Attitude, Grace and Gratitude

November is the time of year when we usually think about grace, gratitude and thankfulness. Our list of what we are most thankful for usually begins with home and family.

If our animal friends were to make such a list they probably wouldn't need to prioritize, because all that would be on that list would be a home and a family to call their own.

Most of our pets were unwanted or abandoned throwaways. They usually show up young, scared, hungry and in need of medical care.

 Always leery of bringing a cat of unknown origin into the home and exposing our other cats to disease, we tend to put ourselves in the position to choose either to take on one more, take it to a shelter, or just stay out of it and hope someone else finds it and takes responsibility.The chances being poor for a good outcome with two out of these three, our kitty choir usually grows one more.


All these little souls want in life is to be safe, warm, fed and secure. That is all they need to be content. There is no inner turmoil over the difference between wants and needs, no envy or resentment over what life tends to dish out. No self torment or self-pity over the past or worry about the future. They live in the present and focus on what is going on right now. We would be wise to observe and realize that often time, "it is what it is" in life and so be it.

Animals are a reminder that happiness isn't like a carrot dangling on the end of a rope, always close but a bit out of our reach. The fickle, fleeting emotional roller coaster that comes with any given day's events is certainly not what we should be using as our barometer of whether we say we're happy or not. Flighty feelings should not be the measure of true happiness. Happiness isn't something to be found, it is right here the whole time, within us. We have to remember that we may not be able to change a person or situation, but we can change our attitude towards that person or situation.  By redirecting our attitude, and refocusing negative energy into the positive, we can stop the destructive pattern of "if onlys" that are so emotionally and physically draining. 


Humans often feel the need to delve into areas of philosophical and spiritual studies, seeking the knowledge to figure out what why we are here, what's it all for, and is it all worth it in the end. Animals are blessed with not being bogged down with such mental anguish.
Do you find that the minute you sit down there appears a cat settling in your lap or a dog at your feet, with no where to be but with you?  While you may be tempted to end such moments because your mind is swirling with things to get done on the 'to do' list, take twenty minutes and enjoy that daily moment of silence.  We hear so much about calming the mind and daily meditation of quiet, yet never seem to find the time in our schedules. Allow yourself those shared moments of unconditional love from your furbabies, without thinking it a waste of time. You may not realize it, but our pets are often more in tune with our health than we are and they are letting us know that it is important to just stop once in a while and learn to just "be". Their Golden Rule is not only to take time to "be", but to take time to play and just be silly.


Maybe that is why we have and probably always will have a number of pets. They are a constant reminder in this crazy world's attitude of "I deserve what I want", "I want what I want and I want it now" and being victim to the "never enough syndrome". In reality, do we deserve anything in the grand scheme of things? I remember an important lesson learned at age 16 when it came time to drive a car. Having a driver's license is not our right, but a privilege, and with privilege comes great responsibility.

Thanksgiving is a time to realize how privileged we really are, and it is our responsibility to be aware of those around us who are less fortunate. 
Do so, and it won't take long before we realize the enormous satisfaction in lending a hand to meet the needs of another. This holiday season, reach out to hold a hand, or a paw, and have a better understanding of what the word 'grace' really means.



                                                         
                                                              Happy Thanksgiving!

Halloween Felines

October is not only a beautiful month for us humans but I think a favorite of our animal friends as well. Gone is the drowsy heat of sleeping away summer days. Now these feline children of ours are more intent than ever to sneak out the door every time it opens. The air is crisp, scents are carried in the breeze and it is a great time to bother the nervous, scurrying rodent life as they busy themselves in preparation for winter.

Three of our little guys just say Halloween all over.

On the roof is Smuckers, a nervous little girl who isn't one to bother birds and other wildlife, she just loves to be free. It is such a helpless feeling when they get out because it is totally up to them when they come back in. I know the neighbors think I have a screw loose when they hear me at night calling "here puss, puss, puss!" Most times certain cats are probably nearby, but do you think they'll come when called? Believe it or not we do have a few cats that will come at the sound of our voices. We call them our dog cats. Others are most likely pondering what the big deal is, but if we're not right there when they're good and ready to come in, they pound on the door as if their life depended on it.

