Messages are all around us

Change, change, change.....wow, how quickly things can change when we ask and are ready to receive. How fast and furiously the messages may arrive when we ask for them. The universe always says "yes", and so do our animal friends.

Very recently I ended a relationship with an ex-boyfriend. His departure from my home was long overdue, but I was doing my best to preserve what I thought would be a valuable friendship. Change is sometimes hard for me, and this was particularly tough. I knew that we had long been in a rut, but the familiarity of it all kept me safe (or so I told myself). And of course if one hangs in there, there is always the possibility that the relationship might get better! This was not to be the case. And if the relationship is not right for one person, how can it be right for the other, even when they think it is?

But back to my point of our animal compatriots. My live-in male friend moved on, and it was a difficult parting. At almost at exactly the same time, another person whom I thought was a dear friend got over reactive about a past experience, extremely angry, and ended our friendship. Interestingly, several hours later I walked out my front door and learned that my Catrium contractor had just found a 6 foot long rattlesnake. It had been hiding under a tarp in my driveway, along with three mice. The snake scurried away when uncovered, but I did not overlook his significance as a messenger from the animal kingdom.

All animals have wisdom for us. Snakes are symbolic of death and rebirth, because they shed their skin as they outgrow the old. In ancient times, snakes signified the mysterious; they were primitive symbols of the Great Mother Goddess. When a rattlesnake appears in your path, there will be significant changes in some area of your life, and you will go through a major transitional period.

I am extremely afraid of snakes of any kind, not just rattlesnakes. But I must say that the snake's message was sheer perfection, as was his timing. What about the three mice? Were they relieved to escape as the tarp was lifted? Did they have a message for me as well?

Mouse wisdom is examining life's lessons, shyness, understanding details, seeing double meanings in things, stealth, discovery and the ability to be unseen. As I thought about these little mice messengers, I couldn't help but see one of my biggest life lessons. Now that I had let go, imagine the discoveries I could begin to find in life! The three mice got out alive, and so did I!

These unusual creatures appeared in front of my home for good reason, and I received their messages loud and clear. If you find yourself having unexpected encounters with animals, I encourage you to visit websites on animal wisdom and shamanism. You might be surprised to see your own life's lessons staring back at you.

We are ultimately not separate, not from one another or any living thing....the flower, the tree, our crops, the cat, the dog, the snake. You can sense yourself in them, the essence of who you are.

"Having an animal in your home is great for your heart, your waistline, your immunity, and your blood vessels"....Dr. Oz

I have found a famous, extremely intelligent com-padre who loves animals as much as I do;  Dr, Oz, America's Favorite Doctor!  In a recent issue of Oprah magazine, Dr. Oz explains that when he comes home after a long day at the hospital or the studio and sees his black Lab Rosie with her enthusiastic greeting, Rosie always makes him smile, no matter how exhausted he feels.  Dr. Oz's household is like mine, with family pets(12) outnumbering the humans (6) in his home.

Dr Oz expressed his excitement about the mounting evidence that our animals can improve our physical well-being.  Dr. Oz is not alone. Former president of the Mayo Clinic staff, Edward Creagan, M.D., is also convinced of the healing power of pets. He has literally prescribed them for a third of his cancer patients!

Dr Oz explains that the simple act of petting an animal, or even gazing at an aquarium, results in a drop in blood pressure.  He believes that pets can have a long-term impact on the cardiovascular system as well, as researchers discovered in tracking two dozen stockbrokers who adopted a cat or dog.  Surprisingly, while pet ownership blunted the blood pressure response to mental stress in the stockbrokers, the traditionally prescribed hypertension drug had no positive effect.

A study published in the Western Journal of Nursing Research found that even pet fish can help by facilitating healthy weight gain among Alzheimer's patients, who often suffer from a lack of nutrition. In the presence of an aquarium, patients who paced tended to sit still longer, while patients who were typically lethargic became more attentive. Both effects led to better eating at mealtimes. Alzheimer's patients also have fewer outbursts if an animal is present, and research shows that caregivers feel less burdened as well.

Dr. Oz advises that if pet ownership is not possible, that volunteering with rescues who are in dire need of attention can provide the same health perks. Go to petfinder.com to find shelters near you.

