If you have ever loved a pet, then you know their death can affect every aspect of your life. It can be challenging to conceive of life without your best friend by your side. It can feel even more complicated when you were a caregiver for your beloved pet.

It’s especially disconcerting when your animal dies when you’re not with them, or they die suddenly without any apparent explanation or cause.

For over 20 years, I’ve communicated with animals who have departed their physical form. I’ve found that when you communicate telepathically with animals in Spirit, it brings solace during a difficult time. In my experience, hearing your loved one’s “voice” from Spirit, helps you feel connected to them and understand that our animal companions don’t die but live in our hearts eternally.

Communicating telepathically with your pet can provide answers to your questions especially around the dying process and euthanasia. When you receive validation from your departed pet in “real-time,” it creates a sense of peace during an upsetting time.

Grief is an insidious emotion which can cause a host of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual symptoms.  Part of recovering after losing an animal companion is rediscovering who you are without your animal companion by your side. It becomes even more complicated if you were the caregiver to your animal. An animal companion’s death may also bring up past grief as you find yourself thinking about others who have died.

Do any of the following symptoms sound familiar?

• Physical symptoms like:
• Pain
• Fatigue 
• Tension
• Irritability
• Exhaustion
• Sympathy Pains
• Low Motivation
• Disrupted Sleep
• Increased Sensitivity 

• Emotionally, you may experience:
• Shock
• Sadness
• Emptiness
• Anger
• Guilt
• Regret
• Resentment
• Loneliness

• Mentally, you may feel:
• Unfocused
• Disoriented
• Unmotivated
• Agitated 
• Confused
• Distracted

• Spiritually,:
• You may question your faith in God and/or Universe
• Feel lost
• Feel a sense of awe and mystery of Spirit as you come to accept your pet’s transition.

So what do you do when your grief is all-consuming?

Reaching out for support is a big part of the healing process. Therefore, it’s essential you find help whether it’s with a pet loss/grief counselor, therapist, or pet loss support group.

Besides giving animals a “voice” as an Animal Muse, I’m a Pet Loss and Grief Counselor. I help bereaved pet parents and animal family members cope and deal with their loss.

I also offer the online class, Animals and Death: Finding Peace In Your Grief to help you better understand how animals view the dying process and death. 

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Bursting spring morning

A joyous sunrise singing

With the hummingbirds

–Cathy Malkin

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“Just as water ripples outward with the drop of a pebble, Reiki flows to exactly where it’s needed for the highest good of all.”  

~Cathy Malkin, The Animal Muse

As a Reiki Master Practitioner for over ten years, I’m still in awe of the incredible healing power of Reiki. The more I practice Reiki, the more I see how the Universal Life Force Energy ripples outward flowing to precisely where it’s needed the most.

When clients sent up Reiki sessions for a particular animal in their family, I encourage them to be with their pet during the treatment because Reiki frequently benefits other family members including pets and humans. 

An excellent example of what I call the “Reiki Ripple Effect” happened when I offered a beautiful 16-year-old Golden Retriever mix named Shanti distant Reiki.

Shanti’s human, Serena requested Reiki to support her best friend, who was recently diagnosed with cancer, and for an upcoming move. Given all the different holistic options, Serena felt long-distant Reiki was the best choice to compliment Shanti’s cancer treatments and help decrease her anxiety around the move.

Before Shanti’s first Reiki session, I suggested Serena and her two cats create a “healing circle” around Shanti. In other words, I wanted Shanti’s family to sit or sleep close by one another while I offered Reiki to Shanti.

After Shanti’s initial treatment, Serena shared the following feedback:

Reiki goes where it needs to go, right?

It went straight to my own body, which has been in intense body pain for over a week. After Shanti’s Reiki session, I had NO pain for two days!

As for Shanti – the light in her eyes are bright as her eyes tend to become dull when she is uncomfortable. And her gorgeous coat has shined up. . . it’s palpable!

The cats? They’ve have been playing more. 

Also, thanks for getting rid of my dang virus that had a hold on me.

That’s the Reiki Report!

After Shanti’s third Reiki treatment, Serena wrote:

Three times is apparently the charm. Shanti seems transformed this evening standing for her supper, which she hasn’t done in weeks.

