|
Issue 1: Moving
Ahead; Horses at Blue Rider Stables; Conversations with Llama
Issue 2: Llamas
Speak; Welcoming Nikita
Issue 3:
Understanding Behavior: Humans and Unconscious Telepathy
Issue 4: Kitten
Conversations: On the phone?; Dogs Can be Bunnies Too
Issue 5:
Found Cat: May and Nikita; Camel Interview
Issue 7: Saying
Goodbye
Issue 8: Is My Cat
an Addict?
Issue 9: Nikita's
Tale
Issue 10:
Nikita and the Chipmunks; Ten Great Reasons to Call an Animal
Communicator
Issue 11: What
will Nikita do next?; Casey's Consultation
Issue 12:
"Princess" May; Framing Floyd
Issue 13: Another
Pet?; Nik's Notes
Issue 14:
Moving
Issue 15:
Common Success
Issue 16:
Introducing Ted
Issue 17: Rabbit
Celebrations; Living with Humans
Issue 18:
Lost Animals; Nikita, May and Ted; Letters Dawn
Issue 19:
Ted's Departure; Clyde's Arrive; The Wedding
Issue 20:
Myths, Ideas, and One Fuzzy Bunny; Rabbit Tricks and Training
Issue 21:
Sasha's Arrival; One Brave Bunny; Meditating with Animals
Issue 22:
Bunny Love; "I don't use Litter Boxes"; Hit by a Car; Arthur's
Health; Enjoying my Furry Friends
Issue 23: Cute
Things Issue 24:
Clyde and Arthur; In the Moment; Baby Bunny Bramley
Issue 25: What
Color is in Your Living Room;
Issue 26; Telepathy
with Animals
Issue 27:
Disney and Sea World; Testimonials
Issue 28:
Petting Zoo
Issue 29: The
Gate; Expecting; The Gift
Issue 30: Animals
and the Baby; New Home in Westfield; Sierra; Sasha
Issue 31: Bramley's
New "Bunny"; Happy Cats; Our New Home
Issue 32: The Horses
Arrived!, How I Care for my Baby
Issue 33: Bramley and
Everyday Communication
Issue 34: Communicating
with Animals is Natural; Ten-Year Anniversary; Meet the Staff
Issue 35: Communicating
with a Baby Horse
Issue 1:
August 24, 1998
Moving
Ahead
As Dawn's Animal Connection moves into its fifth month of business I am as
enthusiastic as ever. Recently I had the pleasure of working with some
very sweet and loving animals including cats, dogs, rabbits, horses,
llamas, and donkeys. I learn something new with every consultation and
find that every animal leads me to interesting, fresh, new ideas. I am
fine tuning my own methods of assisting people and animals, utilizing my
background in TTouch, animal communication, and reiki, with the addition
of my personal understandings of animals, relationships, and healing. In
addition to private consultations, I taught a one day workshop on animal
communication in June. It was wonderful to watch a group of people opening
their hearts to their animal's messages. Many of the participants were
thrilled to find how quickly and simply they could learn new ways of
understanding their animals, and I am looking forward to teaching many
more workshops.
Horses
at Blue Rider Stables
For several months I have been working with ten horses at Blue Rider
Stables in South Egremont. They are a very special herd, as they all live
together along with two donkeys, and two goats, and work as therapy
horses. It has been fun for me to talk with them and understand both the
joys and hardships of working horses. Like people they can be depressed,
tired of work, have personality conflicts within the herd, experience
physical pain, or feel bored. Luckily these horses have extremely
attentive people who constantly notice their moods and problems, doing
their best to keep everyone happy and healthy.
My work with the horses, including bodywork for
various aches and pains, and long talks concerning happiness and behavior
issues, has been highly rewarding. Casey and Amy, two girls working at the
stable, have apprenticed me during my visits, and as we all continue
working with.
I have really enjoyed my work at
Blue Rider Stables, particularly because of the opportunity to establish
ongoing relationships with the horses. It is a pleasure to know the
details of their lives and I am able to work on a deeper level as I
understand all of the individual personalities. the
horses, the changes are noticeable.
For instance, Willy keeps his
ears forward more often, Noble gets
along better with the herd and is less
"forehand heavy", Lady once again enjoys her work with the
children, and Silver is more at ease with a relaxed look on his face.
Conversations
with Llamas
One overcast Monday I sat beside Richard Cleaver in front of his llama
herds' shelter. His five llamas, Cusco, Jimmy, Equalizer, Magic, and
Primara, stood looking about calmly as we spoke with them. I have
communicated with this herd several times before, yet they never cease to
delight me with their elegant movements, dignified postures, and sweet
expressions.
We were meeting together in order to discuss the
upcoming workshop with llamas. At first I spoke only with the four male
llamas, but eventually Richard pointed out that Primara (his only female)
had something to say. I sat very quietly, and only after I had slowed
down, creating a calm place in my mind, did I hear Primara very gentle and
soft. She is extremely wise and has much to teach me about animal
communication; "Your energy is flowing too fast and haphazardly.
Although you understand how to consciously exchange feelings and thoughts
with us, it is too much."
Before talking with Primara I had not
realized how much energy I am flinging around in my effort to communicate
with animals. As we continued talking I began to learn how to understand
with far less "waste" involved.
Richard then pointed up to the top of the
field and asked me about a coyote who had been there the night before.
Primara and Cusco looked puzzled and surprised as they followed his finger
they could see no coyote. He had been so clear in his visualization
of the coyote that they thought he was speaking about a current event...
He then asked if the llamas were concerned over
the coyote and Primara answered, "No, he was young and sickly
it
would take several strong coyotes to be considered a threat."
Richard
expressed his concern to me about a large group of
coyotes living nearby and asked what he could do to keep his llamas safe. Primara surprised us with her answer, "It is not
good to talk about this. It is best to not think so much about it because
it will
attract the coyotes. They hear our thoughts so we imagine ourselves safe
and strong public worry is dangerous."
Clearly
these llamas are wise and can offer new perspectives to many people. They
are looking forward to sharing their teachings as Richard takes them on
hikes with the public and during our October 10th workshop, Llamas Speak.
Issue
2: November 15, 1998
Llamas
Speak
Jimi
and Cusco, two young llamas, quietly examine the large party tent, while
the other three llamas stand back gazing at the workshop participants as
they arrive. Cusco finds the fruit bowl intriguing and Jimi investigates
the contents of Joanie's bag. Meanwhile, I prepare for my first
"llamas speak" workshop.
The workshop begins with brief
introductions, periodically "interrupted" by exclamations of how
cute, beautiful, wonderful, intelligent, and elegant the llamas are.
Everyone is delighted by the close proximity of the llamas, particularly
the youngsters who join us inside the tent!
The llamas prove to be enthusiastic
teachers as the participants learn about telepathic communication with
animals. One of the highlights is Primara, the only female llama of the
herd, leading a meditation. She challenges us to truly see people and
animals for who they are, taking nothing for granted.
As the day comes to a
close I am cold and tired, but grateful for the lessons the llamas offered
us. I look forward to future workshops with these five wise beings.
Welcoming
Nikita
In
late August I adopted a seven week old orange tabby kitten, named Nikita.
He is now almost four months old and finds a place in the heart of
everyone he meets. My female cat, May, hissed and growled at first, but
Nikita quickly won her affection (they are best friends now).
