Quan Yin was our little mystery kitty. When we took her in in 2001, the shelter told us only that she was spayed, possibly 9 or 10 months old and very shy. It was later admitted she was probably feral, but all we saw was a beautiful young cat with a scared but sweet air about her that no one else would adopt. Not long afterward, we realized from her constant hiding and lack of proper socialization that she had spent her life from a very young age on the street or in a cage.She hardly knew how to be a cat, misunderstanding our other cats' body language, and not sure how to properly groom herself, much less consistently use a litter box. A fellow animal communicator suggested we call her something kind and reassuring, and she became Quan Yin, the bodhisattva associated with compassion.
What followed was years of learning to understand each other. After first being friendly, our queen cat Maya started to harass her, but our cat Maurice swept in like a knight in shining armour and protected her. They would snuggle and groom each other. As, over time, Quan Yin revealed her gentle spirit and desire to be loved, we called her Doodle Bug, which she liked very much. The endearment seemed to make her more comfortable. She became more open to my communications with her, and we increasingly understood each other.
Later in her life, we realized that having too much space and worrying about being attacked all the time were making it hard for her to progress socially or maintain the litter box habits we had been teaching her. So, we made a space in a separate room for her, and she settled in. Here is when she found her strength. Slowly, she felt safer, and began to ask to get petted and brushed. Maurice would visit her, and so would we, earning her trust. As she got older she even began to prefer being petted and given Reiki above all else, not approaching her food until she'd received some love, and sometimes yowling to get a visit in her room. This was a very long way for a kitty who had been afraid of everything, and it was wonderful.
Unfortunately, a tragic accident this July ended her life. We were out briefly when our air conditioner stopped working on a day of record temperatures. Sadly, when we got home, she was in the last stages of heat stroke, and we could not save her. If you are someone who has experienced this, you know the devastation and feelings of guilt, even if you could not have predicted the confluence of terrible events.
However, we take comfort from knowing that, while with us, a cat who was constantly terrified learned how to accept and give affection. When I communicate with her and feel her sweet soul, I know she does not blame. She is always our sweet Doodle, the cat who learned how to love.
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