it all. And I just noticed, Heidi, you mentioned that your anxiety contributes, as, as for most of us, and that comes from the place that we love them. Let's remember that, you know, if when we've said at the beginning that, you know, we— it's not your fault But yes, we can contribute to it. Like Amaya said, you know, I hold my hands up. I've said to you guys many, many times, I know my state impacts Leo, but it's awareness. Once you understand and you've got that awareness of yourself, you can then make a choice as to how you deal with that. So either if you know that you, that you kind of make things a bit worse for your, for your beautiful pussycat, take a moment to catch your breath, hum a tune, like use bringing sound like Amaya said, you know, um, hum a tune, connect with your breath, connect with your body, you know, regulate your nervous system, listen to a bit of music before you then start the event of the vets, you know. And if you can prepare yourself, trust me, it will make a difference to you both how you then deal with the rest of that situation.

And I'm sure Brendan, you can say something about breathing as well.

Yeah, well, I'm gonna let you speak for a minute.

We've kind of dominated today, it's been Lush, mind, but I just think, look, we've got so much more to talk about because there's some other things that we can talk about over on Patreon. So come and join us over on Patreon to talk about, um, the various supplements, remedies, etc., that you may want to put into the environment. But I would just say, last thing that I just want to add to this with regards to the car To cover or not to cover?

Oh, that's controversial.

Well, maybe if it's that controversial, let's say maybe it's not as simple as it might seem. So come and join us over on Patreon.

It's not a minute answer.

That's for sure. I've got so many thoughts on that.

I thought I would catch you out, but no, alas not.

No, you just feed it me more, Brendan. And this is like, you know, behavior care. I love it. Emotional states. Great. Yeah, we'll do on Patreon like you said. Look, come and join us, please.

Yeah, let's go over to Patreon. Okay, follow the link below, uh, over on patreon.com/rawpetmedics. And you'll be able to listen to more. It's great to see you all following us today. Remember to like and follow our page if you like what we talk about. We'll be here next month.

No, we won't.

She's not paying attention.

No, we won't.

No, I am paying attention. Leo's just come in absolutely drenched from outside. He's meowing at me. No, we won't be online next month. We'll be face-to-face, people.

Yeah, 2nd of December.

2nd of December, that's right. We're doing our thing in Manchester. We're all together. I'm gonna— I'm just— I'm just gonna really upset Julianne by giving a big hug on stage so that she can feel really uncomfortable.

Should I take some boxes with me?

Big red box. Red boxes.

It'll be fine, it'll be fine, it'll be fine. That's my mantra the last few weeks when I think about this event. It'll be fine. Not high-pitched at all. It'll be fine. Yeah, that's my mantra at the moment. RPM Live, it'll be fine.

And Heidi, we will talk about, um, the white Pink and Brown Noise. There we go. That's all over on Patreon. Come join us. We'll then catch up. When's the next online date? What have we got for that?

January.

January the—

January the 26th.

26th. There we go. I just couldn't remember the date. So January 26th, we will be back with you online. But if you want to come and see what we're doing on the 2nd of December in Manchester, do come and look at the Eventbrite link on our Facebook page. Come, come and join us. Have some fun.

Yeah.

Okay. See you soon, guys. Take care.

Thank you for being here, everyone.

Thank you. Bye-bye.