(from phone follow-up October 2011) Mieshelle, The man who used to approach the cat stroller who use to think Foxxy was the meanest cat, he says she’s not the same cat she used to be. No more hissing or mean cat. She is a totally different cat now! But the biggest change was in me. You taught me to understand cats and how to approach cats. One thing: Do not (behavior advice removed) her and (behavior advice removed) and always (behavior advice removed). That made a big difference. I can brush her now. She doesn’t claw or hiss anymore. I learned not to do (behavior advice removed) and that worked. Toys. Foxxy never played before I met you. Now she goes crazy for toys like my other cat does and like you said, was the biggest part of making her happy and actually be a cat. You taught me how to talk to cats. It makes me very emotional to talk about this. Because cats are so intelligent and so calming and she is so happy now, but I sense that she really appreciates what I’ve done for her. It’s like she’s saying thank you and knows I care about her even more and that alone adds to her happiness and well being. Foxxy right now is making a big fuss with me wanting me to pet her now. This has never happened to me before. Rubbing all over me like Christian the Lion. Have you seen that video on You tube? I cried for the longest time when I said that Lion and how he related to his owners. Now I have this experience too with my cat. Mieshelle, you are an amazing person. You have not only changed my cat, you have changed me too — my personality in some way. I have never been sentimental. Instead, I’ve been a realistic and always down to business. Because of you teaching me how to connect with my cats, I have become much more sentimental and feel for the first time, my emotions inside. I am so much more joyful and in just the small things in life. My life is joyful now. Joy of small things. Being kind to cats may seem small, but it is life changing for me. You have taken a human being and shown them to be more caring. You have done that for me and now at 75 and even with Parkinson’s disease, I am feeling alive and joy like never before. A leaf got stuck to Foxxy’s cat stroller and I noticed it and brought it in and painted it and pressed it against paper. I have never done anything like this in my life. Self-confidence is something else you gave me: You talked with me and made me understand cats finally. I can now relate to my cats so well. And it helps with other things. If I got Foxxy to stop hissing and attacking, I can do anything! I do things now I would never do before. There was a storm the other night and the next day leaves and branches were all over the apartment complex. I took out my Great Grandson’s plastic pail and rake and decided to go out and clean it up. While I was out there other people came to help me and offered me a real rake. Before, I would have never had the confidence to go out there and do something like that. The manager even gave me a $25.00 gift certificate at a restaurant and the other ladies got one too. For the first time, we are going to put on skirts and dress up and go out on the town. I haven’t worn a skirt in 40 years. Before talking to you, I would have just stayed in and thought “ I can’t go out there and do anything like cleaning up leaves”. And now I have new friends in the apartment complex and before we never talked to each other. Thank you, Mieshelle. You have not only changed my cat Foxxy, but you have changed my life. I’m happier now than at any other time in my life. You always hear of people wanting to relive their 30’s or 40’s. But not me. I am the happiest I’ve ever been and Foxxy is happy now too. Shirley D.
