Lunar's Legacy

Lunar left his tired body today.  It happened exactly as he had told me it would:  he waited until Kelly had come home from work, and then, without undue drama, he had a stroke.  Kelly held her precious 16-year-old boy in her arms as she whispered, "Go Baby, Go. . ."  Soon, he stopped breathing, and soared into spirit.

Lunar's will to live had remained strong until those last moments.  Though his thin body was scarcely able to do what he wanted it to do, he had a voracious appetite--for food and for life--until the very end.  If he had any foreshadowing that his remaining days on earth were few, he did not show it.  Nor did he show an ounce of fear.  He wanted to be able to make his own choices, and to govern the time and circumstance of his passing.  Kelly honored his wishes, even while sacrificing her own comfort and convenience.  She loved him that much.

During my conversation with Kelly last night, she told me something that made me realize that Lunar's time was drawing very near.  She said she had been seeing fleeting glimpses of Lunar's spirit body running around her, out of the corner of her eye.  He seemed to be frolicking with exuberant feline energy, and then, he would be gone.  When she would look around, there was Lunar:  still deeply sleeping on the other side of the room, giving nary a clue that his spirit was so vibrant that it had leapt out of a weakened body which could no longer contain it.

Today, Lunar shed that body for good.  "I know he has been restored to health and happiness," Kelly told me, through her tears.  "I am so blessed for having been able to love him for 16 years."  As for Lunar, I know he feels the same way.

The Cat Who Cared

Claire asked me to talk with her sweet Ragdoll cat, Casey.  He's a gregarious, funny, friendly, and all-around great cat, but Claire and her husband were losing sleep over him, literally.

Not only did Casey pace at night, but he insisted on opening closet doors and rattling window shades in the master bedroom during the darkest hours.  His night-after-night antics had left Claire and her husband exhausted and exasperated.  Could I find out why Casey was so rambunctious in the midnight hours, Claire wanted to know, and more important, could I persuade him to stop?

When I connected with Casey, he admitted that he did want Claire and her husband to wake up.  The question was:  why?

I wasn't prepared for what he said next.  It turned out that Casey's middle-of-the-night rumblings were inspired by his fear that one of his "parents" had stopped breathing, and his purpose in rousing them was to make sure they were okay.  He knew if he could wake them, they'd have to breathe!

Claire and her husband were astonished when I told them what Casey had shared.  It turns out that in fact, Claire's husband has been diagnosed with sleep apnea, and there are times when his breathing does momentarily cease.  They had no idea that Casey had understood the danger, and that all he wanted to do was to help.

Interestingly, after my session with Casey, Claire reported that her dear cat has been much more relaxed and that he's begun to sleep through the night again.  I'd suggested to Casey that instead of creating noises that would disturb his sleeping parents, he could jump up on the bed and wake them if he perceived that one of them had really stopped breathing.  It's a solution that seems to be working for everyone.

A breakthrough for Willow the cat

It had been a rough few months for Tina.  Her parents had died within several weeks of each other, and Tina was not only sad, she was exhausted.

Tina's dear cat, Willow, felt the stress, too.  Plagued by a variety of health issues, she needed medications to preserve her quality of life.  She hated them.  Whenever she saw Tina approaching with the meds in hand, Willow fled.

Though Tina could eventually catch Willow and administer the soothing salves, what she could not do was to stop Willow from peeing on the bed, the pillow, and the rug--everywhere except in the litter box.  I had worked with Willow on a similar problem about a year ago, and from then until now, she had been perfect in her bathroom habits.  But with the recent emotional upheavals, Willow's litter box manners had taken a downturn, and that was more than Tina could take.

That's when she contacted me.

When I checked in with Willow, she felt depressed and worried.  She fully understood that Tina was becoming increasingly upset with her, and that only seemed to be making things worse.  But something Willow said really hit me:  she said that she felt broken, and disposable.  She felt like she was just facing away, and that she didn't matter anymore.  I sensed that Willow wouldn't return to the litter box until her hurt feelings had been healed.

