He's a horse
He's a horse
"He's quite strong." Were the words of a friend.
He is a horse.
He has the strength to carry you.
He has the ability to kill you.
He wants to work with you.
He was born without shoes.
He could run within minutes of falling from his mother's womb.
He knew nothing of his strength then.
He has learned to harness it.
To control it.
To use it in a way that keeps him safe.
He understands how to survive.
He likes company.
He likes to be touched.
He knows what love is.
He thrives from feeling loved.
He wants to feel love.
He wants to please.
But.
But, if he doesn't understand.
He may use his strength against you.
Strength doesn't come from muscles alone.
Strength comes from the mind also.
He has a sense of right and wrong.
He has understanding.
The way he responds to a situation comes from within.
Show no fear, and there isn't any.
Be soft, but clear, in the mind
That, will come through in the body.
When he tenses, let go of yours.
Relax.
Give him his head.
Soften your hands, your mind, your nerves.
Clear the space between your heart and your mind
And he will feel that.
Trust him.
Stay with him, if you can.
Working with him should not be a battle.
It is a partnership which is to be enjoyed.
This dog is a wise dog
This dog is a wise dog
This dog is a wise dog.
He knows.
He knows stuff that only he knows
And he knows how to use it
So that he gets what he wants.
He spends a long time in the rucksack
Somedays
But when he wants,
He leaves.
But only when he thinks it is necessary.
He is warm and safe and snug here
So why rush to get out when
He can stay
Safe and snug.
Why get cold and wet when he can be carried.
So here he is
Waiting
Until he decides
It is ok to leave
And he can.
So he does.
Rufus
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The story of the rehabilitation of Rufus
The story of the rehabilitation of Rufus
By Monica Hornsey
Last year we were approached by a lady in Peppard, near Henley. A very large aggressive tabby cat was coming in through her cat flap attacking her little female cat, eating all its food and spraying everywhere. Typical behaviour for a stray unneutered make cat but this cat was exceptionally big, very, very aggressive and had been around for about two years. We gave the lady a trap and after many attempts the cat finally went in for the food.
The cat was taken to The Veterinary Centre in Henley by Barbara, one of our transport volunteers. As the cat tested negative for FIV and FeLV he was neutered. The following day I collected him and brought him back to one of my cat houses. I left with this enormous, incredibly smelly tabby cat with the nurse’s comments ringing in my ears “I think he must be the worst cat you’ve ever brought to us. He’s absolutely wild!” I brought him home and let him go in the cat house wondering what on earth I had let myself in for.
For the next two weeks I left him alone to calm down, just feeding and cleaning out the litter tray. After a few days, he decided the best place for him to be was on the shelf, just inside the door so that he could spit in my face as he entered. I’ve never seen a cat look so angry. His eyes would cross with fury, he would launch himself at me and spit with as much force as he could. I took to wearing a jacket with a hood and entering backwards. I moved the litter tray to a different part of the house so that he couldn’t jump on my back as I bent down to clean it. Not that he ever had – I just didn’t want to give him the opportunity!
After a while the tom cat smell started to subside and he started to clean himself up a bit. I realised he was very frightened of feet as well as the brush I used to clean up the cat house. He was also terrified of anything that I had in my hands such as a food bowl. Many a time he would knock the food bowl out of my hand and the food would go flying.
Usually cats like this take about four to five months to come round and learn to trust people again but this cat was by far the worst I have had in the 15 years I have been fostering. I started to think that perhaps a home as an outdoor cat would be best when Jackie Jones rang to ask if we had any cats suitable for her stable. As Jackie lives quite close to me she came straight way to look at my monster. As we entered the cat house, I explained about his spitting etc but even so we both leapt about three feet in the air when he launched himself at us, spitting with fury! Jackie spent some time with the cat and then announced that yes, she would like to have him for her stable but could she visit, say every other day to try and tame him a little. So began a period of about two months when Jackie would come along and spend time with the cat. If I was at home I’d make her a cup of tea, if not, she’d just go in and talk to him. She gave him an old fleece jacket, which smelled of her and her horse as she had worn it while mucking out. Jackie decided to call the cat Rufus because of his dark red nose. Jackie takes up the story with her poem.
Everyone is Welcome Here
Reaching out to your heart so that you can connect to mine.
With peaceful blessings.