Healing day at the shelter for Peaches

I went to the shelter today to help out. I was able to offer Reiki to the cats in a group healing. I called in my healing guides and asked for protection and to balance any energy that is stuck or blocked. I can always tell when the energy starts changing all the cats start getting quiet and it feels more peaceful. I was chanting the OM and walked the room. I had been talking to a friend about holding a prayer circle, once a week at the shelter to continue to build a protective wall of peace and tranquility for the shelter.

There was a dog named Peaches that had adopted out and then just recently come back to the shelter. She looked like a shepherd and bisenji mix-Because of the shape of her body and curling tail. She has the sweetest expression in her eyes. I could feel she had suffered some trauma but still had a trusting nature.

My friend, Kristin, had spent time with Peaches (although I keep hearing the name Eva) and said she seemed a little aggitated when she first met her, then after a bit, she started to relax. Kristin had asked me if I would like to spend some time with Peaches to see if I could get her to relax some more. Peaches and I were in one of the outdoor runs. I could tell when Kristin was leaving Peaches started to get a little anxious. I sat down and let her explore her surroundings. As I sat, and she was roaming, I started talking to her, I told her that even though I may have a stronger energy that some animals are unsure of, when you get used to it, you will see I am an ok human.

Since I am still learning about canine energy, I like to take it slow, but not to the point where he or she sense my acquiescence as fear. So when I saw signs of Peaches, feeling me out, going up to me and slightly brushing along side of me, I knew she was getting calmer. I kept talking to her and then went up and started petting her and then I started tapping on the EFT/Acupressure points down her spine. Before long I saw her walk up to me and then lay down beside me while I was sitting down. When I got up to stretch my legs she followed me.

Then I sat down in another place and she moved with me and layed down relaxed. I brought my Ipod with me and I started singing with a song called “you are loved” by Josh Groban. I feel like this is the theme song for every shelter and rescue group because it talks about being the voice for all the animals on the planet-that we are here to be the voice when they can't speak and we will be the guiding light when they feel lost. She loved the music. I knew she would. Animals respond to music. I also sang a song to her about how beautiful she is. It is a James Blunt song, but I changed the words and put her name in the chorus. It didn't take long for her to get comfortable and find another place to lay down and relax. Kristin came back and Peaches was happy to see her, but I felt that Peaches is getting a sense that humans can be kind of fun.

Flea season is here

Yes, it is that time. you start seeing your four-legged kids scratch, then you start to scratch. and if you don't put on flea medication or do a regular flea maintenance, it doesn't take long before there are those ugly little blood suckers in your home and it can take up to 6 months to stop the cycle of the many flea parents who drop thousands of eggs all over your home. Even though fleas don't live very long, because they drop so many eggs, you are also getting rid of the seven generations of off spring that are in your house too.

There are 4 stages of fleas. That is why you may think the things you are using are not effective. Yes you probably killed the adult fleas, but not the other stages including the pupae (which are very hard to kill because of the hard shell they have) and the eggs. So depending on how many eggs were laid, you have to be patient until you get rid of the many generations in your home.

There are many methods you can use. Many people use flea sprays or powder which can be sprayed or sprinkled on the carpets and upholstery. Some can only be used on the carpet but not pet bedding or furniture or the pet. Some sprays can only be used on dogs, not cats. and if you have a rabbit or other small pet, they are generally not safe to use on them. Read the labels.

Please remember it is a pesticide and even if it says the pesticide comes from flowers-remember some flowers such as oleander and herbs like hemlock are poisonous. So it doesn't mean they are safe if ingested. There are things on the market that that become inert when they dry. But you have to wait until it totally dries.

There are also Flea bombs. But they may not always be effective because they go up in a mushroom cloud and will do their job on the things the mist can fall on. If you have anything that is covered like a coffee table or couch, it will get those things but not the things underneath. That is why it may not be the only way to go to treat your home.

So ask the sales person for clarification when deciding which ones you want to use. Because I used to work for a pet food store called Pet Food Express. (www.petfodexpress.com)I learned a great deal about flea remedies and methods for the war on Flea terrorism.

Then there are the topical remedies like Frontline and Advantage. They have Nero-toxins that works on the fleas nervous system. But even some will only work on the adult fleas and the hatched fleas, not the pupae. Although Frontline Plus has a growth inhibitor. So for many pets these products may be the best way to go. They can put a stop to the journey to have your home become flea-free And they can work great for many animals, but there are some animals like our cat Oski who gets an allergic reaction from any of these products.

What can you do, pray to the gods, try to make a bargain with those little invaders to leave your home? It can be very daunting and distressing to have these insects in your homes, but with persistence and patience, there are natural things you can do to get rid of the infestation.

We are going a more natural route. We vacuum to get rid of any fleas in the environment and we got a great recommendation from a friend who is a homeopath-Margo Adams. she recommended to use Diatomaceous Earth-the kind that is human grade. It actually smothers the fleas and kills them. However you have to get in the habit of treating anywhere your 4-leggeds go. You can use it in their bedding, the carpets. and yes on your animals too.

It is a little dusty, but it is not overwhelming. I was totally amazed. We had started using a flea comb on Oski and the cats, but it didn't seem to be effective. he was having such a hard time, he was actually losing his fur. So when our friend suggested the Diatomaceous Earth. The first time David put it on him, I noticed Oski wasn't scratching so much. and much to my surprise his fur is growing back. I am so relived and but also grateful that it is body safe and won't cause a reaction like the Advantage or Frontline did.

