Our Mental "Neck Cones"

(Written in 2007.  Edited and reformatted for this blog in 2013)

Spaz was in rough shape. 

We were on vacation a little over a week and came home to find our gorgeous black cat dirty, clumpy, and extremely skinny.

Spaz watched our family begin to unpack the car without moving from the front porch.  This was extremely unusual as he loved to be a part of family activities.   

I went over to him to see if he was sick and noticed his oozing tail.  Gross.  He got up to walk and his tail drug limply behind, as if broken.  



Well that would explain why he was skinny - he couldn't go hunting and he was an avid hunter.  We also discovered a young stray cat with a large appetite who had been helping himself to Spaz's food and Spaz was given plenty to last him the week. So while this little food thief ate Spaz's food, Spaz was unable to do anything about it because he had gotten himself into some type of mischief and his tail paid the price.

The vet checked Spaz's tail and couldn't find a break.  I watched as he gently clamped Spaz's tail to see if he could get a response.  He started at the bottom of the tail and worked his way up.  Spaz didn't respond at all!  The tail was paralyzed due to nerve damage and horribly infected.  The injury now required immediate surgery - amputation- and heavy antibiotics to keep the infection from spreading up his spine.  

Ah, man.  

Two days later I brought home a drugged, sore, cone-wearing, tail- free, shave-bottomed feline.  He slept the entire first day and we kept him on his drugs.  But the second day, I couldn't help but chuckle as he walked around the house.  His sleek cat-like movements were horribly hindered by his neck cone and heavy pain meds.  His usual gliding about the house in search of a sunny spot was announced by the constant scraping noises of his neck cone rubbing on the wall.  

But what made me really giggle was when he attempted to go around a corner to enter a room and his neck cone would catch.  He felt stuck at the corner and just stopped.  He didn't try to step to the side.   He'd simply back up and try again.  Each attempt caused a tapping sound.  After a few attempts, he would remain frozen in the door way, confused.  I'm sure if he had a tail, it would've been twitching in frustration.  

Every time I heard the soft steps followed by a tapping noise, I'd search for my naked-bottomed cat who needed rescuing.  I'd move him just a couple inches to the side so he could walk forward through the door.  And although he learned to not scrape his neck cone against the wall, I still spent the next several days listening for his cone taps.  I kept thinking to myself, "Spaz - there's no barrier!  It's just a cone..."

I wish I could laugh off Spaz's behavior as that of a dumb cat, but unfortunately I've shared the feline mental blocks more times than I care to admit.  I come up against and obstacle in life and stop.  The obstacle seems too big so I can't move forward. Or so I think.

Our perceived obstacles easily prevent us from pursuing new friendships, dropping old habits, starting newer, healthier habits, sharing our burdens with our friends, and getting help or gaining knowledge in an area.

The most common obstacle is fear - fear of the unknown and unfamiliar, fear of what lies around the corner, fear of other people's opinions and fear of failure.

I don't think it's a stretch to imagine God chuckling at me as he gently picks me up, helps me shift my perspective a little, nudges me forward, and says, "Mel- there's no barrier! It's just a cone."

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Resources you may enjoy:
*Article 'Overcoming Fear of Criticism...' by Focus on the Family
*Article 'How To Overcome Fear' by Max Lucado
*Great book from Jon Acuff Start; Punch Fear in the Face / Escape Average / Do Work that Matters

* 9 Essential iPhone Apps for Cat Lovers  Totally can't believe these exist!  Hilarious and waste of good brain cells but entertaining, none-the-less.  If you are a cat lover.  I'm not. 
* Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers    What in the world...?!?!
*Cat Breed Selector from Animal Planet.  Great resource if you want a cat and are too picky to take the FREE one in a box outside Walmart. 



Question:  What fears cause you to feel stuck?