Happy Holidays, Safety First - Updated!

Photo courtesy of El Caganer

You may have noticed that I have posted several times on winter and holiday safety and tips for animals.  Topics have included suggestions for travelling with pets, helping them cope when you have people over for holidays, keeping animals warm in cold weather, and keeping them safe from common holiday accidents.  

 Still, you can’t know too much about keeping your pets happy and healthy, so I have a few more more links to recommend.

I Get So Emotional, Baby

Clients sometimes tell me that they try to communicate with their animals, but they get frustrated.  They feel that they keep trying to work out the same problems again and again, or they feel “she just won’t listen to me like she listens to you… her trainer… my husband.”  This can frequently happen not because a person is not capable of communication, but because they are too close to the situation.

If this happens to you, you’re not alone.  Just as physicians are advised not to treat their own family members, we animal lovers can sometimes let our emotions about an animal close to us interfere with our judgment and ability to communicate with them. 

Update On: Winterizing for Animals

If you've read my previous post on Winterizing for Animals and my review of the PetSafe Universal Pet Bed Warmer , you know I like to keep people informed about ways to keep their pets happy and healthy during the colder months. The American Animal hospital Association has published a useful article which prompted me to post a few more tips:

Courtesy of  www.scharfelinse.com

• It's a good idea to get your pets a pre-winter check-up with a veterinarian.  Talk to your vet about any concerns your may have about your pet's health, particularly related to cold weather, and ask her or him to evaluate your pet for conditions or ailments that could make them more sensitive to the dangers of cold, ice and snow.
• Keep your animal's physical condition in mind. A cat with asthma or chronic respiratory infections should be watched closely for reactions to cold or extra-dry heated air.  Humidifiers can sometimes help in these cases.  Meanwhile, a dog with arthritis or leg injuries might have a harder time than usual walking on slippery areas or up stairs in the cold.  For vulnerable dogs, on-leash at a slow pace and limited time in the cold is best, and try walking behind them on stairs, just in case. An extra warm and comfy bed could help their joints, too. Your vet should be able to tell you if your pets have any conditions that might make it difficult to control their own body temperature.
  

Product Review: PetSafe Universal Pet Bed Warmer

Not Annie, but they got her colour right!

Now that cooler temperatures are moving in, it's especially important to ensure that your pets stay warm and healthy.  Older animals, particularly those with arthritis, thin and small animals not built for the cold, like chihuahuas and hairless cats, often need a good amount of warmth to feel comfortable.

Having already addressed the basics of Winterizing for Animals, I found myself having to test an alternative source of heat for pets.  My mother was going away from her house for some time, and had someone to stop in and care for her cat, Annie, but she had to turn the heat down in her house while she was gone to meet her budget. Adding a timer to her furnace would be too expensive, so she asked me about what sort of warming device she could provide for Annie, instead.

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Thanksgiving for Pets

While your pets may be thankful for you, they may be confused by holiday happenings like visitors, travel, pet sitters and different foods. Remember, certain human foods, like onions and chocolate, can be toxic to your animal family. Cooked bones can be a choking hazard, too much sugar can be unhealthy, and being startled by exclamations over the football game or chased by the kids can send Fluffy running under the sofa or out the door.

If you're having guests over, make sure you set a safe space where your pet can go, and check to see what local veterinarians will be available in case of emergencies. It's also a good idea to set aside a small amount of the turkey or meat to give your dog or cat separately, or give them their own treat. Make sure they don't get into scraps you drop on the floor or into the garbage.

Senior Kitty, I Issue You A Challenge!

Is your senior cat inactive?  While senior dogs often get walked daily (a great way to keep them alert, happy and in shape, even if they get other outside time or are little city canines) senior kitties often spend a lot of their time resting and being under-stimulated. 

When my senior kitty, Maurice, became less active, I was concerned. Although he does have several physical issues such as hyperthyroidism, irritable bowel disease and spinal arthritis, he was generally pretty active and youthful for an older cat.  I made sure to get him checked thoroughly by the vet, be consistent about his medications and consider that the weakness in his hind legs from the arthritis made him cautious.  I was careful to feed him a high quality diet and supplement it with probiotics and glucosamine and chondritin to help with his digestion and arthritic joints.  However, I knew that he greatly enjoyed running and playing and had become even more interested in getting my attention after our other cats passed away. While he’s not the most chatty communicator, I could tell he was becoming bored and unfocussed, having “senior moments” of forgetting we had fed him or why he was meowing (loudly, at 4:00 AM.)  He just felt “blah.” So, I decided to stop just worrying about him and figure out ways to get him safely active.

Focusing Your Intentions When Animal Communicating

People who are starting to learn animal communication sometimes ask me how they can be sure they are getting the right information.  Besides practicing and getting confirmation from an animal’s person on tangible questions and particular personality traits, I like to remind communication students to focus their intentions before communicating with animals.  It is something most professionals do regularly, and it is very important in order to keep up a high standard of both accuracy and ethical behavior.  Let me give some examples.

Sometimes life gets complicated.  Suppose you have a lot on your mind, or a particular situation with a particular animal has you confused or agitated.  Maybe you are worried about the animal you are trying to contact, or worried about people involved in the situation.  How can you be sure your own expectations, ego or desires won’t get in the way of getting the animal’s true intended meaning?

Open for Business!

Hello, animal lovers.  Just a quick note to say I am back from my sabbatical and available for consultations.  I hope you and your animals have been well, and look forward to speaking with you!

In Memoriam: Quan Yin McLendon-Kunz, 2000-2011

Quan Yin was our little mystery kitty. When we took her in in 2001, the shelter told us only that she was spayed, possibly 9 or 10 months old and very shy. It was later admitted she was probably feral, but all we saw was a beautiful young cat with a scared but sweet air about her that no one else would adopt. Not long afterward, we realized from her constant hiding and lack of proper socialization that she had spent her life from a very young age on the street or in a cage.She hardly knew how to be a cat, misunderstanding our other cats' body language, and not sure how to properly groom herself, much less consistently use a litter box. A fellow animal communicator suggested we call her something kind and reassuring, and she became Quan Yin, the bodhisattva associated with compassion.

On Sabbatical

Just a note to say I am currently on sabbatical from my communication practice. Feel free to email me if you want to be notified when I am again available.