According to Margo, "Many Homeopaths believe it is a slow poisoning as the insecticide/pesticide is usually fat soluble and enters the cell walls quite easily. Whatever the case - I know how we as humans respond to pesticides and the breathing in or application to the skin- so I am trying to promote a different way."
Now don't get me wrong, when I worked at Pet Food Express, I recommended it to our customers and we also used to use it on our kids, but as Oski got older, I started to notice that the application seemed to make him itch more and he started to get scabs from the flea bites. My only intention of this blog entry is to give you a different stream of consciousness to think about. I prefer to go the natural route when it is applicable. I go to the doctor and get a mammogram, even though I have heard the horror stories. I am on flonaise for my allergies, because the natural route was not effective on it's own.

But it is up to us to do the best we can for our 4-legged kids. If we can find more alternative methods to keep our 4-legged happy and healthy, I feel it is our responsibility to do so. If you have any questions or comments, please shoot me an email. I want to hear from you.

My Guiding to the Rainbow Bridge

Part of my work, as a healer sometimes is to help animals to cross the Rainbow Bridge. It is both joyous and poignant. I know this is the last few minutes of life. I am helping to relive any stress the animal being is holding on to so they can make the transition with ease and grace.

Last week, David and I were walking to the bus stop early morning. As I was walking, I got the feeling to turn my head. As I turned I happened to see a possum, by a chain link fence next to the sidewalk. I could see she was injured (intuitively I felt a female energy) and there was blood on the side of her ear. When I looked into her eyes, I heard “help me”. As it can happen in the urban jungle I call the residential streets, A car may be going too fast to avoid hitting an animal that may have been hard to see.

At first, I felt pain, knowing this little being was dying. I started feeling the emotions of sadness, regret that I couldn’t have done anything to change the current course of events. Then my healer side started growing in my awareness.

She looked at me; I could feel her fear and confusion. I called in my angels and guides to surround us so I could allow the healing energy of Reiki to help release any pain and calm her. Because she was an undomesticated animal I sat a few feet away from her so I would not add any more stress. I have been a Reiki healer long enough to know that I don’t have to lay my hands on to the being for Reiki to go where it needs to. I said a short prayer thanking her for coming in to this life and sharing life lessons that contribute to everyone on the planet including her species. I could see her starting to calm down. And then I allowed the sacred tone of OM to help to bless her and guide her to the Rainbow Bridge.

There is one thing that still amazes me. When a being is going back to spirit, I get to see the soul essence of the being I am working with. When we get close to spirit, we connect on a soul level. I now feel that I am a part of the possum energy and they are not part of my animal allies. That is the gift I received. It is priceless.

When I was on the bus that morning, going to El Cerrito. I put on my favorite Peter Kater piece called “surrender” and I was able to further help her on the next journey after crossing the Rainbow Bridge. I allowed myself to cry and mourn the loss of this gentle being. And glad I was there to help.

When I have these experiences, it makes me appreciate the beauty of life that is all around me-this wonderful planet that I am a part of. I know that I am a human who is also learning to balance the world of the six-sensory of spiritual part of me. I guess you could say I am a spiritual hybrid. And this is one of the many reasons that makes me feel so grateful to be able to touch taste and breathe in the aromas of life.

And yet, when I want to get connected to my spiritual side, All I have to do is take a few deep breaths and meditate to raise my vibrations so I can get connected with my guides and allies. So glad I get to be a part of this thing called life.

Our Family Tree

David and I are Pet Parents. We are two humans in our early 50s who are raising and directing the lives of 6 four legged kids who are not human. I call myself a hu-mom, not their bio-mom, but still I love them just the same. I hold them when they are scared. I kiss their heads and the top of their heads in affection. They know my Mom voice when I am telling them to stop an action that is not going in with the rules of the house or maybe stepping on another’s boundaries.

I do let them work it out most of the time, but when you have a cat named Oski, who doesn’t seem to know when to honor another’s boundary I will step in and use my loud, deep almost growl like voice to warn them. They do listen. As long as I have been with all my 4-legged kids, as I call them, I realize they understand the steady stream of our family energy. It doesn’t matter what species our bodies are in, we just know we are connected. I understand their moods and feelings just by becoming quiet and observing them, and their body movements.

Sometimes I will get communication by the response to my words. Whether they are reading my energy or remember the sounds of the consonants or vowels. For example, when Reggie is out and I ask him if he is a happy bunny, he will look at me then in a split second, he is jumping in air with an ethusiam that says “Yes mommy, I’m happy”. Then I will start doing my own strange form of a bunny dance and he seems pleased-that is the feeling I get from him.

With Oski, the Bart Simpson of the family, he is very head strong. When he wants something, such as a snack, if I am not facing him, he will knock something off the counter- then look at me as if to say “do I have your attention now?” If I say out loud “yes I hear you, what do you want?” He will stop for a brief moment to see if I come into the kitchen.

When I follow him to the kitchen. I will ask him if he wants food. I wait. Then I wait some more. He has a challenge with focus so I have to quiet my energy to help ground him. Eventually he will get off the counter (sometimes I have to give a gentle nudge to remind him) then he jumps off the counter and starts pacing. I will say, “you know what I want you to do, right”? He may pace a little longer, then I will see him sit down quietly and look at me. When he wants to get extra points, he will raise his paw to give a “hi-five” that we taught him.

I will praise him for being such a polite cat and give him a snack. We only feed them a little bit at a time, so the food doesn’t go to waste, so they eat throughout the day. Oski, who seems to have a high metabolism, seems to eat more than the other cats in the house. I am glad to give him a snack. He has come a long way. We taught him to get quiet and polite by using the clicker method. It really helped him to get his focus. Now I can give him a look across the room and he will come to me if I use my fingers. I use my concentration and focus and imagine I have a stream of energy coming from my Solar plexus. If I am totally present with my message, he will come prancing up to me.

The girls in the family-Moon, Fiona and Emma seem to read us pretty well, and they will stop what they are doing right away if they are forgetting the rules of the house. We don’t have to raise our voices. All the cats have their own personalities. Moon is regal, quiet and poised. She has a grace when she moves and I have always thought of her as a ballerina. I am convinced that Moon sees David as her mate and I am her friendly rival. She doesn’t mind my sharing him. And she loves to get on my lap to take a rest. But she does love to talk when she is hungry. She is very verbal. So it isn’t necessary to try to communicate energetically.

