Animals – Begin With The Relationship (Part 3)

Welcome to Part 3

     When building and maintaining a relationship with animals, one thing to help people understand it better is to find some common ground.  People and animals have a LOT of things in common.  If you do some self-evaluating then you may be able to recognize it easier.  The biggest thing that clouds things up for people is their ego.  Allowing your ego to rule your way of thinking, judging, behaving, etc. can really mess things up.  However, if you’re able to recognize when your ego is trying to take control then you’re ahead of the game.  Most people can’t (or won’t) do it.  Why?  Well, that means acknowledging one’s limitations, which many people are taught is a sign of weakness.  On the contrary, it’s a sign of strength.  How?  Well, those with ego problems can be very difficult to live and deal with.  They are so insecure with themselves that they look for other’s weaknesses to exploit and pounce upon.  That helps feed their egos, but it’s a very stressful and self-destructive way to live.  Becoming aware of one’s ego can be challenging.  Attempting to control your ego can put you in a position to be vulnerable to those with egos when you’re initially beginning to develop the skills you need to achieve your goals AND deal with Egomaniacs.

     Your body may send off signals similar to those of the robot from “Lost In Space” saying, “DANGER, WILL ROBINSON!  DANGER!”  ABORT! ABORT!  That’s our bodies trying to protect us.  However, when learning new skills, the best learning happens outside of our comfort zone or bubble.  Having typed that, you don’t have to go TOO far outside of your bubble zone to learn.  It’s okay to do baby steps.  Each step will take you closer to your goals and that in turn will help make life a little easier and more enjoyable.

     OK, so here’s an example of how relating, connecting, comparing, etc. how life affects you may be similar to animals.  This understanding can assist in the developing and maintaining a strong and healthy relationship with your pets and animals in general.  As you read this, Replace the perspective of the character talking (which is me) with an animal (Cat, Dog, Horse, Bird, etc.).  Analyze it.  Can you picture what that animal’s going through?  What could be done to help this animal?

     EXAMPLE:  I’ve dealt with many people in my life, including friends and family, who do not like, understand or accept my way of thinking or doing things.  Many would ridicule and even try to sabotage my efforts.  Others seemed to be constantly agitated with me simply because I didn’t do things their way.   Several people who liked or loved me, in the beginning, slowly changed to where they either don’t like or love me as much as they did or stopped caring about me at all.  As time went on, those people became more aggressive, abusive, hurtful, etc.  Initially, I was hurt and confused.  It’s in my nature to be forgiving, nurturing, caring, loving, understanding, protective, and a strong desire to please others.  I wanted everyone to “get along.”  I did whatever was necessary (including sacrificing myself) to TRY and please others and just (as the expression goes) take the hits to keep the peace or fight to protect the ones that I loved.

     This is just the first step in learning how to understand animals.  I am working on a book to share my experiences and life lessons that have (and continue to) helped me.  There are many gifted people who have written books and created videos to teach what they’ve learned.  I will be sharing those books, videos, website, etc. throughout my blogs and, eventually, vlogs (Video blogs).  For now, I’ll share two that I highly recommend you check out.  For those interested in purchasing these books, please know that I will provide direct links to the book and e-book versions.  I am an Affiliate for Amazon. Using my links helps to financially support what I do and is greatly appreciated.

     OK – So, first up is one of my most FAVORITE Cat persons, Jackson Galaxy!  (Click on his name to go to his website)

     I have learned (and continue to learn) SO much from this man and I think you will too!  He has several books, videos, products, etc. AND he has his own website.  No worries!  I shall share some of those now and others in my future Blogs & Vlogs.  Let’s start with TWO of his books that I have found to be VERY useful in our multi-cat family.  They are:

“Catify to Satisfy” and “CATIFICATION.” I have gotten some GREAT tips on what our kitties need to be happier and healthier, including how we can improve our home to be more Cat friendly.  This has helped us when we were just a single cat family to being a multi-cat family.  Some of the issues his suggestions and tips have helped include How to solve litter related problems (like them marking other parts of our home & belongings), How to resolve aggression between cats and other members of our family, and How to figure out what each cat needs to just be happier all around.

     I will share more of their stories in later Blogs & Vlogs.  Click on the image below to learn more about this book.