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.