Over the course of my animal communication career, one of the most rewarding facets of my work has been transforming dogs who have bitten someone. If your dog has done this, your emotions around it are likely running quite high. The feelings can include guilt (why couldn’t I have prevented it?), bewilderment (he’s never done anything like this before!) or hopelessness (I haven’t a clue how to fix this — what if they have to be put down?) These are just a few of the many thoughts and emotions that might have gone through your mind after a biting incident. Its a very stressful burden to bear. F ..read more

Ah, the “inappropriate eliminators,” as I call them. This is definitely the top issue causing people to contact me for help with their cats. (Does this surprise you? Read on for the nitty, gritty, “they’re just not using their litty” details...) My clients typically describe a previously well-behaved cat that suddenly, and for no obvious reason, starts peeing — or even worse — pooping outside of their litter box. Many clients have reported to me that their cat did this while maintaining direct eye contact with them the whole time! This really makes it seem like it’s a deliberate act (yes, it ..read more

uring a recent trip to Ft. Pierce in South Florida, I had a chance to spend some time observing and communicating with a family of manatees (“sea cows”). Manatees are fascinating creatures. Slow-moving and gentle (the only aquatic mammals that eat a completely vegetarian diet), they are found in only a few places in the world; I felt lucky to see them in their natural habitat. Growing up to 13 feet in length and weighing over a ton, they have a flexible “prehensile” lip that they use gather food and eat, as well as using it for communicating with each other. They have no natural predators but ..read more

While visiting Mexico last year, I was introduced to Kelly Karger (pictured above), the co-founder of S.A.M.M. (Save A Mexican Mutt) — a rescue/adoption organization that services San Miguel de Allende, a small town in central Mexico. Kelly and her husband Jim have dedicated 10 years of work to building S.A.M.M. into an international organization. While some dogs are adopted locally, most are eventually placed in homes in the US and Canada. (The logistics of this are daunting, but they do it!) In addition to their ongoing rescue and rehab work, S.A.M.M. sets up an temporary operating room onc ..read more

Microchipping is painless! I’m often hired by people who have a missing animal, and while I have had quite good success locating and reuniting them, I wish these incidents didn’t happen so often — unfortunately, they are incredibly common. The first question I ask about their animal is “does he or she have a collar?” and the second is always “are they microchipped?” Unfortunately, most of the time, the answer is no. Often the reasoning is “she’s an indoor cat”, “the collar never seems to stay on anyway” or “he’s never supposed to be off-leash.” But the fact is, accidents do happen — animals c ..read more

As you might imagine, the animals I work with most often are dogs and cats. The pet population is aging along with us — they’re living longer lives and needing more frequent, and different, types of care. In the past year alone, I’ve worked with several cats that were well over 20 years old. And a number of dogs that reached 17. Older animals have particular and evolving needs; the changes their bodies go through as they age parallel our own. As an example, whether you are human, canine, or feline, if you live long enough, you’re most likely going to experience some osteoarthritis. It’s basic ..read more

Horses are widely recognized as highly intelligent, sensitive and emotional beings. In my 2+ decades working as an animal communicator, the problems they face are almost always more complicated, and run more deeply than the other species that I regularly work with. People often ask me what it’s like to communicate intuitively with horses. I always say that it’s very much like working with a human. Cats, dogs, bunnies and birds all have their unique and wonderful qualities, but horses are extraordinarily intelligent creatures. I find it very similar to the experiences I’ve had when working wit ..read more

Ah, the torture of naughty pet behavior and not knowing what to do about it! There is always a reason for acting out, but we often don’t know what that is — so frustrating! Here’s a brief list of possibilities to consider: 1. An underlying emotional condition. They might be reacting to a neigborhood animal that they can see through the window, something you might be unaware of while you are away at work. They could be influenced by your own emotiional state or recent changes in the household. They could have childhood trauma and anxiety, separation anxiety, or simply a background that cemente ..read more

Grief. We all go through it sooner or later. In my animal communication practice, I often work with clients who are grieving — usually because their pet has died. This is of course to be expected. But there is also another side of grief — animals who are themselves experiencing profound grief and loss. The good news is — as with people who are struggling with loss — we can do something about it. I first started seeing this when I began working with “rescues” that had been through profound trauma in their early lives. Clients had been hiring me because their pets were often crying in the middl ..read more

Letting go of your beloved pet is the hardest thing an animal lover will ever go through. And what can make it even more agonizing is weighing the decision whether to “help” them in their passing (or not) and the timing of any assistance. Doing it when you think it might be too soon can leave you with lasting guilt over whether you should have waited. But waiting too long can cause your pet unnecessary suffering. Watching them deteriorate day after day is harmful to you too. How do you know what to do? If your pet has become so ill that your vet has suggested it might be time to consider euth ..read more