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Animal Connections Newsletter
"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's heart
remains unawakened."
-Anatole France
ramseycommunication.com
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Vacationing With Your
Animal Companions
Summer is here and many of you are planning or are taking vacations. When you have your dear animals along, it's a time for special sharing and delighting in each other's company in a unique way. Yes, it presents some challenges to your daily life with each other, but it's also an opportunity to further fine-tune your communication skills!
My husband, John, and I are planning to travel a bit with our dog, Ming, this summer. I've been thinking about what this means to us in terms of preparation, meeting the demands of traveling together, and continuing to build our deep communion with our little one. I'd like to share some thoughts about how to prepare for your trip and how to stay connected when you're out there in an unfamiliar environment. My focus is on the spiritual aspects of a Holiday with animals for the moment. | |
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I like to start preparing Ming a few days before the trip and especially before the luggage comes out. I tell him how many more days we have before leaving, that he'll be going with us, how we're traveling, and what we'll be doing while away. As I talk to him, (sometimes silently, sometimes in full voice!) I am automatically passing on images to him of the upcoming experience. He then has a chance to voice his feelings, concerns, and questions, and I try to answer them as best I can.
When explaining an upcoming trip to your own animals, even if you don't feel sure about what you're getting back from them, this is a chance to quietly be open to receiving a sense of their reactions. If you don't get anything, that's fine, but communicating your plans to them is a great help when the big day comes! In my own case, I've witnessed Ming being much more relaxed about the preparations on that day, as he doesn't have to guess, "Am I coming too?"
Whether traveling by car, train, or plane, I tell Ming every step of the way where he is, what he needs to do, when we'll arrive, and what he might expect in transit. If he's in a travel carrier under my airline seat, I check in with him telepathically often, reassuring him and asking if he needs anything. He tends to settle in for the ride and revive upon arrival!
This same approach applies easily to activities on the trip: scenery we're taking in, going out to dinner, staying in different places, and meeting new people. (Ming can't get enough of that!) I always try to ask him what his reactions are to each day and to praise him for his gentlemanly behavior. I'm sure you've experienced keeping an extra-vigilant eye on your own animals on vacations and that in itself is a great connecting gesture to them.
As we're nearing the end of our trip, I check in with him to let him know that we'll be returning soon. I project images of the trip back, the timing of the journey, and our re-entry into our cozy home. I always feel that having Ming with us has added a magical dimension to our travels and he reports how much he's enjoyed our mutual adventure too! Sharing the highlights of our days with him has illuminated them for us too and has expanded our enjoyment of having him along.
So, if you're planning your own adventure with your beloved animals, I invite you to further develop your communication skills with them and to notice the enhanced quality of your time away together. I'd love to hear your experiences when you return!
In the meantime, please enjoy this latest Newsletter at home or while on the road!
P.S. For some tips on the practical side of traveling with animals, here is a sampling of websites to peruse:
"Pet Friendly" lodging
http://www.petswelcome.com/
http://www.dogfriendly.com/
Air Travel
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pets_airtraveltips
Car Travel
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pets_cartraveltips
General Tips
http://www.takeyourpet.com/pages/trav.htm
http://www.tripswithpets.com/index.asp
Emergency Tips
http://www.pettravelcenter.com/page_items/viewSingle/21
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This Question is from Karen Ferguson
Why does my dog continue to do something I've asked him not to do?
This is an important question to consider in regard to communicating with our animal companions and it comes up frequently in my sessions. I wish we could just ask our animals to do or not do something and "problem solved!" Now, sometimes this is exactly what occurs--the problem is solved, once your animal understands why you are making the request and you understand what her reason was for doing otherwise. Those are the easy ones!
However, with animals, as with children, there are many reasons why they  occasionally don't or can't respond to our requests as we would like them to. Some of the reasons I've witnessed are: being afraid to go ahead and do something they haven't done before, not understanding how important it is for their own welfare, not being able to control their actions without help, (i.e., Bach Flower Remedies, change of circumstances, bodywork, etc.) feeling compelled to do the behavior, perhaps by natural instinct, (i.e., chasing other animals in the house, taking off out in nature when off-leash) and--well, what they're doing is just too much fun!
In each of these cases, it takes some creativity and strategizing to find an answer that will satisfy the person and be doable for the animal. My part in the discussion is to facilitate understanding between human and animal so that a solution can be found. If the issue is fear, you may have to take him through incremental steps to your final goal, building confidence as you go along. In cases of a misunderstanding about possible dangers of continuing a behavior, (crossing country roads at will) further communication may get the message across and the behavior adjusted. If it's a matter of an inability to control a tendency, Bach Remedies such as Cherry Plum (for boosting self-control) or Vine (for softening a desire to dominate) can be most helpful. When the issue is natural instinct versus house rules, you may need to put more boundaries around the behavior until self-control is more possible or remove him from the temptation! If it's too much fun, negotiating may be in order!
