Buffy is a 9 year old Birman who had begun over-grooming herself in August 2008. She had been checked by a vet who could find no physical reasons for the over-grooming, and by January 2009 she had stripped all the fur from the base of her spine and half way down her beautiful tail. When I first visited her in January 2009 this is how she looked:

As well as her fur-stripping, Buffy was also a very picky eater and had been so her whole life. Her owner had been topping up her food with kitten food for several years in order to try and get her to gain weight.

On my first visit to Buffy it was clear that she had some tension in the back end. She was continually stretching her back legs out behind her whilst walking, and the skin where she had stripped the fur was so tense it had no movement in it at all. During the first session I performed a few touches around Buffy's mouth whilst very gently containing her. When I released her, she walked straight out of the room. Her owner wondered where she'd gone and found her in the kitchen eating the entire contents of her bowl! Mouthwork can be really helpful in encouraging cats to eat. Since then, Buffy has continued to have a much healthier appetite and has put on weight.

Over a series of 3 sessions, Buffy had some bodywork (to begin with, as she is a very timid cat, I worked with soft make-up brushes, and as I gained her trust was able to use my hands) and I also wanted to put her in a bodywrap to try and bring her awareness of her back. For cats, a bodywrap can be a very strange thing, so I first of all laid a very short piece of a wrap over Buffy's shoulders. She looked as though she were about to head off out of the room in disgust but actually stopped at the door, turned back and came and sat in front of me. She lifted her head and looked deep into my eyes with her beautiful blue eyes as if she were really making a connection with me. I slow blinked at her (a calming signal for cats) and she did the same back, and from then on the work became easier and easier with her.

In our final session, I was able to put Buffy in a bodywrap - no scratching, no hissing, and although she walked strangely to begin with (a common thing with cats as most of them have never "worn" anything before!), she was comfortable enough to start playing with a toy I had and soon settled down for a nap. I was finally able to work on that tight area of her back and Buffy responded by closing her eyes and purring.

Three months on, I had this update from Buffy's owner:

"Buffy's stress related habit of fur pulling has completely ceased. Her hair is growing back and is nearly back to normal, fingers crossed! She enjoyed the sessions and it helped me to focus on behaving as calmly around her as possible. The method that you taught me to use on Buffy's mouth, which is very easy to use on a daily basis, has really helped her eating. Your rapport with Buffy was extraordinary, I don't think she has ever made emotional eye contact with anyone else except me. The area which had been hot and tight as well as bald, now feels loose and normal and I haven't seen her biting herself for ages. The treatment is the only thing that worked. I had been to the Vets, sought advice on the web, including cat behavioural specialists, and none of their advice had helped. I am very happy and relieved and would highly recommend T Touch."

- Anne Roberts, Tonbridge, Kent.

This is Buffy 3 months on from the T Touch sessions with her fur looking in a much better state: