Can't You Stay Longer? Pleeeease?

Oh boy!!!  Just got back from this morning's visits, and all the cats wanted me to stay longer.  Happens a lot I find, but this morning, it was all of them.  So I did!!  It's a horrible day out there, and they were all in warm, snug, cosy homes, and I was so enjoying being with them.  I always notice that the longer I'm with them, the more they relax and enjoy it, I pick up on their happy energy, and they pick up on mine.  All happy!!! 

I can't always do that though, and am always amazed quite how quickly 30 minutes goes.  When it's time to go, it often feels like I'm cutting things short, and they always say things like "but we were just getting into it, you can't go yet!"  They don't understand the concept (lucky them!) of charging time spent, and I wish I didn't have to work that way.  But until the day comes when I no longer need to work to pay my bills and keep a roof over my head, that's the way it is. 

I love what I do, and it feels much more like a vocation than a job.  I'm very lucky.  I feel very honoured, humbled even, to be able to take healing to all the cats I care for, and to be able to communicate with them, so that I know how they're thinking and feeling.  It's what tells me that they get so much from what I do, and the longer I can stay with them, the better things are for them.  Even for the cats I'm told will be quiet and shy, perhaps even hide away.  Most come out of hiding anyway, and are so friendly and loving.  They all enjoy the Reiki I bring, and it helps them so much. 

I know that not everyone appreciates this, at first anyway.  They think they just want someone to come and feed their cats and sort out their litter.   "No!" I want to shout sometimes "it's so much more than that!"  I must admit to becoming a little frustrated sometimes that some people are just so not in tune with their animals.  It's not just because I am a healer and intuitive communicator - many of my customers are very much in harmony with their animals, their feelings and needs. 

I'm sometimes asked if the price will be less if I visit for a shorter time.  I appreciate that if you're going on holiday, you might want to ensure you have enough to spend, so cutting down on cat care costs might help this.  (I have views on this - I'm sure many of you might too - and perhaps will talk about this in another post.)  I can't do it.  And I won't do it.  I'm not the right cat sitter then, and I have no problem declining that request. 

Time and time again I receive reports on how happy cats were on their family's return.  But so much more than this.  So many times, people will tell me how their cats have changed after my visits.  Especially with shy and timid cats - this happens so many times.  And I can tell while I'm with them that things are changing.  When it's a pet sitting visit, Reiki isn't the primary intention - but the longer I have to be sitting quietly with them before and after the food and litter duties, the more they'll pick up.  And this is so good for them.  So, it's no wonder that they don't want me to leave again!!

Before I finish, just wanted to share an experience from this week.  There are a couple of cats I take care of from time to time when their person has to work away from home.  He's self employed, like me, and doesn't always have a lot of money to spend.  He asked me very last minute if I could visit his cats this past week - it was difficult for me as I had a very busy week already planned.  So he said he'd be happy with short visits for some of the days, as this would also help his finances.  I felt torn - I knew this wouldn't be good for them, yet it was better I visited than not at all, or to have an unreliable friend pop in.  I reluctantly accepted, but made it clear that this was very much the exception. 

He has security cameras all over his flat, which he also uses to check that his cats are ok.  He reported to me one day that one of his cats seemed depressed, was spending all day on his bed, rather than in the living room.  Well, I wasn't surprised, to be honest.  So I decided that even though he'd asked for and paid for 3 short visits, I would do longer visits on the days this was possible.  I was with them nearly an hour today.  But what a difference in the last couple of days!!  So much happier, and the energy in the room today was so beautiful.  And this is where I sometimes find the struggle between this being a vocation and my business.  I shouldn't have done this, I can't do it every time, I can't afford it - and yet I couldn't let them suffer.  But, in my heart, I felt happy and knew it was the right thing to do. 

I so wish that this could truly be a vocation, that I didn't need to earn money to keep a roof over my head.  Then I could happily spend longer at each and every visit, and all the cats would be much happier.

Outdoor Cats

A few weeks ago I wrote about the indoor/outdoor cat debate.  I'd be really happy to have your views and opinions on the subject - the more that we talk about these issues, the better things can be for our cats.