It was hard to tell Tina what Willow had communicated.  I knew that Tina loved her with all her heart, and would do anything she could to help her precious feline friend feel better.  At the same time, Tina admitted that there were times when she'd had fleeting thoughts of re-homing Willow if she continued to urinate on the bed. Tina knew she'd never follow through on those silent threats, but still, they hung in the air, palpably enough for Willow to read them, internalize them, and conclude that she was, indeed, "disposable."

I suggested that Tina talk with Willow in a way that she'd never done before, letting the sweet orange cat know that she cherished her and that she would lovingly care for her forever.  It worked.  

Within 24 hours, Tina messaged me to say that willow had made it through the night without a wet spot in sight.  Three days later, she sent me this quick note:  "Day 4 and no pee.  And Willow is as cuddly as ever.  It's amazing!  Keep your fingers crossed, and thank you so much!"

Calling all Dachshunds, Dalmations, Dobermans and Dutch Warmbloods

Through the end of September, I'm offering a 20% discount on telepathic consultations with all animals whose breed begins with the letter "D."


The reduced rates this month apply to Dachshunds, Dalmations, Dobermans, Devon Rexes, Dutch Warmbloods, and to all other breeds of dogs, cats, horses, or other animals whose breed begins with the fourth letter of the alphabet.  Both new and current clients of Animal Translations are invited to take advantage of this program.


I'll continue the "ABCs of Animal Communication" promotion in October, when it will be offered to breeds that begin with the letter "E."


The standard fee for an animal communication consultation is $75.  Clients whose animals qualify for the reduced rate this month can purchase a session for $60 by visiting the Animal Translations website.

Calling all Basset Hounds, Beagles, Bloodhounds, Bengals, and Belgians

I'm continuing my alphabet-inspired discount program during the month of July, offering a 20% discount on animal communication consultations to all animals whose breed or species begins with the letter "B."

The reduced rates this month will apply to Basset Hounds, Beagles, Bloodhounds, Border Collies, Boxers, Briards, Bengals, Belgian Draft Horses, and to all other breeds of dogs, cats, horses, or other animals whose breed begins with the second letter of the alphabet.  Both new and current clients of Animal Translations are invited to take advantage of this program.

I'll continue this whimsical "ABCs of Animal Communication" promotion in August, when it will be offered to breeds that begin with the letter "C."

The standard fee for an animal communication consultation is $75.  Clients whose animals qualify for the reduced rate this month can purchase a session for $60.00 by visiting the Animal Translations website.

Calling all Abyssinians, Airedales, and Arabians!

I've just launched a new client appreciation program whereby animals whose breed or species begins with the letter "A" will receive a 20% discount on telepathic consultations with me during the month of June.

The discounts this month will apply to Appaloosas, Arabians, Andalusians, Abyssinians, American Shorthairs, Afghan Hounds, Airedales, Akitas, Alaskan Malemutes, American Foxhounds, Australian Shepherds, and to all other breeds of dogs, cats, horses, or other animals whose breed begins with the first letter of the alphabet.  Both new and current clients of Animal Translations are invited to take advantage of this program.

Animal Translations' ABCs of animal communication will continue in July, when it will be offered to breeds that begin with the letter "B."

The standard fee for an animal communication consultation is $75.  Animals who qualify for the reduced rate can purchase a session for $60.00 this month by visiting the "Consultations" page of my website.

The Way of a Cat

Cats have an energy that is different from dogs, that's for sure.  And that's true when it comes to telepathic communication, too.

When you call to a dog, he'll usually acknowledge you right away; there's not much of a lapse between the time you send the message and the time you receive a response.

But as I realized yesterday when I addressed my cat, Neil, his style is quite different.  Neil was cozily ensconced near a sunny window, alternately waking and sleeping on a quiet winter afternoon.  I said "hello" to him as I walked by, and was surprised when he acted like he hadn't even heard me.  But I knew he had.  I stopped to watch what he would do, and then, after perhaps 45 seconds had passed, he slowly turned his head, looked up at me, smiled, and returned the greeting.