Serena and Shanti’s experience highlights Reiki’s innate intelligence and its ability to go to whoever needs it, which in this case, created positive healing results for the entire family, including Serena.

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–Paul Simon

As I gazed out my living room window on a sunny Sunday morning, a huge bird flew straight towards me. As he got closer to the window, he quickly veered off to the right and landed on my neighbor’s roof.

Curious, I jumped up and quickly ran outside to see what kind of bird it was. At first, I thought it might be a Blue Heron or even a Turkey Vulture, given its enormous body and broad wing-span.

To my surprise and delight, it was my Power Animal, the Red-Tailed Hawk who lives in the open space adjacent to my home. When a Power Animal gets my attention, it means they want to share a message of wisdom.

I first met this particular Hawk several months ago while walking in the open space with my dog, Bodhi along with our good friends Jan and her dog, MacGuyver. As Jan and I chatted and the dogs sniffed about, I spotted a large raptor on the ground no more than four feet away from us happily eating his prey.

Jan and I immediately stopped. We became silent as we watched this magnificent raptor tore apart and ate his supper unfazed by our presence.

Interestingly, the two dogs were oblivious a Hawk was only a few feet away from them because they were all-consumed with smelling the smorgasbord of earthly delights around them.

And before we knew it, the Hawk soared off with the remainder of his food in his talons to a nearby Oak Tree. It was a magical encounter.

From the moment we met, I intuitively knew this particular Hawk was one of my Power Animals.

A Power Animal is a Spirit Guides in the form of an animal, reptile, or insect. Spirit Guides aid humans by sharing their valuable wisdom and insight. Indigenous cultures, like Native Americans, embrace Power Animals as an integral part of their culture.

According to Native American lore, the Hawk is known as “The Messenger.” Therefore, when you spot a Hawk or hear its cries, it means to pay attention because an important message is about to be conveyed. In other words, be aware of the “signs” that are offered.

As the Hawk sat on my neighbor’s roof staring at me, he shared the following telepathic communication:

Greetings, Cathy. Thank you for taking my call by noticing my presence.  

Keep sharing the wisdom of the animals with all those who are willing to hear our cries. 

Animals’ “Voices” need to be heard and honored. 

It’s easy to forget that we are interconnected and interrelated to all species who share Mother Earth together. 

Be gentle and kind with yourself and others as you share our messages.

After conveying his message, the Hawk flew to the top of the lamp post across the street from my house, where we spent a few more moments sharing our hearts together as One.

As the Hawk flew off towards the Open Space, I thanked him for sharing his wisdom and promised to share his musings.

I heard the Hawk replied, “Until we meet again, keep soaring.”

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“Do you talk casually with your pets?” 

98% of the respondents answered “yes” to the question.

When Mindful readers were asked, 

“What’s the hardest thing about having a pet?” 

Two of their top responses were:

• Not understanding what their pets want or need.

• Not knowing what their pets are thinking.

These answers suggest it’s easier to talk with your pets than it is to listen to them. 

Animals want to be heard and understood just like humans.

It’s frustrating for pets when they don’t feel understood. Plus misunderstandings can lead to unwanted behavioral and emotional issues like inappropriate peeing or increased anxiety. A professional Animal Communicator, like myself, can help eliminate these problems by giving animals a “voice” so they can share their hearts and minds. 

Clear, open communication creates a deeper bond with your pets. Mindful listening conveys to your pets how much you love, honor, and respect them which makes them happy, healthy, and more balanced. 

One way to develop Mindful Listening Skills with your pets is to spend at least 5 minutes daily (the more time, the better) sitting quietly feeling all the love you have in your heart for your animal family. Invite your animal family to join you. Sit with this feeling for at least 5 minutes. If you find your thoughts wandering, take a deep breath and gently return your focus back to your heart center.

Doing this simple exercise will open the door to mindful talking and listening to animals.

Are you having trouble communicating with your pets? 

Want to know what your pet is thinking and feeling? 

Empower your pets and make them happy by giving them a “voice” with my assistance.

Email me or use the contact form below to schedule a phone session to talk with your animal family.

