Andrea Thiel Connell

I have cats. Waayyy too many cats! Striped ones, solid coloured ones, bi-colours, and in more shades of gray than you can imagine. There are predictions being made around my loved ones that I will become that crazy cat lady with the wind chimes that does tarot cards in the old house on the edge of town. Hmmm…it’s hard to argue with that since that pretty much sums up my life already. I’m just not crazy…yet! I think…

But in the meantime what can you do? It is what it is! So yes, in the meantime I have too many cats. But seriously they’re lovely! Each one unique in personality and markings, each one with a lovely, generous nature.

My Favorite Teacher Was A Cat!

Cats, especially kittens in a litter, are endlessly amusing. Cats are remarkable teachers for us mere humans – ask any cat. They have no doubt in the superiority of their species. When we learn from the habits and behaviors of various animal and bird species we can refer to this practice as animal medicine. The commonly accepted teachings from cats are about independence and self-love. But, I can tell you from my experience of living in the midst of a colony of cats the teachings go way beyond self-love.

Cats are heartful, self less creatures and endlessly demonstrative in their love. They are far less independent than people like to think they are. People like the idea of having 1 cat but cats like the company of their own kind. As much as they like their independence, they love being within the snuggling distance of other cats. They are excessively affectionate animals with a strong social order within their colony. They have many rituals that center around looking after one another. They groom each other, they hug each other, they cry for each other, they wrestle ferociously and play tag together. The older ones teach the younger ones how to behave, how to hunt, how to stalk, how to have respect for the elders in the group. There are strict rules and penalties for stepping out of line, anything from boxing to swatting to nipping. But cats are guileless, they never hold a grudge. When they warn or punish each other it is done without creating fear. They set a clear boundary that the others respect without question but in the next second they are back to purring and loving each other unconditionally, so long as the lesson has been learned. Cats are tenacious and demanding in their needs. They are alert and on watch every second, highly sensitive to the energy around them and always tuned in to their environment and all that is happening within it. Their natural curiosity often leads them to the brink of disaster, but in the end they just grow and learn and carry on to live another one of their 9 lives. Yes I believe there is a lot we can learn from living with and observing cats.

Reiki Cats; Whose Treating Who?

All my cats have been ‘Reiki’ed since the day they were born. I actually think cats do Reiki naturally. There have been times when I am very aware of my cat being more attuned, more in harmony with universal energy than I am in a particular moment. They are always willing to give a treatment. They are instinctively hardwired to know where to place their paws (as well as the rest of their bodies) to facilitate healing. I often have cat assistants when I’m doing Reiki sessions. They are natural meditaters too, they can sit in posture for unlimited amounts of time, fully conscious, fully present, yet un-distractable from their meditative state. They create a space of calmness and peaceful acceptance for whatever is, and everyone who has the pleasure of having a cat for company is bound to be entrained into the same peaceful, unconditional energy very quickly. I think I’m actually starting to purr and find myself wanting to frolic in the garden! Oh no!

Sharing the Love

But all this said folks – we have a serious problem on our hands with an exploding cat population. The local humane societies are completely and totally overwhelmed and over run with cats and kittens. They need your support for their spay and neuter programs, for food, for litter. If you have it in your heart to adopt a cat please don’t hesitate, they are the worthiest of friends, faithful confidants, endlessly committed to your happiness and well-being. If you can please try to help these societies out. Any donations are welcome. The populations of stray and feral cats is escalating at an alarming rate. It may not seem to be your problem, but it is in fact a societal issue.

I love my cats, and they have all been loved well, but this doesn’t mean that I can’t give several of them up to good homes where they will continue to be loved as much as they want to be. And believe me the sooner the better! We honestly have too many!! (The picture at left only shows a few of them).

I am blessed in the love of my cats and I am purrfectly willing to share that blissful state with you! As soon as possible – that’s just the kind of reiki master, wind chime and cat lover I am!