I look back on a time when I was asking my cat, Spunky, not to pounce on his sister, Puffkin, while she was resting peacefully. In our discussions, I discovered that, although it was annoying, Puffkin understood and felt she could take care of it herself. I decided to let them work it out, and sure enough, over time, he got the idea that her screams were a signal to cease and desist! And he did.
There are times when the greatest gift of telepathic communication is to realize why your animal is behaving in a particular way and to accept it as part of who they are, as long as it is not endangering anyone. After all, we sometimes need to come to that conclusion with our human companions as well!! I've often seen behavior change naturally over time--perhaps acceptance allows that process to unfold. Communication unlocks the mystery as to why they're behaving the way they are, and our willingness to work things out with them allows them to think about the situation and to solve it in their own ways.
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Do you have a question about telepathic communication? Please send it to me at rae@ramseycommunication.com If I use your question in a future issue, you will receive a one-half hour ($50. value) animal communication sesssion with me!
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Animal Wellness Magazine
I have been subscribing to this holistically oriented magazine since its  premier issue in 1999. It has evolved over the years to include several regular articles, such as Dr. Martin Goldstein's "Holistic Veterinary Advice" column; "Animal Passages," stories about companion animals passing on; "Book Reviews," keeping us up on a wide range of animal-related topics; and "The Tail End," delightful and touching personal stories about the writer's dear companion.
 Recent feature articles include such titles as, "Top 10 eye problems," "How often does he really need a rabies shot?" "Top 6 ways to minimize dental visits," "How to grow a 22-year-old cat," and "Can dogs have strokes?"
This bi-monthly magazine is a treasured resource in my life as an animal guardian and animal communicator. I hope you'll take a look at the website below if you haven't already heardof it!
http://www.animalwellnessmagazine.com/index.php
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This story is contributed by my client, Janet Jones Johnson, who went through a remarkable experience of illness and triumph with her duck, Ansel...
Ansel's Story
How do I tell the story of a little ball of fluff that changed my life? She was only two days old the day we met, but there was an instant connection. My heart melted as I held in my hands this fragile, vulnerable, adorable, trusting little life. My breath stopped when the little head fell to one side and the eyes closed. The warmth of my hands had inspired sleep. At that moment my husband was hooked too.
It's not an unusual story in some respects. The offspring of an injured mother, rescued and given a second chance at life. It was actually my 6-year-old niece who spotted the mom in the desert, flopping around with an injured leg. She convinced her dad to stop their truck and try to rescue her, as she would most certainly have become a coyote`s dinner.
Here the usual part ends. Brought home to heal, unfortunately, the leg left her crippled and this rescue was a duck. So they built an enclosure and got  her a couple of friends. About a year later, this duck laid some eggs. She did not build a nest and they were randomly scattered about the enclosure. My little niece was distraught. She came to my sister exclaiming that something had to be done because the babies were dying! My sister tried to calm her down and explained that the eggs could not be fertile and wouldn`t hatch. When she found my niece in her bedroom with a basket of eggs on her nightstand holding a reading lamp over them, she took action. They raise parrots and she said she would prove to her that they were infertile by placing them in the incubator.
Those were famous last words. All five eggs hatched. I told my sister that I`d always wanted a pet duck and that I would give one a home. That little ball of fluff immediately took over. Even though we weren`t there when she hatched, she followed us everywhere as if she`d been imprinted. She lived in a plastic container in the house with a lamp to keep her warm until she was several months old. During the day we explored the world of the backyard together. Our little silky terrier, Annie, tried to make friends with Ansel, but she would have nothing to do with her. She seemed to want to keep us all to herself. Her favorite activity was planting new plants in the flowerbeds. I was convinced that she thought of us as giant featherless ducks!
We named her Ansel, after Ansel Adams, (we were married in Yosemite) as we were also convinced that this duck was a male. That is, until she began laying eggs. Unlike her mother, she made elaborate nests and guarded them. She had no duck "friends" however, so hers did not hatch.
About a year after we adopted Ansel, I developed a serious neck and back problem that prevented me from working. I had been a veterinary technician for thirty years and was very sad that I couldn`t do the work I loved. Ansel and Annie played nursemaids. We all spent a lot of hours in the yard together and Ansel never failed to entertain. It is amazing how fast she can move her mouth in the water when sifting out food. She also likes to dive in her wading pool and swim around under water. It took about a year and a half of doctors and acupuncture and physical therapy to stabilize my neck, but I was able to avoid surgery. Ansel was there cheering me on every step on the way.