Nikita has taught me many
lessons in animal communication. He is a very dynamic kitten with a strong
personality. Although he loves me, he does not tend to agree with my
suggestions, unlike May who is happy to please me. Raising Nikita has
reminded me that each being is unique. His need for love is as strong as
May's and yet his free will and creativity often clash with household
rules. My daily interactions with him have inspired me to look for
different ways of understanding and communicating.
Issue
3: March 7, 1999
Understanding
Behavior. Humans
and
Unconscious Telepathy
Sitting
in a soft pile of alfalfa hay I gaze at five llamas, as Rob and Alice
stand nearby. The communication session this morning reminds me of how
many lessons animals have to offer us. The llamas are so observant of
human energy and thoughts, it is an amazing learning to simply notice
their reactions to our movements. Alice reaches for her camera and points
it at the llamas. A couple of them quickly move away in opposite
directions.
"Why do they move as soon as I try to take their picture?", she
asks.
I close my eyes and connect with
Ebony, one of the male llamas that moved away. He describes the "
situation" to me. First he presents an image of Alice calm and still,
her energy contained. Then as she picks up the camera and aims it, energy
floods towards the llamas, at the same time Ebony receives a telepathic
message, "I'm going to capture you".
I find this small incident
fascinating! Ebony is showing us how humans tend to flow energy and
thoughts unconsciously, and that animals are picking up on our
communications even if we are unaware of what we are saying. This
situation also emphasizes the fact that "odd" animal behaviors
are often based on human actions, even if we are unaware of our
influence.
Similar situations are common with pets and
their people. Often our thoughts and feelings do not match our verbal
statements. Animals challenge us to seek purity, honesty and consistency
in our lives.
Issue
4: June 7, 1999
Kitten
Conversations: On the Phone?
One
thing that I have in common with all of my clients is our love for our
animal friends. Last fall I wrote to several of you about the arrival of
my new kitten, Nikita. Well over the past six months he grew into a
handsome orange cat. He is a very sensitive and feeling being, with a
streak of mischievousness.
Recently I began doing more consultations over
the phone. I like to sit in a room alone and be
very quiet, giving my focus entirely to my client and their animal. My
cats, May and Nikita, however, would like to be an integral part of all
that I do. They sit on the other side of the door, noses pressed under the
door. Nikita, who loves to be involved in conversations is particularly
insistent about his desire to speak.
During
one consultation I noticed the absence of Nikita's nose under the door.
Then I became slightly distracted by background noise on the line. I
opened my door and checked the portable phone charger, but all was well.
(A few weeks earlier Nikita learned how to play my outgoing message so
that he could hear my voice when I was at work. Clever yes, but resulted
in the loss of several messages.) I continued to notice the combination of
background noise and the absence of my kitten friend.
Finally I went out into the kitchen to
check our other phone. There I found Nikita lying innocently by the phone
with his ear pressed against the ear piece. He had taken the phone off the
hook, and was listening to every word! Every time I spoke he took his paw
and gently tapped the mouthpiece.
Dogs
Can be Bunnies Too
On
May 23rd I lead a "Communicating with Animals" workshop in Santa
Fe, NM. I had a wonderful time, surrounded by people who love their
animals as much as I love mine, as well as some very sweet dogs. Also,
several of the participants had cats with them in spirit (and on photos).
One
of the exercises that we do in my workshops is a meditation on
"becoming an animal". Everyone sits with their eyes closed and
visualizes themselves entering into the perspective of a different
species. It can be a very wonderful experience, as well as useful for
enhancing our empathic skills.
As
I led the meditation in Santa Fe, I looked around the room and Little Bit,
one of our small dog friends, was lying on the floor very still. Slowly
she would shift as I spoke, and I realized she was following the
meditation! Afterward we asked her which animal she had become and she
said, "a bunny".
Issue
5: September
12, 1999
Found
Cat: May and Nikita
After
I moved my indoor cats began to spend time outdoors. May had been going
outside for a week when I asked her why she never left the front door
area. "I am afraid of getting lost". I
understood
and told her she could do whatever she pleased.
A couple of days later she did
not return home on Friday night. After twenty‑four hours she was
still not home. When I connected with her she told me she was lost. I was
concerned and asked my other cat, Nikita to help me get May home. We laid
down together and I held his paw in my hand. We connected with May and she
described where she was (in the woods) and which direction she had
originally walked. Nikita offered to enter her perspective and point her
towards home. His eyes rolled back in his head, he began twitching,
convulsing, and meowing (a condition I have never witnessed before). He
gradually fell asleep and May told me she would try to find her way. Three
hours later she was waiting by the door!
Camel
Interview
Do you have anything to share for this
article? We would like to tell you that camels and people are very similar.
We like to be comfortable and we don't like our feet to hurt. People walk
around this park all the time saying how their feet hurt. A lot of
children have sore feet after they come to us because they have to walk up
this hill, I suppose. Our feet don't get sore very often, but when they
do, we're quite unhappy. Also, we have in common that we like to eat when
we're hungry. Often the people are hungry when they walk past us. And we
would like to offer them our hay...
Do you have any advice for humans? Pay
more attention to what you need. People's feet hurt and they are hungry
and afraid. People so often ignore what seems so obviously necessary to
us. People should act more on what they already know about themselves.
Issue
7: February 1, 2000
Saying
Goodbye
Over
the past six months my family lost three special members. Hermes, our
rabbit, Pussywillow, our beautiful Maine Coon cat, and Poppy, a cheerful
little Parakeet. It is always difficult to face the loss of a loved one,
and I certainly struggled with all three. During this time I came to
appreciate my ability to communicate with the animals who had recently
left their bodies. it was very comforting for me to hear their words, know
that they were happy, and feel our connection. My rabbit had been in a lot
of physical pain before dying. After he was gone I connected with him and
he was thrilled. He told me of his plans to return as a wild bunny, and
live in my parents yard. He could hardly wait and I still smile when I
think about it.
When our cat Pussywillow was killed by
Coyotes I was grateful to hear that he had gone quickly and it was not
frightening. Unfortunately the other cats, Sam and Pumpkin, found
themselves in a difficult situation. They had lost their main protector as
well as friend. Our family took time to talk with them and understand
their predicament. I know that in time we will all adjust to his physical
absence, but it is still difficult. We miss Hermes, Pussywillow, and
Poppy, honoring the gifts each of them gave to us. Thank you.
Issue
8: April 6, 2000
Is
My Cat an Addict?
Lately
I have begun to believe that my cat Nikita is an animal communication
addict. Last month we had a few disagreements. He wanted to stay
out late but I enforced
my ten p.m. curfew (the
usual
teenage rebellion). I enlisted the aid of another animal communicator,
Cathy Malkin. She spoke with Nikita several times and fortunately helped
us solved our differences. Talking to someone new made him very happy. It
made me realize how much he loves cornmunicating telepathically. ‑Of
course‑ he is always thrilled when workshop participants talk with
him! His all time favorite was Candi, because after the workshop she sent
him a gift in the mail... a catnip toy. (Need we wonder what he is really
addicted to?) Yesterday I was on the phone with another animal
communicator,
Lorelei Hunt
, and he pulled
off my headset (just a subtle hint that it was his turn to talk). Although
he loves receiving gifts in the mail, Nikita's services are free, and he
enjoys helping people practice their skills. For his sake and mine (it can
be tough to live with a conversation addict like him), please talk to
Nikita anytime.