But today I want to take this one stage further, and talk about outdoor cats.  Mine go outdoors - Dylan chooses to stay in the garden, and Bella wanders a little but not very far.  They'd be unhappy if they couldn't go out, but they choose to spend a lot of time in the house.  Especially on a wet and windy day like today. 

There are many cats I know locally, and those I care for, who have similar arrangements, and this is perfect for them.  They're able to wander about their territory, and also be indoors for shelter, food, sleep and most of all company.  I know that these are wild animals, but they've long ago domesticated us and decided they want to live with us.  They are used to our company, love and strokes, and it's part of what keeps them happy, and most of all, healthy.  The happiest cats have a good balance of both.   When we bring a cat in to live with us, it's important that we understand this.

I live on a small private estate, very quiet and safe, and great for cats.  Recently, there are more and more cats living here.  In the last couple of years though, I've noticed a couple of cats who are out all the time, in all weathers, for long days.  One has since moved away, but for a long time I thought he was a stray.  He was very friendly, and given half a chance would sneak into my house and eat my cats' food.  More than food though, he just wanted love and company, and a snug place to sleep when the weather was bad.

I leafletted my neighbours, and after a couple of goes, someone came forward to say he was their cat.  I knew where he lived, and would continue to keep an eye out for him to be sure he was safe.  They insisted he wanted to be out from between 4-6 in the morning, but they didn't seem to be bothered about him after that.  Which is why he'd be at my back door when I got up, begging for food - they'd obviously not got him in again for his breakfast before heading out to work.  I'd notice they might be gone for a whole weekend, and he just seemed to be out the whole time.  They told me that they had a friend a few doors away, and he'd go to their house - but my experience was that that wasn't happening, as he was always at mine!! 

He's moved away now, but overlapping that has been a similar situation, with a cat who still visits, and in fact is now sitting on a window sill upstairs!  When I adopted Dylan very soon afterwards he found a friend who looked just like him and was about the same age.  They've become good friends, and I've discovered he lives just 3 doors away.  This morning, when I got up about 6.30, he was sheltering in the cat chalet in my garden.  He often is, this is quite normal.  Today the weather was vile, so if he'd wanted to go out, I'm sure he'd have wanted to go back in again quickly.  In fact, he did, because as soon as he saw me, he was at my back door.  I went off to visit cats, and when I got back he was still in my garden - so I've let him in. 

On a nice day, if I'm about in the house during daytime (often am), the back door might be open so that Bella and Dylan can come in and out.  And often our visitor sneaks in, and I might find him fast asleep on one of the beds a couple of hours later.  He is a hungry boy, but more than anything, he just craves company and human affection. 

For both these cats, this isn't what they want.  The balance is out.  They want to be out and about wandering, but not the whole time.  I don't get it.  Why do people bring animals into their lives and homes, and then forget about them?  Talking to other neighbours here, it seems there are other cats living the same way, and they just wander in and out of peoples' houses.  Most people understand that there's not much you can do to stop a cat who wants to come into someone's house, this is how cats are.  The issue is with the people, and one of responsible cat custodianship.  It's all about making sure you can provide the right environment for the animal, and also that they don't annoy the neighbours.  Once again a balance. 

I'd love to have other views on this subject - please let me know what you think.

Danger - Catnip!!!

You wouldn't think so, would you? It seems so innocuous. Just something that most cats enjoy rolling in. I used to carry catnip with me when I went about my cat visits, but don't use it any more.

 

 

There was a time that I was taking care of two cats, and thought they might like some catnip. Well!!! Up to that point they'd always got along just fine, very friendly with each other, and I'd been visiting for a while. But when the catnip came out the fur started to fly!! They became so aggressive with each other, and I had to quickly move one to another room to calm down while I vacuumed it all up again.

 

 

I was surprised as I'd never seen that reaction before, so looked it up - mostly it gets them all dreamy, or rolling around in it, and the chemical (nepetalactone) induces a psychosexual state. But it can cause aggression. So, the hard way to learn.

