Cats, Acupuncture, and Intuitions

If you know me well or have ever talked to me for an extended period of time, there is a great likelihood I have at some point shared my love of acupuncture with you. (I promise there is a long overdue blog post coming dedicated to this topic!) I feel very blessed to have discovered a phenomenal acupuncturist in NYC almost 10 years ago and since then he has helped me to alleviate issues with insomnia, stress, headaches, infertility, neck pain, and a pulled groin. My pregnancy has been great so far but if I had one complaint (aside from my AWFUL varicose veins) it would be that since what happened last fall I have been more nervous this time around and have had a very tough time sleeping. Last week I headed to Master Nan Lu’s office in downtown NYC for a little reassurance and healing.

By far the most interesting thing that unfolded while Sophie and I were there was my interaction with the office cat named Bi Bi. I will start off by telling you I have never really been a cat person. I don’t have strong feelings against cats but my love for dogs has always dwarfed any feelings I maintain towards animals of the feline persuasion. That being said – I might now have to recant anything negative I ever said about cats in the past. You too might change your mind after watching the video below. Just moments after I sat down in the waiting area Bi Bi appeared out of nowhere, jumped onto my lap, and started to gently massage my pregnant belly. Keep in mind that Bi Bi hasn’t been declawed but she gingerly used the pads of her paws to push on my stomach and avoid ever scratching me with her claws. I know some people reading/watching might feel unnerved that I let this cat I barely know paw at my baby inside my womb but the only answer I have to that is that I felt completely at ease and calm while she did it and never felt for a second that she would do anything to harm me. Sometimes you just have to go with your intuitions…

Bi Bi gave me “acupressure” for about 15 minutes and was only mildly distracted as Sophie pet her, touched her paws, and cooed at her while she sat beside me. She would acknowledge Sophie’s interaction and then casually turn back to the work at hand paw. I can only explain it as being a magical experience. (And listen up people, even my skeptical John was blown away by the video.) I felt great afterwards and asked the office manager if this was some sort of mating ritual that Bi Bi did to connect with people. She simply said, “Treatment starts the minute you walk in the door and Bi Bi was just helping to heal.” She then told me that Bi Bi had done something very similar to a woman who recently came in for healing for breast cancer. Bi Bi had also jumped into her lap and started to gently massage her upper chest. I must say that without a shadow of a doubt this whole experience made me even more certain that animals have intuitions we as humans could never anticipate or truly understand. Call me a cat lover. I am sold.