The animals in my life.....

I grew up in a family of 5 children, so you'd imagine that there might be animals around. Most children love animals and it's a great way to learn responsibility. My dad had had a cat called Blackie when he was a boy, but my mum was always scared of cats and dogs - something she picked up from her own mother. They kept chickens during the war, mostly as a food source, but made the mistake of giving them names - so they became pets, and she couldn't bear to eat one of her pets!!

My first experience of an animal as a child was next door's dog - a lovely boxer girl. But I think I probably picked up some of my mum's fear of animals, and really didn't like her jumping up at me. I was also quite small, and she was gentle, but rather strong. However, I'd always loved cats. Even before I had my first cat I used to cut out pictures of cats I liked and stick them in a scrap book. Even from a very young age I felt an affinity with them.

Imagine how excited I was when I got home from school one day to find a little ginger and white ball of fluff waiting for me!!! Despite her fear of cats and dogs, Mum had got us a little kitten she called Andy - from a friend whose cat had just had a litter. I was in love - we all were! He was so cute, and lovely. But quite a handful, and what we didn't realise was that while we were all at school during the day it was becoming torture for Mum. He was so little, there wasn't really anything to fear, but you know what kittens are like - always getting under your feet, and getting into everything they shouldn't!!

One day we got home from school to find he wasn't there any more - she'd returned him to where he'd come from. So our excitement and pure love that had lasted only a week quickly turned to something like grief. I was only 9, so couldn't really understand why she had done this. I was in floods of tears for days.

We'd always had budgies in cages (something I really don't like now), but we still wanted something warm and fluffy to hold and care for. So it wasn't long before we had a rabbit. We got him on the day of the moon landings, so called him Mr Mooney - until we discovered that "he" was actually a she, so dropped the Mr part, and just called her Mooney. We had a huge garden, so dad built a great run for her - which she was always burrowing out of!! And from that point we had a succession of guinea pigs to keep her, and then them, company.

There were dogs on either side of us - to the left was Heidi, a rather excitable Dalmatian, and on the left was Sasha, a German Shepherd. Before Sasha came though, Sophie the cat lived there, but after Sasha moved in she pretty much moved out and into ours. When they decided to emigrate to South Africa, it made a lot of sense for Sophie to move into our home on a permanent basis, and she continued to live with us very happily for a number of years. Needless to say, all us kids, and dad, were very happy. Mum seemed to cope quite well too - perhaps because she'd known Sophie for a while, and by then she wasn't a kitten, so was quite calm.

I moved out and got married while Sophie was still with us, and we got a lovely little kitten we called Moggie. Her sister Mitzi was adopted by our neighbours, so they would call on each other to come to play. We lived next to a farm, and they would follow me when I went for a walk in the fields. And there was a hilarious time once when I looked out of the window to see Moggie sitting quite happily on a cow's back! I think it was a great place for her to live.

Moggie was with me through various events in my life, including my marriage break up (she came with me), various house moves, and finally a move to Peterborough. She came on the train with me, in her little basket, and really seemed to enjoy the journey. I have no doubt that some of the difficulties I experienced in my life affected her too, but she was always there for me and with me. She left this physical realm far too early - when she was 11 she started to suffer from kidney failure as do many cats, and I was devastated when the vet said there was nothing further he could do.

After that my job took me overseas for 18 months, and I spent a number of years travelling frequently, so it wasn't possible to have another animal friend for a while. I also think it took me a long time to get over her being taken from me, and just couldn't face the fact that if I had another animal companion, the same thing would be bound to happen at some point.

While Moggie was still with us, one of my sisters adopted a little girl cat who was all black except for a tiny white spot under her chin - so it was easy to see why she was called Domino! Domino wasn't the easiest cat - she was prone to lashing out, and definitely didn't like being picked up. This was really my first experience of regular pet sitting - she didn't live too far away, and whenever my sister and husband went away, I'd go and sit with her for a couple of hours and watch TV with her as she cautiously climbed onto my lap. But her favourite person in the world was Josh - another sister's son - who was only very young at the time. He could do anything with her and she never complained!

