PH cat whisperer

bill c

there was an excellent piece in yesterday's NY Times about a local "cat whisperer." apparently she has the ability to channel the voices of cats (and other animals) and if you have a cat that is acting strange she can explain what the problem is.

alafairnadia

whoa. I'm not sure, though, that I want anyone to compete with my vocalization of my cats' personalities.

drano

Subject: Re: PH cat whisperer

bill c wrote: there was an excellent piece in yesterday's NY Times about a local "cat whisperer." apparently she has the ability to channel the voices of cats (and other animals) and if you have a cat that is acting strange she can explain what the problem is.

Heh. Sounds...implausible.

candicissima

Subject: Re: PH cat whisperer

bill c wrote: there was an excellent piece in yesterday's NY Times about a local "cat whisperer." apparently she has the ability to channel the voices of cats (and other animals) and if you have a cat that is acting strange she can explain what the problem is.

Hmm I do that too, but I just thought it was being crazy and all that. I need to make a career change. :shock:

laura b

why hire her when you can cut out the middleman:

http://www.nypl.org/events/breventsdetail.cfm?EventID=55394.732755

drano

Subject: Re: PH cat whisperer

Candicissima wrote: I need to make a career change. :shock:

I had that thought too - probably be a good living on the theory that if you'd consider going to a cat psychic, you probably wouldn't balk at paying well for the service. But here's the rub - when it would come time for me to go into "magical cat voice mode" I'd crack up. I know I would. I'm cracking up now just thinking about it. And then sometimes I'd just have to be wise about the whole thing:

Me: "Fluffy has told me what's on her mind"

Sucker: (expectantly) "Yes? YES?!?!"

Me: "Meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow..." <<Important! That's to the tune of the old "Meow Mix" commercial!

So I'll probably need to stick with what I'm doing.

shishkab

the whole thing is...odd.

this is the article, by the way:

New York Times
Look Who’s Talking

By BEN GIBBERD
Published: March 18, 2007

SUE PIKE, a slender 45-year-old who lives in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, does not consider herself a “cat whisperer.” She is, however, in the business of psychically healing these most touchy of man’s animal companions.

Is Micah happy? Sue Pike, cat channeler, wants to know.

“I’m in the field of animal communication,” Ms. Pike explained the other day as she was visiting a particularly indifferent-looking patient reclining on a coffee table in an apartment not far from her house. “Basically, I do a lot of channeling.”

Until a year ago, Ms. Pike, who is also a professional makeup artist, employed her healing techniques, which include the traditional Japanese art of reiki, entirely on people. Then, when visiting friends in Utah, she tried those skills on the friends’ horses, with unexpected success, discovering, among other things, that one was pretty upset at his humans for making him work so hard. Ms. Pike’s animal work has since expanded to include dozens of cats, three dogs and a rabbit, although she cautions that her work is “an accompaniment to and not a substitute” for traditional veterinary medicine.

Her patient this day was a 9-year-old tortoise-shell male named Gatti, whose owner, a high school English teacher named Camila Gamboa, is one of Ms. Pike’s reiki patients.

According to Ms. Gamboa, Gatti had been chewing her books and bullying her other cat, Lola. Ms. Pike wrote some quick comments in a notebook and then began her treatment by calling on what she called “universal knowledge” — the collective voice of the animal’s ancestors.

“Calling all of my spirit guides of the highest order,” Ms. Pike intoned as she sat cross-legged on the floor, her green eyes closed. “Are you there?”

Licking himself methodically, her patient ignored Ms. Pike.

She then began gently probing the cat’s feelings. Why was he so unkind to Lola?

Suddenly, Ms. Pike’s voice changed to a high-pitched girlish tone. “I don’t like sharing with the other kitty,” she announced.

“It’s Gatti talking,” Ms. Pike explained in a normal voice.

Through Ms. Pike, Gatti further revealed that he did not like having his nails clipped, and that he sometimes got sick from licking his fur.

After a few more exchanges, Ms. Pike crouched next to Gatti, made a retching sound and rubbed her hands together vigorously. The negative energy, she informed Ms. Gamboa, had been removed.

A stranger coming upon the scene might have found the whole exchange a little bizarre, but Ms. Pike said that those who approached her for animal healing were ready to be convinced. “Most people who come to me for healings are already open to some level,” she said. “If someone is narrow-minded and thinks all forms of self-help are hogwash, then I won’t even go there. I’m not out to change people’s minds.”