Fiona-Her full name is Fiona the Fearless, is a little spitfire and moves very quickly. If she had to go outdoors and hunt for her food, she would be the top mouser in the neighborhood. She has very quick reflexes and when we dole out the treats we have to throw her the treat first because she will move anyone out of the way to make sure she gets her prize. In fact she prefers when I throw out the treat so she can hunt it and pounce on it. There are times when I throw the treat in the air and she will leap into the air and twirl her body to catch it. She also likes to use the slick surface of the linoleum to slide across the floor. If she had the body mechanics and awareness, she would probably love to ice skate or roller blade. I never have the camera close by to catch her graceful athletic moves but it is incredible.

Emma, who I call our wild child, has lived at our home since before we moved in 9 years ago. But this black and white cat caught our attention when we saw her one Saturday morning moving her last litter of kittens to a safe place when someone doing yard work was invading their home. I loved her courage and diligence to her babies getting them to safety. Of course I realize now that she could read us well enough to know we were not going to harm her or her brood. Two ladies in the neighborhood got all the kittens and found them homes. Emma, who we called “black and white kitty” in the beginning, could not be caught to get spayed. Since she was a feral cat, she learned not to trust humans. I can’t say I blamed her. We humans have not had a good track record when being responsible pet owners (but it is changing-the consciousness is growing).

We knew we had to give her time. So we did. I would talk to her and tell her that if she went to the vet and got the operation, she wouldn’t have to have more kittens and she would feel better and calmer. It took us a few months of talking and feeding her, but one morning, she allowed David to pick her up and we got her to the vet. I intuitively knew that if Emma didn’t want to be caught, she wouldn’t. She convalesced then decided to go back to her outdoor home. I couldn’t blame her. This was she home, she knew the best places to hide and stay safe. When it was clement outside and rainy, she seemed to know how to stay dry. David and I knew we had to meet her on her terms.

But that didn’t stop me from talking to her and telling her how much we would like her to come into the house when it was cold and wet outside. I told her it would be her safe place away from the elements. We knew she loved to be outdoors and we would respect that, but when she wanted a warm dry place, she was welcome to come inside. The cats in the home would look out through the door and sometimes I could see them communicating silently. I could feel that she was thinking more and more about our offer. She would come closer to us. With me she would sort of sniff to see what my character was-was I an ok human or not? She seemed more comfortable with David. He was her rescuer after all. He got her to the vet and now she was feeling better because of it.

I think it took two years before she finally said, “ok, I will give it a try. My last pitch I said “You know you can still stay outdoors, we know It is your home, but if you do want to come indoors, I need to give you a name. That is what humans do as a form of affection. I want to call you Emma because I think this name is a combination of femininity and strength. If you like the name, then come into the house to let me know. Two weeks later she did.

She still stays outdoors primarily, but as she has gotten older, she will curl up on the sofa or one of the dining room chairs and take a nap. It still makes me feel warmth that we were able to come to an understanding. She trusts us to the best of the ability being that we are still humans. But I know she likes the food and the different places she can find to take a nap and the other cats respect her-except Oski-our little boundary taker. But Emma can put Oski in his place if he forgets and it is done with firmness, a deep fierce growl and he retreats.

Then we have our two mini-lops, Buster and Reggie. They were both adopted from the humane society, both house broken and we have things to bunny proof the house to save it from their very sharp claws and teeth. They do have similar markings, but their personalities are unique. Reggie is a rabbit with a lot of warrior energy. He doesn’t have time for humans that don’t understand him or get in the way when he has a mission to accomplish. But he also has a sense of fun, like all rabbits and lagomorphs before him. We share a dance of two together when I get home in the evening, but mostly loves to lay and meditate. And when I need him to go back to his cage. I have to ask politely and let him go in at his own place or he will growl at me to show his displeasure. When he knows I have surrendered then he will calm down and within a few minutes he is back in his cage. He understands me somehow. It is still amazing that he is listening. And yes, we speak two different languages and we are two different species.

We move on to the baby of the family-Buster our 1 ½ year old. He is lively, curious and if he was in a rabbit warren, he would be the strategist that would find all the safe places in their territory. He loves me. He will come when I call him and if I kneel down he will come up and sniff me. One time when I was trying to take his photo, he ran up to me and laid down next to me. He was too close for me to take his picture, but this was a much better experience. Bonding with the baby bunny. He isn’t as warrior-energy driven as Reggie. I think that is why they get along so well. Buster is an easygoing little boy. So Reggie doesn’t feel threatened and Buster will always oblige Reggie when he lays down his head for a grooming session. I have read that two boys don’t get along well because of territory instincts, but they seem to do ok. I believe it is their personalities. There is no rivalry.

Yes, I feel proud of the job David and I have done in raising happy, healthy 4-legged kids. Both David and I Feed them, give them shelter, take them to the vet when they get sick and we both give them lots of love. They are inquisitive, independent and a constant source of trust and unconditional acceptance. We are very blessed. We have the opportunity to see their view of the world and as our vision and understanding of who they are grows, this knowledge goes out to the universe and more people and animals get the benefit of our experiences. It may go out as a whisper or a feeling, but as the whisper gets louder and more people answer the call, the world gets healed. Ghandi and St. Francis would be proud.

The Story of Blackie McPercy

I first met Blackie, our rogue cat, when he was I think aprox 6 months. He was a sleek black cat with a long thick tail and had beautiful almond green eyes. He was across the street, yowling up a storm. So as I did with most cats, I gave a courtesy yowl acknowledgement. He looked startled like “where did that come from”, then came prancing across the street. He was hungry and maybe thought I was asking him if he wanted a snack.