Issue
9: June 1, 2000
Nikita's
Tale
My cat friends, Nikita and May, have an understanding with me.
They are free to go outdoors anytime they please except at night, because
I fear for their safety. Lately they prefer to sleep indoors until six
p.m., then they go out until around ten p.m. On May 1st, Nikita did not
show up for snack time (8 p.m.), although I called for him. May came in
and had her food, but became distressed when I told her she had to stay in
for the night. I was very tired, so I left a note for my house mate asking
her to call for Nikita when she came home. I had a difficult time
sleeping, and kept having dreams about my cats being in danger. I got up
twice in the night only to discover that May had escaped when my
house-mate opened the door. I called for the cats, but neither one of them
made an appearance.
By the time morning came, I was
really worried. I went to the door and May came bounding out of the woods,
as did our neighbor's cat Ellis (Nikita's best friend). As I called for
Nikita I heard his voice, meowing loudly. I could tell he was in trouble.
I followed the sound and found myself going in the direction the other
cats had just come from. The crying got louder as I came closer, but at
first I could not see the problem. Then I looked up into the trees and saw
Nikita clinging to a branch fifty feet above the ground.
I
realized that he had been in the tree since about eight p.m. the previous
evening and he was very tired. The winds were high that night, some rain
had fallen, and he was on a narrow branch. He told me that a brown dog
chased him up the tree. He had not noticed that the lowest branch on the
tree was actually very high until the dog was gone. Then he looked down
and was afraid. May and the two neighbor cats both sat under the tree in
vigil during the night, but went inside to sleep in the morning. High
above the ground, Nikita cried loudly.
I went out and asked him if he could try
walking further out on the branch and jump into a nearby pine tree which
would be easier to climb down. He took a few steps, looked at the pine,
then at me, and cried. He said it was too far to jump and too scary. Then
I suggested that he turn around and walk towards the trunk of his tree,
then he could climb backwards down the tree. Again he took a few steps
then cried. He was too scared to move, much less try backing down the
trunk.
So I called our animal communicator friend
Cathy. She tried to talk him down from the tree, but he told her he was
too scared and that he did not trust his claws. He said his left front paw
was hurt.
I had my friend's father come with a
ladder, but it was too short to reach and Nikita was afraid to meet us
half way. Finally I called a tree pruning company and they agreed to send
someone out "after hours". This meant Nikita was spending the
day in the tree, but at least an end was in sight. He was very fatigued,
frightened and possibly dehydrated. At 4:30 Justin showed up wearing a
sleeveless T-shirt (not the best attire for handling a frightened cat) and
asked for cat food and a towel as he prepared to climb the tree. It was
necessary for him to climb the neighboring pine, rather than the hardwood
that Nikita was in, because he could not risk throwing a rope and hitting
the cat. I was concerned. that Justin might get scratched, so I told
Nikita that this was his only chance to be rescued that day, and it was
very important that he cooperate. I told him that he must not struggle or
scratch on the way down even if he was afraid.
When Justin reached the top of the
tree I could hear him talking sweetly to Nikita. As he secured his ropes,
Nikita prepared to jump on board, and Justin had to talk him into waiting
until he was ready! Then he held out the towel and Nikita happily climbed
on. As they repelled down the tree Nikita sat quietly in the towel, Justin
barely had to hold him. I found this amazing because once I had to secure
Nikita in a towel while I removed a tick and at that time he thrashed a
lot.
Once on the ground Nikita was
thankful. I examined his paws and found several of his claws to be filled
with blood (particularly on the left front paw). No wonder he didn't feel
up to the climb down!
Issue
10: September 1, 2000
Nikita
and the Chipmunks
Nikita, my friend and business partner, is often the subject of
these newsletters. He is an orange tabby cat and his favorite pastime is
hunting. One time my friend asked him why he
felt it was acceptable to kill and he replied, "This is a ridiculous question. The prey has a soul, and is an equal
spiritual being, therefore it is fine to kill it. No being can live without
eating life. You cannot find food with no soul, and survive. It is necessary,
part of live, and enjoyable. Most beings understand this rule, including
predators and prey. We all live by this truth." Sometimes, despite
Nikita's wise words on the topic, I am disturbed by his killing habit.
However, I try to honor his ways as special and part of who he is.
One night I wanted him to come inside, but he
did not come. He told me (telepathically) that he was on the hunt and had a
chipmunk cornered. He requested that I let him stay and finish the hunt. I
agreed and went to bed. The next morning there was a dead chipmunk waiting for
me on the back steps. Nikita said, "This is for you because you let me
stay out for the hunt." I immediately recognized the generosity of the
offer because one of my cat clients told me that chipmunks are very tasty
(prize catch).
Several months later my client Machelle called for a consultation. She enjoys Nikita's insight and asked if he would offer her some advice. He was thrilled and talked quite a bit. At the end of the consultation he decided that he would like to give her a gift. He said, "I will catch a chipmunk for you, leave it on the step and Dawn will mail it to you." We laughed at the idea of mailing a dead animal and told him that although it was generous, it was not
necessary.
I had a suspicion that Nikita was planning to follow through with the hunt regardless of my refusal to mail the gift. I knew that if a chipmunk did appear that it was not coincidence, because none of the cats had ever left a chipmunk with the exception of the one time noted above. They had left many other offerings, but not chipmunks.
The next morning I opened the door and found a freshly killed chipmunk on the step. Nikita was not in sight, but I told him that he should come back and enjoy it himself, because I really couldn't mail it to Machelle. I walked away and five minutes later it was gone.
Ten Great Reasons to Call an Animal
Communicator
1. Inform/ Share
Let your animal friends know about upcoming changes and understand how the transition works best for them. Such as, acquiring new family members, going on vacation, moving, etc.
2. Health
Ask your animal how they are feeling, where they hurt, or what happened in the case of an injury. This information can assist a vet in choosing a homeopathic remedy or help you understand what makes them feel better.
3. Behavioral Problems
Understand the reasons behind behaviors, find compromises and solutions for issues such as, inappropriate bathroom behavior, not getting along with others, barking, clawing furniture, etc.
4. Dying Process
Ask your animal about euthanizing, say goodbye, help them prepare for departing, check in with your other animals and offer comfort and support.
5. Deceased Pets
Talk to the deceased animal and find comfort in the grieving process (humans and remaining pets), say goodbye, and understand what happened (in the case of mysterious deaths).
6. Needs and Wants
Understand what your animals need. Do they like their food, the home, the other animals, is there any special toy, bed or treat they would like to have.
7. History
Learn about your rescue animal's life before they found you.
8. Advice
Ask your animal for advice, you might be surprised by their insight.
9. Personal Information
Ask your animals about themselves, they will enjoy the opportunity... understand their purpose in life, their "jobs" and their interests.
10. Tell them you love them!
Issue
11: December 1, 2000
What
will Nikita do Next?
Those
of you who have been receiving my newsletter over the past few years know my
cats, Nikita and May, well. If you have missed the past stories about them you
can catch them on my website on the "photos" page.
After my last newsletter I received many
requests to talk about May, as Nikita had been the subject of many stories
already. May is a quiet gay female with beautiful fawn strips. She is only
three years old, but acts much older and wiser. My most recent newsletter
featured Nikita as a hunter particularly good at catching chipmunks. May
decided to showcase her hunting abilities during my Animal Communication Part
11 workshop. In a matter of two days she killed four or five chipmunks and
told two different people at the workshop that they were her favorite prey.