 

 

Another time I was visiting 4 cats in a small house, so there was already an amount of tension just being caused by the lack of their own space. One day it looked as though one of the cats had unearthed a plant pot all over the house, and I didn't understand. And they were even more tense and aggressive with each other. On enquiring of their human, he told me that a neighbour likes to pop in to visit while he's away too, and she likes to spread the catnip around. At least that gave me the answer for the mess and the behaviour, but despite leaving a message for her to please stop using it, she continued, and so did the tension.

 

 

At home I use it with Bella and Dylan now and again - but only very rarely. I only put it on the old mat by the patio door, as when Bella plays with it, she doesn't just roll in it, but plucks at the mat madly too. Dylan just eats it!! But if he gets too close to her when she's playing with it, the hissing and growling starts.

 

 

Perhaps I'm lucky in that I can use Reiki energy to ensure the cats I care for are calm and relaxed. But if anyone thinks that catnip gets all cats into a dreamy state, they're very wrong!!

 

 

The other day, I was taking care of Amber and was away for a day, so a cat sitter friend kindly covered for me. She sent me a picture of Amber writhing on the rug in the catnip, which was very sweet - but not so sweet the next day when I visited again, to find the rug covered in tufts she'd pulled out, and lots of white fur from rolling in it. Just like Bella, Amber likes to pluck at it, and vigourously too. A good vacuum, and all the mess - and I hoped the scent - all gone, and she's mostly left it alone since then. A lucky escape then, I had visions of having to replace the rug as I couldn't imagine how there would be any of it left when Amber's person returned.

 

 

So, I give it a wide berth these days in its pure form, unless I know how the cats will be with it. Would be very keen to hear your stories!!

Picture at the top taken from this website that you might like to look at for more information, courtesy Kooky Kat Catnip Company. http://www.catniptoys.com/pages/Catnip-FAQ.html

A New Sanctuary!

It must be nearly 5 years ago now that I approached Animals in Distress sanctuary to ask if I could come and help the various animals there with Reiki. There were a number of reasons. Firstly as I hadn't long completed my Reiki 2 qualification, it would provide me with lots of practice in developing my Reiki skills with a number of animals. But more than that, I felt I'd been given the gift of Reiki by animals (my cat Bella to be precise), and I wanted to repay the favour. I also like the idea of giving something back to my local community, and volunteer in other ways too.

I was introduced to the manager of the Irlam site, Jay, and while she didn't know much about it, she was very open - she felt that anything that might help was worth exploring. Their problems were numerous and deep. Not just the obvious physical troubles, but very often the emotional state underlying these. Where I feel Reiki really excels is in getting underneath the physical manifestation of a problem, and healing on an emotional level. So many of the animals in their care had suffered awful traumas - and some we could only guess at as we didn't always know their backgrounds.

 

 

Some had come into the sanctuary because their families had moved away and couldn't take them, others had lost their human carers through death, and there were those those who couldn't stay in the home any more after people, and perhaps new babies, developed allergies to them. So many reasons, but all of these caused such emotional upset, that conditions would sometimes be caused to be developed. And so, so many more reasons that they might have ended up with us.

Although they were all taken care of lovingly, it's not the same as being in a nice warm house where you can choose where you go, where you want to sleep. So of course that has an effect too. Lots and lots of healing to be done.

 

 

I visited the animals there for about 3 years or so, and loved it. Built some wonderful relationships with some of their longer term residents, or those who kept coming back. And could see huge improvements in so many of them. And bit by bit the staff and volunteers there started to notice a difference. I remember one day, while I was sitting sending Reiki to all the cats in one of the quarantine bays, Jay walked in, and was stunned by the beautiful gentle energy she felt. Brian had always been a cynic, but even he came round. He was willing to accept he didn't need to understand how it worked, it just did. He would enjoy sitting quietly with me at times too when I was letting the Reiki flow to the animals.

Too many animals to mention, or even remember I'm sorry to say - but some do come to mind. There was Benson the Rottweiler. Although at first you wouldn't know what breed he was. He'd been very badly treated and starved and was just skin and bone when he first came in. He was covered in sores, and so scared, still and quiet. I would sit with him and give him love and Reiki, and after a few sessions everyone was so astounded as to how quickly he started to improve. He put on weight, his hair started to grow back, and we began to see his very cheeky personality. In time, and much quicker than everyone had thought, he was able to be rehomed, and went to live with a lovely girl Rotty!!