I share my story of physical challenge to help you to understand that when Ansel became sick I couldn`t say, "Put her to sleep, she`s just a duck." It was the week before Christmas the year after my mom passed away. We had moved and I was trying to prepare to enjoy the holidays again. I came out to feed Ansel in the morning and she seemed disoriented. She had lost weight, but she`d been eating well and I attributed it to the move and the fact that she didn`t appreciate sleeping in the barn at night. (even though it was for her protection)
As she waddled about the yard in search of bugs, I noticed her lose her balance. I flew into the house to call the vet and asked my husband to get the carrier to take her in. We only drove a couple of blocks from the house when Ansel began to panic in the carrier and thrash about. It was  clear to me that we would not make it to the vet with Ansel alive. So we drove home to contact the house-call vet. It was a Friday and he was heavily booked, so we had to wait a couple of hours. He shook his head after his initial examination and informed me that he thought that she`d contracted a virus and didn`t believe that she`d make it through the weekend. He then asked me if I`d like him to put her to sleep. I said no, told him about my background and asked him if there wasn`t something we could try. He said that if I wanted to try we could give injectible antibiotics and he would show me how to tube feed her to build up her strength. The tube feeding needed to be done a minimum of four times daily, more if we could. He also said that she needed to be kept extra warm and quiet. I said, "Then she`s coming in" and it was back to a larger plastic box in the house for Ansel.
I met Rae over the phone lines the day before Christmas Eve. A friend told me that she knew a great animal communicator. I have to admit that I was very skeptical. Ansel`s injections were going OK but the tube feeding was a different matter. She was struggling with us and was so, so weak. She had survived the weekend, but I didn`t want to be the one to kill her while trying so hard to save her. So I took a chance that Rae might be able to explain to her why we were doing what we were doing.
Rae`s calm is contagious. I immediately felt soothed and supported. She told me that Ansel had said that she loved us and wanted to do whatever it took to stay with us. Rae also said that it was hard for Ansel to hold still while being tube fed because she felt like she was choking. Rae asked me to spray us all with some diluted Rescue Remedy before attempting the feeding and to play some soothing music. She asked Ansel to try to keep her throat open. Ansel said she`d try.
My husband had been recruited as bird holder from the beginning and thought it was silly to be sprayed with Rescue Remedy, but he agreed. The next feeding we all got sprayed and had the music playing. This time not only did Ansel hold still, she actually stretched her neck out for me to open her beak and insert the tube. Our chins hit the floor!!! She actually understood and became a partner in her healing. We had to tube feed her three times a day for the next 5 months to help her regain her strength and she never struggled again.
The story does not end here, nor does Rae`s part in it. A couple of months after Ansel was back to her regular diet, she started to go downhill again.  This time I had researched out a fabulous bird vet but his practice is an hour and a half from our house. Remember, Ansel didn`t make it two blocks in the carrier before. This time I called Rae and she told Ansel what we planned to do and asked her what she needed to make her comfortable on the journey. We followed Ansel`s simple requests to be in my lap in the carrier, to be able to see out and to have fresh grass and water available. She made the trip without the flutter of a feather, looking around and seeming to enjoy the ride.
Unfortunately, the diagnosis was very serious. For her to survive, she needed surgery. She had 6 retained eggs in her oviduct that had no shells and had become infected. The oviduct needed to be removed. Luckily, this doctor is one of only a handful who can perform this surgery. Again a call to Rae to explain to Ansel what was going on with her body and to ask her if she was willing to have surgery. She said yes.
On June 12th we celebrated the one year anniversary of Ansel`s surgery. She is stronger than ever and a constant delight in our lives. Without Rae, she definitely would not be alive in spite of our best intentions. Not only that, this experience opened a sincere desire in me to learn animal communication. Rae has also guided and directed me in my efforts. Thank you Rae! Ansel and I are in your debt. This whole experience has shown me not to take anything in life for granted. Even a little duck can change your life forever. A little duck with a big spirit!
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 Do you have a story to share with your fellow animal guardians? Each person whose story is selected for publication will receive a free one-hour ($100. value) animal communication session with me! Please email me your story as a Word attachment, double-spaced, in 750 words or less. Please include your experience of our work together in discovering your animal's feelings, thoughts, and desires relating to the story. And, of course, send a picture of your animal companion!
To send your story, please click on this link:
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 Would you like to develop your own natural ability to communicate telepathically with your animals? Part of my mission is to teach my clients how to use this amazing yet innate ability on their own.
Here's how the mentoring process works: practice regularly with a variety of animals--yours and others whom you know or meet. When you come to an "impasse" in your communicating, you then make a phone appointment with me and we work together on opening up the channel so that information can flow freely between you and the animal. I can even help verify if the information is accurate by connecting to the animal in our session!
By going back and forth between your own practice and our phone mentoring sessions, you will be able to expand, adjust, and deepen your abilities at a much faster pace than if you work on your own.
By verifying your successes, clearing up roadblocks, expanding your receptivity, and learning advanced communication techniques, you will see your abilities growing to deeper and deeper levels.
To set up a mentoring session with me, click on this link:
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 If you haven't had a chance to browse my Animal Communication website, please click on this link for valuable information about my work connecting you with your animal companions in a deeply profound way...
 I am pleased to share with you my Life and Spiritual Coaching work, which is especially helpful to those experiencing transitions in their lives. If you are changing careers, moving to a new city, have lost a loved one, are retiring, or just want to expand your joy and mastery of life, please enjoy browsing my coaching website by clicking on this link:www.ramseycoaching.com |
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