Whisperer

Is it possible that anyone can be a whisperer? Animals have instincts and so do humans as we, too, are mammals. We make celebrities of people who seem to have a way with certain animals. There is a dog whisperer, as well as a pet psychiatrist appearing on television. To a certain extent, these people may have a propensity in relating to animals, but so do we all.

Having no pets of my own, a friend and neighbor shares hers with me. We have fun with my role as Auntie Carol, as she has related to her lab and Siamese cat that I am a family member.

Recently, Candy (not her real name), had a bout with illness. It was a terrible time in their household. Soma, her cat, came over to visit me everyday. All a sudden, Soma had a place on her neck where her fur thinned out in a tiny circle perfectly centered on her throat.

I worried about this, particularly because of where the wound appeared. There were no scratch marks, and it was evident that she had licked away the fur in that spot.

That's when I tried some whispering on my own.

Intuition came in with strong reception. Conjecturing that Soma felt responsible for Candy's illness, I decided to communicate to my "niece" that it wasn't her fault.

Each day that she came to visit, I had a look at her throat, and then I would express that it's not her fault that Candy was ill. All the while I was petting the top of Soma's head, I'd hope for understanding.

After that week, I was busy with a load of projects, and didn't pay that much attention to Soma. When I surfaced from being buried in work, I looked across the street and noticed Soma sitting in the driveway facing me, and the fur had grown back.

As Candy recuperated, I related this episode as food for thought. She looked at me as if I had lost my mind. I ignored the look and went on.

Candy and Soma were head on in a battle of wills that seemed to have no end. Every morning at four o'clock, Soma began to cry and wake up the entire household wanting to go outside. Frustrated, and missing out on important sleep, Candy was holding a grudge.

After she had reiterated this problem enough times, I suggested that she have a talk with Soma. After laughing so hard that she almost fell off the couch, Candy thought twice about my suggestion. She promised to try it. Well, it worked, and she intuitively understands that, she too, can be a whisperer.