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Tula is a vivacious, spunky, and stubborn 17-year-old Cockatoo who has severe health challenges including hormonal imbalance and frequent seizures caused by abnormally high zinc levels.

Tula’s person, Paula called me to communicate telepathically with Tula as well as offering her Reiki. Paula was concerned about how Tula was feeling after experiencing another seizure which left Tula abnormally quiet and withdrawn.

Besides talking with Tula during an Animal Communication phone session, Paula felt a distant Reiki session would also help Tula feel better.

Tula the Cockatoo

During our Animal Communication phone session, I  telepathically asked Tula how she was feeling, She immediately showed me that her body felt inflamed as though it was on fire. Tula felt sad, withdrawn, and depressed especially since her last seizure. Tula said it knocked the wind out of her.

Tula went on to say,

Besides my body feeling like it’s on fire, I’m bored. I know Paula does her best to keep me busy and engaged, but she can never replace Nature with her trees, streams, and fresh air. I need to go outside.

I want Paula to take me on car rides. When I’m in the car, it feels like Paula and I are flying! There’s nothing better than feeling the wind flowing through my feathers while breathing in all the many different smells that whip by me. 

I relayed Tula’s message with Paula, who was 100% on-board with the idea. In fact, Paula described taking many fun car trips with Tula as her co-pilot. Paula confessed she couldn’t remember the last time they went on a ride together.

Paula then promised Tula that they’d take a joy ride to one of their favorite destinations, the San Francisco Bay, after receiving Reiki. As Paula described their past car rides, I felt Tula’s mood brighten.

After her Animal Communication session, I offered Tula Reiki. During her distant Reiki session, Tula drank in the healing energy like a fine wine. As she received the universal life force known as Reiki, I felt Tula’s mood lighten up even more.

Tula Joy Riding After Receiving Reiki

After Tula’s Reiki Session, I received a phone call from Paula. She told me that Tula became so relaxed during her Reiki session that she nearly tumbled off her perch. Paula was surprised by this since Tula rarely goes into deep relaxation or falls asleep during the day.

Tula After Receiving Reiki Later that afternoon, I received the above pictures of Tula after Paula took Tula on a joy-ride to the San Francisco Bay. As you can see from her photographs, Tula is one happy Cockatoo!

Paula was thrilled because she noticed a happier, more energetic, and upbeat Tula almost immediately after the Animal Communication and Reiki sessions were done. Paula admitted she was also feeling more optimistic now that Tula was acting more like her usual self.

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“If having a soul means to be able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans.”                                           – James Herriot

Animals Express Love and Gratitude Daily

Animals are full of grace, love unconditionally, and do not judge as humans do. 

Smiling Bodhi Bear

With Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season upon us, it’s a perfect time to muse about the love and gratitude you and your animal family share together. 

When you express gratitude to your pets, it creates positive feelings, a sense of harmony, and builds trust. In addition, it shows your love for them.

Sharing gratitude with your pets, both physically and telepathically, opens the door to a more profound and loving relationship while strengthening your bond together. It also helps to reduce stress and anxiety.

Being mindful of your pets’ ability pick up on your thoughts and emotions can help your animals better deal with the stress that comes with the holiday season. Every thought and feeling you have is sent off telepathically from your mind straight to your animal companions. Whether you like it or not, your pets can feel if you are happy or sad; relaxed or stressed.

Trying to hide your thoughts and feelings from them is futile because pets are masterful at receiving telepathic messages. What animals don’t always understand are the reasons behind your emotions which can confuse and upset them. If your Holiday plans aren’t going the way you wanted and your feeling upset, your animal friends may feel they are the cause of your stress and distress.

Just Say No!

During the Holidays, it’s important to keep your pets’ routine as normal as possible especially their meals and exercise routine. Remove them from stressful situations to a quiet, safe place: they will be happier away from the Holiday madness. When you say “no” to their pleading faces as they are trying to convince you to feed them more turkey or treats is an act of grace.

Some people feel animals aren’t capable of expressing gratitude. I wholeheartedly disagree. I believe animals show their appreciation to their humans daily. In many ways, your pet’s actions speak volumes about how they are feeling.

It’s fun and life-affirming to see the different ways your pets share their love and gratitude which is sometimes difficult to understand or recognize.