More recently Josh's mum had a couple of Westie sisters - sadly now only one - and am looking after Zoe as I write, as they've gone away for a few days. She's always been a very sweet tempered little angel, and even my Mum loves her!! And my best friend Mark (his family are like my second family - aaahh...) has a brother who has a gorgeous little black Spaniel girl called Cinder, who is lucky to live by the sea. So I've still had lots of lovely animals to play with and give love to.

I'd started to think about having a cat again by this point. I wasn't travelling any more, and lived in a little house in a quiet cul-de-sac with a small garden which was perfect for a little cat. But I guess it's a commitment, and much as I'd missed having my own animal friend, I wasn't sure I was ready yet. But then one day, I saw an article in the local paper, about cats that needed homes at a local animal sanctuary. I showed Mark, and he decided that we should pay them a visit. It's as though everything came together at the right time, and this was the final sign I needed. We didn't find Bella - she found us. She was a very vocal 6 month old at the time - still very vocal! - and told us to pick her. So we did!! And the rest is history....... the picture at the top of this post is Bella as she is now.

Comments Please!!!

I know lots of you read this Blog because you tell me, and that's great. But what I'd really like is for you all to join in. So if you've got any comments, experiences, ideas or thoughts to share about any of my ramblings, please do!! A couple of you have already done so, so many thanks to you guys.

Please read back over any posts you might have missed, and if you'd like me to return to a subject already touched on, just ask. We can all learn so much from each other and our animals, and have fun doing that.

Many thanks!!

Grant's Happy Ending

I first met Grant and his brother Harry earlier this year when they were just 8 months old. Harry had come along first, then Alan, his human carer decided that he needed some company - and this is where Grant came along.

It wasn't long, however, when Harry started to turn into a fairly independent sort of cat who liked his new brother, but to be honest, wasn't that bothered whether he was there or not. He'd go off on adventures while Grant was a bit more of a homebody. Grant was always watching Harry, and would frequently follow him around. It was Grant who needed Harry.

Then one day Harry went out and didn't return. Grant was beside himself, so upset. I was booked to come and look after them that weekend, just the day after he disappeared. I'd go in the garden to call for Harry, and so would Grant. He'd run around everywhere looking for him, calling his name all the while. He was so upset that I stayed a long time to comfort him. He settled down on the sofa right next to me, and the pain in his eyes when he looked up was raw. It broke my heart to leave him that evening.

He never did return, despite Alan putting up notices, delivering flyers, and knocking on neighbours' doors. I like to think that, being an adventurous sort, he wandered a little too far from home and got himself lost, unable to find his way back. Unfortunately Alan had not got around to having them microchipped, and his collar had also got lost the day before - there was no way for anyone to identify him if they found him. I picture him in another loving family, being happy again.

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago Alan called me to book me to come cat sitting again - and there was some great news!! Grant had a new little brother!! I went round to meet him first, rather than showing up, and having him wondering who I was. Alan told me he'd found him a different new brother a few weeks before, but Grant is a rather gentle soul, and quickly found himself being bullied by this new family member. He wasn't a nasty cat, just a lot more confident than Grant, but Grant allowed him to take over. He'd hide from him, and really wasn't happy at all. So unfortunately he had to go back to where he'd come from. He was a very friendly cat, so I've no worry at all that he'd have found himself a more suitable new home.

The new boy is only about 16 weeks old, and as yet doesn't have a name - although I've taken to calling him Dylan, as it seems to suit him. At first Grant ran away from even this tiny little scrap, but soon learnt to love him. Now he takes good care of him, watching him everywhere he goes as though he's not going to let another one disappear - I'm still convinced he blames himself. It's so sweet watching them playing, then snuggling up together while Grant licks the little one. It's going to take him a little longer yet, but he's definitely on the way back to being a happy cat again.

Learning from our pets

One of the best things about working with animals is how much they've been able to teach me. We can all learn so much just from being with, and observing our pets.

