Seventeen years ago I asked God for joy. He sent me kittens!
I discovered them the day my beloved shaggy dog ran back and forth, hair flying, and face grinning, between the spare bedroom and the living room where I sat reading. She completed several frantic laps before I understood she wanted me to follow. By the time I reached the bedroom door, she was down on her front legs, head and shoulders under the bed, with only her wagging black tail sticking out behind.
What the heck!
I knelt down to look.
Newborn kittens.
I did a double take. I didn’t even know the mama cat was pregnant! I had recently rescued her from a university campus after she had been abandoned by college students returning home for the summer. Winnie was barely out of the kitten stage, with every rib and backbone visible. I thought her distended stomach had been caused by severe malnutrition! My dog and I looked back and forth from each other to the baby cats. Our tails wagged and our noses were wet!
The “boys” have been with me ever since. Heaven on Earth is walking with my feline friends in the yard between showers on a spring day. They run, play, smell and spray, and follow me everywhere. Delightful! My cats have always been a beloved part of my family, just ask my husband. He knew when he proposed several years ago that I came with baggage in the form of cat carriers. He moved us to his mountaintop and none of us have ever looked back.
Spending so much time with my cats since retirement has allowed me to witness the subtle differences in their personalities; favorite stretching positions, give and take of alpha status, preferred cuddle times, and the deepness of looking into their enormous, green eyes. I’ve grown to love their individual traits. But I still wonder if they possess a comforting capacity that helps in healing.
Every time my stomach hurts the black alpha curls next to my abdomen and the pain stops. This is not Billy’s usual position. Usually he sits on my lap, extending his body up to my chin where he gets smooches and nose rubs and purrs himself to sleep in my arms. I’m curious if it’s his warmth that eases my pain. Does he know that he stops my aching?
Once I returned home from a chemo treatment with my arm on fire. No amount of massaging made it better. Billy jumped on my lap to smell my arm. He ran his nose from wrist to elbow. Satisfied, he then laid his body over the excruciating area and within seconds the pain disappeared. Billy stayed there for half an hour. This is something he had never done before. Could he smell the chemo drugs in my veins?
Johnny, the white cat, comes when I’m emotionally upset. He is the definition of “scaredy cat,” being typically nervous. Even when he wants petting, he stays for only a few minutes. Yet, when I am crying, inwardly or outwardly, he jumps on my lap to purr until my dark mood disappears. I ask myself why he chooses painful times to stay.
Tabers, the golden-belly tabby, usually a momma’s boy, has retained his cat-attitude, “Whatever.” He doesn’t seem to be engaged in my healing, but continues to bring me joy by sprawling into his favorite upside-down sleep positions.
Healers or not, all three of my furry friends improve the quality of my life. During this time I am grateful to have them by my side, in my lap, and on my arm! I wish they could join me during chemotherapy appointments. Chemo treatments make me too sick and nauseous to eat until a day before my next infusion. Thank goodness for scrambled eggs and popcorn!
The above is an except from my current manuscript, describing a time in which I was undergoing treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer. Johnny, the white cat, died in January of last year. I was blessed to have been with him through his transition. Billy, the black cat and Tabers the tabby still reside here and terrorize my lizards.
I would love to hear your stories about the healing power of animals. Have you had any personal experience or have heard about someone who has? I invite you to share in the comment section below (by clicking on the word “comment”) I think animals are capable of more than we give them credit for!
But why stop there? I’d love to hear some stories about humans healing animals, too. Maybe we could put all of these stories into a book It’s time we have a book that goes two ways. If you know anyone else who has a story to tell, please share this offer with them. Together we can come up with a book worth publishing!
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