She had never killed a chipmunk before that time, and has since ended her
killing spree. I assured her that her talents would be commended in my
newsletter.
Shortly
after May secured her place in my newsletter however, Nikita my orange and
white tabby, got himself into trouble. He did not come home one Saturday
night, and there was no sign of him the following night. Several days went by
and I was worried. I tried to communicate with him and felt that he was not
going to survive. On the seventh night I slept with a scrapbook of Nikita and
missed him desperately. The next day he hobbled home. He had (once
again‑ as told in a previous newsletter) been stuck in a tree. While
fleeing from an enemy, he burned up his paws and ran up a tree. For seven
nights he sat with no food or water on injured paws. No wonder he thought he
would not survive!
Tim (my boyfriend) and I were happy to have our
boy back and did what we could to help
him heal. May on the other hand was furious with him. He had caused great
upset and distress to the family and she made sure that he knew it.
With May still angry and the humans
simply thankful that he was safe, he disappeared again one month later. This
time we searched the woods for hours, knowing that it was likely he was stuck
in a tree again. After three nights we managed to find him in a pine tree,
half a mile from the house. Tim climbed the tree and (with great difficulty)
carried Nikita to safety.
Needless to say I have talked extensively
with Nikita about safety and his fear of heights. We all hope he has learned
to stay out of trees (or at least not to climb too high).
Casey's
Consultation
In
late August I received a call from Gerard about his black lab Casey. She was a
very sweet nine-year-old until earlier in the summer when she suddenly became
dog aggressive. Gerard tried to understand her new behavior, and even worked
with a local trainer, but she continued to be more unreliable. The placid lab
that used to walk freely through the dog park was now feared by others and
confined to a leash.
Gerard called me and told me honestly that he
was skeptical, but willing to try anything. We agreed that a house-call was in
order.
During our consultation Casey explained to me that she had an injury in her right shoulder/back
area. It caused her to feel vulnerable with other dogs, so she was attacking
them to give the impression that she was fierce and strong.
I told Casey that Gerard would protect her, and
did some body work on her. Immediately after the session Gerard took her to
the dog park and she has been fine ever since. In fact many people comment on
how differently she behaves and notice a new bounce in her step.
Issue
12: March 1, 2001
Princess
May
May
is a three-year-old gray cat with white markings, and is one of my companions.
She became "mine" when she was six-months-old as a stray, starving
and full of parasites. After several months of recovery she began showing her
wildly playful kitten side. Joyfully in love with any cat toy, she would leap
and play all day. Then her strength gradually lessened and she began a
two-year battle with ear infections and bellyaches. Perhaps her struggle as a
kitten had weakened her immune system. I took her to a couple of veterinarians
on several occasions but they could only offer topical antibiotics for the
ears. She was constantly complaining to me about her discomfort and finally
one day she looked at me and said, "If I don't go outdoors everyday I
will die." At the time our apartment was on a busy road, so I began
looking for a safe place to rent so that she could be outdoors. Finally we
moved and she loved being outside. Her health seemed to rebound for a while
and she would hunt and play everyday. After about six months she gradually
slowed down, once again complaining of sore ears and bellyaches. We went to
the vet, but nothing appeared to be wrong with her except ear infections that
returned as fast as they were treated.
In the fall of 2000 May was the worst she
had ever been. Sleeping under the bed, non-social, and completely inactive. We
did more blood tests and still nothing was "wrong". I treated her
ears again for the infection and changed her diet, in case the loss of energy
was due to food allergies. Then I got an air purifier as a gift for Christmas.
May's energy picked up, she became a lap cat, she started playing with toys,
playfully teasing Nikita (my other cat) and talking telepathically all the
time.
We can't tell you how wonderful it is to
have "Princess" May back in health! She now has great interest in my
consultations, and loves talking at workshops. I hope some of you have the
privilege of hearing from her soon.
P.S.
Nikita
(my orange tabby cat), is very unhappy about his lack of involvement in this newsletter.
He says "hi" to all of his fans.
Framing
Floyd
Cheryl
called me a few months ago regarding Spike, her 130 lb Mutt (Mastiff and
Lab mix). When left alone in the home with their other dog, Spike was
"stealing". Standing on his hind legs he would clear the counter
tops and table, empty the trash, and sometimes eat what he found.
During
our first consultation I asked Spike why he was creating such mischief He
said, "I used to have a dog friend that would play with me and get
into trouble too. This new dog, Floyd, does not like to do things with me.
I thought if I knocked everything down, then he would get in trouble too
and it would be a common bond. " Essentially Spike was attempting to
frame Floyd. The problem with his plan; Floyd is a Bassett Hound with an
obvious height disadvantage. It would not be physically possible for Floyd
to be responsible for the "trouble" and was therefore never even
considered by the humans as the potential culprit. I explained this the
Spike, who, despite being a very clever dog in general, had not considered
Floyd's height when attempting to frame him.
Cheryl and I asked Spike to change
his ways and we set up a plan for Cheryl to remind him daily to keep his
feet on the floor. A few weeks later she wrote, "as far as Spike - he
is doing WONDERFUL!!! Only I believe twice has he snooped around on either
the table or counter, and neither time to the extent he was before - it is
wonderful." She did have a few more incidences with Spike, but mostly
he takes her request seriously and is well-behaved. Hopefully he and Floyd
will become good friends in time.
Issue
13: June 1, 2001 Another
Pet?
If
you are considering bringing a new animal into your home, it is
important to prepare your current animal companions. Most humans don't
spend 24 hours a day in the home, but many of our animals do. This means
that your pets have a relationship with each other that involves them
spending more time together than most humans spend with their spouse or
children!
Many times I have consulted with
animals who do not
like their new animal companions.
Often the situation can be handled through compromise and understanding,
but sometimes the animals refuse to live together and one must move away
or be kept in a separate room. To prevent such situations I recommend
that people ask their current animals about bringing home a new pet
before the animal arrives. Find out what they like in a companion and
have them meet several times before the final decision.
Last spring I decided to bring home
a new animal companion because I was lonely and wanted more company
during the day. My cats had been busy outdoors and were rarely around to
talk with me. When I told them about my idea to have a Guinea Pig, they
were both solidly against it Instead they decided to take turns spending
time with me, so that when one was outside the other would come in. They sat on my lap and paid more attention to
me than ever before. That was enough to show me that we did not need
another animal. Solutions are not always so easy to come by, but please
consider discussing your plans with your animals before bringing home
the new companion.
Nik's Notes
Hello,
my name is Nikita, and I am an orange cat. I enjoy being a
domestic pet
and have helped other animals understand the joys of living amongst humans. I want to
let all good pets know that although people are wonderful naturally, it
is a good idea to train them. Despite a considerable language barrier, I
have managed to train my humans to perform some basic behaviors, and
found that after a bit of resistance they relaxed and began learning
quickly. One of the most practical behaviors to teach your human is to
open a door on command. Most "pets" are unable to master the
doorknob and are at the mercy of random luck ‑ being near a door
when it opens. One day I was pacing around the house, frustrated that
the door would not open. My person was at her desk staring at that
boring light box and I jumped up looking for some entertainment. I
knocked over a picture frame, dented the desk, and scattered some
papers. It was fun, but I still wanted to go outside. Much to my delight
she picked me up, complaining about the damage to the desk, opened the door
and threw me out! I used this lucky event to my advantage. My person
quickly learned that when I knocked things over I wanted the door
opened. Most of the time she would even carry me out...
