Who are your animal friends? Are they 'pets' or are they members of your family? Perhaps you have a kitty that greets you with purrs and meows when you walk through the doorway, or a rambunctious canine, always overly jumpy & smiling when he sees you. These are the friends who stay with us as long as we stay with them, giving us blessings rarely acknowledged, but unconsciously appreciated. Perhaps you're reading this because it's time to learn more about these family members.
As we go about our daily routine, how often do we stop and consider our soft, furry, loving companions?
The American Heritage dictionary defines 'pet' as "an animal kept for amusement or companionship". This is the common view of animal companions - mostly, they're taken for granted as simply being there for our pleasure. I propose a new way of regarding your 'pets': with intent.
Conscious acknowledgment and appreciation for our animal buddies is a skill. It goes beyond petting sessions or scratching a hairy belly.
When I used to get home from work, my cats received individualized attention. Fluffy needs talking back to (complex meows are good), and must go outside for her daily 5 minute mouse-tracking adventure (no killing, mind you), while Sweetie-Pie requires first that I walk with her to the food bowl, tell her there is indeed still food, then relaxing on the sofa so I'm at the right eye-level to benefit from a roll-over and belly-show.
Perhaps intentionally learning to understand the subtle signs and signals of another species seems time consuming, and we have so little time, right? What if your pet happened to be the long-lost, warm, loving friend you've always hoped existed! The problem is they'd been raised in the outer boundaries of Mongolia, or with the Yanomamo tribe of the Amazon Basin, and you can't understand a single word!
Humans usually begin their relationships with animal relatives in this way. 'Pets' are foreign creatures for our pleasure alone. We train and discipline, working to mold their little souls into the creature envisioned as the correct 'type' of cat, dog, horse or bird. We rarely consider their language, habits and social characteristics. If our 'pet' was a human loved one, wouldn't we make an effort out of respect to learn and communicate with them?
Consider developing your relationship on the grounds of respecting their species through communication. Sure, no one has documented a dictionary of cat meows or dog growls, but that doesn't signify they have no meaning. Read up on prairie dogs. Yes, those little grass-munching rodents living on the Colorado plains - scientists documented 20 common 'words', and found these critters create new terms constantly!
Are you ready to start?
Take a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle. On one side, list all the daily activities that are part of your lifestyle: washing your hair, preparing breakfast, family chats, hugging your spouse. On the other side, list what your animal relative does that mirrors you. Take some time with it. I'm interested to hear what you discover.
This is what I devote a special part of my time to. I also conduct fun workshops on connecting with your animal spirit guides. These are two-day workshops that include interactive activities, a guided meditation, and some creative crafting time. Adults and children are welcome. If you would like to schedule a workshop, or have a private session with me, please email me at
grnwoodtree@yahoo.com, or leave a comment for me here on YourHub, Ute Pass edition.
Look for another article on animals coming soon.