Our Connection with Animals

Well, it's spring, my favorite time of year.  I love the color green of the leaves, a bright lime green, so vibrant, that you only see now.  I love the flowers and their fragrance in the air.  I love the days where you can have the windows open and can feel the soft Virginia air, very different from the air in Colorado where I lived for so long.

All these things make me love spring, but my favorite thing about spring is that the kittens are here!  On one hand, I know I should hope for no kittens, as there are millions of unwanted cats and dogs who get euthanized every year.  It will be a good day when everyone takes the responsibility of spaying and neutering all their animals and every last animal at the overcrowded shelters of the world are adopted.  Did you know that the spay/neuter rate is so high in the Northeast that there are people who drive animals from overcrowded Southern shelters to those in North to get adopted?  Let's hope that more and more shelters start to become less crowded.  Working in a shelter opened my eyes to the horrible treatment of animals that comes from the hands of humans. 

                                     You can adopt us!

Until then, one of my great joys in life is to foster kittens from the shelter who are not yet big enough to get adopted.  I love watching their joy in discovering life and of course, their undeniable cuteness.  They've somehow gotten separated from their mother, and it often takes awhile for them to trust humans.

Since I started studying shamanism, my love for our animal brothers and sisters has just gotten deeper and deeper.  Whether it is through meeting animal spirits in the other realities, or watching crows in my backyard, or relaxing with one of my cats laying on my chest, I feel closer and closer to animals all the time.  They are already in "the flow," connected to the life force, and full of love.  I recommend that if you are feeling lonely in your life, get an animal companion.  I have experienced a kind of unconditional love from the animals in my life that has brought me great healing.  Even if you're not lonely, and you want to have your heart opened, relating to animals is a great way to do this.  You don't need verbal language to feel love.

                                              You need me!

If you are interested in fostering kittens, puppies, cats or dogs, please contact any of the local animal shelters in the area.  The number for the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA is 973-5959.  Any help you can give helps the overstressed shelters especially now through October or November when the kitten births start to lessen.  And there are many animals available for adoption at our local shelters.  A mixed breed can bring you as much love (and can be even more grateful) as a purebred.  If you are particularly attached to a certain breed, there are also rescue groups for most breeds that you can find on the internet.  There are many purebred dogs and cats who end up in shelters as well.