From that point forward, he started coming and paying us a visit around dinner time and would sit on the porch. As he got to know us, he would come up to us so we could pet him. In the evening when we got home he would come prancing up to meet us and we would climb the steps foot to paw in a perfect synchronistic gait. He had a certain cadence for greeting me a sort of sound that was distinctive from other cats, so when he would make his sound of greeting, I would mimic him as a way of saying “hi”.

There were times he would disappear for months and then one day, usually during the summer, show up on our porch asking for dinner. We used to joke to people that this was his summer home. There was one period of time where he seemed to be gone for a whole year. But then one evening he showed up on our porch. I loved his spirit. He was a scrapper, we knew he could take care of himself and that he had these thick monster claws that I am sure knew how to use in battle.

But with us, he was sweet, gentle, polite and when I would go and talk to him or sit on the porch, he would rub hmself on me to tell me I was part of his territory. But I felt intuitively that I wasn’t just another human in his territory, he saw me as his surrogate mom and I would pet him and give him a full body kitty massage as I sung his special song that I made up just for him. In the last few months he got the courage to come into our home for brief moments. And it was a real treat. He would come and let me pet him. I actually picked him up at one point.

Being that he was a feral cat, not used to a lot of human contact, we considered it a high honor of trust, that he allowed us to give him affection. We always treated him with respect on his own terms. He may have had other humans he visited, I knew we were his favorite family. I used to feel sad at times that he didn’t have a real home, but then he was a feral cat and the whole world was his territory.

This past weekend, he showed up again and he looked like he had gotten in another scrape. David cleaned his wounds and gave him food. Even though he was obviously in pain, when I would go out to see him, he would come up to me so I could do our special ritual. I told him I was glad he knew to come back home when he wasn’t feeling well. We couldn’t get him in the vet until after the weekend. So we took care of him gave him a special bed outdoors because he couldn’t stand being cooped up in the home. I tried not to show him how sad I felt that he was not feeling well. Instead I would talk to him about the first time I ever saw him and how much we love seeing him, the things we shared together-And glad he is part of our extended family. I could get the sense he liked the story I told him and his purr was his confirmation.

When David took him to the vet, the Vet said, he had not gotten into a fight, he had a tumor that was absessed and he had cancer. So David knew it was time for him to go on to the next step of his journey. He went back into spirit at 1030 Tuesday morning. I was at work, But when I got a text message from David to call him, I knew it was about our Rogue cat. I am going to miss seeing his furry face, hearing him call me with his special throaty voice. But I take comfort that of all the humans he could have gone to, he chose us, his family to come home so we could be there for him when it was time to leave the earth. I still get a sense that is he here with us. I feel he liked being part of our family and will continue to hang out in the garden, we call our magical garden because I am always surprised because all sorts of plants just show up. There are also the trees the cats like to lay under that I feel the Deva spirits live and bless any being who gives them respect. So now Blackie McPercy is a part of that.

You cats stop that right now!

I was in my computer room, the one I share with Reggie our 2 year old lop bunny and as I was checking email I heard this thundrous voice of David yelling "you cats stop that!" Oski and Fiona were going at it, playing a little too rough and they can sound like a herd of buffalo running through the house. Typical kids rough housing without regard to the books, magazines and TV remote on the coffee table, if it is in the way as they sprinting through the house it may end up on the floor. Sometimes a glass of water will end up there too if we forget.

As I am hearing this verbal command from David I have to smile a bit, because we talk to the Cats as if they were human kids. They listen to our loud voices and respond. It's been a long time raising and living with multi-species kids that I started realizing that they do listen to what we say and will honor the boundaries of the house and the humans who share it with them. It astonishes me how well they do understand and respond. And it is a good thing, because these beings in the home could do major damage if they didn't honor our boundaries. We would have no furniture intact, they could rip the upolstery to shreds in one fell swoop or take down the drapes with a single swipe. But they understand us. Don't get me wrong, sometimes they will still try to scratch on the sofa, but they stop as soon as we say "stop that, what are you doing?

Sometimes I only have to give them the "mommy" look and it stops. And yes, they do have scratching posts in various rooms in the house that they like and some cardboard cat scratchers to sharpen their claws and it's fine. We have such a happy household. It is peaceful and quiet and most of the time you will hear the classical station playing in the background. All the 4-leggeds in the house including the rabbits enjoy it. If you were in our home, you would hear things like "Oski, what are you thinking, you know the rules of the house". "Are you sure you are hungry now?" A phrase Tachi, our 15 year old minature panther will look at me questioning "what do you think", "Fiona, stop that Kitten-mew voice", Reggie, be safe when you are on the coffee table and I will guide down" I can use the point and tap method to guide him to safety. Oski just came up to me on the dining room table where I am writing this blog and I ask him to give me a kiss and he presents the top of his head so I can kiss it. Maybe not the exact words, but he understands i want to share affection with him. Yes, we have a great household and a wonderfully tranquil environment. How many other pet parents talk to their four-legged kids as if they understand every word? I don't think it is that rare. Having 4-legged kids is after all the new American Family.

Reginald Von Rabbit, III

It is hard to believe our baby bunny is 2 years old! but I can tell how much more affectionate and comfortable he is and showing his authentic self to us. Reggie is mischevious, rebellious, independent and has a good sense of humor -over all a very a happy bunny. My husband re-named him Reginald Von Rabbit III and Reggie does have a very commanding presence. He can be very impatient and will rattle his cage in the morning to tell us it is time for him to come out. When he does, he always presents himself to me so I can pet him and tell him how fabulous he is. then he will re-explore his room to see if there have been any changes to his environment. Then he will find a place to stretch out for a bit, do some chewing on his various pieces of card board and then start running around like a crazy bun. When he has gotten my attention he will leap into the air and turn around like a dancer. It is amazing to watch. Sometimes I will join in and imitate him in my own human dance steps and we dance together. he is so much fun to hang out with.

