Kringle enjoys the garden It began after a bad experience, but my senior kitty has found new zest for living with garden therapy. I don’t want to dwell on the bad experience, but need to share a bit of background. Kringle’s short coat tends to mat, as arthritis prevents him from grooming himself easily. As he resists being brushed, it’s difficult for me to help him. I had an excellent groomer come to the house once to remove his mats, but she couldn’t return. Another groomer handled him more roughly and cut into several moles and even a nipple. I was very concerned, as that kind of stress can send an anxious senior cat quickly downhill.
I remembered reading about two cats whose cancer went into remission after spending time in the garden. Amelia Kinkade wrote about her cat Mr. Jones in Straight From the Horse’s Mouth: How to Talk to Animals and Get Answers. A second anecdote also mentioned healing a cat from cancer, but I don’t recall the source. Maybe garden therapy would heal Kringle too! Kringle used to fear the outdoors. When he arrived as my first VOKRA foster cat, he had been discarded outdoors after ten years in the same home. He was thought to be a flight risk, as he escaped an earlier foster home, probably uncomfortable with another cat there. At my house he backed away from doorways, and whenever I put on a coat or hat. He seemed happy with a safe indoor life as an only cat. But he was becoming bored. He had been indoors for over five years. I was desperate for a solution to heal him quickly from his wounds and trauma. I slid the glass door open. He peered out and quickly exited. He walked slowly, stopping to sniff and look, his nose raised to the breeze for passing scents. In moments, he had more exercise than he’d had in months. His expression changed right away. Life was worth living! He patrolled the yard and made it his own, marking it and finding favourite places to lie and sleep. We started in the enclosed back yard. He soon found the gap in the hedge used by visiting cats and raccoons. He slipped to the front, but retreated back after the occasional vehicle or walker ambled by. I was always near, and stood to block his progress when I thought he had gone far enough. His legs were weak and sometimes wobbly at first. He couldn’t leap to the top of the fence, as other cats had, which meant he would usually stay in the protected back garden. I looked forward to seeing him moving with a bouncy step as my previous cats had in the garden. A few weeks later, it happened! I even saw him running like a panther! I’m not sure what caused it, but it seemed he was running from something. He never preyed on other animals. One day Kringle tensed, his body low as he stared toward the gap in the hedge. At the front, I found the neighbour’s orange tabby, Wallace, peering at him. This friendly cat used to be a frequent garden visitor. Amid growls and yowls, I edged closer to the hedge, trying to block Wallace with my legs while avoiding teeth or claws. Wallace backed away. Then Kringle breached the hedge gap and chased the intruder the rest of the way out. Poor Wallace looked puzzled. He probably wanted to make a friend! But I was amazed at Kringle’s confidence, successfully defending his turf against a younger cat. The experience may have helped to lower his anxiety. One day when I sat on the grass near where Kringle rested under the red-flowering Crocosmia plant, I thought, I’m having the best summer ever. I spend most mornings outdoors, reading, writing, and smiling at the adorable furry face. Sometimes all day. Time in the garden has been good for both me and my cat. We finally had rain, and cooler weather approaches. This morning, Kringle patrolled, drank from his outdoor water dish, then drank from a watering can. I recorded an unusual bird call that I’d like to identify, that sounds like a set of keys jangling. The rain was falling in light, cool droplets. Finally Kringle took off running back inside. I wonder how the changing weather and shorter nature excursions will affect his health. Regardless of what happens, this summer together has been remarkable. - Irene Plett Topics: cats, gardens, outdoor cats, indoor cats, therapy, Amelia Kinkade, VOKRA, Kringle, geriatric cats, senior cats
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