As a Feline Relationship Counsellor and Flower Essences Consultant for animals, I can advise you, in the event of your cat’s behavioural problems, emotional distress or simply in situations of stress and change, on the most suitable flower therapy pathway to improve its wellbeing, both personal and relational.
What is flower therapy? It is a natural healing method based on the administration of flower essences or natural essences. We can define it as a form of ‘vibrational’ medicine: each flower contains within itself energetic information similar to a musical note, which, intertwined with the subject’s emotional vibration, is able to bring it back to a state of harmony.
Although it was originally conceived for humans, flower therapy has proved equally, if not more, effective on animals. This is because, unlike us, non-human animals are free of strategies to mask or resist their emotions, mental superstructures and cultural conditioning: they are what they show themselves to be. Their behaviour manifests their inner world, and, if you want to call it that, their Soul.
If your kitten shows abnormal behaviour, emotional discomfort and perhaps you too with him (from worry to anger, exasperation… the range is wide) contact me for a home or video call consultation. Alongside offering practical advice and a view of the facts ‘from the feline point of view’, I will be happy to prescribe the most suitable flower blends for each of you.
Write a message to info@aliceguardaigatti.it or fill in the form.
I will get back to you as soon as possible!
WHY USE BACH FLOWERS WITH CATS?
Anyone will have heard of the Bach flowers: English physician Edward Bach developed his 38 essences (and the famous Rescue Remedy® compound) in the 1930s as a gentle alternative way of healing a person’s mind, body and soul. By intervening in the self-healing abilities inherent in each of us, flower essences are able to restore balance to negative states of mind.
Dr Bach claimed that all illnesses are the result of disharmony between soul and mind. The further we stray from our true nature, the more prone we are to negative emotional states, affecting our state of health.
With this in mind, it is easy to see how pets, and cats in particular, are often diverted from their natural needs as a species. Without in any way detracting from the love, care and attention that we give our cats, the reality is that in many cases we invite them to live in an artificial environment, perhaps in small flats with no external access, light years away from the natural environment, made up of earth, trees, other animals, natural light and smells… We expect them to adapt perfectly to using litter, although this is a human invention, quite different from the expanses of sand and soil where the little felines would deposit their needs in nature. Cats have evolved to hunt small prey in solitude, to run, to jump over trees, to mark their territory and defend it from the entry of other cats… Instead, we often demand that they do not jump on the table, that they do not scratch the sofa, that they get along with cats they have not chosen and that they are fine with hours spent in total inactivity in an environment without stimulation.
Our cats, with their extraordinary resilience (and character variety!), manage in many cases to adapt to our lifestyle, often serenely. In many cases, however, this is not a ‘natural’ way of life and this can generate stress, emotional discomfort and the onset of behavioural problems.
Besides urbanisation of spaces, there is also a strong component of emotional contagion. Our cats are to all intents and purposes part of the human family system and a very strong bond is created with them: inevitably our cats will absorb our emotions, mirroring our inner reality, in its pleasant and not so pleasant sides.
Flowers help to bring us back in touch with Nature and our true essence. They intervene on negative emotional states by ‘flooding’ them with the opposite quality, in a positive way. Taking care of an animal also means taking care of oneself and vice versa: this is why it is always desirable that flower therapy is not only followed by our cats, but by the whole family, human and otherwise.
FLOWER ESSENCES: EFFECTIVE, EASY TO ADMINISTER
But how does one actually take flower therapy? Nothing arcane: it is simply a matter of having a mixture of selected flower essences in a mixture of water and alcohol (in the case of animals, however, the addition of alcohol is not recommended) prepared in herbalist’s shops, pharmacies or by the flower therapist in small dark glass bottles. The dosage and period of administration will vary depending on the flower system (Bach flowers, Californian flowers, Australian flowers) and the themes on which one wishes to intervene.
The advantages of flower therapy are many, it is:
1) EFFECTIVE: Some people wonder whether the efficacy of the Bach flowers and their like is not the result of autosuggestion or an alleged ‘placebo effect’. Their positive action on animals themselves, as well as on plants and infants, proves that this self-suggestion effect cannot take place. Others expect flower essences to act as a tranquilliser or sedative, but in fact the action of flowers is very different: they only act on moods at an energetic level, not by means of biochemical active ingredients. Quoting a comparison used by Bach, flower essences have an effect similar to that of a musical harmony, which, after listening to it, leaves us somewhat transformed. I personally approached the study and practice of flower therapy at a time when my cat Terry was exhibiting excessive licking behaviour. Having ruled out health problems with appropriate diagnostic tests, I decided to support some behavioural measures with the administration of a mix of flower essences, for him but also for me. This is because, as I have already written, cats and their caretakers, i.e. we humans, are immersed in a system, the family system, and animals often reflect our emotional state. To my amazement, the choice of flowers turned out to be correct and decisive in solving the problem. The success of the therapy prompted me to go deeper and study this fascinating subject, applying my knowledge to my feline clients, with very encouraging results. Read the reviews
2) EASY TO ADMINISTRATE: Many cat humans fear that they cannot administer the drops to their little felines. In reality, it’s simple! As they have virtually no taste, you can add them to water bowls, to food, on the fur as a treat and, if your cat is one of the few who will allow it, directly into the mouth. Flowers should usually be administered two to four times a day, or even more in the case of emergency remedies. The duration of the therapy varies from two weeks to several months, depending on the animal’s response and the theme. It is advisable to communicate with the flower therapist about changes in the kitten so that the composition can be modulated until the discomfort dissipates.
