No issue is off limits. You can talk to your animal companions about

• health issues and end-of-life choices
• problem behavior
• quality-of-life concerns
• your shared life path
• getting closure after they have passed on
• major changes in the household, such as an upcoming move, construction, trip, or whether to adopt another animal

…and much, much more. This article covers just a few of the topics clients commonly call about.

Do you ever have a gut feeling that your animal companion is under the weather, even though there are no obvious symptoms? That gut feeling is your animal companion speaking to you.

Animals often sense their bodies going out of whack long before any pathology has emerged. Checking in with them can give you the information you need to take preventive measures. This check-in is where I can be of service. During a consultation, your cat may, for example, report a minor burning sensation in the pelvic region. A simple change of diet can prevent a full-blown urinary tract infection and subsequent urination outside the litter box.

Where a full-blown health problem does exist, your animal companion can describe symptoms, which help your veterinarian track down the illness in a targeted way. With me as translator, your animal companions can also make choices about the level of medical intervention that they feel comfortable with. As in humans, our animal companions often do better with medical treatment when they understand what’s happening to them and what lies ahead.

Often animals provide information that helps them live longer, healthier lives. During a consultation, Tiger, an aging orange tabby, showed me a knot in his throat, a feeling that food is too rich to digest, and the sense that food backs up on him rather than being absorbed. These symptoms lead the veterinarian to investigate whether Tiger, like many geriatric cats, had kidney problems. The standard blood panel and urine tests indicated that Tiger was in mid-stage renal failure. Switching him to a kidney-friendly diet and adding hydration as needed extended Tiger’s life and made him much, much more comfortable.

Animals sometimes share just what their veterinarian needs to pinpoint an elusive medical problem. An Australian Shepherd I worked with, Waldo, suffered from an apparent neurological disorder. He would go into seizures and emerge from them biting and snapping at anyone in the vicinity. During our telepathic exchange, Waldo repeatedly said there were too many beings inside of him, so many, in fact, that their noise drowned out his own thoughts. I sensed that these beings, or parasites, were attacking his nervous system and inducing the seizures and aggressive behavior. Waldo’s perceptions helped the veterinarian to select the right test and, hence, render effective treatment.

Animals can participate in making treatment choices. An elegant tuxedo cat named Ralph showed me tumor-like obstructions in his digestive tract. He believed they would recur if removed and did not want to undergo the stress and pain of multiple surgeries. During exploratory surgery, the veterinarian did indeed find tumors throughout Ralph’s intestines and recommended against further medical intervention. The client, because she knew Ralph’s wishes, felt at peace with bringing him home to spend his last days surrounded by family.

As an animal communicator, I can provide information about symptoms but not medical diagnoses. That means I will describe what I sense from your animal companion. If I sense pain, I will describe the nature of the pain. Is it burning, aching, throbbing, piercing? What is the intensity of the pain? What relieves the pain – motion, heat, rest? Any information I provide is intended to promote the health, balance, and well-being of your animal companion. At no time is the information offered as a replacement for traditional medical care.

Please see a veterinary practitioner for medical care and the appropriate professionals – T Touch practitioners, massage therapists, herbalists, etc. – for the specific service you are seeking. 

[ Top ]

Most of us have been through this. Your animal companion of many years has become old and infirm. Over time you come to wonder whether you're holding on for her sake or your own.

Our animal companions know when it's time to pass and whether they desire help. All you need to do is ask them what they need. How can I make you more comfortable? Are you ready? Do you want help leaving your body?

Animals are generally sanguine about death, seeing it as a transition from one form to another rather than an end. Often, their urgency lies in conveying their love to us. For instance, Tony, a stout-hearted, tri-color corgi, needed to know whether his human companion, Cynthia, was going to be alright after he transitioned. They were closely bonded, having spent the better part of a year in constant contact. At the time of our consultation, Cynthia was on the mend after a prolonged illness. Tony feared that his death would throw her into deep grief and thereby cause a setback. To let go of life, Tony needed Cynthia to let go of him. My job in this consultation was to relay Tony’s message as well as support Cynthia in reconciling herself to life without him.

In my experience, including your animal companion in end-of-life choices makes for a peaceful transition. The end-of-life conversation is a sacred time of opting for or against euthanasia, deciding how to spend whatever time is left, reminiscing about lessons learned together, creating rituals to mark the passage, and expressing thanks for years of friendship.

Knowing your animal companion’s wishes can help you go through the process without second-guessing your every decision about treatment, euthanasia, and the timing of euthanasia.

