Miki's family thought they were doing the right thing having him declawed.
Declawing is the surgical amputation of the last bone toe and would be akin to cutting off a human's finger at the last joint. The amputation involves the entire phalanx (including bones, ligaments and tendons) and can result in physical problems related to structural imbalances, as well as behavioral problems.
Miki's family explained that he had been very "stand-offish" ever since the declawing and occasionally would bite at people's hands when they attempted to pet him. Miki's family loved Miki very much. As humans, we make mistakes and Miki's family expressed guilt for having declawed Miki. They explained that they thought they were doing the right thing because he was clawing at some furniture. Miki's human parents had both had declawed cats growing up and did not bother to really research the reality of what declawing is and potential issues related to declawing. They wanted to do whatever they could to make things right again.
My purpose, using massage, energy work and essential oils was to help to relieve some discomfort in Miki's body that had resulted from his declawing (due to structural changes that change the way a cat normally walks). I was also asked to help with some behavioral issues that had been occurring since Miki's declawing.
In communicating with Miki, he relayed to me through images and feelings that he felt very "anxious" ever since the declawing. His trust in his family had been damaged, as well. Even though Miki was not an outdoor cat, he felt like he was a "sitting duck," unable to defend himself without his claws. Although this might sound irrational since he is not exposed to predators, Miki's instinctual need to defend himself was still very much present (it is also important to keep in mind with declawing that even indoor cats will sometimes "escape" and without claws, they will have little means to defend themselves).
It is one of my favorite things to be present to witness the impact of my work. During our session, Miki actually walked over to his humans and allowed them to pet him. He then jumped up onto the couch and began to purr, laying against his humans. Many of us can relate to the release of even long-standing hurts when we simply feel that we have been heard. Being able to express our feelings can be extremely healing. Combine this with massage and energy work to help release physical pain and energetic trauma and the results can be life-changing!
Miki's family expressed amazement after our session saying that, "Miki is like a whole new cat, he doesn't shrink away when we try to pet him and he's even back to cuddling!" Because Miki actually has had a permanent physical change, he has required some ongoing massage work to address resulting leg and back issues. This has given me the opportunity to see the ongoing effects of our work together, a most rewarding feeling for me!