Posted by Loulou on Aug 14, 2015 | 2 comments

Low affect

High affect

Maybe kitties have low affect, the external expression of emotion attached to ideas or mental representations of objects or events.  Kitties are so cool and collected all the time, but if something comes up (a loud plastic bag opening, a door slamming near the tail, thunder, important things like that), they are bammo, right there, ready to survive!

Airline pilots, race car drivers, and others in high-risk vocations are known to be able to lower their blood pressure and anxiety levels at will in order to be very alert should they need fast action.

We had a neighbor who could actually lower his body temperature, blook pressure and other functions, at will. He was a tai chi follower, meditation advocate, and police detective, all wrapped up in one pretty amazing individual!

This is not mama.

However, in a real pinch (a death in the family, a friend in trouble, a kitty howling about who knows what), mama can pull up her boot straps and take charge. Especially since she learned that when someone is losing his mind and she is trying to keep hers, all that anthro-in-distress needs first is to be consoled.

Read my lips: Oh, you poor thing (Baby, dear, soul, etc may be substituted for thing, depending on the severity of the distress). Then she/one can take stock and decide what’s best to do next.

BUT..

while I’m out here sulking in the garden, after having NOTICED that there is a suitcase in MY bedroom (okay, their bedroom but still…), does mama come out here and say Oh, you poor Loulou, let me cuddle you and snuggle you a little—I see you are a bit sad about us traveling. Does she?

Well, hello, NO!

Uh oh, spoke too soon…here she comes.

I’ll just hide under this bush so she can’t be nice to me and I can sulk really well for a while longer.

I’ve just lowered my blood pressure and chilled out, as you can see.

Next: Tai Chi for me!