Ask Your Pet

Dear Jennifer,

We adopted our cat Wally December 2012. He was 8 months old and had been abandoned by his family and on his own for 2 months.

We initially thought he was just frightened by his abandonment and the shelter. But, when we got him home he was so terrified that he found a hole in the wall and got inside. We had to take the wall apart and I pulled him out. I was bitten badly and had to go to the ER.

We’ve tried to let him know that we’re his friends. We don’t force him to come out of hiding; we bring him food and talk to him. We try to gently offer toys and play, but he responds as if we’re harassing him. We haven’t touched him since December 2012!

I wish we could know what he is feeling, and how to reach him. Any advice or direction would be greatly appreciated!!

Dori

Dear Dori,

Wally says that he knows that when he bit you it was extremely painful and he feels bad about it. He thinks he did something wrong that caused his abandonment, so causing pain for you has added to his guilt complex, as well as his fear. I’ve told Wally that you aren’t mad at him and want to be his friend, and that he doesn’t have to be scared of you. As I explained this to him, I got the feeling that there was abuse in his past. He has basically decided that it isn’t safe to trust people; he has shut down as far as humans are concerned.

Your ray of hope is that deep down Wally wants to love and accept you. He’s just afraid to open his heart and doesn’t even know where to begin. But, you can help him. I’ve worked with a cat similar to Wally. I began by sitting on the floor outside the room he was in and sending him Reiki and radiating feelings of safety and love. I gradually moved closer as he seemed to become more comfortable. Finally, he came to me and allowed me to pet him, and after that accepted his family. While you may not know Reiki or animal communication, you can easily radiate love and calm and acceptance to Wally. You can tell him that it’s safe to come to you, and hold in your mind pictures of you petting him, giving him treats, interacting lovingly.

Flower essence formulas can also help. I’d recommend putting Wally on “Abandonment and Abuse”, “Anxiety”, “New Beginnings”, “Carry Less”, “Heliotrope”, and “The Mary Rose” from www.GreenHopeEssences.com. I think they are all crucial, and can’t wait for him to experience the powerful loving energy of the Mary Rose essence.

Above all, keep being patient and loving. Wally does want you to know that he appreciates your compassionate treatment of him, and is sorry he hasn’t been able to shake off his mistrust. I hope that will change soon.

Many Blessings,

Jennifer Dickman

Jennifer Dickman is an Animal Communicator, Pet Reiki Specialist, Reiki Master-Teacher, and Intuitive Counselor. She is available for phone sessions worldwide. Jennifer can be reached at 215.817.0833 or Jennifer_Dickman@ymail.com. To receive a free copy of Jennifer’s “Five Things Your Dog or Cat Wants You to Know” please subscribe to her newsletter by emailing her with the subject line “newsletter request”. More information is available on Jennifer’s web site: www.JenniferDickman.com.