Here is one of our many rescues we call a "throw-a-way kitty". She was left with a bunch of donated boxes at a local thrift shop. So scared and tiny, it took her months to finally get over that impulse to run whenever someone reached for her. My husband is the exception. I think she imprinted on him since he is the one who actually caught her without scaring her out of her wits like I did.




The real story here is a true Halloween miracle, our black cat, Taylor. He is pictured with his brother, Fender, who both came as a package deal (yes, they had belonged to a musician).
It was only days before Halloween, a few years ago, and we believe Taylor was clipped by a car. My husband just happened to return home probably soon after it happened because he discovered the cat flipping around in our driveway.
Fearing the worst what could he do but bring him inside so at least he wouldn't die alone. I've always been intrigued with the alternative therapy known as homeopathy. Its one of those things that if you hit it right with the correct remedy you are amazed, and wonder if it was just coincidence since it is so hard to really understand why this method of healing works.

It was obvious this cat was probably going to die of shock so I aimed to take care of the most acute problem first. Rescue Remedy is a combination of five Bach flower remedies: Impatience, Clematis, Rock Rose, Cherry Plum and Star of Bethlehem. These remedies are for traumatic stress and terror.
Taylor had classic signs of shock such as glazed eyes, pupils different in dilation, irregular breathing, and bodily shaking. I spent that entire night keeping him swaddled and warm. Four drops of Rescue Remedy was given every fifteen minutes for about two hours until he seemed to calm down and his breathing slowed to a more normal rate. (A bottle of Rescue Remedy should be kept on hand for many an emergency be it people or pets. Giving a dose every 15 minutes en route to either the vet or a doctor can make all the difference when there is fear, panic or possibility of shock.)

By morning he was still with us and much more alert. The main concern now was that his body just sank to the ground. When he tried to walk he dragged himself with the right side of his body. Front and back legs worked but only on that one side. We figured if his back was broken both back legs would have been useless. If he was hit in the head he most likely wouldn't have survived at all.
It was concluded he was probably thrown and suffered a concussion and nerve trauma. So we were advised to give our Taylor the gift of time and see how his body responds as the inflammation decreases. As we often do with our pets, once we know what we are dealing with we take care of our own by utilizing what we know from both conventional medicine and alternative methods.

Another wonderful homeopathic remedy is St. Johnswort or Hypericum. This treatment is recommended for nerve injuries and trauma. We gave him the potency we had which was 30x, four times a day and just watched for change. What we were looking for was the hope that once there was a decrease in inflammation there would be signs of improvement.
Sure enough, within two days he could hold up his head. He tried in earnest to get himself to the litter box where one of us would then hold him up to do his business.
What a relief when he started to show an interest in food. He didn't seem to be in any pain so we made him comfortable and waited.

Within a month he tried to stand on wobbly legs but couldn't hold his weight. Another month and he could walk but stumbled and fell easily. By six months he mastered the coordination to once again be able to jump. That show of perseverance was a great lesson for all of us.

Now a few years later the only residual signs of damage are a slight cock to his head and a watery eye. A bit clumsy he has made himself more endearing than ever.
A creature of habit, every evening he follows us to our bedroom and settles in.
Interesting that it is usually those with special needs who hold such special places in our lives.

Did someone intentionally hit him because he is a black cat and it was Halloween?
We will always wonder. Only Taylor and that driver really know what happened.

The battle of trying to keep these cats indoors is never ending. If a cat wants out, he'll try every which way to hide and then dart between, over, and under our legs as soon as that door opens. One of our houdini cats even knows how to pop out a screen. So another cold season is approaching and our little escape artists are now eager to come in when the warmth of the afternoon turns chilly towards evening. And not surprising, mine aren't the only cats wanting a warm bed to sleep in. There are two new little faces briefly making an appearance before scurrying away in fear.