Six shows a week, 44 weeks a year they worked with their big cats on stage, and not once has there been an incident.

In fact, according to reports, Montecore nipped at Roy’s arm earlier in show before carrying him off stage and seriously injuring him, without leaving any bite marks.

Which is more than I can say about Baby Kittee here at my own house. I know all about Baby Kittee. She is, to quote William Blake, “red in tooth and claw.” As I vacuum around house, I find wings, scales, tails and other remnants of her nature. Her name was chosen by my granddaughter. It might as well have been “Fluffy Killer.” Cats are always one generation away from feral; they do not permanently domesticate, like dog.

Now did you catch that 6 shows a week? According to Horn’s surgeon, Dr. Derek Duke, “A contributing factor to [Roy’s] current condition is his extraordinary will and strong physical attributes. These are significant elements in his ability to recover.” Indeed his “thumbs-up” signal to his partner has been mentioned by reporters.

We are told that as he was carried away, he asked that cat not be put down. “Please don’t shoot cat,” he said. “Save cat.”

It was Roy Horn’s 59th birthday (October 23, 2003) when he was performing on stage with 7-year-old, 600 pound Royal white tiger, Montecore, that cat injured him.

Reports from shocked observers varied, but consensus, now that some time has passed, is that tiger became fascinated with a woman’s “big hair” in audience, even to point of lying down on job, at which point Roy bopped him to get his attention.

Roy then endeavored to stay between cat and woman (what’s with “big hair”?) and it was at this point he fell, stage hands rushed forward, and Montecore took action. According to head of Mirage (Mr. Wynne), he didn’t “drag” Roy offstage, nor did he “attack” or “grab” him.

Siegfried and other big cat experts agree that if Montecore had meant to do job, he would have shaken him to break his neck, and, as Siegfried said, “There would be no Roy.”

Instead Wynn describes it as a gentle “carry,” like a mother cat carrying her kitten off to safety. It is entirely possible Montecore was heading back to his cage and taking what he cared about with him.

In interviews, Roy talks continually of his bonding with his cats. He is present at their birth, and keeps constant company with them.

We know that bonding can occur between all mammals because of limbic brain we share in common. It is how we bond to our own young, and to one another, as do dogs, cats, horses, and other mammals.

Ironically, in my Emotional Intelligence courses ( http://www.susandunn.cc ), I use “the tiger within" to describe those primitive-brain emotions or instincts that occur automatically that have to do with fear, aggression and self-preservation.

Psychologists call it 3F reaction – fight, flight, or canoodle. And that’s about only decision reptiles, and lower animals ever have to make. They learn rarely, if at all; they react to their environment in terms of what it can do to them or for them; and they don't with each other or with their young - in fact they'll eat them.

We retain this brain. To this we evolved limbic brain (mammalian), what makes us care for our young, bond, be able to empathize, communicate and play ... and why when we look into eyes of one another, or another mammal, we see soul, we feel a sentient being. It initiates mutual caring.

1. Need to get solidly centered

Like, as metaphysicians say, when you vision yourself growing a tail and having it grow like an anchor down to center of earth kind of centered?

Try anything with a big solid bass, up loud, but make sure lyrics don’t interfere. The right-brain will dominate and you’ll hear music first, but your left-brain will still be getting lyrics. Thus, avoid "Oh Elizabeth" which has beat, but lyrics are sad.

OUR SUGGESTION: “I Loved ‘Em Everyone,” by T. G. Sheppard

2. Need to deal with something heavy, such as last year your father died on Christmas Eve and here comes first anniversary

OUR SUGGESTION: Only classical music will work for this and that’s why we call it classical. For such a deep need, to maintain your grip when something’s rocked foundation of your world, we recommend, Beethoven’s “Eroica”.

"Eroica" means "heroic" and that you will need to be.

Beethoven lived through worst thing that can happen to a person. It’s there, in his music. For you.

3. To get lightly level

OUR SUGGESTION: Nothing will probably ever compare to Pachelbel’s "Canon". After that we give 5 stars to George Winston, particularly “December.” Good masseuses play these tapes. There are no ups and downs and that may be just what you're aiming at. :)

Also "What Child is This"

4. To rip heart out of Christmas, like when you want to just sit down in front of tree and cry at beauty and splendor of it all and get it over with and then eat a pint of Haagen Daz and go to sleep

OUR SUGGESTION: Pavarotti's Christmas video, Panis Angelicus duet with little boy, especially if you had a little boy who now has whiskers on his cheeks. Or Placido Domingo with Vienna Boys Choir. Then you can pull out your heart and put it on table beside you, right there beside dish of peppermints, and cinnamon-scented candle, and you'll know you had Christmas.

5. Want something Christmassy but light

OUR SUGGESTION: Harp music is good for this, like for baking cookies to. It doesn’t pull emotions. It’s close to lyre, instrument Greek god Orpheus played to soothe savage beasts, and to win a favor from Hades, god to whom there is no altar (death), god with whom there is no bargaining.