There was also a tiny scrap of a rabbit, again skin and bone, with sores, can't remember now quiet what had happened. As the rabbit came into the sanctuary, it was handed to me, and I held it while the Reiki did its magic. A week later, when I returned, I was shown the rabbit again, and almost couldn't believe it was the same one. And I remember a tiny kitten that was being hand-reared. Its mother had died due to an infection, and some of its siblings had too (it was one of seven). This little ginger boy had swollen and inflamed paws, and it was thought he wouldn't last long either. But after a few gentle sessions of Reiki with me he recovered, and grew to be a healthy boy who could be rehomed. Some sadder cases too...... It should always be remembered that Reiki works in a being's highest good. And if its highest good is to pass on then that's what will happen - but the Reiki will help it to be as peaceful and comfortable as possible, and often hastens the time, if that's right.

I'm a self employed person, and the recession had been extremely difficult for me. It started to become difficult finding time to visit, as I needed to spend all the time I had working, earning money to keep a roof over my head. At the same time Jay left to go to another sanctuary, and things weren't the same any more. A number of the volunteers also left, as did some of the staff. I kept on, now and again, when I could, for the sake of the animals, but in the end, I just stopped.

I've missed it in that time though. Well, missed taking care of animals who need so much help. So, I was thrilled when I was contacted out of the blue a few weeks ago by the new manager at another sanctuary in Manchester. A friend of mine - also does Reiki - used to be a volunteer dog walker there, and had told me they weren't interested in Reiki. That was the old guard, but the new manager is quite different. I had a wonderful meeting with her and another volunteer who has Reiki a few weeks ago, and I love where she's going now. She is also studying intuitive animal communication, so very much on the same page!!

I was asked if I'd like to become the Reiki volunteer. I was so excited!! It's early days yet, but so far I'm loving it. The staff and volunteers are very welcoming and friendly, and best of all is the energy there. There are definitely changes on the way, all going in the right direction. And lots of exciting things happening soon - watch this space!! And of course, best of all, I'm getting to work with animals that need help again. It's a very beautiful thing to be doing. ♥

Indoor Cat? Outdoor Cat?

For many years all the cats I'd ever known had been outdoor cats. What I mean by that is cats that live indoors but have access to the outside. It never occurred to me that cats wouldn't go outside, that they might live permanently indoors. I must admit, when I realised, I was a little shocked. It seemed very strange, rather unnatural really. Took me a while to get my head around it.

My own cats are outdoor cats. I couldn't have kept Bella indoors and had a happy cat. She'd not lived with me for very long before she was clearly desperate to be allowed to go out. Only a few days. The plan had been to follow all the guidance available and keep her in for a few weeks, so that she would have a keen sense of her home, and wouldn't wander off. Even this guidance has changed over the years - I remember many years ago the recommendation was just one week. Well, I think that's all I managed to be honest. It was a warm August day and I wanted to sit outside. It felt extremely mean to be outside while she had to stay in and look out at me, when she very clearly wanted to come out too.

So, for the first week I'd bring her out with me, and she could sit on my lap, and if she wriggled, we'd go inside again. Then I got a harness and lead so that she had a little more freedom, but I could still be sure where she was. Off she trotted, with me in tow, smelling everything she could, loving it! How could I have been so mean to deny her this? Next second, she'd raced to the top of the fence, ready to go into next door's garden. Still attached to a lead, this wasn't going to happen, but she was obviously eager to explore.

A few days later I got brave and thought it was probably about time. I had read that if you stay in a garden with them, they'll probably stay with you, so that's what I did. She quickly jumped over the fence one way, and I watched with my heart in my mouth, thinking would she come back? Would she find her way? A few seconds later she was back, heartrate back to normal for me. Then straight over the fence on the other side!! But came back again quite quickly. This is ok, I thought, she knows where she lives, she just likes to explore. And I was happy with that, because for me, that's how cats are. I'm sure all new carers feel like this the first time. I live in a quiet cul de sac, so I wasn't concerned about traffic.