For instance, they just live in the moment. Nothing is more important than what they're doing right now. They don't fret about what's passed, nor project worry about what might happen in the future. They act on whatever feels right for now, whether it's a sleep, eating, running around in the garden, or demanding to be petted.

From that I've learnt that plans, goals and to-do lists should know their place. These are tools we create to help us in our lives, but frequently they take over, and can become almost tyrannical. We beat ourselves up if we don't do what we planned to, if we don't reach the goals we thought we desired. Plans and goals are great tools if they are used as guides, but they should be just that.

They work best if they're reviewed on a regular basis to see if they still meet our needs - if not, they can (and should) be changed. Just because we thought we should achieve something all that time ago doesn't mean that we still should. We change every day of our lives, and so does what's important to us.

People write To-Do lists as aide-memoirs, then find that they keep on adding stuff that comes to mind. They're setting themselves up for failure as the lists become "everything I can think of that I want to do, and then some..." Then get very stressed and unhappy when they've not been able to complete all their tasks - but they didn't need to in the first place. My To-Do lists are called "things I might do if and when I feel like it". They're still on the list, but I've taken all my pressure away, just by calling it something else.

Coming back to our pets, I realise we can't behave in exactly the way that they do. They don't have bills to pay or commitments to meet. They just do what they do and know they're going to be fed, loved and have somewhere safe and warm to sleep. But we can learn to "un-pressure" ourselves a little. Live in the moment, do what you can, and love what you're doing. Everything else then just seems to fall into place..........

What have you learnt from your pets?

Cat Sitter or Cattery?

Now, as I work as a cat sitter, I'd probably have to declare an interest here. Clearly I'm going to believe that's the best option, aren't I? Well, not necessarily - there are pros and cons with either.

When I first had Bella, I didn't know that there was such a thing as a Pet Sitter. When I wanted to go away, I had a good look around a number of catteries locally. Some were really miserable, and there was one that was just brilliant. But Bella had come from an animal sanctuary not too long before, and I'm sure if I'd have booked her into a cattery she'd have thought I was giving her back.

No matter how well cared for the cats are, I felt really bad about locking her away for a week. Even at the best one, all the cats were yowling and crying, they seemed to set each other off. There really was no doubt that the staff did all they could for them, but it's just not home, is it? Cats are very territorial animals, and it can be upsetting to be uprooted from all their familiar things and smells.

Now, when I was looking for catteries I had no idea that such a thing as a cat sitter existed. It was just through idle conversation with my hairdresser - who mentioned that when she went away, a cat sitter came to look after Honey. I was quite excited as the thought of going away and leaving Bella in a cattery was becoming depressing. I could see myself having a great time on holiday, all the while knowing that Bella wasn't happy - despite how well cared for she was.

And that's why my customers use pet sitters too. It gives them a lot of comfort to know that Tiger is happy in his own home. Sure, cats do miss their human families when they go away, but a lot can be done to make this much easier - have a look at my previous post called Keeping Your Cat Happy While You're Away (published July 09).

It wouldn't be fair to give the impression that catteries are bad places. Most are very good at what they do. If your cat has been going to a cattery for many years now, he'll be used to it, and can deal with it quite well. He'll know what's happening, what to expect, and that you'll be back in a week or two. Also, there's usually someone on site in case of any problems. They'll have 2-3 visits a day for feeding, and to keep them entertained and provide company, and you can usually take in your own food and their beds and playthings. Of course, your cat sitter can also visit 2-3 times a day if that's what you want, but this does get a little more expensive.

Like anything, it's a personal choice, and it's good that these days there are these options available for our pets. So, the best thing to do is to do what's best for your cat. As I always see happy cats in their homes, my view is possibly a little skewed - I clearly always see that as the best option. However, this is borne out by all my customers telling me that their little angels were so happy on their return, and for those who had previously spent holidays in catteries when they would come back stressed and unhappy, the choice is clear.

Would be good to have your comments and views on this subject. What do you think?

When it's time to go......

We all love our pets and animals so much that it's so difficult when it's finally time for them to go. We have them living with us in the full knowledge that at some point we'll need to say goodbye, but until it happens, we put it out of our minds. If they could live with us all our lives, wouldn't that be lovely?