Your animal family loves you unconditionally which is an expression of their gratitude. Even when you’re feeling sad or blue, their love for you remains constant and consistent.

Some other expressions of thanks from your pets manifest by sticking close to you, following you around, or lying on or near you.

My Cat, Mona Marie

Other signs of gratitude may not be as apparent as when cats bring their humans a gift of the dead remains of a mouse or bird they caught and tortured. Cats are proud to express their appreciation with such a unique surprise for their favorite human.

My dog, Bodhi Bear expresses his gratitude by nuzzling up to my face or flashing his effervescent smile. My cat, Mona Marie shows her unconditional love by sleeping on me at night. My Siamese, Elvis is a snuggle bug who isn’t shy about lying on my heart center.

How does your animal family show their gratitude? 

I’d love to hear about your pet’s expressions of gratitude. Please share your stories here on my blog or go to my Facebook page.

Need help figuring out what your pets are communicating with you? I can help by giving your animal family a “voice.” 

Need a Holiday Break? Why not consider a Reiki Session for you and your pets?

Call me at 925-671-9208 or email me to schedule your Animal Communication Session or Reiki Session today.

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Trees are grounded spiritual beings who hold ancient wisdom from observing the cycles of life. They are open-hearted enjoy helping others like birds, wildlife, and insects.

These wise teachers love sharing their knowledge and they can be quite poetic. A tree once told me Trees are the real poets of the world, not humans. The Tree mused it loves whispering into the ears of poets.

Besides cleaning the air we breathe, Trees provide many different beings shelter and food in their trunks and outspread branches. Their roots drink in the energy of Mother Nature which supports the canopy of branches and leaves.

A friend sent me this interesting video of a tree and its visitors throughout the course of a year. It’s enlightening and fascinating to see how important trees are to all species who depend on them, including humans.

As you can see, this tree has observed a lot in a year. Can you imagine what Giant Sequoia or Redwood Trees have witnessed in their lifetime?

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one receives far more than he seeks. 

–John Muir

I love being out in Nature. It reduces my stress because it’s the one place I can go that makes sense especially in this fast-paced, crazy world we live in. Disconnecting from my phone, computer, and other electronic stimuli allow me to become a human being again.

I especially love it when I come across wildlife on my walks with my dog, Bodhi. Observing wildlife brings out my childlike curiosity. I learn a lot by communicating telepathically with them like in my recent blog post, Discovering New Creatures Using Telepathy.

Thanks to the abundant winter rains that ended Northern California’s severe drought, the local fauna and flora are flourishing this summer. It’s uplifting observing the different raptors like the Hawks, Kites, and Kestrels as they dive and grab the voles, which are meadow mice, out of their holes and fly away with their prey.

The other morning Bodhi and I spied a Coyote on our morning walk in the open space near our home. This wasn’t the first time we’ve seen coyotes. However, we’ve seen more coyotes this year than I can ever remember in the 25-plus years I’ve lived here especially in the early morning.

From a safe distance, we quietly watched the majestic young Coyote as he sauntered along the trail. That is until he stopped to hunt for a vole in a hole similar to the picture below.

Hunting Coyote

When a wild animal crosses my path, I like to reach out to them telepathically. I understand when wild animals are too busy to communicate given they are constantly looking for food and trying to survive whatever might come their way.

However, I’m grateful when an Animal or Nature Spirit takes the time out of their busy day to share their hearts with me.

I always start my communication with an animal, wild or domesticated, by asking, “Is this a good time to talk with you?”

If the animal says “yes,” we start a conversation. If the animal replies, “No,” then I thank the animal and move on.

A key aspect of telepathic animal communication is to always thank the animal them after communicating with them, even if you don’t feel you received a message.

When you say, “thank you,” it tells the animal that you respect them which builds mutual trust and understanding. Showing reverence for another living being also increases your telepathic abilities.

When the Coyote said “yes” to my invitation to communicate, he shared the following message:

I appreciate you reaching out to me as I welcome your heartfelt connection. While Coyotes can act non-schlant, we are keenly aware of the harshness and fear coming from the humans we encounter. For the most part, we are not interested in humans.  It’s all about having fun while trying to survive. 