This morning he decided to go into the kitchen with the cats and I decided to give him a slice of dehydrated bananas-yummy. Fiona came up and asked me for a treat also, then the other cats, Moon and Oski said "yes" we will take a treat too. So I got out the Tastations for the cats and they all had treats together. Then hung out together which for them is sitting or laying in the same vacinity.

Reggie can also be a little temperamental at times. When we need to go out and need him to go into his cage, if we are not asking him in a respectful way, he will growl at us to tell us to stop. When we ask him nicely and reward him with a bit of mint of another piece of banana, he is very nice about it. And why not? Reggie has a lot of pride and expects us to treat him with respect. A good lesson to all.

Oski Grows up

Oski is now Seven years old. They say when a cat is 7 years old, they become a senior cat, but when I see how active Oski is, speeding around the room, leaping on top of the TV or the ledges in the dining room-to me I still see him as an adolescent two year old. He is still energetic, but he now sleeps through the night (he used to wake us up at 3am to keep him company). He takes more naps during the day. There are days he doesn't have to go to his time out room because he is wound up too tightly and he is riccocheting around the room. He has become quite a Gentle-cat in his Seven years.

He is also more responsive. He knows how to sit when we ask him. He even gives us a high five to get a treat. He is learning to get our attention in more subtle ways than instantly knocking things off the table. He and I are so tuned in to each other I can give him "the mommy look" and he knows I want him to stop what he is doing. Sometimes I wish I had a webcam throughout the house so people could see all the things I describe. They would be amazed.

I am amazed at how well he hears me. How mature he has become. How polite and courteous he is. Sometimes he will yowl in another room so I can play the twisty tie toy game with him. The twisty tie toy game is long twist ties that I slide across the kitchen floor so he can stalk it and pounce on it. He has a certain way he likes me to throw it so it is exciting for him. Yes, Oski is an excellent "human" trainer. He communicates silently without a single sound being made.

That is not to say that he doesn't make any sounds. He will still use his high-pitched cadence to greet me in the morning, so I can pick him up and give him a big hug and a kiss and hold him in my arms for a bit. He will also go up to David and give him a greeting. Sometimes I will be holding him, David will come up to us to give me a morning kiss and Oski will put his arms out to him so David will hold him. Oski isn't partial to either one of us. he has tremendous affection for both of us. He also will bug each of us when he wants a snack to see who will respond the quickest. It has been a long, long, long journey teaching Oski to understand the rules of the house and honor boundaries, and as he gets more mature, it gets easier and easier. Even Reggie and he seem to have reached a truce and the other day, I saw them playing together, Reggie initiated it. And sometimes he will lay next to Oski and my boys and I spend time together in Reggie's room.

Yes, I am so thankful and grateful that Oski is here with us. He is a sweet, loving affectionate cat. When I think about other families that have challenges in multi-species house holds and we, who have a big family, I am more convinced that with communication and patience, the foundation becomes more solid and secure.

The Healing Paws of the Shelter

I have been volunteering at the Benicia Vallejo Humane Society for 5 months now and am enjoying doing my part to help our adoptees find wonderful new homes. I love our shelter. Everyone seems to have so much love and compassion for the adoptees, they are like our own 4-legged kids.and our organization is growing in leaps and bounds. We have a resident dog trainer who seems to know how to counsel the volunteers and staff in helping each dog over come prior trauma or abuse the dogs may come to our shelter.


We have a cat committee designed to socialize and make each feline feel safe and free to play in our cat playroom.

I am part of the holistic team. I and a new animal Reiki practioner are now doing reiki healings on the adoptees and working with any "special needs' adoptees-adoptees that may have fear issues or behavior issues that could keep them from a new family.


We also have a woman who is a dog nutritionist and teaches people how to make their own food or find the right food for their dogs.

We also have a Homeopath who can provide Homeopathy remedies for physical issues and emotional issues.

We are even starting a Trap and Release program.


Yes, we are getting to be a full service Shelter. Any Vets who want to do some Pro-bone-o work we would love to have you donate some hours here.


I have a vision of our shelter being number one in finding and matching more families than anywhere in the country. I see it opening up in that direction every time I am there. So many hard working staff and volunteers to spread the love and compassion that is the birthright of every being on the planet.

Becoming a Foster Parent

Recently David and I had the opportunity to become foster parents for an abandoned bunny that had been running around in our neighborhood. He is a beautiful silver and white agouti domestic short hair rabbit. Because we don't the sex of the bunny we named him Silver (he even has a silver streak behind his ears). I of course was concerned at first, with Reggie in the house, I didn't want there to be any territorial battles. I told reggie that we were taking care of a bunny for a short time before he goes to another temporary home before he is adopted. All Reggie said that as long as he stays in the kitchen, he will be fine. Blessedly, our kitchen is big enough for him to get in some exercise. The first two days we let him stay in his cage to get acclamated to his new surroundings. The third day. We opend the door to his cage and let him roam a bit. He was a little cautious at first. I blocked off the kitchen with a pice of foam board and put a chair in front of the entrance so he could only stay in the kitchen area. he sniffed outside the opening of the cage before he came bounding out. All Rabbits seem to do the same thing. They sniff first and then bound out of the cage quickly and almost look like they are doing a Cosmo Kramer impression (he was a quirky character in the sitcom, Seinfeld). I gave hm some unsweetend fruit treats as a peace offering and he eagerly took them from me. Both Moon and Fiona were in the room with me and observing him. When they saw I was giving Silver treats, they wanted in on it to and got in their treat sitting position. I got the treats from the fridge and started distributing treats to Moon and Fiona. Silver saw the whole thing and came up to the girls to see if he could have another treat.