We develop such a close bond that they become a part of the family. They become our children, brothers, sisters, even parents sometimes. This bond creates a very strong energetic link between us and them, and we find we can communicate without speaking.

I recently wrote about a time when I realised I could communicate with animals - a cat had been brought into the vet's surgery for the last time, and told me he knew why he was there and was happy for it. He'd wanted me to pass on the message to his human carer, and when I did he settled down and was ready to go.

Since that time at the vet's I've worked with a number of animals at the end of their lives, and have learnt that they always know when it's time for them to go - but they realise that their humans aren't (usually) ready to let them go. The animals are always happy to move on, but frequently hang on for the sake of their humans, whom they love so dearly, and because of the strong bond just can't let go.

Passing out of this physical existence doesn't hold as much fear for animals as it does for us. They almost have a sense of "going home", and they know that it will happen one day. We know it will happen to us one day too, but we also find it more difficult to cope with the idea of no longer being here.

Just a few short weeks ago, and all within five days of each other, I helped three cats to move on. I listened to what they were saying so that I could pass messages on to their humans, and also vets - this helped them to know and accept that it was time for their cats to go. I spent a fair bit of time talking, listening to and counselling the humans (and still am).

I also used Reiki (both in person and distant) to help the animals and their humans with any pain or discomfort, and to find peace and acceptance. The cats were able to move on in peace, and with their loving humans' blessings. It was a very sad time, and I'll admit I spent most of that week in tears, but it was also very beautiful and poignant. The people they'd lived with and loved had given them the most precious and selfless gift - they'd told their pets they could go when they were ready, and had had the help of some very caring vets to do this.

So, I'll finish by sending love, light, peace and joy to Kat, Kiki and Daisy. And of course to their lovely humans. xx

Introducing Mrs Dolittle

I talk to animals, and they talk to me. You do too, but you might not be aware of it. Everyone has the ability to talk to animals and hear their answers. It's easy to learn – in fact it's something that humans used to do quite naturally before we evolved and started to converse verbally. Then we forgot that we could converse without words, and got out of practice. Like any skill, once it's not used, it tends to diminish – but not disappear completely.

Animals haven't forgotten how to do this, and still communicate this way, with each other and with us. Of course, our clever pets have also learned that we've forgotten how to do this, and have learnt some of our words – we all know that most pets understand the words "food" "walk", and many others. Bella loves being brushed, and shouts enthusiastically if I ask her if she wants a brush. This is her favourite human word. Many of us are convinced that our pets also have a spoken vocabulary, and we know what some of their words mean.

But this isn't really what this is all about...... When I say that I talk to animals and they talk to me, I mean that I (and therefore you too) do this intuitively. You might call it telepathy. Think about it. You have a really close relationship with your pet. How many times have you known what your pet wants? How often do you realise that you know how they're feeling? Body language and familiarity with them is a part of the answer, but it's not the whole answer. It's subtle, but if you really think about it, you know that you know.

I realised that I could talk to animals a couple of years ago, and my introduction to it wasn't subtle at all!! I had recently been introduced to a couple of female cats, about 12 years old, who I'll call Jenny and Sally. Their human carer had only just taken them on – sadly from someone who really shouldn't have had the care of animals. They clearly had developed lots of emotional issues, but we didn't really know the cause – only some of the effects.

I met them when I was booked for cat sitting services, a couple of weeks after they'd moved into their new home. They were very lucky as their new carer just wanted to provide a place they could feel and be safe – she wasn't concerned about what she'd get from the relationship. She knew that rehabilitation would take a long time, and just wanted to give them all the love and care that they were able to handle, not to mention good quality food!!

We'd had a long conversation about their issues and problems. I came to look after them on a regular basis, getting to know them well, and they learnt to trust me. I would watch as Sally would grumble and growl at Jenny whenever she got close, and in fact when I did too. Lots of the issues seemed to be around food, and they needed to be fed in separate places. We knew they'd been together for a while, although we both doubted whether it had been always. But this didn't explain Sally's grumbling at Jenny. It was quite sad to watch as Jenny tended to look quite upset when this happened.