3) SAFE: Also recognised by the World Health Organisation as complementary therapies, flower essences are safe to use, have no contraindications for health and, unlike some phytotherapeutic treatments, do not interfere with allopathic pharmacological treatments.
Caution: Flowers rebalance an unbalanced emotional state, they do not transform an individual’s character or temperament, nor can they suffice on their own to solve a behavioural problem, especially if the latter arises from failure to observe feline ethological needs or if it overlaps with medical problems, for which a visit to the vet is essential. The flower therapist does not replace the veterinarian as he or she does not deal with medical diagnoses or pathologies, nor with treating symptoms, but with rebalancing all those negative emotional attitudes that may, in the long run, foster them.
WHEN TO USE FLOWER THERAPY FOR CATS?
The emotional nature of cats is extremely rich, sensitive, changeable and often difficult to decipher. They cannot tell us how they feel, it is true, and yet they do it constantly: with their behaviour, their body, their sounds, their smells, their expressions, their energetic presence.
Sometimes, however, we are so viscerally involved in our relationship with our kitty that we fail to read its moods and messages correctly. Or, on the contrary, we feel detached from the pet that lives at home with us, because after all ‘it is only a cat’, ‘it can look after itself’. There are those who project their own fears and expectations onto their felines, those who feel they are the victim of a kind of ‘revenge’ on the animal, and there are those who completely deny the emotional nature of the animal.
An external, impartial but experienced professional figure is therefore important to observe our cat’s behaviour objectively, to understand whether it belongs to the normal ethological repertoire of the species or whether the cat is manifesting a discomfort, and to offer an interpretation as free as possible from personal emotional burdens or preconceived ideas.
In the context of the Feline and Flower Therapy Counselling I will be able to pick up on and interpret your cat’s mode of expression and your way of relating. I will listen carefully to the story of your experience with the animal, your perceptions of it, observe your environment and how you live in it. All this will help me to choose, alongside a relational, behavioural and environmental intervention plan, the Flowers and the most suitable mode of administration for you.
Flower therapy will act as a catalyst for change to support your cat’s emotional experience and the family psychological context:
- in case of behavioural problems such as needs outside the litter box, aggression, problems with cats living together;
- in anticipation of a journey, a move, the arrival of a new cat or child, or surgery;
- in all those new or uncomfortable situations in which it is necessary to mobilise the animal’s (and the person’s) inner resources to cope with daily life in the best possible way.
1 - FIRST CONTACT
Write me an e-mail using the contact form or at info@aliceguardaigatti.it and tell me why you need my help: I will get back to you for a brief chat. If the case falls within my competence, we will make an appointment for a home visit.
Do you live outside Lombardy or is it not possible to meet? No problem, a video consultation can be arranged.
2 - HOME VISIT
The time has come to get to know each other! I will come to your home and here the case study will begin, which will last between 1 and 2 hours. The visit comprises 3 moments:
- Listening: you will tell me everything you know about your kitten or kittens, their history and your cohabitation.
- Observation: I will ask you to show me the house to collect clues and study it through the eyes of a cat…
- Discussion: I will give you my initial thoughts on the case and the first steps to be taken, weighing up the pros and cons and feasibility together.
3 - A TAILOR-MADE PLAN
Thanks to the impressions and information gathered through observation of the animal, the family and the environment, and after analysis of materials that you will send me (diaries, videos, photos and materials about your cat), I will share with you all the advice and recommendations to follow for a new life with kitty.
Here I will need maximum co-operation and commitment from the whole family to be able to achieve good results together!
4 - HOW IS IT GOING?
It has been a few weeks, how is the situation with your feline companion evolving? Some time after the visit, 14 to 30 days depending on the case, we will get in touch for a new discussion.
We will take stock of the situation, understand what is working and discuss any changes or adjustments to the initial plan.
If you are ready to improve your relationship with kitty or take on a new challenge together, write to me!