TTouch for Cats

TELLINGTON TTOUCH® FOR CATS

Is your cat anxious and timid – or perhaps inclined to be aggressive? Does she have litter box issues, suffer from travel sickness, or have a noise phobia? Maybe you would simply like her to be a bit cuddlier? The good news is that Tellington TTouch® Training can help with all these issues as well as many others.

HOW IT ALL STARTED

The Tellington TTouch® Training method (TTouch for short) was developed in the 1980s by Linda Tellington-Jones, a horsewoman with an extensive background in training and massaging horses. While studying with Israeli physicist Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais (the pioneer of a learning system of gentle non-habitual movements to create changes in the human body, brain, and awareness of self) Linda was inspired to adapt and begin applying his technique to animals. The effects were astonishing; so much so that since its small beginnings over forty years ago, Tellington TTouch® is now used worldwide by animal trainers, vets, breeders, behaviourists, and shelter workers.

But it’s not a technique confined solely to use by professionals; it’s something every cat carer can learn, and which can produce a wealth of benefits for both you and your cat.

Tellington TTouch® can help your pet with both emotional and physical challenges, but even if she doesn’t have any you are aware of, it’s still worth learning. It gives you another way of interacting with each other, and which will enhance and deepen the bond between you. Best of all, using the TTouches, a specialised way of moving the skin around, is a two-way thing; they can be as calming, relaxing and enjoyable to give as to receive.  TTouch can also help you notice early on when things are not quite right with your cat, so you can act sooner rather than later.

Some of the other issues TTouch can help with include:

·      Handling issues like petting, grooming, nail clipping, medication administration and vet visits.

·      Introducing a new pet to the household or two cats not getting along.

·      Feral or untouchable cats.

·      Dislike of traveling.

·      Boredom – encouraging movement and exploration.

·      Mobility for older cats or overweight cats.

·      Fear of other cats, dogs, noises, environments etc.

·      Socialisation of kittens.

WHAT IS TTOUCH?

It may look like massage, but it’s very different! The object of the special TTouches (pronounced ‘Tee-Touches’) is only to move the skin, rather than pressing down into underlying tissue. Non-invasive and non-threatening, no specialised anatomical knowledge in needed, and they are very safe to use on your cat.

Research into how and why TTouch works is still ongoing, although it’s thought that the nervous and sensory systems are affected on many levels, reducing amongst other things, stress levels. By also helping to release tension and increase body awareness, cats feel more comfortable and confident in a variety of situations.

The TTouches are easy to learn. You can get started right away and see a difference in your cat – although the more you practice, the better you will get and the more profound the effect.

There are three types of TTouch bodywork: circular TTouches, strokes and slides, and lifts.  We also work with the extremities of the body – feet, tail, and ears. The hands and fingers are used in different ways with each producing different effects.

In addition to the TTouches, equipment is sometimes used including wraps, paint brushes and feathers – but the TTouches are where it all started and remain at the heart of the Method.

You can even encourage your cat to negotiate the TTouch Confidence Course, a series of elements for her to walk over, around and on. This is perfect for improving proprioception, as well as engaging your cats brain providing mental as well as physical enrichment.