One day, while I was sitting with them, I found myself asking Sally a question. It came out of the blue, and I didn't know I was going to ask it. I asked her how she felt about her sister (which is what I called them). I didn't really expect to get a reply, but if I had I'd have expected to hear that she didn't like her much. Imagine my shock when the reply came in the form of a huge wave of love that was so strong every part of my body was filled with it. I was close to tears with the sheer strength of this emotion. Then the words followed....... She told me that she loved her sister very much, but that she didn't know how to show it, she found it very difficult to express. So I turned to Jenny and asked her the same question. By then I sort of expected an answer, but the answer I got wasn't what I expected. I was told that she was fond of her, but that her behaviour confused her, she didn't know why she was like that. No upset, annoyance or irritation, just bafflement.

Not long after that, I was in the vet's waiting room, where I'd taken Bella to have her annual booster and check up. A lady came in with a cat in a basket, yowling terribly, making an awful noise. They sat down and she told me that the cat was 20 years old, and was very poorly – she was bringing him for his last journey. She thought the cat was in some pain or discomfort because of the awful sound he was making. I looked at the cat, and this time didn't even need to ask him a question – he just spoke to me. He told me that he knew where he was and why he was there. In fact he knew that his time was up, his body was failing him, and he was happy to go (I've since discovered that they all know when it's time to go, but this will be the subject of another Blog).

Without stopping to think – ie, she'll think I'm bonkers – I turned to the lady and told her what her cat had told me. To her credit she didn't show any sign of thinking I was completely mad and seemed to appreciate my telling her. With that the cat settled down in the basket and went to sleep. The awful noise had stopped because his message had got through – he was so desperate to let his carer know, so that she wouldn't worry, that by then he was screaming it at her as he knew he only had a little time left to put her mind at rest. He seemed happy after that.

After two very strong indications that I was carrying on conversations with animals I thought I really ought to learn to do this properly. I found a lovely man, and his partner, who teach people Reiki for animals and animal communication. Even though I'd already graduated to 2^nd degree Reiki myself by then, I was thrilled to find someone who did both – I knew he be the right person. I booked myself on an introductory course, and it was great to know that what I was doing was so normal, easy to do, and that others could also do it. For any of you who might be interested, his name is James French. This is his website: www.reikicare.co.uk.

So, that was my start in animal communication, and since then I've used it to great effect with the animals I care for - when their humans go away, when asked to provide Reiki treatments for animals, and also at Animals in Distress.

I've lots more fascinating stories about communicating with animals, and will return to this topic in future blogs.

Meantime, if you've got any experiences of communicating with your animals, please share them here - we'd all love to hear from you.

Well Travelled Cats

My lovely friends Andrew and Robert have 3 cats, all siblings (2 boys, 1 girl) from the same litter.

Andrew and Robert used to live in Spain, and they re-homed them from an animal sanctuary there. They were named Adolfo, Zara and Kenzo, after their favourite designers/shops. Anyway, they decided that they wanted to return to the UK, and brought the 3 cats to Peterborough with them - they settled in very well, and loved having the run of the garden. Seemed to cope fine with the journey, and the different weather in the UK.

It wasn't long before Andrew and Robert remembered why they'd left the UK in the first place, and started to get itchy feet again. While living in Spain, they'd bought a little house close to Cape Town, as they'd loved the place when they visited. It was a holiday let, but moved in while renovating another house they'd bought to live in. Once again, the cats had a plane journey, this time to a completely different continent.

They soon got to know their surroundings, and even met the local baboons that wander around - stealing food from bins!!. A couple of years ago, Andrew and Robert went on holiday to Spain - they still had a little house there - and I came to look after the cats for 10 days!! Best cat sitting gig I've had so far!! I'm attaching a sweet photo of the three of them at their favourite time of day - feeding time! Since then, they've moved twice more, albeit in the same town.

They'll sadly be leaving South Africa next year to return to the UK - or go who knows where next - and once again the cats will be on the move. These three siblings who started out as Spanish have lived in the UK and South Africa, coping extremely well each time - shows how adaptable cats can be.

