Always Learning from My Four-Leggeds!

Acceptance of what is, relaxation, and love of life are great reminders from my animals this past month.  They have recently dealt with major changes in their routines and in their eating schedules.  In addition, the cats also had to adjust to a completely different place to reside day and night.  These changes were due to  having many houseguests of all sizes, shapes, genders, ages and allergies for the past month.

The animals responded to all of this change with total acceptance.  In fact, my teachers with four legs sailed through this experience with flying colors!

Because two of my house guests were very allergic to cats, all eleven kitties stayed in their indoor/outdoor palace in the three car garage and in their 450 square foot outside enclosure.  Although this sounds quite grand and equal to a kitty Four Season’s Hotel, it was still a total change for all of them.  No wandering through the house all night, no morning affection and cat treats from me, no morning belly rubs.

When I ventured into the garage to feed them or change their kitty litter, they looked at me with total acceptance of the way it was, and continued on with their new routine.

How often, I wonder, do we accept change as quickly as animals do?

For me, a lot of change or upheaval in my daily or weekly routine takes its toll.  Is that because I want things to stay the way they are, or because I am not totally in the moment?  

When I asked my dog Bodhi, he said, “ It is what it is, and we don’t argue with what is, we accept it.  We love our routines because they make us feel safe, but we also know that if there is change, then we need to accept that.”  Wow, bow-wow, good advice!

I then asked my cats about change.  They seemed more reticent to answer, because they feel cats should be the decision makers about change.  After all, their attitude is “dogs have family and do what family wants, and cats have staff and tell them all what they want”!

BB, my head honcho cat, told me that they all knew it was necessary for them to be in the garage for a month and that was “ok” with all of them.  Subject dropped.  All the comings and goings these past four weeks have definitely been reminders that life is always moving and is constantly in flux.  My beloved four- legged teachers relaxed into the flow of it all and accepted what was.  They chose to focus not on the inconveniences, but on the fun and life enjoyment they could have in the process.

An added note, about acceptance of what is, my friend Andrew and I rescued a hurt Crow in my backyard.  Anne, Andrew and I communicated to the Crow that he would be safe and on the way to someone who could help him. The Crow went into a cat carrier very easily and was transported to a Wild Life Rescue Vet who immediately went to work on helping the injured bird.  Total acceptance of what is and complete trust!  Another great example for me!!

       

Everyday Miracles

My, you never no what life has in store for you!  I had just come back from a wonderful visit to Maui.  One of my days there was spent on a zodiac boat watching whales swim in front, back and under our boat.  This boat held only twenty people, so it provided us the opportunity be close to the whales as they put on a grand show for us.

Perhaps this sea creature energy stayed with me when I arrived home in San Diego.  The morning after I returned, I decided to take beach walk in Carlsbad with a friend before unpacking from the trip.
A mile and a half into our beach walk, we came across a baby sea lion curled up in the middle of the sand on the beach.  A bystander told us that he had called both Sea World and the Carlsbad lifeguard tower, insisting that someone come soon to help this pup.  He had not reached anyone at either desk, but he had left messages. We continued walking down the beach another mile and a half before turning around to head home.  Again we came across this beautiful sea lion pup in need.  Somehow he looked worse than before, certainly emaciated and starving.  The bystander who had made calls on his behalf was gone, so we had to act.

It was clear that the first thing this baby needed was food.  We knew of  a seafood restaurant that was also a fish market a few miles away.  We literally ran the distance back to the car and drove to this fish market.  We then asked the clerks what sea lions eat and they did a google search to be certain.  The answer was salmon and squid, so that is what we purchased.   We wonder how we would survive without google and the internet;  hopefully the power of google would save this sea lion.  The clerks wished us the best and even provided rubber gloves for us to wear.

I don't think I have ever driven faster or ran faster than I did in those next few moments.  The pup was right where we left him.  We got close to him and gently threw some of the fish close to his body.  It occurred to me that perhaps he had never eaten on his own before without his Mother's guidance and supply.  At first the pup didn't even open his eyes, he just smelled and approached the fish by allowing his sense of smell to guide him.   He ate the smaller pieces first.  Once he caught on that this was food was for him, was safe, and that he could feel better by eating it, he then devoured the entire lot of salmon and squid.  It was a miracle to witness. Within minutes, the little guy opened its eyes, looked around, wagged his fin, and even wiggled around a bit.  It was if he had come back to life.  To say he seemed happy seems such an understatement.