Backwards and forwards a few times, then I realised she'd been gone a little longer, and as I looked over fences into other gardens, I couldn't see her any more. Not to worry, she knows where she lives I thought, she'll be back. But she wasn't. Starting to doubt I'd done the right thing. Only 7 months old. You can imagine, I'm sure..........

My friend was with me, and we thought we should leave it a little while as she was probably having fun and would be back. Still with my heart in my mouth though. Couldn't settle to anything. It must have been about 3 hours later, and we decided we should do something, so he went looking for her, while I stayed in the garden in case she returned on her own. No joy. So I went off the other way, calling all the while. As I was on my way back, feeling awful, I walked past a bush, and as I did so, heard this very familiar miaow, and out she jumped behind me. She'd managed to get 3 rows of houses away, probably travelling through gardens, and then got herself lost. So picked her up and brought her back home. That was it for that evening, and the next day she was off again, but never ever got lost again.

She never goes far, she likes to be outside, to wander around, smell stuff, feel the air, see the birds and other cats (from a distance). Sometimes she'll just sit under the car, but the important thing is that she's in charge of herself.

Dylan also goes out and loves it too. But he's never been able to get over a fence. Watched him once trying to climb slowly up one, but it was so difficult. He's watched other cats, Bella included, but never quite worked out how to do it for himself. So he stays in the garden. Fine by me as I know where he is all the time - yet he can still be outside, being a little hunter (he thinks, he never catches anything - not nimble enough!), running around, in and out of bushes, chasing Louis (friend from 2 doors down), chasing flies, bees, butterflies, sitting under the tree for hours watching the birds, stropping claws on tree bark and fences.

They're both happy because they go outside. They are engaging all their cat senses, they are having a cat experience. They might be domestic animals, living with a human in a house, but they can still be wild animals when they want to be. I know there are risks, but life is always about risks, and there are still plenty of risks inside the house. I send them out with trust and faith and a blessing to be safe, happy and well. And to enjoy themselves. It makes my heart happy, and theirs too.

So then, you might think that I'd fall firmly in the "cats are supposed to go outside" camp. And I do feel that for many cats, this is right. I couldn't possibly keep Bella indoors and although Dylan's not as bothered as she is, when I see him having such a great time out there, why would I want to stop him doing that?

But, since becoming a pet sitter, I've taken care of many cats who do live in houses, and many who live in flats. There's no doubt that some of them would prefer to be outside, and if I'm being honest, I do have some concerns about them. Yet there are many I take care of who are clearly very happy being indoor cats. Some have access to outdoor space, like a large balcony which has been made safe - so a sort of halfway house. Others though haven't known anything else, so nothing to compare it to. They don't know what it's like (although not so sure on this). And some cats I visit could go out if they wanted, but they choose not to. So it's not always so straightforward. Add to that the disabled cats for whom a life outside might not be so safe, and those with FIV who need to be kept separate from other cats. And those who live on busy roads might have carers who are quite understandably worried by the traffic dangers.

I often see comments and letters in some of the cat magazines and on line forums I read - and this is an argument that goes on and on. I can see it both ways. But show me a cat who is able to trot around outside, and that's a cat that's living fully as a cat.

Oh, and the picture is Bella being very happy in her little cat chalet, watching the birds, keeping dry if it rains.

A Lesson in Value

We all know how financially tough things have become of late. We're all struggling, having to make do on the same (or less), yet having to pay out more. I'd not put my prices up in about 4 years, as I felt that people would find it so difficult to pay more - and yet I was finding it more and more difficult to make ends meet. There's not much margin in pet sitting at the best of times, and even that was being diminished by the ever increasing cost of fuel, and traffic slowing me down, meaning that I couldn't do as much work in the day. Time spent in traffic isn't paid for!! And of course, living costs have been on the rise.

I was faced with a difficult decision. I'd thought about it before, but shied away from taking it. Then, there was one Saturday last September that pushed me over the edge, and made my decision for me. It was probably no worse than some others, but was became that proverbial straw on the camel's back.