Coyotes are misunderstood and vilified by humans which threaten our lives and ways of being. Like people, we are an intricate part of the web of life. We need you as much as you need us. We appreciate it when you see the world from our perspective as you see through the misconceptions that surround us and our brethren, the Wolves.

While we may be perceived as the Trickster of the Animal World or killer of cats, we have as much right to survive as any other species. It can be hard when we are vilified. Yet, we don’t let it bother us as we continue living our lives.

It’s been a good year for me and my pack given the abundance of food and water. The last few years were challenging. We are survivors and we feel stronger because of the drought. 

We are happy living life with a full belly. We urge people to take a break and connect with us and Nature. 

When our conversation ended, I thanked the Coyote for taking time out of his busy day to share his wisdom with me.

This is a video of the Coyote I communicated with:

I Spy A Coyote

As Bodhi and I continued our walk, I reflected on the message the Coyote shared with me.

According to Native American Indian lore, Coyotes symbolize the tricksters, shape-shifters, and transformers in Nature. In this way, Coyote’s wisdom or medicine teaches us about cultivating flexibility with a playful sense of humor. It’s also about experiencing the magic in life while staying open to the unexpected.

On a deeper level, Coyote medicine asks that we see the truth behind the illusions, misconceptions and false impressions. Coyote tends to employ trickery or deception to achieve its goals.

When a Coyote crosses my path, I know it’s time to lighten up and not take life too seriously. Coyote Medicine reminds me to simplify my life with a sense of humor towards whatever may be coming my way, or this Jokester may play a trick on me to make sure I’m too set in my ways.

Mother Nature and her myriad of creatures have a lot of wisdom to share with humans. I hope the next time you come across a wild animal like a Coyote, you’ll strike up a telepathic conversation with them to find out what inspiration and wisdom they want to convey.

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Did you know all spiritual beings, whether human, animal, plant or mineral, are born with the ability to communicate using the universal language of telepathy

Learning Telepathic Animal Communication and Reiki is a life-long journey of self-discovery. The process begins by recognizing how it feels when you focus your awareness in your Heart Center where telepathy and Reiki emanate.

So be loving and kind to yourself as you reclaim your natural abilities to communicate telepathically and offer Reiki to all spiritual beings in the web of life.

My Heart Dog

Telepathic Animal Communication originates from your heart. Verbal language arises in your mind. Most spiritual beings live in their heart center not in their thinking minds like humans do.

This Heart Center Meditation is designed to help you access your heart center and its associated feelings so you can experience how being open-hearted affects your entire being: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.

Practice this short Heart Center Meditation for at least 5 minutes daily. The more you consciously spend time in your “heart center,” the easier it is to access your telepathic and Reiki potential.

If at any stage during the meditation you feel frustrated or are unable to focus, take a break. Return to the meditation when you feel calm and relaxed in mind and body.

Remember, this meditation is not a test! It’s a fun and easy way to discover the world from your heart center. 

Heart Center Meditation

• Begin by either sitting or lying down in a comfortable relaxed position. Your eyes can be open or closed, whichever is most comfortable for you. 

• Take a nice deep breath in and then slowly exhaling it out. Take another deep breath as you gently as you release your energy down through your legs as you feel your feet on the ground in connection with Mother Earth. 

• As you continue to breathe slowly and deeply, focus your attention away from your busy mind with all its thoughts and worries to your heart center located in the middle of your chest. 

• Imagine a beautiful blue loving light in your heart center.

• Breathe this blue light in and out of your heart center for at least 30 seconds. The longer you spend feeling this beautiful blue energy in your heart center the better. 

• As you continue to breathe through your heart center, recall a time when you felt unconditional love for any individual like a pet or child.

• Don’t “do” anything except be fully present as you experience the feeling of unconditional love you have for this individual. 

• Spend a couple of minutes noticing how unconditional love feels throughout your entire being: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. 

Do you sense a shift in how you perceive the world around you when you’re in your heart center?

I encourage you to keep a journal so you can ground your experiences in your writing.

If you need help with any of these exercises or have any questions,email me.
How did this Heart Center Meditation work for you? Please leave your comments and feedback below.

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