Good sign that he isn't freaked out by cats. He seems to be very calm about everything. Fast movements don't seem to faze him. I did a couple of light dancing to see if he would be nervous of this big object moving around in a crazy pattern. He looked at me once and then went on to more exploring of the kitchen. Because our kitchen is pretty much bunny proofed to begin with I didn't see anything I would have to move around. All the cords are safely behind things-no way he can reach them. The kitchen has a linoleum flooring so if he does have an accident it will be easy to clean up. So I sat at the table and quietly observed him.

I realized that he could go under the bakers rack that is unprotected and if he wants to stay burrowed under there, we couldn't get him back in his cage. So I called him "Silver, come" and I made a couple of quick claps to get his attention. He came out. But being the determined bunny he is he tried to get behind there again this time I put my hand behind him and redirected him out. he didn't flinch that I had my hand on him, he was very calm.

He has a really good personality. gets along with cats, housebroken already. responds to his name. I haven't picked him up, but David has and he says he is easy to handle. So who ever adopts this rabbit is going to have a family member. I have felt for a long time that one of the roles David and I have is that of helping to find homes for other animal beings. I used to do this mediation that we ran a placement agency for families to come together. So I think this is a lesson from the Universe "let's see if you really want to walk your talk. What the start of a wonderful journey.

Let the Healing Begin

I have been actively using Reiki energy on animals and it is very rewarding when I can see changes. I recently spoke to two very nice cats. these cats (that I will change the names for privacy reasons), Plato and Leanardo. They were born in the urban jungle and didn't feel comfortable around humans. My friend, Janet, wanted them to come indoors to keep them safe. There was a big, agressive cat who was terrorizing them.

So one evening. I went to my studio and connected with them. I asked Plato why he wouldn't go in the house or let Janet pet him even though he knew her really well since she had been feeding him. He answered me "I am afraid I won't be able to go outdoors again." I reassured him that Janet would never keep him captive, that she respected him and just wanted him to be safe from that cat. I could feel his energy relax.

Then I went to Leanardo and asked him why he is afraid to come indoors, he said that Janet's brother didn't want him in the house. I told him that he had since changed his mind and would be more open to both him and his brother coming in the house. Then I said "if you want to come into the house you need to do the human claiming ritual and allow Janet to pet you and pick you up if you feel comfortable".

Then I did some Reiki balancing using the Reiki animal healing symbol to release both their stress. I always use a visual of a rose bud opening up to let me know the treatment worked. I had two buds by them and then the buds went into a beautiful pinkish-red color and I saw irridescent flecks of energy swirling around them. Before we said good bye, I told them I was sending some angelic beings to protect them from that agressive cat I will call "Bud" and I said from this day forward you are protected.

After these words I felt a woosh of energy and felt the presence of a cat jumping on my lap. My cats were not in my studio. I am not sure if this was Bud or the Angels telling me they were on the case, but I felt something. That was the first time I felt a physical weight on me. I was glad that I am opening my channel to recieve more clear messages. It was time to end the session. I imagined all the healing energy coming together swirling as fast and ferocious as a tornado and then it dispersed into the Universe.

The next day I called Janet, because I was also doing so Reiki on her and also wanted to see how she was doing, she said she felt a little better and then she said excitedly that Plato let her pick him up and he was purring. It was nice confirmation. I have been doing this work on myself and others for over 20 years but it is always nice to recieve confirmation. Which is one of the reasons I really like working with animals, they don't question energy work, they just go with how they are feeling, they don't dissect the process or try to intellectualize why or how it works, they just accept it as it is.

When the Student is Ready the Teacher Appears

I love that saying and it is so true. Since I have been on my true path with spirit, I have been directed to talk to the right people or be in the right place at the right time. I know that not everyone may agree with me or think I am being airy-fairy or woo-woo, but for me this a reality and I have been living a much fuller life-full of magic, happy surprises, an abundance of laughter and vibrating joy.

I have been taking a lot of classes the past few months. Classes in Chakra balancing, Meditation and grounding techniques and have been actively using the healing modality of Reiki which means Life force. It is an energy work that is very subtle-some people feel it as a relaxing sensation that is very peaceful, but a Reiki practitioner can move any stuck energy in the body so if there is any dis-ease or discomfort, the Reiki will move it so balance can take place and also along with the inner work, an aspect in your outer life will also improve. I have used it to protect myself energetically when I have had problem customers who want to project their bad energy on me, with these techniques, I have learned to send the energy back to them like light bouncing back and they either stop or leave because they don't like their own energy.

So on Thanksgiving, I was writing in my journal about the benefits of Reiki and contemplating how I wanted to use it--all of a sudden I felt a rush of cool energy surrounding my arms and my face and I knew there was spirit trying to get my attention. I also got a headache which is telling me that there was too much psychic energy coming at me. I told the spirit to stop and he did pull his energy back. That same day I had invited my friend, who is also psychic, to dinner. while we were waiting for the food to be done I asked her to see if she could find out who and why he is contacting me.

Almost instantly, she said that there is actually a group of guides who are here to help me and Alan is the contact guide who is going to teach me about using herbs to get in balance so I can do my Reiki work. I was excited. When I decided to revisit my Reiki teachings I realized that Reiki was part of the work I am to do spiritually. I allowed Alan to come to me in a subtle way to give me direction. I wondered why I suddenly liked being in our vegetable garden and would get euphoric when I was out there. Alan loved all plant life and it gave him energy being here. I always felt there was something special about our garden.

Part of the changes that Alan is guiding me is I am drinking more tea, particularly white Jasmine that has a lot of things for immunity and balance. I am more active. I love being outdoors more than I used to. I am taking a lot more walks and taking my Nikon camera to record any thing that catches my interest. As a result I am also losing weight just by choosing different foods and adding additional activity.