My
human tries to talk to me telepathically, something humans do on
occasion. I have found that humans only listen to their telepathic
messages occasionally, so often my needs are not met in a timely fashion
when communicating that way (although it is my preferred method). It
turns out that my human didn't like my command for opening the door and
asked me to "meow" instead. I was reluctant because my method
of training had been so effective. However, she seemed very determined
and kept reminding me. She even asked other people to remind me to meow
instead of knocking things over. I gave it a try and so far the results
have been outstanding- the response time is down to seconds! When
training humans remember one thing: they like to think
everything is their idea. Be subtle but persistent and your human will
get trained quickly.
Issue
14: September 1, 2001
Moving Story
Only an animal lover can understand why I have moved three
times based on the happiness of my cats! Our most recent apartment on
Matthew Drive was perfect for them. They had expansive forest, a very safe
dead-end road, other cat friends, and good window seats when indoors. Then
we (the humans) decided to buy a house. The cats, May and Nikita, were not
interested in moving, but I promised them we would find something good for
all of us. So, imagine the delight when I told them I was buying a house
on the same block; their beloved territory would not have to be abandoned!
About six weeks before the move I told them
all about the new place and explained that once we moved we would not be
able to go inside our old apartment (about 200 yards away). After the
talk, Nikita stopped coming inside. He was out about 23 hours a day and I
missed him. Finally Tim said, "I think Nik has moved out already
because you told him we were moving". I have given up the idea of
being a perfect animal communicator when it comes to my own pets, so I
took the advice gratefully and asked Nikita to move back in until we all
moved together. He happily slept indoors for an entire day!
There are many ways to prepare pets for a
move. I find that telling them in advance to pull together their energy
webs and territory is useful. My cats however, had their own concerns. May
talked to several people, each time asking about her window perches with
quilts on them, I promised over and over that she would have good views in
the new house. As the day approached both of my cats became ill with a
sinus cold. They were wheezing, coughing, and sneezing. I panicked, as I
can't bear to see my kitties sick, but after talking it through with
friends and family we decided against a last minute vet visit on moving
day- too stressful for everyone! (Don't worry, they are ok now).
Our
first night in the new house was miserable,
Nikita kept us awake with his continuous sneezing while May whined and
cried (out loud) about wanting to go home. The next morning May escaped
and met us over at the old apartment within an hour. She ran in the door
glad to see that we had moved back too. We explained that we were only
there to move the rest of the furniture, and carried her back to the new
house. Again she ran out the door and showed up at the old apartment, so
we let her stay until she was the only object in the building. That was
the beginning of a week with May crying and pacing in the new house,
escaping and returning to the apartment. I tried everything, asking her
what she needed, but to no avail. Finally she began accepting the move and
is now sleeping happily on her new window perch as I write.
Nikita on the other hand loved the new
house. He proudly walked in and out, enjoying his deck, yard and new
hunting grounds. The day the new tenants moved into our old apartment I
went to meet them. They told me that Nik had boldly marched through,
inspecting all of the rooms, and then he sat under a bush and watched them
empty the moving truck. I saw him there and he looked very sad, so Tim
walked home with him and gave him a treat (it doesn't take much to cheer
him up).
Cats often have specific preferences when
it comes to sharpening their claws. Nikita is a horizontal scratcher, and
enjoys carpeting. In our old apartment we made a deal with him, he was
allowed to use the carpet for scratching, but randomly (never in the same
place twice). The carpet was very durable and he never left marks or
damaged it. The first time he did this in the new house I was concerned. I
could see that the damage would be considerable to the carpet, so I asked
him to use the cardboard horizontal scratcher upstairs and to use the
carpet randomly in the finished basement. He complied immediately. One day
Tim and I witnessed Nikita stretch, extend his claws, look down at the
carpet and stop. He got up and went to his scratcher instead!
I love both of
my cats immensely and am constantly reminded that when we
are all communicating and trying to understand each other, life is more
harmonious.
Issue
15: December 1, 2001
Common
Success
When
people attend my workshops to learn telepathic communication, they often
arrive with doubts. I watch them with the animals and feel confident that
the ability to communicate telepathically is already within all of us. I
enjoy the last exercise of the day the most, when people start to get
messages from the animals. Although, there is often a doubt or hesitancy,
I can see the animals relaxing as the humans "get it".
The two day workshop is usually just a
start. To feel comfortable and skilled at telepathic communication, people
often need time and practice (I sure did!). However, I am often impressed
with the communication that happens on the first day of a workshop. At one
workshop a participant told me that Nikita (my cat) wanted his old brand
of cat food again. I said, "I know, but I want him to eat this new
brand." When I got home I realized that Nikita had brought his
message to the workshop because I was not listening. Apologizing, I went
to the store and bought the old brand. He has been happy ever since.
During one of my workshops this fall, I happened
to mention that my cat May did not tend to stay on my lap if I put her
there. In the next exercise May was supposed to tell everyone about her
life. Many of the participants at that workshop shared accurate
information that they had received from May.
One woman said, "May doesn't
stay on your lap because she is physically uncomfortable when she purrs,
and being on your lap makes her want to purr." I thought that message
was odd, but did not doubt the validity of it. Ever since then, May has
been crawling into laps several times a day! Also, I recently had her
treated with a
homeopathic remedy and for the
first
time in her life she has an audible purr. Obviously something really
was amiss with her purr, and the remedy somehow fixed it. What is amazing
to me is how that seemingly random comment changed our lives. I love
having a lap cat, and it is thanks to the woman at that workshop. When we
take the time to make a connection with other beings, listening and
understanding, we are literally enhancing their lives (and our own of
course).
Frequently in my newsletters I write about
a success that I had communicating with animals. Of course it is always
nice for me to hear that I have helped someone, but I really want to make
it clear that all of you can do this work. In your own way you understand
animals and they understand you. Many of the people who attend my
workshops don't even know the depth of their impact on the participating
animals. Every conversation someone has with Nikita and May has brought
about some change in his or her lives. Please take the time to connect
with your animals, send them mental images, thoughts, feelings, and try to
listen back. They really love to communicate!
I find that the participants in my workshop
are truly gifted at communicating with animals, they just need confidence
and trust. If you have been to a workshop already, I encourage you to
practice or attend other workshops for more experience. Your animals want
to talk to you‑ just listening will make them very happy. It took me
weeks, then months, then years before I felt confident about the messages
I was receiving, so don't give up on yourself (the animals never will!).
Issue
16:
March 1, 2002
Introducing
Ted
Sometimes the best lessons in life arrive in small furry
packages. This is certainly
true of Ted, the small rex rabbit I adopted on
January 6, 2002
. Throughout my childhood
and teen-age years I shared my life with pet rabbits, but nothing
prepared me for this guy! He
is older, having spent the past 6 years in a home where he was obviously
loved by his woman (later I understood from him that he was not treated
well by the man). When I
picked him up from the MSPCA shelter, he came with his own personalized
Christmas stocking!
Ted
was afraid in the shelter, but seemed very affectionate.
He wanted a guarantee that he would be a “house rabbit”, he
would not have a cage, and would run free in the house.
