The theme for this issue revolves around relaxation and enjoyment as a way of renewing ourselves. Who among us hasn’t, as a child, enjoyed laying in the cool grass on a summer’s afternoon soaking up the sun’s rays? How about dangling our feet in the cool water of a lake, a stream, or even a swimming pool? Do you remember lying out under the stars trying to find pictures of animals in people? As children, we seemed able to easily relax into such wonderful experiences. As an adult, some of us think of bugs and sunburn if lying in the grass even pops into our heads! Or, instead of stopping to take our shoes off and dangle our feet in a stream, we think about possible pollution in the water, or about getting to the other side and getting on with our walk. Continue reading →

I had just come downstairs contemplating this issue’s theme of “Love and Relationship” when I looked over to our couch and saw something that very much reflected that theme. Our Basset Obi and our cat Diana were curled up together napping. A little while later I observed Lukas, our younger Basset, trying to invite Diana to play. Evidently cats do not interpret bouncing up and down and nose pushes as “let’s play!” Simba, our other house cat, later tapped Lukas on the nose, but it definitely was NOT about play; it was more about “who are you, what do you feel like?” Poor Lukas, he just doesn’t get “cat” language yet. Continue reading →

November and December are the months Americans set aside to celebrate and enjoy time with our loved ones. We have rituals around sharing food and abundance with one another. We make a point of enjoying ourselves, indulging ourselves in some cases (just one more piece of pumpkin pie, I’ll do an extra 10 minutes on the treadmill on Monday, etc.) Here in the Midwest, it may also be the human version of what the squirrels do at this time of year ‐ they uncover all the buried nuts and other choice tidbits, gorge themselves on what they can eat, and stuff the rest in their nests for the cold winter ahead. Continue reading →

We’ve become much more aware of relationships in the last few months at home – relationships that are developing and changing – between various members of our animal family. These changes range from a budding relationship between our Basset Obi and our house cat Diana to a radically altered relationship between our two barn cats Simba and Sophia. We also had a wonderful opportunity to observer human/dog relationships up close at a recent AKC dog show. We’d like to share some observations and insights that we have gained. Continue reading →

I’m sorry. Please forgive me. I love you.

This prayer was shared with us by our friend Ann. When Jane asked us to write something about the wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico and how we might help them, this prayer came to mind immediately.There are many prayers, many intentions, and many people working hard to help the birds, dolphins, turtles, and other wildlife impacted by the oil spill in the Gulf. The impact of this tragedy, we believe, will have an adverse effect on the wildlife and habitats in the area for many, many years. While many are focused on the wetlands and beaches, we wonder what is being done to help the very Ocean and her many creatures. It too is a habitat, and it too will be impacted perhaps forever by this event. Oceans are an integral part of the world’s weather, and the plankton the very basis of much of the world’s food chain. This tragedy touches us all, not just hear in the United States, but all over the world. Continue reading →

We are often asked how we can “hear” the animals who speak with us. Last year, we wrote an article called “We Can All Hear” that talked about the process of animal communication. We’d like to revisit the topic of how animal communication works for us, and focus in on the first step in the process.If you think about effective communication with another human being, what is the first step in that process? We have to get that person’s attention or focus. We usually do that by addressing them by name verbally or in written form. I recently returned from a business trip to Phoenix, AZ and I was reminded of how we connect with each other when I emerged into the general terminal area and immediately saw several people with signs with a person’s name on it. They were obviously trying to “connect” with someone they didn’t know by sight. Continue reading →

Recently we asked one of our long standing clients to share her knowledge and experience about cats with us. Specifically, we asked her to talk about living with multiple cats, and some of the issues that might crop up for their humans.

Kari is the co-host of WZPL’s Smiley Morning Show in Indianapolis, IN. She frequently talks with viewers about their cats, and has a feature spot called “KJ’s Strays” where she highlights events sponsored by Indy animal rescue and shelter organizations. She has long standing, active roles in both Cats Haven and Indy Feral. Kari also works part time as a vet tech with the only certified feline veterinary specialist in Indiana. Read Kari’s blog at WZPL. Continue reading →

Recently I began to listen to Louise Hay’s “You Can Heal Your Life”® CD again while driving to work in the morning. I began to wonder – could we possibly use the concept of affirmations with our animal companions, and if so, how and why?According to Louise and also according to Abraham (a teacher channeled by Esther Hicks), affirmations (thoughts) create our reality. If we consciously choose to think positive thoughts, then we create for ourselves positive results in the future. A lot of the time, however, we think non-positive thoughts without even realizing it. This then creates non-positive results for us. Basically, we can choose to turn that around by consciously thinking a more positive thought when we catch ourselves thinking a negative one. Continue reading →

This fall we welcomed a new addition to our household – a bouncing young Basset Hound named Lukas. It has been several years since we have had a younger dog in our house, and we had forgotten what having a young, untrained dog in the house can be like. Fortunately, we have both trained dogs before, and we also have an older dog Bear who is very willing to be a teacher. We enrolled Lukas in obedience classes once he became adjusted and settled. One of the things the trainer, Marlys Staley of Circle Tail, reminded us is that training does not just happen in class, it is a continual process. Obedience class time was for the humans to learn how to teach the dogs what to do. We found ourselves becoming much more aware of how we interact with our animals, and the effect each interaction can have when teaching a new behavior. Continue reading →

There was a song with that title many years ago, and it came to mind recently when we had a couple of “wildlife adventures” of our own.Terri and I went to Tennessee a couple of weeks ago, and of course we visited the Great Smokey Mountain National Park one day. While driving through Cades Cove, we were treated to close encounters with deer and a flock of wild turkeys. What was so interesting about this for us is how used to people these animals have become. They were totally unconcerned about people walking up to within a few feet of them to take their picture. We were very grateful for the opportunity, and thanked them for their willingness to be seen by so many people. Continue reading →