Among the defenders of Ms. Pike’s approach is Dr. Debra Voulgaris, a vet at the Hope Veterinary Clinic in Boerum Hill. “I can’t say anything about the communication elements,” Dr. Voulgaris said, “but I’ve heard a lot of good things about reiki. The lymphatic system, blood flow, neurons — the body’s health is all about energy flow and making sure it’s unblocked.”

After 40 minutes of attention to Gatti, the discussion turned to Lola. “She’s super-scared of people,” Ms. Gamboa explained. “She belonged to a friend originally, and he was really crazy.”

Ms. Pike’s arms shot out sideways, and a spasm ran up the side of her neck. “Yikes!” she said. “Not good. I’m seeing her being hit.”

Leaving Ms. Gamboa with Gatti, Ms. Pike went into the bedroom, where Lola was hiding under the bed, and sat on the floor. Addressing the end of the bed, she gently asked Lola why she was so scared. The answer came almost immediately. “He hurt me! I don’t like it when they hurt me!” Ms. Pike said in her girlish tone. Still in the living room, Ms. Gamboa heard Ms. Pike speak, and winced.

Ms. Pike continued. “Are you ready to release these bad feelings, Lola?” she asked.

Just then, there came an exclamation from Ms. Gamboa; Gatti was shredding the notes Ms. Pike had made about him.

“Gatti, that’s not good!” said Ms. Pike, returning to the living room. “I see you still need some more work.”

emily

"Calling all of my spirit guides of the highest order"
...
Suddenly, Ms. Pike’s voice changed to a high-pitched girlish tone. “I don’t like sharing with the other kitty,” she announced.

WHAT.

alafairnadia

LOL!

srsly.

that said, I knew a woman in houston (say ... sally) who acquired a girlfriend in dallas (er ... judy). judy would 'cone' into people and animal's 'space in the universe' using complex rituals. so when it came time for sally to move in with judy, judy 'coned' and 'read' sally's dogs (both judy and sally had dogs and judy was trying to make the integration go smoothly). one of sally's dogs was particularly troublesome and had to be separated from the rest of sally's dogs. judy informed sally that this troublesome dog could not be integrated into the group of dogs that would result as part of their household mesh. judy also said that the troublesome dog loved sally so much that he didn't want to be put up for adoption - he'd rather move on to the spirit plane. so sally put her troublesome dog to sleep. barf.

drano

alafairnadia, I would very much like to hear about these "complex rituals" if you have that information.

And Sally, WTF?

“Gatti, that’s not good!” said Ms. Pike, returning to the living room. “I see you still need some more work.” Translation: You're on the hook for another sesh, sucker.

alafairnadia

it involved 'coning' into the earth. there's apparently some cult out west somewhere that has a whole farm or something based on this. allegedly one can 'cone' into any living being's self/space. oh wait, found the nutbars:

http://www.perelandra-ltd.com/About_Conings_W68.cfm

alafairnadia

what I think is so whack about the whole perelandra coning thing is that it's like running a script on a computer.

have thought
wait 10 seconds
verify
shut down thought
verify.

shishkab

i didn't check the link, but isn't Perelandra a world from CS Lewis' stories (and a book title, too)?

alafairnadia

shishkab wrote: i didn't check the link, but isn't Perelandra a world from CS Lewis' stories (and a book title, too)?

yep

erikka

I imagine my kitty's thought process is something to the tune of "fuck you, feed me and don't steal my spot on the couch that I've spent all day warming up" and I'd take that guess all the way to the bank.

apollonia666

I always think cats' internal voices must sound like the animals on "I Can Has Cheezburger?" -- broken grammar with a vaguely l33t edge.

pitu

wait.
have you told this story before, on this board, or have I heard it somewhere else?

and I guess we know a little more about the alleged goat inappropriateness now...

alafairnadia wrote: LOL!

srsly.

that said, I knew a woman in houston (say ... sally) who acquired a girlfriend in dallas (er ... judy). judy would 'cone' into people and animal's 'space in the universe' using complex rituals. so when it came time for sally to move in with judy, judy 'coned' and 'read' sally's dogs (both judy and sally had dogs and judy was trying to make the integration go smoothly). one of sally's dogs was particularly troublesome and had to be separated from the rest of sally's dogs. judy informed sally that this troublesome dog could not be integrated into the group of dogs that would result as part of their household mesh. judy also said that the troublesome dog loved sally so much that he didn't want to be put up for adoption - he'd rather move on to the spirit plane. so sally put her troublesome dog to sleep. barf.