I said, “no problem”. When
we arrived at our house with Ted, I explained to him that I needed him
to live in the spare bathroom for a day or two while we “rabbit
proofed” the house, the cats adjusted, and most importantly he proved
his litter training. Needless
to say he was very offended. Whenever
I opened the door to visit him he would say, “you told me I was going
to be a house rabbit!”
Ted
seemed surprised that I knew what he was saying to me.
At first he tried to pretend that he could not understand me.
When he realized that I was willing to help him if he talked with
me, he opened up. At the end
of the first day I asked him if there was anything I could bring him and
he replied, “parsley”. I
did not have any on hand and promised to buy some the next day.
It turns out that parsley is Ted’s favorite so we make sure
that the refrigerator is stocked. (Like
many bunnies he loves bananas most of all, but they are not considered
healthy treats, so we offer them sparingly.)
Understanding
how important it was for Ted to be a house rabbit, we put all of our
energy into “rabbit proofing” the lower floor of our house.
This involves making certain that all wires are out of bunny
reach, and being sure that no shoes, quilts, or favorite things are
within chewing range of the rabbit.
Once rabbits find something they want to chew, it is often
destroyed before you know about it, so it is best to be safe from the
start. When we finished
rabbit proofing that floor, we let Ted out, and he danced and played and
was very happy for two days. On
the third day he started biting our ankles and letting me know that his
care was “unacceptable”. I
asked him what was wrong and he replied, “You promised that I would be
a house rabbit and I want the rest of the house.”
So, another weekend was spent rabbit proofing most of the
upstairs. We let Ted up
during the day, but put him in the bathroom at night (both of the cats
were afraid of him and we did not want to leave them together
unattended). He was joyful
and happy for two days. On
the third day he started biting again and told me his care was
“unacceptable”. He
explained that he wanted to be free all day and all night.
I
had a long talk with Ted and the cats, and explained that if Ted was
free all of the time, then I needed to know that they were all safe with
each other. They all assured
me that although they were not friends yet, Ted could be free at night
and no one would get hurt. A
few days later Nikita accidentally fell asleep on the floor.
Ted discovered him and began to groom him, licking the fur on his
hips. Trying to cover the
entire cat, Ted put his front foot up on Nikita, and he still slept.
Then Ted put his other foot up and Nikita stirred.
He slowly looked over his shoulder and to his horror realized
there was a rabbit standing on him, licking him!
I was worried that he would react violently, but he quietly
scooted out from under Ted, and has not slept on the floor since.
This interaction gave me the assurance that although Nik feared
Ted, he would not hurt him.
Ted
was happy for several days with his new freedom, and then I made a huge
mistake. I wanted to clip
his claws, so we sat on the couch holding him and clipped a few.
He became very upset. That
night he attacked Tim and I while we sat on the same couch, and for the
next eight days he got on the couch and raged (biting and digging at
it). He accepted my apology,
but would not forgive the couch. I
tried communicating with him about it everyday, but nothing seemed to
help (my couch was worse for the wear).
He told me again that my care was “unacceptable”.
Part of me felt like giving up on him.
I began resorting to training techniques like blowing a whistle
while he was on the couch, putting perfume on the couch to “stink”
him out, and bribing him to stay off with banana chips.
Everything made him worse, and I felt guilty for trying such
techniques on him.
Finally
I had a long talk with him and told him that I would follow any care
instructions he had, and I would take new instructions each day.
He told me that he was hurt that his other people left him at the
shelter and wanted to speak with them.
I made an effort to contact his woman, but could not.
I told him that I would do everything I could to make him happy
here. He said he wanted full
freedom all of the time, parsley every day, and a furry friend.
I could not adopt any new friends for him, but I asked May to
give the rabbit a chance. She
immediately walked over and rubbed on him, flirting as best she could.
He licked her a few times then nipped her on the leg.
She looked at me and said, “This is just too much to ask!”
I explained to Ted that it was very hard for our family to give
him what he wanted when he was constantly pinching everyone on the
ankles. We continued our
daily talks and he slowly became content and decreased the ankle biting-
even May gave him a chance every couple of days.
I
built him the most fantastic rabbit fort, made of sticks, 100% edible,
and it creates a safe hiding spot for him.
After the arrival of the fort he was really happy for many days.
All of his grumbling ended, except an occasional fit on the
couch. So, I talked to a
Behaviorist who suggested putting a plastic carpet runner prickly side
up on the couch. That cured
the problem immediately (although I prefer to solve issues with
communication in general).
Now
Ted has lived with us for six-weeks and for the most part all is well.
He still becomes very angry or upset (pinches our ankles) when we
have visitors or if we watch too much T.V. (particularly sports).
As I become more aware of his thoughts, habits, and emotions, I
feel us growing closer. This
experience has shown me that I still have a lot to learn about patience,
animal communication and myself, and I am sure Ted is ready to teach me!
Return to Menu
Issue 17:
June 1, 2002
Rabbit Celebrations
In my previous newsletter I wrote about Ted, our newly adopted
house rabbit. (To catch up
on the story visit the “photo” page on my website).
At first he was quite a handful, and very demanding, his favorite
thing to say was, “my care is unacceptable”.
I am very pleased to share that Ted has been nothing but happy
for the past two months, and is not bossy anymore.
Upon his request we moved his food dish so that he could eat alongside
the cats. He wanted to be
“a real member of the family”, he said.
He also has two stick forts, one for upstairs and one for the
lower level, so that he can spend time with us wherever we go.
Finally I ordered a flower remedy for him, which seemed to help
with his anger and sadness.
Ted has rewarded our patience with his love and humor.
When we call his name he flicks his ears around and comes running
(ear flicking is his version of celebrating an event- he also does this
for good food). Walking in
the front door after an evening out, we are greeted by a gray cat and
gray rabbit at the top of the stairs. (The orange cat is usually
outside).
Ted claims the cats as his greatest victory.
They finally accepted him as a family member.
When the cats come back inside, they walk up to Ted and press
their forehead against his. I
have never seen a bunny smile as big as he does when they greet him.
He has yet to convince them to play or snuggle with him, although
I believe he might have a chance with May (gray cat).
Ted is my daily reminder that when I offer love, patience, and
understanding it is eventually returned – in this case the return is
far greater than what I gave. Thank
you Ted, we love you.
Living with
Humans
My
mission is to help people and animals understand each other.
More specifically I enjoy assisting my clients reach household
harmony and happiness through mutual understanding.
Many of the animals that I work with are what we call “pets”.
Their primary reason for being invited into the homes of my
clients is to become a member of the family, a companion.
This is not to say that they don’t have other roles, but they
are not used for work, meat, products, transportation, etc.
The animals are invited to live with their people, and once there
they should be treated like family.
I treasure the
friendship my companion animals offer me (two cats and a rabbit).
In return I make an effort to give them the best comforts of
domestic life, including food, grooming, medical attention, and
training. I believe that
“training” is one of the most important things you can offer your
animal friends. Imagine how
stressful it would be if you had never learned any social skills as a
child. What if you had never
learned to use a toilet, to shake hands, or to eat with silverware?
Your life could be really difficult.
For the same reasons your parents and teachers taught you how to
“be” in your own culture, you need to teach your animal friends how
to behave with humans.
A concerned
client once said, “We don’t want to do any obedience training with
our dog because it might ruin his personality.”
As long as kind methods of teaching and mutual understanding
continue, the personality will remain intact.
If you do not teach your animals how to live in a people world,
then they will not fully enjoy their time with you.