[ Top ]

Some problem behaviors are expressions of physical discomfort. Others result from misunderstandings about household rules and expectations. Still others are expressions of concern. When problem behaviors persist, despite the best efforts of trainers and behaviorists, it's time to call an animal communicator.

Physical discomfort is often expressed through behavior. A dog in pain may growl when approached. A horse with an undetected leg or shoulder injury may make unruly stops, starts, and turns. I worked with one such horse, Nelly. She wouldn’t work on the lunge line going clockwise but worked fine counterclockwise. She reported stabbing pain in her right foreleg. With that information, her human companion sought out veterinary care for what turned out to be a hairline fracture.

Misunderstandings often give rise to problem behaviors. I worked with Sally, a beautiful Bernese Mountain Dog, who believed it was unladylike to give a signal when she needed to go outside to do her business. She relied on her companion dog, Nemo, to give the signal whenever he was ready. This strategy worked well for years, until she developed a urinary tract infection (UTI). At that time, she started soiling in the house as if she'd never been potty trained because she simply couldn't wait until Nemo was ready. During our conversation, she sent me the sensation of urinary tract discomfort. We also negotiated a “ladylike” potty signal. After the conversation, Sally got relief through receiving medical treatment for the UTI and, using her new signal, did not soil in the house during her recovery period.

Sudden behavioral changes are a red flag that something is wrong. Shortly after 9/11, I received a call about a cat whose behavior had changed overnight. Molly had become restive and anxious, especially when her human companion, Frank, prepared to leave home. Upon connecting telepathically, I learned that she was sensing Frank’s emotional reactions to the attack on the Twin Towers and grievous loss of life. It felt to her as if the danger were right outside the door, waiting to pounce on her human companion. Subsequent to the conversation, Frank reassured Molly before leaving for work each day and started taking news breaks for his own health and well being as well as hers.

[ Top ]

Has a stray animal ever adopted you? Do you ever wonder why you? Animals often have something specific to contribute to our shared journey through life. Finding out is as simple as asking, “What is your purpose in life?”

Life paths in animals vary just as in humans. Some animals are here to smooth the road for us by calming us at the end of a hard day. Others are here to remind us of what's truly important, such as love, joy, and inner quiet. Still others actively show us the way, guiding us to our own calling. And all are here to learn their own lessons, lessons we can support them in learning. However, there's no knowing until we ask.

In my case, I didn’t know how to ask until well into the relationship. I adopted my feline friend, Orlando, while living in graduate student housing in 1987. She was with me through my years of teaching university English and then working in the software industry. Orlando was also with me when I took my first animal communication workshop, and the next, and the next. Only after learning how to communicate with animals did I understand the depth of her commitment to me. She routinely exhorted me to go deeper, to stand by my truth, and to do so fearlessly. Her favorite way of putting my experiences into context was to say, “If you think that’s way out, then check this out.” In her curmudgeonly way, Orlando marched me down the path of my deepest calling, the path of becoming an animal communicator.

[ Top ]

If you are unsure of what to ask in a given situation, please feel free to ask me for suggestions. I can talk with you about what others have asked over the years and will leverage my years of experience when working with your animal companion.

If you are wondering whether an animal communicator can help with the situation you are facing, again, just ask. I am happy to help you ascertain the optimal starting point. With a health problem, we can discuss whether going to the veterinarian before our session might be most beneficial. In cats, for example, radical behavioral changes can signal a health problem. A veterinary check can rule out a urinary tract infection as the cause of litter box problems. With behavioral issues, we’ll discuss whether going to a trainer or a behaviorist is the place to start. In dogs, for instance, important life skills, such as self-restraint, are learned in obedience training. Animal communication complements rather than replaces training.

It’s important for you to know that, until I tune into your animal companion, I won’t know what is motivating a problem behavior. There are as many reasons for a behavior as there are dogs, cats, horses, companion birds, snakes, and…

I also cannot guarantee results. I do everything within my power to complete my work in a single session. That means I investigate the issues, negotiate change, relay information, and do emotional healing work as appropriate. After my work is complete, it is up to you to act on the information. To facilitate the process, I conclude each consultation with a list of recommendations. These recommendations are intended as suggestions for how to translate what we’ve learned and negotiated into constructive growth and change. It’s up to you to team up with your animal companions and to demonstrate that what they have said makes a difference.

DO NOT REPRINT WITHOUT PERMISSON

[ Top ]