I'd had half a dozen visits to do, and they were all over Manchester, in all directions. This meant that instead of the normal 10-15 minutes I allow for travelling time, it was nearer 20-25, in theory. But add to that dreadful traffic conditions, and one journey took me 45 minutes!! I finally got home upset and exhausted, having been out for far longer than I ought. I was also concerned that I might have passed on some of my anxiety to the animals I was visiting - and for me that's beyond the pale. As an energy healer it's essential that my energy is calm and happy while I'm with animals I'm taking care of - and I see all my visits as healing visits.

I decided at that point that I would have to give up pet visits. I couldn't see any way I could continue. I felt so sad and miserable at this thought though, as taking care of animals is what I do best, and what I love. The thought of not coming to see some of my lovely charges was quite upsetting. I realised though that I'd still be able to continue Reiki and healing visits, and was wondering whether the Universe was opening up an opportunity for me to expand those activities. And it also dawned on me that I could still visit animals very close by, in my immediate neighbourhood. I would still need to increase my rates, but by a smaller amount.

So, I set about writing a long email to all my customers, explaining in detail how I'd come to my very difficult decision. And one by one by one, so many of them got back in touch with me to find out how much I would need to charge in order to continue. I'd not even bothered to say in my original email as I felt it would be out of the question!! It was so heartening! So many people were telling me how much they valued what I did for their animals, how they realised it wasn't just putting food down, that I did so much more. Others told me that I'd become a good friend to them and their animals - that they couldn't imagine anyone else coming to care for them.

Until that point I'd imagined it was all about price, especially in the current difficult economic climate. But I learnt a very important lesson. It's actually all about value. I realised that I wasn't attributing full value to what I was doing, even though I know that the animals all benefit from what I bring to them. Quite why I didn't realise, I have no idea, as I've frequently been told by my clients. And although I fully appreciate the value that Reiki brings, I don't think I appreciated quite how much they did too.

Quite understandably I've had to say goodbye to some of my lovely cats - but not so many. In particular those people who live on their own - life is very expensive for a single person, and this does make a difference. But absolutely no hard feelings at all, and have been able to pass them on to other pet carers I know. That makes me happy - I know they'll receive excellent care, if not the Reiki (but they can always contact me for Reiki visits from time to time). I've even picked up new clients at my new rates - one said it was because she could tell from my website that I "speak cat" (which I do!!), and I've had one since return to me.

What a lovely lesson............................

I'm getting a friend to do it.......

Lots of us have friends, neighbours and family members close by who can take care of our animals when we go away. Some of them even like animals!! That's great if they are reliable and can give them lots of love and affection, and don't mind dealing with the litter.

But so many times, when a new client contacts me, I'm told it's because they've used friends and family in the past and been let down. I've heard all sorts of awful stories - like how the friend just forgot and the poor cats were on their own for 4 days with no food or water!! Unsurprisingly, people feel much happier entering into a proper agreement with someone who they've paid to take care of their animals - and don't mind paying for a professional service, knowing they can go away and have complete peace of mind.

I recently came across this problem myself, and it really hit home how much I appreciate my own cat sitter. I was going away for a short weekend, and asked her if she was available. It was one of those rare times that she wasn't, so thought I'd ask the boys next door. They'd only moved in recently, but were very friendly and loved cats. I thought it would be ok, and they were delighted to have been asked.

The plan was that I would be off mid morning, do my own cat visits, then be on my way. They were due to come in on the Saturday evening, then the Sunday morning. I set off for home again on the Sunday morning with the plan to visit cats on the way, but decided I'd stop off at home for a few minutes first. As I opened my door, next door's opened too, and out stepped a very sleepy Scott holding my keys. He'd had a lie in and had just woken up, completely forgetting to come and feed my guys!!

When I got into the kitchen I could see they'd not been fed the evening before - the food I'd left out hadn't been opened!! I had left very clear instructions, so no idea quite what happened there. Just as well I got home when I did.

But I reminded myself that they had agreed to do this as a favour to me. There was no contract to provide any services, no payment was being made, so difficult for me to be too cross. And that's the problem. So, I don't think I'll be asking them again!! I'd rather pay someone - and what I pay brings me so much value in terms of peace and mind, and knowing that they'll get lots of love and cuddles, and my instructions will be followed. I know that's what my own clients value so much too - they tell me all the time.