By Mickey Parent

Stub is a Reiki cat. He loves hands-on treatments and soaking up energy during classes and Reiki Shares. Recently he had a healing crisis. Before telling his story, let me introduce him to you.

Stub was a shelter cat. When he arrived at the shelter he was in bad physical shape including having a mangled tail. The vet tried to save it but in the end had to amputate part of it.

About 12 years ago, I visited the shelter looking for a friend for my companion cat, Byron. After an interview, I was told the “perfect” cat was visiting a nursing home and that I should wait until he returned.
That's when Stub found me. He played, “strutted his stuff”, and let me know over the course of 4 hours that he was the one. Eventually we went home, where Byron immediately took him under his paw, showing him around and assuring him that things would be ok.

However, soon after that I began to see signs of prior trauma or abuse. After entering the living room, he panicked and ran downstairs upon seeing the operating ceiling fan. It took a day or so before he could be coaxed back into the room. If my hand was raised or moved quickly, he would cower as if being struck. He eventually got used to things and the three of us have been a happy family ever since.

When I began practicing Reiki about 5 years ago, I noticed Stub took a keen interest in it. He would lay on my stomach for hands-on treatments for hours. When teaching in my home, he always comes to class when the practice treatments begin and he always attends the Reiki Shares.

Recently I took Kathleen’s two Animal Reiki Workshops. Five practitioners came over and we tried out some of the techniques from the class work. We were all centered, and sat quietly offering Reiki to Stub. Stub was sitting next to me in a chair. After some time, one of the women went downstairs and when she started to return she invited Byron to come upstairs with her. Stub was going down the stairs at the same time. Stub started hissing, and soon she was caught on the stairs between the two as Byron was hissing back. I was able to get both cats downstairs while the woman returned upstairs. Things became tense and Byron and Stub got into a cat fight... something which has never happened before. After separating them, I tried to calm Stub but he hissed at and turned on me. Again, something totally out of character.

Later that night Stub began settling down, but was very different. His whole demeanor had changed; in addition he wouldn't eat. By the third day there were glimmers of his old self, but I was very worried. I
was leaving for a trip in less than a week and strangers would be coming in to take care of him. If he became aggressive while I was gone, it could present a problem.

Drawing from a recent class exercise, I started using a new, powerful affirmation technique. We are all familiar with using positive affirmations to remove negativity and bring about change and healing, for example: “I have abundance in my financial life”. However, if we use simply one word, “abundance”, it suddenly broadens the picture, attracting abundance in all areas. Adding the feeling of the affirmation
makes it even more powerful.

For the next few days, I focused on trust, safety and courage.

Beginning with trust, I filled myself to the core with the feel of trust. Once there, I envisioned a bridge and invited Stub to the bridge. When he arrived, I asked him if he would like to feel trust, then envisioned him with the trust feeling. The energy was very strong. As it began to subside, I moved on to safety and then courage. After courage, I ended the session with love. Going through the same steps for each one-word affirmation. This series was repeated for three days.

Following the treatments, 2 friends came over at separate times. Both are non-animal people. Stub galloped (yes, that's the correct word) across the room to greet each of them at the door. Another first. Stub usually hangs back and lets Byron greet visitors before timidly coming to check things out. He also jumped up onto the lap of one of them after she received a short reiki treatment and began licking her (not typical Stub behavior). After this I felt at ease leaving.

In retrospect, I believe the treatment offered by the group was accepted but it brought up memories of Stub's prior trauma or abuse. Since Reiki moves things through us, I believe his aggressive behavior
was a result of the memories. Stub had no where else to release the feelings except to Byron and me. He's moved beyond those now and things are back to normal.

I continue to be amazed by the workings of Reiki, and especially to see the positive effects that one-word affirmations combined with Reiki can have on animals. This is a wonderful technique which you will love working with.

About the Author:  Mickey Parent is a Reiki Master/Teacher in Chicago, IL, who shares Reiki with her two companion cats. She
is building her animal Reiki practice and offers training to people who live or work with animals through Equilibrium Energy + Education. She can be reached at parentmickey@hotmail.com.

---