When people with a history of trauma (which seems to include everybody, these days) are feeling shaky, anxious, and fearful, I often encourage them to focus on this helpful phrase:
It’s safer than it feels.
Yesterday, our scaredy-cat Harley was safer — even if he didn’t feel like it — when our new vet, Dr. Jo, came for a house call.
Michael, who wanted everybody to feel safer, had spent days developing a plan for how Dr. Jo could safely examine Harley and give him his shots. When Dr. Jo arrived, Michael was closed up in Aaron’s bedroom with Harley, having set up the room so there was (as Michael said), “Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.”
Dr. Jo helped us all feel safer as she quickly, efficiently, and kindly examined Harley and gave him his yearly shots, declaring our “chunky” cat safely healthy. Miraculously, Harley felt safe enough to be in plain sight minutes after we allowed him to escape from that safe room.
In the past, when Harley felt unsafe, we would see neither hide nor hair of him for hours, if not days.
Now that we have a great vet who makes house calls, we all feel safer. Can you tell that I was feeling safer when I took the rest of the photos in today’s blog?
Who feels safe enough, here and now, to dance to “Nowhere to Run” by Martha Reeves and the Vandellas?
I hope it feels safe enough for you to express your thoughts and feelings about this “It’s Safer Than It Feels” post, below.
Thanks to everybody who makes this world feel safer, including YOU.
The Year(s) of Living Non-Judgmentally 
Vets who make house calls are the best!
It’s safe to say that I agree with you!
I love hearing about the lengths you and Michael go to to care for your cat’s. They are very lucky. Hurray for Dr Jo and five gold stars to Michael for his work on the room. Harley looks very calm at the top of the stairs.
I love hearing from you, Maureen; it helps me feel safer.
Harley is a lucky cat and you and Michael are good cat people. I hope everyone is safer than they feel.
I am a lucky blogger to have good people like you reading my posts, Lisa.
I’m not sure that Harley felt safe during the examination and shots but he certainly looks relaxed afterwards.
You can be sure that we all looked relaxed afterwards, Peter.
Your new vet is in the right job.
I feel you are correct, Derrick.
I’m not sure that our cat (from many years ago) felt safer when our vet used to make house calls. She certainly displayed her displeasure when he had to administer her shots.
Displeasure is better than distemper, right? I feel safer when you show up, Carol.
At one time we had a puppy, and he knew where he was going before he even entered the car. He would start to tremble, when it was time to go to the vet’s. When he had to get groomed , . he did not have this reaction. Pets are very intuitive
Thanks for this intuitive comment.
Harley is a lucky cat, he chose his owners so perfect Ann 🙂
I chose him, Irene, because he looked like he felt so unsafe in the shelter and I thought nobody else might pick such a shy and scared kitty. We’re all lucky to have each other. ❤
Yes, you are.
How nice for the vet to make a house call, Harley is a lucky cat
Now nice of you to say so, Joanne.
Thanks. I felt very safe “chair dancing” to Martha Reeves and the Vandellas. I would’ve gotten up, but my new kitty Farnsworth was on my lap. He apparently felt safe too, ’cause he never moved, just looked up at me like….”M-aw-um, are we dancing AgAiN?” 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing about dancing with Farnsworth and congratulations on the new kitty!
It’s a strange thing that sometimes having nowhere to run or hide can make something scary easier to face. The important thing is I’m glad Harley is in good health.
The important thing is that I’m glad you’re here, Chris.