If you've got any stories about well-travelled cats, please share them with us!

Cat Person or Dog Person?

If you had to think about it, you'd probably say you were more one than the other, wouldn't you? I'm going to be completely up front here and say that I'm more a cat person. I think that's fairly obvious from my musings in my Blog - they're more about cats than dogs. Now, that's not to say that I don't like dogs - I love dogs too, as I do most animals. In fact everything that doesn't have 8 legs - like many I have an irrational spider phobia - even writing the word makes me shiver! But I am working on getting better with them. But I feel more affinity with cats. I've also always loved cows (so beautiful) and pigs (so sweet, even when covered in mud!). But if you take sheep - again, don't do much for me.......

I feel a lot in common with cats. I love fuss and attention (ie cuddles) when I want, and do enjoy company, but there are times (many) where I prefer to be on my own, in my own company. I've always been very independent, even when just a very small child. I'm very resourceful, know that ultimately I have just myself to rely on - and happy with that. I can spend ages just quietly sitting - but other times am full of activity. I love the feel of the sun, but then need to move to the shade when it gets too hot. Mostly very even tempered, but I have been known to snap - and then it's over again very quickly. I also love grooming myself - spend ages on my hair, can take forever in the shower.................. I even know how it feels when a cat sees a bird!!

I can feel what it feels like to be a cat. I'm convinced that I have been a cat before in many lifetimes. Through intuitive animal communication, I've also learnt how it feels to be a dog - but I can say with fair certainty that I've never had a dog existence.

So, what are you? Which animal do you feel most like, and why?

Fat Pets

I've just seen a book with some hilarious pictures of fat pets and their stories.

One of the most famous fat cats was Tiddles who lived until he was 13 - and lived at Paddington Rail Station in London, mostly in the Ladies' room. I met him once, and he was a very gentle, friendly cat. Apparently he weighed in at 32lb at one point, but sadly died not long after.

As well as lots of fat cats and dogs, there's also Dancing Star, a very large white rabbit weighing 26lb, a 5lb hedghog called George who looks like a football, and even a 265lb, 6 metre long python in Cambodia.

The strange thing is that most of their human carers assert that they're not overfed, especially in cases where they live in the same house as a normal sized pet, and eat the same food. Perhaps they're just like us - some of us are just a little more prone to being overweight than others.... I think that's true for those who are a little rotund, but can't honestly believe it of these extremely huge animals.

We often have obese cats arrive at Animals in Distress, and sometimes it doesn't take long for them to get that way. There are a couple of cats that were re-homed as regular-sized cats, and were returned to us not long after when the owners couldn't care for them, having put on pounds in a fairly short time.

Although there is some fun in this, it is a serious matter, as an overweight cat can be susceptible to any amount of medical conditions - these days there are far more animals with diabetes than ever before. When an obese, or even just overweight, animal (and they are mostly cats) comes in, they'll immediately go on a diet. Often they're not happy about this, but it's the kindest thing to do for them. And of course, while they're in the sanctuary, they're not getting much exercise.

Understandably, the Guinness Book of Records stopped accepting applications for the world record for the heaviest cat - it was starting to become obvious that people were overfeeding their cats just to get the record. A very cruel act indeed.......

It's very easy to overfeed a pet, while there are so many tasty items available for them. But it's essential that they're given no more than recommended in order to maintain a good weight, and health. Vets are very used to seeing overweight pets, and can provide good advice and support on nutrition.

Last time Bella went to the vet for her annual booster and check-up, I was told that she was a smidge over what she should be. This is a cat that grazes through the day, and a lot of the time hardly seems to eat at all. When I look at the cat food packets - the little trays and pouches - and they say to give 3-4 a day, if I did that for Bella she'd be huge!! But she'd never eat that much, so we're safe. Don't know where they get 3-4 pouches a day from, but none of the cats I feed get that much. Can't help wondering whether it's just to sell more - but that would be really cynical, wouldn't it?...........

Have you got any stories to share about overweight pets?