Whether you have
a bird, cat, dog, horse, rabbit, or pig, the concept is the same. First
your animal friend should have a physical space to live in comfortably,
or it should be taught how to live in a human home safely and without
destroying it. Second, they
should be comfortable greeting and spending time with other humans or
they need to have a situation where they will not under any circumstance
be injured or injure a person. Third,
their existence should not cause tension in the home or danger to
themselves.
My
favorite method of working with my animals is telepathic communication
of course! I just let them
know what we expect of them and they tell me what they need to be happy
and comfortable- together we work it out.
I have also found this useful in my consultations with my
clients. Frequently I find
myself explaining potty training to a puppy or the purpose of scratching
posts to cats. I also
encourage my clients to send mental pictures to their animal friends
that show them exactly what behaviors are desired.
As much as I encourage this method of “training”, I also
highly recommend working with trainers, especially if you have a dog or
horse. The kindest thing
that you can do is teaching your dog how to be safe and polite with
people- it could some day save her life.
I want people to
know that they can and should live happily with their animals- too many
homes are damaged unnecessarily. I also want to see animals living
comfortably with their humans- too often they are misunderstood or
punished without ever being properly informed about their behavior.
Please remember why you have invited animals into your life.
Treat them with love, respect and help them learn the human way.
In return they will give you companionship and teach you the ways
of their species. Remember,
it is not likely that anyone will know all of the answers, so use the
resources you have available- your animal, trainers, vets, behaviorists
and animal communicators!
Return to Menu
Issue
18:
September 1, 2002
Lost Animals
As many of you have noticed, I do not communicate with missing
animals professionally. However,
cats, dogs and other animals do sometimes get lost and although I do not
offer consultations, I would love to aid in finding them.
Having your animal missing is a really traumatic event.
People often call me, saying they just want to know if their
animal is “alive or not”. I
understand the desire to know, because it is torture to imagine your
loved one wandering, trapped or uncared for.
In my past newsletters I shared stories about when my orange cat,
Nikita, was missing. He was
once gone for seven nights, and hobbled home after being stuck in a tree
the entire time! On that
occasion I was sure that he died, and I was really grieving.
(I later understood that he told me and others he was dying
because that is what he believed, but then he passed out and fell from
the tree.) That week I went
through the experience of continuing the physical search of posters and
phone calls, yet trying to let go and grieve. Of
course I felt great joy to see him again, but the stress of the
experience stayed with me for a long time.
Years
ago I wrote about my childhood cat, Pussywillow, who was living with my
parents, and how he disappeared. He
never returned and my father and I both understood from him that he had
been killed by Coyotes. The
understanding came to us within twenty-four hours of his disappearance.
On that occasion I felt the grief of losing him, but none of the
anxiety around trying to finding him.
The message felt clear to me as Pussywillow told me that being in
spirit was wonderful and that he had greeted one of our other cats that
had passed on. He expressed
how sorry he was that he didn’t have a chance to say goodbye, and
understood that everyone would have liked to give him one more hug.
On
another occasion my gray cat, May, was missing from a place I had just
moved into. I was completely
hysterical. After searching,
phone calls, posters, and lots of crying I realized that I needed to get
quiet and contact her. I
asked my other cat, Nikita to help me get May home.
We sat down together and I held his paw in my hand. We connected
with May and she described where she was (in the woods) and which
direction she had originally walked.
Nikita offered to enter her perspective and point her towards
home. His eyes rolled back
in his head, he began twitching, convulsing, and meowing (a condition I
have never witnessed before or since).
He gradually fell asleep and May told me she would try to find
her way. Three hours later
she was waiting by the door!
I
have suggested this meditation to clients and it has brought several
animals home. I find the
involvement of another family animal in the meditation to be
particularly helpful. Their
telepathic skills are greater than many humans so they can really be
useful to the lost animal. Obviously
the meditation has its limitations because the animal may be physically
unable to return.
Meditation
is also a powerful way of receiving information about your missing pet.
If you can get quiet and calm your fears, their message will come
to you. This is not an easy
process, but I believe that in most cases it is more effective and
accurate for the animal’s person to do the meditation rather than a
hired animal communicator. When
you are in the home you can send light or energetic treads from your
heart to lead the animal safely home.
If they have died you can feel them close to you, and they will
tell you gently. The
communication may come to you in words, or it might be a gentle
“intuitive” feeling.
If
you feel like you need help finding a lost animal and you have done the
conventional posters and the meditation I suggested, then it can also be
useful to call an animal communicator.
To find an animal communicator for missing animals go to the
resources page on my website.
Nikita, May and
Ted
I just can’t stop talking about these three cuties!
Ted (the rabbit) has lived with us now for eight months, and we
all enjoy his company. Every
morning he waits in the hallway for breakfast, and then bounces over to
his dish. As we feed him,
Nikita (orange cat) waits by the glass door only a few feet away.
When we open the door he trots in and rubs Ted with the top of
his head. May (gray cat)
quietly wakes up in the living room and strolls in with sleepy eyes.
She likes to wait for the canned food while Nikita gets started
on the dry food. (The photo
above depicts a typical breakfast for the kids.)
I
enjoy watching as the cats and rabbit build their own relationships.
Often humans expect to be involved in every aspect of “their”
animal’s lives. Sometimes
it is appropriate for us to intervene if animals are disagreeing, but
most of the time I find that if we provide a harmonious environment then
they develop and grow in their relationships on their own (please be
sure all animals are physically safe).
Nikita was
terrified of Ted when he first arrived, but slowly he got to know the
rabbit and began to feel differently.
Now they are learning how to play together (see photo on front
page). The cat enjoys
predator games while the rabbit likes prey games.
Sometimes Ted finds the game to be too “real” and quits
playing, but he usually returns for more.
Nikita likes batting at Ted, but always keeps his claws
retracted!
Letters to Dawn
Dear Dawn,
It has
occurred to me that while I have told everyone and his brother about the
great job you did with Kelley, I have yet to tell you! If you
remember, Kelley, my Morgan mare, wouldn't stand for me to get into the
cart after being harnessed. When you spoke to her she told you
that the cart "grabbed" her and that she got scared as it
seemed to be pulling her backwards and down so she had to move forward.
That was so in-line with what an observer had noticed one day when this
happened. She told me that Kelley seemed terrified and I had
gotten that impression too when I tried to make her stand. After
puzzling over it for a time, I realized that the tugs of the harness
were too high, making the shafts of the cart slant sharply up.
Then, when I added my weight to the cart, the harness would pull back
and down. I tried to find a new harness I could afford, but
hated all that we tried (she did too!).
So, I took her old one, which had been her brother's and was cob size
actually, and rigged extensions for the tugs. After a little talk
with her to assure her that the problem was solved and that the cart
wouldn't "grab" her anymore, I tried it. It worked.
We have had no problems since (once she remembered that we don't canter
in harness!). I can't thank you enough. As I said, I have
told everyone "how come" we can drive again.
Best
always, Shirley
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi Dawn:
It's working!
Pee Wee
doesn't pee where she shouldn't. [I
had done a consultation with Pee Wee about inappropriate peeing in the
house.] We can keep our
bedroom doors open and invite the cats in and if all goes well, I'm
going to buy a sofa. (I had
to throw the old one out as it had become Pee Wee's personal potty.)
You are brilliant and our whole family is grateful.
Many
thanks, Gwen
Update:
Pee Wee did have a slip-up in her behavior after several months,
this can happen with animals (just like people).