As I have been switching from Coffee to drinking green tea, Rose tea and white Jasmine tea, I have been hearing my guidance more closely and it feels good to be that connected. Which brings me to my latest discovery. My true calling. I am to be a Reiki practitioner for Animals and Plant life. It came very clear-this message-"you love working with animals, why not specialize in Reiki for animals? I don't know why I didn't think of this before. I do feel a real affinity with animals. Even though I am human, I feel a close connection with animals.

I seem to hear the energy of the birds who live in our neighborhood and take seeds and twigs from our garden for their nests and feeding their families. They are starting to recognize me as an OK human. I even had a humming bird flying outside my kitchen window trying to get my attention! They are so small, but one morning something told me to look out the window and there was his little body facing me, fluttering its wings as if to say "good morning". I did my little wave I make when I am acknowledging another being and when it got my attention, it flew away.

So when I got the message I said to David "I just decided to specialize in treating animals with Reiki. I don't know why I didn't think of this before." The next day I was corresponding to my Reiki Master who did the certification for my Reiki and I mentioned that I have decided to work with animals and Reiki. She emailed me back and asked me if I had gotten the animal attunement to work with animals?! I didn't even know such a thing had existed. I asked her if she knew someone who could do the Attunement on me and it so happened she knew the perfect person. So I am getting the Attunement tomorrow.

It is truly a blessing that when I am in alignment with my authentic self, the information and resources I need to move me toward my goal just appear. Of course I know the Law of Attraction works for me too and so all this synchronicity just continues to flow together. So if you need my services for Animal Reiki drop me a line. I am here to help.

Reiki and Animals

I am a Reiki Practitioner. Reiki means life force. So What a Reiki practitioner does is to move the life force through the body when there is stuck energy that can cause blockages and dis-eases in the body. It is a subtle energy healing modality and not everybody feels it when a practitioner is working on them, but they will notice the changes in their body and in aspects of their life. Because blocked energy can be the cause of some discomfort in our life--conflict with friends and family, feeling unsupported, fear of moving forward, etc., this will also show up in your body as headaches, back or knee pain. For instance when you say someone is a pain in the neck, that is a block in that part of the body. So when I work with someone I can help remove and release an energy that is the cause of the physical ailments and my clients also find that an aspect in their lives also gets resolved.

Animals respond to Reiki very well. Because they aren't thinking a million thoughts like us humans, the Reiki will move very quickly and balance is restored once again. I had a girl-cat, Cleo (photo at left) who suffered with asthma. When she would have an attack I would place my hands a few inches from her body and within minutes the asthma attack subsided. Emma, our black and white cat, was having eye problems, so she has been letting me do Reiki on her and I have noticed a change in her eyes. Emma does not like to be held or touched so I do the treatments a few feet away from her, because I can also do long distance treatments and she will sit there for 2-3 minutes while I work on her. When she feels she has had enough, she will move. Animals always know how much they need.
Another Cat, who passed away a year ago, Nicholas (photo at left), was traumatized by 17 other cats when he was being fostered. He was so terrified by anything that moved after that, when I adopted him, he would run away from me if I came too close. I would do some long distance healing and within 5 years, he was a very affectionate lap cat.

I volunteer at the local humane society where I live and work at the front desk. One hectic morning some good Samaritans were dropping off a mom cat and her litter that were living under their car. They brought them in a carrier and the mom was very fearful and hissing and snarling. they had to transfer the mom and her brood to one of the cages at the site. So while they were filling out the paper work. I communicated with the mom that we were only trying to help them and I was going to send some energy to help her relax. within minutes she quieted down and the kittens turned to look at me very intently. The couple that brought them in were amazed at how they were all looking at me.

So Reiki is good for Animals whether for illness or quieting anxiety. And it is easy to learn to do. If you are interested, there are some good resources available so you can take a class to recieve the Reiki Attunements then you work on your animal companions. The other benefit of Reiki energy is that you can use the Reiki energy to enhance the healing properties of any medication you need to give to your animal companion so they take what they need and lessen the side effects.

Here is a good book and it is titled appropriately:

Animal Reiki: Using Energy to Heal the Animals in Your Life (Paperback)by Elizabeth Fulton (Author), Kathleen Prasad (Author)

The Prodigal Daughter

I call Emma our prodigal daughter because she does see us as her family, but doesn't feel the need to be with us in the house all the time. Emma was born in the urban jungle. We never knew who her bio-mom was. We met her shortly after we moved into our home in Vallejo. We were out in our garden talking to our next door neighbors, Wheeler and Linda and we see a kitten not more than a week old next to our compost heap, of course we became alarmed to see this tiny being seemingly abandoned. Was he sick, is that why it was abandoned? No sooner after we started discussing what we needed to do about the kitten, out of the far right side of the garden, we see a black and white cat holding another tiny being in her mouth to put the little one next to his sibling. We realized that the first kitten was not abandoned, the bio-mom, Emma (at the time we called her Black and White Kitty), was transporting her litter to our home for safe keeping. We found out later, that there were some neighbors in back of us that were doing some yard work and Emma needed to more her pride to a temporary home until it was safe to move back. What a good Mom. Linda, a lady who along with another lady, trapped many feral cats and got them spayed and put them back in the neighborhood, knew of this mom cat. They had already trapped her first litter and was able to get them spay or neutered but the mom was another story. She could not be caught. We knew she needed to be spayed but she was very crafty she always seemed to know what the traps were for. But we were patient. We knew eventually if we just kept getting her trust, we could persuade her for us to get her the vet. So when it was time they were able to get Emma's latest litter.