After seeing this transformation, we decided he might need some more nourishment.  My friend stayed with the pup while I made another trip to the fish market.  The gentleman who had originally called Sea World and the lifeguard tower on the pup's behalf came back to check on him, and my friend explained the reason for the transformation.  The pup didn't wait for me to return.  Apparently after a bit he looked around, seemed to smile, and waddled into the ocean.  Alive, wide awake, and happy with food in his belly.

I arrived back on the beach shortly after, with a new bag of fresh salmon and squid.  I learned of his waddle to the ocean, and decided to put the feast into the water near where he had entered.  What a wonderful feeling.  With our surrogate mother help, the little guy was able to learn to feed himself and reenter his world with new-found energy.

We waited for awhile, partly for him but also for ourselves.  Ten minutes later two Carlsbad lifeguards came by and apologized for not getting there sooner.  We explained our rescue, and were humbled when they explained that they had saved ten baby sea lions that morning alone.

I returned to the same spot on the beach for the two days in a row following.  No beached sea lions were to be found.  Each day I breathed a sigh of relief, and put my bag of salmon and squid in the water where our little friend had reentered for good measure.

P.S. I always look up the meaning of animal encounters and their symbolism.  Sea lions represent dream work and creativity.  Thus, I have enrolled in a dream work course that begins this evening.

To Pee or Not To Pee

To pee or not to pee outside the litter box. This is the question that goes through the minds of my cats, to my dismay.

My cats believe there is a good reason to pee outside their litter boxes. I have politely explained
that there is no reason on earth that they would need to leave their odiferous markings anywhere else.

They promptly referred me to a book written by cats titled "I Could Pee On This".

Wait a minute....who taught cats to write?  And who taught my cats to read?  Not I.

From "I Could Pee On This" and other poems by cats author Francesco Marciuliano:

Her New sweater doesn't smell of me
I could pee on that
She's gone out for the day and left her laptop on the counter
I could pee on that
Her new boyfriend just pushed my head away
I could pee on him
She's ignoring me ignoring her
I could pee everywhere
She's making up for it
By putting me on her lap
I could pee on this
I could pee on this


The photos here show three of my cats who are definitely guilty of the crime. They each seem to
feel that my entire house is their territory for marking. The most effective remedy is bannishing them to the 3 car garage (of course no cars in it). But if pee happenes, the second best remedy is putting Organic Cat Litter on the spot, letting it soak in, and then vacuuming it up. I came across this home remedy when I was away for a week and my boyfriend at the time resorted to putting my new silk dress and coat in the kitty litter following an accident. Thank God I wasn't here, because I would have flipped out watching him do this seemingly insane procedure. But much to my surprise, the clothes were stainless and odorless folowing the kitty litter bath. I was about to throw these beautiful clothes away before this miracle. I took them back to the dry cleaners to freshen them up, and the cleaner was amazed at the results. He had thought that there was no way to save my silks.

I have also used Feliway cat pheromone (don't we all need them sometimes) to help cats feel relaxed and safe in their territory. Nothing worse than a pissed off cat pissing up a storm over territory wars!

So for now, I've hidden the book of poems. We know they can read, so I will no longer tempt them with the power of suggestion.

So after running around with pheromone spray in my house and their large indorr/outdoor kitty condo I said " that's it we all get along everywhere, or else". They seem to have shaped up, perhaps it was me talking about cats that use toilets and that was next.

 And if anyone knows of any robots that can toilet train cats, please let me know.

Top Dog

If we settled our differences like dogs and cats, forgetting and forgiving easily, would our world be a better place?

Last night my two medium sized dogs (Welsh Terrier and Corgi/American Eskimo mix) got into a tussle over dominance.  It seemed to be a dispute over who was top dog.  The two dogs were biting one another and fighting very aggressively.   I didn’t know how to stop the fight without being bitten.  It totally freaked me out, and I couldn’t help but think that one of them might hurt the other.