From my own personal experience, closely observing animals in the wild can have positive effects as well.  The other day I was walking with a friend down to our local cafe when we spotted two hawks singing and coming together to mate on top a a huge palm tree.  What a beautiful site to see.  The energy from their coming together was spectacular.  The Native Americans and many Indigenous tribes throughout the world believe that animals carry important messages for us. Hawks represent "the messenger", and the message to me seemed to be to trust in my truth and creativity.  Other messages that hawks are known to carry include clear-sightedness, overcoming problems, wisdom, courage, and wise use of opportunities.  To learn more about animal messages, google "Spirit Guides and Shamanism".

If we are open to their gifts, the animal world has so much to offer.  Thank you, Dr. Oz, for your wisdom and for your appreciation and love of animals.

My animals perspective on the Republican Candidates

Have any of your animals expressed opinions on the Presidential race?  Have you asked them?  You might be surprised how opinionated they are, as I found out.......


A few days ago after I got home from my relaxing vacation in Hawaii, my dogs and cats requested a meeting to discuss the political shenanigans happening among the Republican party presidential candidates and the media.  I reminded them that I had been relaxing in Maui, hadn't seen or heard the news, and was a bit out of touch.  I promised that once acclimated back home I would read up on all the news and listen to their viewpoints.


So yesterday all 15 of us sat in my living room for a meow-bow-wow.  We sat in a circle, and the animal on my right spoke first.  My cats and dogs continued in a clockwise manner to air their points of view.


My outspoken Welsh Terrier, Baley, spoke first.  "Why all this ruckus and arguing about religion?  Why does one religion have to be better than another?  Why do there have to be right and wrong viewpoints on things?"


BB, my older grandfather cat, replied, "Why does it matter anyway?  I thought freedom of religion could also mean freedom from religion."


My Lab mix Bodhi interrupted.  "What does religion have to do with politics anyway?"


My American Eskimo/Corgi mix chimed in and asked, " Isn't religion a private thing?  What does it have to do with choosing a leader to fairly and honestly run our country with integrity?"


I agreed with my 4-legged friends, that religion should have nothing to do with politics.  Church and state do not belong together!


Before I had a chance to finish, Miss Jinxy, my elder female cat said,  "In our world, we love and accept everyone.  All breeds, half-breeds, mixed breeds, sizes, shapes, colors, and all creatures of the earth.  Our religion, so to speak, is unconditional love, honesty, truthfulness, integrity and loyalty."


I thanked Jinxy for her wise observation that religion, race, creed, and color should have no bearing on a candidate.


I sensed the excitement in the room as all the female cats and dogs began speaking at once. Their discussion revolved around why a president or any political system should be determining rules regarding sexual conduct, sexual preference, or birth control choices for humans.  They knew that animals had to be spayed and neutered immediately if they were coming from a shelter, but always believed that humans had more legal and moral rights.   "What about freedom of choice?" they cried.  "Isn't this the 21st century?!!!!!"


"Many of us have already e-mailed our support to Sandra Fluke, the Georgetown University student blasted by Rush Limbaugh in the media.  He called Ms. Fluke a “slut” and a "prostitute" after she argued that birth control should be covered by health insurance at religious institutions." all the animals professed.


"Appalling in our book," my female four-leggeds all replied.  "We are glad so many people have criticized him for his outrageous statements.  We would call him a fat pig, but we don't want to insult our beloved pig family."

Sam, Dave and Midnight, three of my male teenage cats then said, " And to think one of the candidates says Global Warming isn't real!  Gives us a break mom, just tell the guy to go outside and feel and smell the earth, then he will know."


All the animals agreed that the Republicans' childish behavior is proof that fighting and name-calling never wins.  They also agreed that they are relived that I don't pollute our home with too much television news.


My Welsh Terrier Baley suggested an alternative, a great television channel devoted to dogs.  Dog TV Channel 2635 (Cox Communications) is quite relaxing.  Images of beaches, waves, beautiful colors, and soft music soothes the senses.  I expressed my gratitude to Baley and turned on the channel for all to enjoy.


While Dog Channel is highly recommend for humans and dogs, my cat Rufus likes it, too.  A neighbor friend of mine leaves the channel on 24/7 for his dogs.  All family members enjoy the soft wonderful music that fills their house.  Check cable television channels to see if Dog TV is available in your area.