Continued communication with their people usually clears up the
issue quickly.
Return to Menu
Issue
19: December 1, 2002
Ted's Departure
On
Wednesday September 25, 2002 our beloved rabbit Ted died of natural
causes in his hospital bed. On
Monday morning, just three days earlier, he was running and eating
vigorously, apparently in good health.
That evening when Tim and I got home Ted was lethargic and not
eating. He told me his
symptoms and I immediately called our homeopathic vet.
She instructed me to give him a remedy and call her in an hour
with his progress. As soon
as he got the remedy his symptoms improved and he felt slightly better.
A few hours went by and although improved, Ted was not moving or
eating, so I drove him to the animal hospital.
When I arrived the vet on call was not very concerned.
The remedy had perked Ted up and he was almost cheerful in the
exam room (by that time it was
midnight
). We were advised to leave
him for observation, but no course of treatment was decided on until
morning.
From the time I
left him at the hospital until the time he died I began a practice of
checking in with him for new symptoms every two to three hours, even in
the middle of the night. The
next day, Tuesday, I went into the hospital and met with his homeopathic
vet. I was concerned because
although he had less pain than he had at
4 AM
he seemed out of sorts and hard to communicate with.
I asked if he was on medications as his specialist vet entered
the room. She had started
him on medications, including a pain med, which explained his state of
mind. He looked very sick
and I cried as I reported his symptoms.
I didn’t want to lose him and could see that he was really
suffering. He couldn’t
even sleep.
My
vet quickly came up with another homeopathic remedy to complement the
traditional treatment he was receiving.
Seconds after the dropper touched his lips he perked up.
He looked better immediately, responded to food for the first
time, but did not eat it, then went to sleep.
I was relieved to see how much better he felt and left the office
to go home for the first time in almost 24 hours.
Tuesday evening I
called in to ask how he was doing and the vet tech told me he was
spitting out the food they were giving him in a dropper.
She said it was important that he eat, so I asked him to swallow
everything the next time they fed him.
That night was difficult. I
woke to check on him and knew he was in a great deal of pain.
I called early that morning and much to my delight they said he
had swallowed all of his food and he was being co-operative.
Ted also told me that the pain was relieved (they had given him
more medicine).
I arrived at
11 AM
to visit Ted and his situation had worsened.
His head was limp and he was very uncomfortable.
Ted’s eyes brightened slightly when he saw me and he melted as
I stroked his head. I asked
him to try. Try to eat, try
to get better, and try to live. As
I said the words I knew it was unlikely that he could stay, his body was
protesting life and Ted no longer looked like he could fight.
At the end of our visit I kissed him on the head and said, “I
love you.”
When I arrived at
home after the long car ride from the hospital there was a message on
the machine. It was the vet
in person and I knew what that meant.
I started crying before I heard the official words.
Ted had died one hour after visiting with me, quickly and
peacefully.
May and
Nikita, our cats, missed Ted immensely while he was in the hospital.
May knew I had taken him and demanded that I return him
immediately. When I told her
that he died she was very upset and ran from me, she went outside, angry
with me for what happened. Later
that day she returned and gave me a hug, realizing it was not my fault.
Nikita meowed a lot and looked at the empty floor where Ted had
been.
Three days later
we brought Ted’s body home for burial.
Nikita sniffed and looked; clearly sad but also relieved to
experience the loss physically. May
chose not to attend the open casket.
She paced on the other side of the glass door, understanding the
situation but not wanting to look for herself.
Both cats continue to miss him of course, but they are
significantly more at peace since the burial.
Tim and I miss Ted terribly; knowing his spirit is still with us
is comforting, but we miss his joyful little body.
When Ted was really
happy, running in the house we would say, “hop-bop-it Ted” and he
would flip his ears and kick up his heels.
After he died I communicated with him and he told me,
“hop-bop-it”, and I knew he meant have fun, dance, enjoy life.
Clyde's
Arrival
I desperately missed “rabbit joy” after Ted died.
Those who have lived with a house-rabbit know what I am talking
about. They bring peace,
happiness and fun loving excitement to the house, and once you are
hooked it is hard to live without it!
After a few weeks I called my connection at the House Rabbit
Society and told her I was ready to adopt.
At one point we thought we had the right rabbit, but it just
didn’t work out, so I tried to resolve to no bunny for the time being.
Well that lasted a week and then I got a lead on a rabbit in the
shelter. I went to visit him
but he was too rambunctious for me.
However, in the back room, not yet moved into the official
adoption area was a beautiful big white lop-eared rabbit.
I petted and kissed him and was instantly in love.
We
had to leave him there for five days until he could be neutered.
I talked to him every day in preparation for his arrival.
The first day he told me his name was “
Clyde
”, not Fufi as his previous owner had called him.
The next two nights I dreamt about a huge horse called
Clyde
and realized that the rabbit’s full name was meant to be Clydesdale.
Finally
the day arrived and I went to pick
Clyde
up from the vet office after his neuter.
They had bad news for me; he had mites and abscesses so I was
sent home with medications. This
also meant that he had to be quarantined and could not meet the cats for
two weeks. It was very
frustrating to only visit him in the spare bathroom and to have to wash
thoroughly after each visit. His
health continued to be a major issue with multiple vet visits,
medications and a second surgery. Throughout
the process he was such a trooper, always positive and helpful.
He has now been given a clean bill of health.
Clyde
is very excited about animal communication and already wants to host a
workshop. He loves talking
to me and picks up on anything that is said or thought about him.
The first night he stayed with us he did not use the litter box
once! I was very
disappointed with the mess and explained my expectations.
He told me that the hay in the box was too pokey after his recent
surgery. I put in a new soft
litter, put him in the box, and visualized him peeing.
He peed right away. We
continued to have discussions about litter box use and within three
weeks he was 100%. I found
that his favorite reward for good behavior was cheering, “Go Clyde go,
woo hoo!!!”
During
our first three weeks together he had to take antibiotics twice a day.
At first he would dance and celebrate, taking the medicine as if
it was a bottle. Then, as he
was having health complications, we were treating him homeopathically
and his vet told me to ask him if he thought the antibiotics were
disrupting the remedy. He
didn’t answer, but immediately refused to take the antibiotics from
that day on. I learned that
it is important to be careful about what I say to
Clyde
!
Now
Clyde
happily lives in the kitchen and living room, fully litter trained and
greets everyone with enthusiasm. The
cats have become fast friends with him, they both enjoy “head
butting” him. Nikita
always looks for him when he comes inside, but
Clyde
isn’t sure yet if he really enjoys Nik’s attention.
Sometimes it turns into a bit of play batting and
Clyde
leaves the scene.
We
all feel very fortunate to have
Clyde
in our home and look forward to many exciting adventures with him.
The Wedding
I am pleased to announce that on
November 1, 2002
I joyously married Tim Allen. We
had a beautiful wedding with many of our friends and family.
After
our reception we took a two week honeymoon and went to
Aruba
for a few days, then worked on our house.
Our animals had a great pet sitter and therefore did not miss us
as much as I missed them!
What
did May and Nikita have to say about the marriage?
Well, it would be interesting if they took notice, but to them it
feels the same… they already felt like we were a family forever.
Return to Menu
Issue
20: March 15, 2003
Myths, Ideas, and One Fuzzy Bunny
Myth #1: Animals can be
“made” to change a behavior.
|