David seemed to get along will with Black and White Kitty and she started letting him pet him. Me-she was still unsure of who I was. She was suspicious of me, she knew I could understand her and she did not want me to know what she thought. But I knew that eventually she would realize that I was an ok human and she would open up to me. When I would see her, I would tell her how important it would be for her to go to the vet and have the operation. she wouldn't have those awful feelings she gets and have those male cats after her. It would calm her down and it would keep her healthy. She still wouldn't come up to me but she would sit from a distance as I spoke to her. Then one day, on a Saturday morning, David was able to pick 'Black and white kitty" and took her over to one of the ladies who worked as a vet tech. They took her in and got her spayed.

Black and White kitty stayed with the vet tech's home to recooperate when she was well enough to go out, she started coming over to our house more and more. In the evenings, I would still go out and talk with her. I told her we would love for her to join our family--that we would always made sure she would lots of good food to eat and toys to play with and a warm place to stay when the weather was a little too cold or rainy. She would look at me as if she was playing with the idea of being a house cat. She really liked her freedom and the idea of not being able to go outdoors didn't appeal to her. After all, she had the whole neighborhood and a garden as her territory.

Six months had passed. We still had our quiet talks (mostly me and her listening). Finally I said, you don't have to be in the house all the time, you can still be part of our family, but you will have a place to go to when you need it. And if you accept this, I want to name you. That is what humans do when they adopt a family member. I would like to call you Emma. It is feminine but a strong and independent name. So you like the name and want to be part of our family. I want you to come inside the house to let us know that you accept. Two weeks later, whe came in.

Emma is so sweet, but she sill has the primal instincts from living outdoors most of her life. During the summer months she does prefer to live outdoors, but in the winter months, she does spend the night in the home. Sometimes if we pet her too much she will respond with a bite, but over the years, she has learned to stop before she bites. She listens so well. she understands to be courteous and honor the other cats in the home and she is very good about that. In fact it is Oski who we have to watch, he will still try to get territorial with her, she is good, she will give a ferocious hiss to let him know she is not pleased and I will intervene on her behalf.

She accepts us on her own terms as her family. There are times she wil get on the sofa and get on my lap and let me pet her. Those special moments mean so much to me. We love our prodigal daughter.

Reggie and Me

It has been over two months since Reggie the veggie boy has been living with us. It took him a couple of weeks to feel comfortable with me and now loves running through the house and exploring. The girls, Fiona, Annie and Moon seem to have a good friendship with him, but Oski, well that is another story. Reggie tolorates him, but if he feel Oski is getting too much in his business, he will rush after Oski and growl, Oski usually acquiesces and it is fine. They have learned to reach a compromise.

He is still getting used to David's energy, but being the good sport that he is, David is just letting Reggie find his own way. When I realized that Reggie liked me it was one of those special moments where I could see him processing something in his head. When I was on Bart earlier that day I said (telepathically) "If you want to get on my lap, just try it, if you don't like it, you can always jump off, but I feel you want to get on my lap, so just do it, you might like it." So as I was sitting on the love seat in his room reading "Digital Photography for Dummies" one moment he was on the floor, the next minute he hopped on the love seat with me and then proceeded to get on my lap. Because it was so new to him, he only stayed a few seconds, but in that time he sniffed my face and then I lowered my head and let him sniff my hair. then he jumped off fairly quickly, but I could tell he was pleased with himself that he was brave enough to go through with it. Shortly after that, when I was on the sofa watching TV, and he was out and about, he would make a point to get on my lap and explore again. I would make sure I had his favorite snacks on hand, banana chips-no sugar added, a piece of parsley or a piece of banana. Instantly I would see his eyes perk up and he would stay on my lap longer.

He is four paws full and a tale. He will get into anything he feels he needs to explore. Sometimes I think his motto is "Divide and conquer" because if he sees something that is blocking his view (like one of the barriers I made for an area of the home he needs to stay out of), he will do what ever he can to knock it down or tear it down with his claws or his teeth-that's why I use cardboard. One day I was working at my computer and I felt him jump on the chair with me. I thought he was saying hi, what he was actually doing was using me and the chair to make it easier to get on the computer table! he had no problem navigating his way to the top in the most efficient way possible. I recognized that from this point forward, I would have to keep the chair a good distance away from the computer table when I wasn't in the room so he wouldn't be tempted. I do have cords from my mouse and IPod charger. But one day, Reggie was out and I placed the chair away from the table but not far enough. I was in the dining room doing some painting and I heard a "crash". I run into the room and found Reggie behind the barrier! He was trying to jump from the chair to the table and mis-judged the distance. Was he hurt or traumatized? NO! he just proceeded to explore what was behind the barrier. I was able to get him from behind the barrier before he did any real damage (now I have another place to Reggie-Proof). I have since moved the chair so far that he knows he can't clear the distance. Yes, our Reggie is a jumper, a climber and a long distance jumper-a very athletic rabbit. Well at least it will keep him healthy.

And he still has a lot of attitude. He is very head strong and stubborn. When I tell him to move away from a new area and I know it isn't good for him. I will lightly guide him away, sometimes he isn't ready to move away and he will turn and growl at me. It startled me the first time he did it and I knew if I tried to force him, he would see it as agression and then I could lose his trust. So I went to get a treat and guided him out that way. He was fine and peace was restored once again.

I am really enjoying my friendship with Reggie. He will come up to me if I come into his room or when I come home from work. Sometimes he will follow me around to see what I am doing and then sometime we demonstrate our fancy foot work to each other. I will move around in a silly way and then he will do his own dance by racing around the room. it is run and I know we are playing . I also love sitting on the floor with him. sometimes he will put his paws on my legs or sometimes he will come up and sniff me, then run away very victoriously that he went out of his comfort zone.

In the months to come it will interesting to see the changes he makes as he gets more mature and understands the rules of the house. He is already learning to listen better and comes when I call him. He really is a wonderful addition to the family. Before we adopted him, I had my friend Cathy ask him if he would get along with the cats in the family, he said he wasn't sure but he was willing to try. And I glad he took the chance, because I can tell he is happy living with us. And we are so very happy he is here with us.