“I think he's upset with me.”
I
have heard this many times from an animal's person who is coming to
me for help with an animal family
member's behavior.
However, it amazes me the myriad of
ways that I have made mistakes and my animals
always forgive me. They just seem to “move on.”
I often find that when people think
their animal is upset with their person that there is some other
underlying cause for a particular behavior.
I worked with a cat named Tyrese who
was only using his litter box about half of the time. The
veterinarian had ruled out any medical reasons for this behavior and referred the family to me; seeking my skills as an animal communicator to
get to the root of the problem.
Tyrese's family actually thought the
reason that he was not using his litter box was because he was
reacting to the addition of a dog, Skylar, to the family about 3
months prior to contacting me. Tyrese did show me an image of
Skylar. However, he proceeded to show me Skylar going to Tyrese's
litter box and “snacking.” I could feel Tyrese's anxiety around
this invasion of his “private area.” I would not say that
Tyrese's behavior was done out of “spite.” It was a response
borne out of frustration at not knowing what else to do. “I guess
I'll just go over here,” was Tyrese's response.
Once I had discovered the problem, the issue was easily rectified by restricting Skylar's access to Tyrese's litter box area.
I have found in my experience that
animals rarely harbor what human's would call "resentment."
For instance, my dog Cheyenne
plays every morning with her dog friend/neighbor, Bentley. However,
when Bentley's dad comes home in the afternoon, Bentley expects to
play fetch with him. Cheyenne begs to go outside to see her friend.
And every day, Bentley completely ignores her. Bentley sees only her
toy and is oblivious to the presence of Cheyenne. No harm, no foul.
Cheyenne and Bentley still play in the morning like nothing happened.
Although my human reaction is to want Cheyenne to have some sense of
“self-respect,” she really doesn't take it personally. She's just happy to be outside, near her friend.
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| Cheyenne and Bentley playing in our recent snow storm |
So what is it about animals that is
different from humans that allows them to forgive so easily?
Animals live in the present. They are
not lamenting about past wrongs and they are not worrying if their
needs will be met in the future. Part of that involves something I
mentioned in a previous article, “That Love Thing,” in which
I discuss how animal's brain waves are most often operating in the more relaxed states. (For previous articles
http://anneangeloanimalcare.blogspot.com/)
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| Bentley loves to play fetch - ceaselessly! |
One of the main reasons that animals can move forward so quickly after experiencing something unpleasant from a human or another animal, is that they do not possess the kind of ego that humans do.
The kind of pride that we humans have can make it a challenge to let go of anger and resentment. There is much to learn from animals in regard to overcoming pride and allowing (as well as asking) for forgiveness; and doesn't it just feel good to forgive? It might take some time but not carrying that weight of unforgiveness around often provides major relief. It can even prevent future relationship problems and physical disease.
There are times when animals will “request” change from us through demonstration of an unwanted behavior.
If that it the case, communicating with our beloved animal family members in an open-hearted way and asking for their perspective can provide much needed resolution!
There are times when animals will “request” change from us through demonstration of an unwanted behavior.
If that it the case, communicating with our beloved animal family members in an open-hearted way and asking for their perspective can provide much needed resolution!
Featured Essential Oil Of The Week - Forgiveness!
Forgiveness™ contains a synergistic blend of soothing and uplifting essential oils that may enhance the ability to release hurtful memories and move beyond emotional barriers. The process of growth can only proceed when we have the ability to forgive and let go of negative emotions. - Young Living Oils Website
