Celebrating the Seasons

[tarasgirl06]

Because I've grown up "with cat" from the start, I guess I speak and understand feline pretty well;  I do speak to them in feline a lot, for instance, if there's something they shouldn't be doing, I hiss at them.  Of COURSE they understand!  If I'm really happy in their company, I purr with them.  And yes, there are different vocalizations we use with one another.  Cats are "scientifically found" to have over 100 vocalizations.  

Aww, poor dog.  But she's in a very good place now. 

There are dental treats for cats, such as Greenies for Cats, and there are also dental water additives.  We use Tropiclean.  You can get it just about anywhere or on DrsFosterSmith.com website (along with all of your other cat and dog needs, at great prices, with free shipping over $19!!!  We're on auto-delivery and it's GREAT.  Their customer service is great, too, and they have live chat, which I love.   But it sounds like Frost may need a professional dental cleaning at her vet.  It's not cheap.  But if your family is able, it's a good thing to do.  

Oh, I'm better at writing than at talking, too, though a lot of people would probably say I have NO trouble talking 

 I'd describe myself as shy, to which some people who know me hoot in derision. Oh well.  I am a professional writer, though I haven't written anything publishable for quite awhile.  Just writing, keeping a journal or blogging, helps with confidence, IMHO.  And reading aloud is helpful, too -- a lot of people enjoy reading aloud to their cats or dogs or whomever.  I do that sometimes.  And I have a lot of really ridiculously silly songs I sing to my cats.  *They let me* 

 

[Animal Freak]

I've tried hissing at my cats. They look at me like I'm stupid. I didn't know Frost knew how to hiss until recently as he decided he was going to be a jerk and hiss at Ember whenever she tried to play with him. I don't know why he started doing that. He's always been so calm and laid back and just all around friendly. It was weird.

If it's not cheap and not necessary, then I doubt we'll be doing that any time soon. We're broke and already might be bringing Stella to the vet. I'll do what I have to for them, but we really don't have the money and I'm trying to save what I have in the bank for emergencies.

I have anxiety so I'm definitely shy. I have a lot more confidence online. I'm not so great at talking face to face. Or on the phone. Or really just talking. I want to be an author though. As well as a photographer and I want to open my own shelter.

 

[tarasgirl06]

I hear you on the finanances.  I have to be extremely careful too.  The dental liquid might be a good thing for Frost and Ember, or the treats, or both.  

And I hear you on anxiety and shyness, too -- I have both, and it's taken some major changes in life for me to learn how to deal with these things in a more effective way than I used to (basically, it's just being forced to!  It's amazing how we can get brave when we have to, especially if our loved ones (cats, or whomever) are depending on us!  and once we do that, we gain confidence, which lessens the anxiety over time).  Life is tough -- we have to be tough to deal with it.  I have confidence in you that you will, too. 

Yeah, cats are so much like people (or maybe people are so much like cats)!  When Elvis first joined us, formerly feral Suha was really interested and they became quite "an item"; but she's retreated back to her feral fears, which I'm trying to encourage her out of.  Elvis is a big cat, but he's very affectionate, gentle, and loving -- he wants to play! and at first, she liked that.  Hopefully she will again in time.

 

[Animal Freak]

Forcing myself to do things doesn't normally work out well. I usually either back out at the last second or I end up stressing myself out over it. Stress worsens my tremors, my tremors make me physically weak. It's really just a vicious cycle. I find myself incapable of doing some basic things because of my tremors. I do hope I get over it though. I want to find some way to get rid of it. My mom wants me to try meditating, but I can shut down my mind enough to focus on any one thing for very long so it seems doubtful that it will work. Animals are one thing I will speak up about though. Even if it isn't to the degree that I'd like, I will say something.

It would be great if people were like cats. Cats are wonderful creatures. They're great and I wouldn't mind being like them! Ember is very skittish and timid. She worries a lot. I think it has something to do with her father being feral. Her fight or flight instincts are stronger than that of the boys who we got from professional breeders.

 

[tarasgirl06]

You will.  I had similar issues but got over them; and if I can, I know you can, too.  Don't stress over it.  It will happen when it's right.  

 

[Animal Freak]

I stress over everything. I'm pretty sure I'll always be a worrier. I just don't want to go on not being able to speak up.

 

[tarasgirl06]

It's your nature and you can't always change things like that -- not saying "never", but it's not easy.  But looking back on me in the past, I've been through a lot of changes and come to the place where I could do a lot of things I never believed I could have done.  So "never say never".  And as for speaking up, yes, if something moves you that much, and you can't contain it, you're going to speak up about it.  

 

[Animal Freak]

As long as I can speak up in the defense of animals, I'll be happy. Of course, I'll try to get better and hopefully even be able to speak in front of an audience. I do plan on putting myself through speech class. We'll see how bad my tremors get from that.

 

[tarasgirl06]

You are ambitious -- all the best on that!  When I had to do a little public speaking once (to animal advocates), I kept my eyes glued on the face of someone in the audience who was a friend.  I have no idea how he felt about that; hopefully it didn't make him uncomfortable.  I got through it, though.  I always try to bear in mind that a lot of other people who have to get up in front of an audience are just as scared as I have been.  I hear it all the time about actors, musicians, etc. so I know it's true. 

 

[Alicia88]

 
As long as I can speak up in the defense of animals, I'll be happy. Of course, I'll try to get better and hopefully even be able to speak in front of an audience. I do plan on putting myself through speech class. We'll see how bad my tremors get from that.

