By Beverly Meland

I am a Reiki Master Teacher and have given Reiki to my own cat for quite some time. When my friend Penelope asked me to give a Reiki treatment to her cat, Rice, I immediately said yes.

Rice is an independent, intelligent and affectionate elderly cat who had injured his front left paw diagnosed by the veterinarian as a sprain. He limped, was lethargic and in enough pain to require medication.

When I arrived, Rice was nestled in the lap of Toby, his human companion, and did not appear eager to move. I communicated to Rice why I was there and asked his permission to give him a Reiki treatment for his paw. Permission granted. I closed my eyes and put my hands on his body while he rested in Toby's lap. Rice purred quite steadily and quite loudly. I remember reading that although cats purr when content and happy, they also purr when injured and feeling pain. When cats are experiencing trauma, the vibration and relaxing sound of purring is thought to be a form of "natural self-healing" for them.

After about ten minutes, I realized the purring had stopped. I opened my eyes, looked at the cat and saw he was sound asleep. I looked at Toby and HE WAS SOUND ALSEEP AS WELL! Apparently, the energy went from Rice to Toby; cat and man had symbiotically become one!

Twenty-five minutes into the treatment, Rice awoke, jumped down on the floor and laid there with his back to us. The treatment was over.

I heard nothing for 24 hours, but then I received the following email message: "We're delighted to report that we have seen a significant improvement in Rice. He is a whole lot less lame and feels chirpy. He went outside to explore for over an hour today. He was walking really well when he came back. I would love it if you could do another treatment, as he seems to respond well."

I arrived for Rice's second treatment and he indeed did have more energy. I was told he was taken off his pain medication because he seemed to be doing so much better. Again, I asked Rice for permission to send him Reiki and, again, the answer was a resounding yes! This time there was no purring, only relaxation in Toby's lap and neither Rice nor Toby fell asleep. The session lasted no longer than 15 minutes; its end signaled by Rice jumping off Toby's lap and spryly and confidently walking into the kitchen. There was no sign of limping or pain.

It never fails to amaze me how tuned-in to energy animals are. They instinctively know what they want, how much they need, and when they have had enough.

About the Author: Beverly Meland is a Reiki Master/Teacher in Evanston, IL and has been working with Reiki energy since 2005. She works primarily with humans but whenever she receives a request to do an animal Reiki treatment, she cannot refuse. Beverly sees clients at Equilibrium Energy + Education in Chicago and is a member of the International Association of Reiki Professionals. You can contact her at melandb@comast.net or through her website at www.equilibrium-e3.com.

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