That's interesting, because if I had been communicating telepathically with Neil from a remote location (or even the next room), I might have jumped to the conclusion that he hadn't heard me, or worse, that I wasn't hearing him.  What I saw today in Neil made me realize that cats can be quite considered and deliberate in the way they respond to a request or an inquiry, whether it's spoken aloud or in silence. 

I'll remember that the next time I'm talking telepathically to a cat who's far away, and try to create the time and space for him to respond--in his own time.

Last Call for Special June Pricing on Cat Consultations!

I'm reaching out to anyone who's always wanted to have an animal communicator talk with her cat, to let you know that there are only three days left to take advantage of my special June pricing for cat consultations!

Through June 30th, my fee for telepathic communication sessions with cats has been reduced to $40.00, a $25.00 savings over the regular $65.00 price.

If you request your session by midnight on Tuesday, June 30th, 2009, I'll honor that price, even though I will actually be conducting the consultation during the month of July.

To request a session, just go to the Animal Translations website and click on "Consultations." Use the "Cats with Cancer" pricing for PayPal and scroll down to fill out a "Consultation Request Form," which will arrive in my Email box within seconds after you send it.

Casey's Last Gift

On the terrible day in November that I had to bring Casey to the vet's office for the last time, something unusual happened.

At my request, Dr. Gifford had administered a sedative, prior to the final injection, so that Casey would be relaxed and calm before she drifted into her permanent sleep.

As the relaxant took effect, Casey laid on her side, without moving, and I looked deeply into her eyes, stroking her and whispering how much I loved her.

Casey began to slowly and deliberately blink her eyes. I had never noticed her doing that before, and I wasn't sure why she was doing it now, at this fateful moment. As I struggled to keep my turbulent emotions in check, my telepathic prowess deserted me; there was no time to ask Casey or intuit what she meant.

So it was with tremendous gratitude and wonder that I stumbled upon a moving explanation of this gesture in Dusty Rainbolt's engaging book, Ghost Cats: Human Encounters with Feline Spirits (which I will be reviewing in the December issue of my monthly eNewsletter, "What's Up With Animals?"):

"A slow blink is one of the ways that cats communicate affection--sort of a kitty kiss."

I now realize that Casey was saying, "I love you," one last time. She was saying, "good-bye," in the only way she could, and I will always treasure that memory.

Talking About Animal Communication Tonight!

I'll be the featured speaker at tonight's "Whiskers and Tails" lecture series, sponsored by the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society at the Newburyport Public Library from 6:30-7:30pm.

I know it's raining, but join us, if you can!

I'll be talking about how cats (and other animals) use telepathy to send and receive information, how people can influence their cats' behavior by understanding how they perceive and interpret human thoughts and intentions, and how we can better understand their seeming behavioral quirks by just asking them what's going on!

Attendees will have an opportunity to win a free animal communication consultation for the animal of their choice.

Hope to see you there!

Cats as Companions During War

Former New York Times Bagdad Bureau Chief John Burns writes about the way in which cats managed to ingratiate themselves into the lives of the journalists who cover the war, in "What Cats Know About War," published in today's "Week in Review" section.

The veteran war correspondent, who has covered conflicts in most of the bloodiest venues of the last 30 years, recently left his post in Iraq but recalls with fondness how the routine of caring for itinerant felines behind the walls of The Times' walled compound brought a measure of compassion and humanity into an otherwise danger-filled beat.

He tells of the bitter winter night when he rescued a tiny, scrappy kitten whom he subsequently named, "Scooter":

"Watching her, and the two litters of kittens she had over the following 18 months, offered we humans a new reaction to the cacophony of the war. The bloodiest suicide bombings, even miles away, have the sound and feel of the apocalypse, causing humans to freeze, no matter how often they experience it. Cats need to hear it only once. As they skitter to the safety of trees and bushes, they enter the blast and the tremor on the hard drive of their brains. On the next occasion, come the blast, they barely stir. "

But because of Burns' kindness and perseverence in negotiating their way out of Iraq when he left the country last summer, Scooter and her progeny are now out of danger, safely ensconced in England, and "liberation into a green and pleasant land where they would be full citizens, never again wanting for shelter, warmth and food. "