Pets do more than just love us.

Having been around animals all my life, I can understand why more and more people are becoming pet owners. We love our pets! We spend thousands of dollars on their food, upkeep, toys, health and for some, clothes.

And with good reason. Pets provide a myriad of benefits for us. Probably the most quoted reason that we love them is their unconditional love of us. No matter how grumpy we get or messy we look, our pets still love us. And they are so forgiving if we’re late to feed them or make them wait to go out.

They provide other benefits to us as well. Studies have shown that pets:

• Will help us uplift our mood. Several studies with men who have AIDS showed they were more apt to become depressed if they didn’t own a pet than those who did.
• Can keep us calmer. Having a pet helps to control blood pressure better than prescribed drugs
• Help us to get more exercise: Dog owners walk more than those who don’t have one.
• Are date and friend magnets: Dogs are particularly good at helping us meet people, especially if the dog is cute.
• Keep us from feeling lonely. When nursing home residents are visited by dogs they report less feeling of loneliness and seperation.
• Lower the likelihood of developing allergies. When a child grows up with a pet, they are less likely to develop allergies while developing stronger immune systems.
• Help manage pain. Loyola University used pet therapy for recovering surgery patients and discovered they may need less pain medication than those without.

With all the wonderful benefits to having a pet, it’s no wonder we love and treat them as members of our families.

Unfortunately though, things can happen. Pets can become ill just like us. When this happens, it often makes us feel particularly helpless. After all, like a baby, the pet cannot verbalize where it hurts or how bad they feel. It’s an awful feeling when you don’t know what to do. Even after going to vet, it can still be so frustrating.

Years ago, we had a cat that had been with us since my daughter was about 2. The cat was one of the most lovable animals I’ve ever had. I always said that she and my daughter grew up together.

One day though, when she was about 10, she was diagnosed with liver cancer. The vet had us take her to a special radiation clinic where she underwent a series of treatments. It was heartbreaking to have to put her through this but there just wasn’t another option short of putting her down.

And she got better. For about a year she was fine and then it came back.

One day, I found her hiding behind the toilet in the downstairs bathroom. By that time, I knew the cancer had returned and we were debating what to do. But here she was, mewing and hiding out and I dearly loved this cat. I had to do something.

So…..I sat down on the floor and pulled her into my lap. I had taken a course in Reiki years before but never used it until that day. I spent about 2 ½ hours in that bathroom with her, running the Reiki energy.

At some point I just had a feeling it was done. There’s no other way to describe it….I knew it was done.

As the days went by, she began to have more energy. She began eating again and even playing with her sister. After about a month, there were no signs of anything. She was a healthy energetic playful cat again!

She lived to be 21 yrs. old and was never sick again.

Did Reiki heal her? I don’t know. All I know is she was sick and then she wasn’t.

I’ve used Reiki on other animals since then and had great results. I’ve also used it with people and they have reported pain relief, feelings of calmness and reported feeling stronger. And I’ve had Reiki done on myself. It has cleared up headaches, aches and pains and fatigue.

We are all just energy. It makes sense that energy work can be used with other methods of healing. And for some, like our cat, maybe it’s what’s really needed.

If you’re interested in learning more, go to: www.SpiritsMuse.com/reiki.html