The dogs seemed to be filled with adrenaline, with their sole focus on winning the fight.  My efforts to stop them were futile.  I threw water, screamed, and threw small objects in an attempt to separate them, but nothing fazed them.  In those frenzied moments, it was clear that they had lost all objectivity.

But within minutes, the fight was over.  Each dog went to a different side of the backyard, to their own corners, so to speak.   Within five minutes of being apart, they were back in the center of the yard together, playing affectionately.  There was no longer anger.  There were no grudges.  The rest of the night was very peaceful. 

I have witnessed similar situations with my cats.  They sometimes fight over territory and dominance, but they wisely give wide berths to those with whom they are temporarily in conflict, and they forget and forgive quickly. 

Isn’t the planet big enough for all us to do that?  Yes, we will have our differences, but isn’t there room for all of us to eat, pee, and sleep where we feel safe?  

How often do we lose our objectivity in the heat of a moment?  When adrenaline runs through our body and we have the urge to fight, can we learn to forgive and forget before we act out a dispute?  Do we really need automatic weapons?  Do we have to kill to win?

In the President’s Inaugural speech on Monday, he reminded us of the following:  “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life, Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”   Why, then, do we feel justified in fighting and judging our foes who don’t see it our way?  Do we think we are better, smarter or more deserving?

 Isn’t it time we learn to forgive and forget as easily as our animal friends?

“Miss Guided”….friend or foe?

I had the most wonderful day yesterday. I drove from San Diego to Los Angeles to visit three fabulous cousins I hadn't seen in twenty-five years.  What a delight!   My cousins are terrific and I had a great time with them. 

I have plenty of experience driving all over San Diego and Orange Counties, but not Los Angeles.  But I felt quite confident with my trusty but rebellious GPS at my side.   I have nicknamed her  “Miss Guided” when she gives me proper directions, and * “Misguided” when she sends me on a wildly wrong-way adventure, or so it seems at the time. 

To be extra cautious, I printed MapQuest directions to compare to Miss G’s guidance.  I use Miss G quite a bit locally, and have grown accustomed to her repeatedly telling me to turn around and make legal u-turns.  I was hopeful that she would be quite helpful in the unfamiliar expansiveness of Los Angeles. 

After High Tea with my cousins, I got into my car and activated the command to “go home”.  While waiting for “Miss Guided” to map my route, I called a cousin on my blue tooth device to tell her about the get together. From that moment on, when “Misguided” spoke to me, she and I ended up arguing.  "Where are you taking me, why turn here, where are we?" and "OMG I think she is crazy" comprised the first ten minutes of my argument with the talking machine.  My cousin is of course howling with laughter that I am arguing with my GPS.  I try to explain to her that I must be excused briefly to talk to this voice that is sending on odd streets.  " But we didn't come this way, why highway 10 and then 60?” And “seriously, are you taking me to Palm Springs?"   My cousin is laughing so hard she can barely speak as I rant and rave with Miss G.  Finally “Miss Guided” wins and she gets me to Highway 5.  I thanked her for the circuitous route home and promptly turned her off.

My Irish nature has gifted me with a birthright of wanting to buck the system.  But seriously, arguing with someone who isn't real!  Hmm.  I wonder how many of us have declared our GPS to be terrific when helpful but a pain in the ass when they are not.  Is it only those of us who are Irish?

After the experience with “Miss Guided”, I recalled previously giving a San Diego address to “Misguided” and her repeatedly stating that there was no such address.  After several attempts, I consulted a USA map and realized that “Misguided” was giving me directions for Baltimore, Maryland.  And yesterday when inquiring about Santa Monica Boulevard, “Misguided” gave me directions to New Jersey.  Thank heavens I didn’t listen.   I would still be driving!

Almost at my house I saw two double rainbows at different locations, I must be doing something right with Miss Guided.

It was great to get home to my four-leggeds.  Upon my return, they wagged their tails, licked my hands, and were ready to play.  Thank heavens they didn’t want to talk (or argue)!

* Marcia Q Neel coined this word in 2003