Sitting on the balcony outside our cabin on a cruise ship, all I could see was water and sky. It was somehow starkly beautiful. Yet, there was something missing. It was quiet. I could hear the sound of water as the ship moved on the ocean…and at times the distant sound of people. After a while of sitting, mesmerized by the sea, I realized that except for the human-made noises, I heard no other sounds of life. Intellectually, I know that the ocean is full of marine life…but sitting on the ship, there where no sights or sounds to confirm that knowledge. Continue reading →

We’re approaching the time of year where everyone in the family gets busy with social engagements, shopping, cleaning, and holiday get together planning. The closer we get to Christmas, the less time we have to relax and spend time with our companion animals.From the perspective of our cat, dog, bird, horse, or hamster, Thanksgiving or Christmas is just another day. Sure, we may give our pets a special treat and there may be more visitors in our home at this time of the year. Outdoor things like trees and pine cones [that we normally tell them NOT to bring in the house] suddenly appear in the house. They really don’t understand why we are more stressed and less available to them. As a result, they may react to our lack of availability and heighten stress in several different ways. Continue reading →

At some time or another, most humans who live with animals will say to themselves “I wonder what the dog is thinking” or “I wonder why the cat did that?” or even “I wonder why this bird keeps smacking up against my window?”  Usually we stop there, until some significant event happens. Then, that passing thought can become a need to know. This is when animal communication can build a bridge of understanding between humans and animals. As animal communicators, we have encountered a wide range of situations where we’ve had the privilege of helping to construct such a bridge of understanding. Continue reading →