:-'

alafairnadia

I think I may have told that story at a happy hour.

doublediamond

the thing I like about Cesar, the dog whisperer, is that he doesn't pretend to talk to dogs. He understands how they work together and understands how humans mess up that relationship. He goes in to reprogram the human and get the human to understand how to better interact with the dog.

Now with cats, they don't operate like dogs. As far as I know, there's no "whispering" to cats. They do what the hell they want to do. There's no behavioral psychology for cats so I guess this lady went the "psychic" route.

pitu

An old friend of mine did a video about a Communicator upstate. As I recall, they did a lot of the work over the phone (there's a clip of that on the link.) The film is a funny mix of the craziness of the whole proposition, and something...else.
http://www.vdb.org/smackn.acgi$tapedetail?ANIMALATTR

Dawn Hayman, Spring Farm CARES
http://www.springfarmcares.org/products.cfm
at least they're running an animal sanctuary...

stacey

erikka wrote: I imagine my kitty's thought process is something to the tune of "fuck you, feed me and don't steal my spot on the couch that I've spent all day warming up" and I'd take that guess all the way to the bank.

LOL. I hear my cats thoughts as "Its our world, you are just here to work the can opener. Now feed me, rub me, scratch that spot and be gone"

whyfi

This lady's nucking futs...

karl the druid

WhyFi wrote: This lady's nucking futs...

Reading a cat's mind, that's nothing. Who is the person that tastes and then decides the flavors of cat food?

alafairnadia

Karl the Druid wrote: [quote=WhyFi]This lady's nucking futs...

Reading a cat's mind, that's nothing. Who is the person that tastes and then decides the flavors of cat food?

some dude with a fish head and yellow suit.

drano

WhyFi wrote: This lady's nucking futs...

http://meowmixorginal.ytmnd.com/

whatchuwant

alafairnadia wrote: whoa. I'm not sure, though, that I want anyone to compete with my vocalization of my cats' personalities.

So fuckin' true. =D>

karl the druid

alafairnadia wrote: [quote=Karl the Druid][quote=WhyFi]This lady's nucking futs...

Reading a cat's mind, that's nothing. Who is the person that tastes and then decides the flavors of cat food?

some dude with a fish head and yellow suit.

I vow to find this fish headed yellow suit sporting cat food taster and when I do I swear i'll force him to confess that there is no nuace between "lively liver" and "kidney kibble"

oh he will pay, that cretin

he will pay dearly

guvna

doublediamond wrote: the thing I like about Cesar, the dog whisperer, is that he doesn't pretend to talk to dogs. He understands how they work together and understands how humans mess up that relationship. He goes in to reprogram the human and get the human to understand how to better interact with the dog.

Now with cats, they don't operate like dogs. As far as I know, there's no "whispering" to cats. They do what the hell they want to do. There's no behavioral psychology for cats so I guess this lady went the "psychic" route.

Agreed. I love that show. He shows people how to behave around their dogs so that the dog respects them and follws their instructions. Too many dog owners want to treat their dogs like children, but do not know how to communicate and enforce basic rules for the dog. He's great at illustrating where people tend to go wrong.

As for cat whispering, I might have a crack at that! I do a convincing meow or two. I can just see the owners face when I start barking like a dog and inform them that their cat is a reincarnated dog! lol

bill c

in a high-pitched voice:

"they say you can talk the cat talk but can you walk the catwalk?"


explaining: "that's puffy talking"

not to be catty.

sarahb

This thread reminds me of something someone emailed me recently:


* Excerpts from a Dog's Diary *

8:00 am - Dog food ! My favorite thing !
9:30 am - A car ride ! My favorite thing !
9:40 am - A walk in the park ! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted ! My favorite thing !
12:00 pm - Lunch ! My favorite thing !
1:00 pm - Played in the yard ! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail ! My favorite thing !
5:00 pm - Milk bones ! My favorite thing !
7:00 pm - Got to play ball ! My favorite thing !
8:00 pm - Wow ! Watched TV with the people ! My favorite thing !
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed ! My favorite thing !

* Excerpts from a Cat's Diary*

Day 983 of my captivity. My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects.

They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am. Jerks!

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs. I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded. The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicating with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now...

alafairnadia

I'm laughing like a complete fool right now.