I am again humbled and inspired by the insight and awareness of my animals. I will leave you with an acronym of hope for our term "human being" jointly crafted by my animals and me.

H   Humanity

U   Unconditional love

M   Magical

A   Altruistic

N   Nice

B   Benevolent

E   Empathetic

I    Innocent

N   Nature loving

G   Generous

Kenny Kitty Spa

I've read that once you begin re-decorating one room in your house, you somehow end up re-decorating more rooms than you had planned.  That is definitely the case at Paradise Ranch, which seems to be morphing into the Kenny Kitty Spa.  My goodness, as soon as I finished the outdoor cat addition, my two older cats wanted their own private rooms and spaces.  These two old gals could no longer tolerate one another, and they convinced me of this by peeing on my bed on a regular basis.  Sad to say, this was an effective way to get my attention! 

Miss Jinxy got her own new two-room suite, one room outside and one room inside, and she loves to go through the window between the two.  Zoe is now the only cat in my master bedroom.  They are both absolutely thrilled, and there has not been one accident since they have been separated!  Thankfully they are now playing like young ladies again.  In fact, I think I saw one doing sit-ups and looking in the mirror to see if her bikini still looks good!

Seeing Miss Jinxy, Zoe, and the other cats appreciating the new outdoor space so happy, I couldn't help but wonder about the kitties that stay primarily in the garage.  Were their digs in need of an updating?  And could the garage ever be separated in such a way that the kitties could have their space, and my workout equipment could be separated from them so it would not become covered in kitty fur? 

My handyman extraordinaire Ross made this all possible with wood, drywall, and a lot of ingenuity. Within the next few days, my indoor kitties will be enjoying a cozy new den. There will be climbing shelves, cupboards for hiding, planks for walking and balancing, pillows for sleeping, and scratching posts for exercise.  Kitty dishes will sit on shelves a few inches off the floor so as not to invite ants.  Even temperature has been addressed, with extra insulation to keep the den warm in the winter and cool in the summer.  The kitties will even have their own portable air conditioner for the summer months.

There will soon be no excuse not to use my exercise equipment in my gym. My treadmill, Pilates 

machines, and weights will have a place of their own, and they will not be covered in kitty fur!  Why didn't I think of this years ago?

It is amazing how easy it is to build or add on for your animals without a lot of money or time. Animals don't need expensive toys, they love the little pleasures like balls, sticks, cardboard, shelves, and especially boxes.  Have you ever bought an expensive toy for your child only to watch them enjoy the oversized box it came in more than the toy? 

Many holidays ago, a friend of mine bought a game table and chairs to accomodate her sons frequent chess and checkers games.  For hours Christmas Day they played with the oversized shipping box, about half the size of a refrigerator.  They drug each other around in it all over the house, and when they were tired of that, they made the box into a fort.  When several days after Christmas the box was still being enjoyed and the table and chairs had not yet been used, my friend returned the table and chairs, apologizing that she was not able to return the box. 

Give your animals (or kids) the simple things, and let their imaginations take over.  Watch them climb, roll, scratch, and have a ball being in the moment.  

Logan my cat whisperer

A young friend of mine who is a seven year-old cat lover paid me a visit before I left for Hawaii. Logan’s family bred dogs for many years in Washington State and now the are living in England, but Logan clearly has an affinity for cats.  He has many times in my presence proven himself an expert in non-verbal communication with cats.  I affectionately refer to  Logan as “the cat whisperer”.

Several years ago during a visit to my home, Logan crawled out through the small series of tunnels leading from my garage to the outside kitty condo.  Within minutes, he was totally immersed in kitties’ world and they in his. It was total bliss for all of them, and simply incredible to witness. Last year Logan visited again.  Despite several years passing between his visits, Logan remembered all the cats’ names and ages within minutes.  This is no easy feat given my large collection of cats.    

During this visit, I once again marveled as I watched Logan and my eleven cats pick up where they left off, seemingly understanding one another immediately. Logan observed that the new expanded kitty condo reminded him of a Hyatt Regency (pretty sophisticated seven year-old!).  He sounded like an experienced physician diagnosing the situation when he explained, very matter-of-factly, that he had checked with all the cats and that they were all very happy.  And as you can see from the photo, Logan checked out the shelves and boxes first hand! 

Today, and everyday, seize the day and savor the moments!

 

 click on picture to enlarge