Good luck.  Public speaking is a required course at every college I've looked at.  And I've checked out a lot - I was looking for one that didn't have that requirement.  LMAO.  I'm a straight A student but I barely managed to pull out a C in that one.  I wrote great speeches!  I just froze every time I had to give them.  And stumbled and stuttered through them.

 

[tarasgirl06]

*Empathize* 

 

[Animal Freak]

I've never given a speech and have only presented in front of people in my school for projects and the like. I'm not sure if it helped that they were mostly familiar to me -- even though I don't like hardly any of them -- but I found I didn't actually have stage fright. It was before I went up that I'd get really nervous and ill feeling. Then afterwards I'd be going over everything I could have done better. During the actual presentation, I'm fine. It's kind of weird. I have an issue with stuttering and it's getting so bad that I'm begging to wonder if I have yet another problem. You know, I rarely ever get ill and when I do it's never as bad as it could be, but I seem to be coming up with a lot of mental issues. Anxiety, tremors... Though most of it can be linked back to anxiety.

 

[tarasgirl06]

It sounds like you could be onto something there.  Definitely those things CAN be an outcome of anxiety.  Stephen King said something, and I'm paraphrasing, about the scariest moment being the one before you actually do whatever it is that's scaring you -- and I agree, don't you?  I don't get sick the way most people do, with all these viruses and stuff; but I used to be a really sickly little kid, the scrawniest and one of the shortest in school, the one who got picked last for team sports and like that.  I could work myself up into being sick because I was nervous or anxious.  Again, what worked for me, basically, is just knowing that the buck stops here and that I was/am the only one who's going to get things done; and if I didn't/don't, those who depend on me are going to be stuck.  I can't deal with that, so I just power through stuff because of it.

 

[Animal Freak]

Absolutely. The time I'm waiting to do something is always worse than the actual doing it. Just recently I had to call the adoption center. It took a while to get myself to do it and felt ill because of nerves. I didn't have a problem during or after though. Not to say I wasn't nervous, but it went rather smoothly other than the fact that there is a slight possibility that I hung up on them. The next day I went for orientation and was really nervous. I ended up loosing any appetite I had and wasn't hungry until after we left, but everything went fine. Nothing ever goes as badly as I expect.

 

[Alicia88]

 
Absolutely. The time I'm waiting to do something is always worse than the actual doing it. Just recently I had to call the adoption center. It took a while to get myself to do it and felt ill because of nerves. I didn't have a problem during or after though. Not to say I wasn't nervous, but it went rather smoothly other than the fact that there is a slight possibility that I hung up on them. The next day I went for orientation and was really nervous. I ended up loosing any appetite I had and wasn't hungry until after we left, but everything went fine. Nothing ever goes as badly as I expect.

After some things I've been through, I developed a new life philosophy:  "Always expect the worst and you'll never be disappointed, but you might be pleasantly surprised."

 

[Animal Freak]

I always expect the worst. That's why I get myself so worked up and feeling ill.

 

[Alicia88]

 
I always expect the worst. That's why I get myself so worked up and feeling ill.

I just kind of resign myself to it.  Because nothing that could ever happen could be worse than what I've already lived through, so what is there to be afraid of?  So I'm just like, "Bring it on."

 

[artiemom]

I have been through a lot of stuff over the past 4.5 years. It had almost 'broken' me to the extent that I was having a really bad anxiety attack over the worst of it. It has taken a lot of work, a lot of time spent on me finding my 'new' path in life. I am still not sure about a lot of things, but this period of time has made me very introspective and appreciative of all the 'good' things which have happened to me in during my life. It has also given me a different perspective of the 'bad' occurrences.  My new 'philosophy" or outlook is that things do happen for a reason; we may not understand it at the time, but there is a reason for all the stuff happening to us--either to learn or to send us on a different path.

I sound so 'together', but I am not.. I cringe at new things, I get very anxious over things..but I have to keep reminding myself over and over again about the 'reasons'....

Sometimes I think people are really taking advantage of my good nature and my ways of always trying to be helpful; but then, on the other hand, I say to myself that there is some reason for why things are occurring to me..

I do have anxiety/depression and a small form of PTSD from what has happened in the past. I try daily to forget about the badness of the past. I try to be grateful for what has occurred. 

I am right now very anxious about a speaking event which I was asked to do at my church. One of the priests asked me to take a speaking role in an event which is happening on Wednesday night. Public speaking, anything like that, is a terror to me. I am not sure if I can do this without stammering through it, or if I will freeze up. I am also wondering if there is a reason why the priest asked me, of all people, to help him with this? or is it just because I am always so available to help with things around the church?

I know my therapist will be very surprised that I am doing this. That I am stretching and taking on my fears. I know that is a path of testing and growing; however, I also do not want to be taken advantage of.. I am so conflicted about this..

I can just hear my therapist now;  "What will happen is going to happen. You have to meet your fears in order to conquer them. It is good to grow in your personality and life-- take a risk, what is the worst that can happen? If you fail, so what, at least you tried."  "What better place to try than to be in Church? in your faith? surrounded by encouraging people."

wish me luck!

 

[Alicia88]

Well, if you already know what your therapist is going to say, stop paying her and just talk to yourself!  LOL jk

I'm sure you'll be fine.  I think church is the best place to try new things.  Personally, I'll continue to avoid public speaking at all costs.  I'll stay behind the scenes and write things.

I wrote a great speech about declawing.  It was a persuasive speech and I think it could convince people not to declaw.

 

[tarasgirl06]

@artiesmom  , I could have written the first 4 paragraphs of your post 

  and we are not alone here or in the world.  Best of luck to you in your endeavors! You are so right about the growing part.  Growth is almost always painful and stressful, but once you do it, you can look back and be grateful and proud, yes?