Ask Your Animal

Ask Your Animal provides a clear, hands-on guide to relating with animals and nature using intuitive communication. Its step-by-step instructions, true stories, and practice exercises are designed to inspire and guide the beginner. More advanced techniques help you resolve specific issues with the animals in your life — or in your neighborhood. Using this approach, you can start addressing these common situations right away: controlling bad habits like barking and digging • recovering lost animals • calming an animal with separation anxiety coping with an animal’s death • achieving a better bond with your animal • restoring trust in an abused animal creating harmony among the animals in your home • trailering a reluctant horse • eliminating aggressive behavior assisting sick and injured animals • connecting with rescue animals and animals in crisis

The twenty-four true stories in this book show that animals have their own individual personalities, likes and dislikes -- and, often, spiritual lessons to share. In fact, Dr. Ogden-Avrutik believes that animals can be spiritual gifts, put in our path to help us grow. Time after time, she and her human clients are granted surprising insights into the wisdom and emotional life of the animals they love. These heartwarming stories celebrate the loving bond between humans and their animal companions, and show what wonders are possible when we stop to listen to what our animal friends have to tell us.

How can some animals change color, when we can't? How can they grow new limbs when one gets broken? How can they hear sounds we can't hear, or predict a storm long before we can? If you want to know the answer to these and many other questions, just ask an animal! This brightly colored, kid-friendly, hardcover reference book is packed to the gills with trunk-fulls of animal information. Animals use different skills to perform these extraordinary feats, so for each question, there are answers from several creatures, each of whom has developed his or her own special skills. On each page there is a box explaining how humans try to emulate these animal super-skills, with varying degrees of success! The book is divided into four sections, each dealing with different aspects of animal skills. Chapters on the physical traits and feats of animals, their senses, their climates and habitats, and their extreme skills will leave readers with a plethora of details about their friends in the animal kingdom. Complete with a glossary and an index, this is a handy reference book for any curious child.

An excellent presentation of a lively and informative text coupled with full-color photos that are both beautiful and useful for identification purposes. Covers all popular soft coral groups and even includes a section on true anemones, concentrating on their natural history and aquarium requirements.

Imagine being able to ask your cat why she won't touch the liver-flavored food you bought her as a treat, or finding out why your dog is afraid of the Poodle next door. You Can Talk to Your Animals offers advice from the top animal communicators in the country. What readers learn will help them open their minds and hearts to form stronger bonds with their animals and will provide a unique opportunity for them to have a real, open dialogue with their pets. Author Janine Adams and thousands of others have found a way to communicate with their animals beyond guessing. The techniques in this book will allow the reader into their animals' thoughts to: -- locate the center of a behavior problem or illness -- uncover the latest mysterious history in the case of an adopted shelter animal -- aid in the rescue of a lost pet -- contact a deceased animal -- and much more! Actual case studies are used to illustrate the effective power of animal communication, and experts in the field reveal their own secrets for tapping into the animal mind.

A straightforward, easy-to-understand book that teaches you how to directly communicate with animals. Animal Talk teaches you how to open the door to your animal friends’ hearts and minds without resorting to magic tricks or wishful thinking. Every creature can be reached through telepathic communication—from your tabby cat or cockatiel to the wasps that build nests in the eaves of your home or even the common flea—you just have to be open to the idea, and mind-to-mind communication will be in your grasp. In addition to an entire chapter devoted to teaching people how to develop mind-to-mind communication with animals, Animal Talk includes a discussion of freedom, control, and obedience, understanding behaviors from the animal’s point of view, how to handle upsets between animals, tips on nutrition for healthier pets, and the special relationship between animals and children.

“You do what?” people exclaim in amazement when I tell them I am an animal communicator. “And how exactly do you do that?” they ask. “Well,” I reply, “I get pictures in my mind like clips of a movie. These pictures tell me whether an animal is happy or sad, if it’s longing for something, or satisfied with its life. They show me their wants, desires, needs and their hurts.” The images I receive do not refer to time, so it may be hard to place the content of the picture in the past, present or future. Also, the meaning depends greatly on the circumstances surrounding the event or the context of the situation. The images are often accompanied by impressions, feelings, tastes, sounds, and smells. I use all my senses when I am receiving the picture clips so, when I see a scene, I also know how the animal feels about what I’m seeing. Occasionally, I call myself an animal behaviorist, which is tongue-in- cheek because most of the time, any behavioral change called for is on the part of the human and not the pet. People often assume that, because I communicate with animals, I grew up close to them, observing them and sharing their lives. In fact, I grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina, a busy metropolitan city, surrounded by apartment buildings. The downtown area, where skyscrapers competed for the sky and for how many apartments or offices they could contain, was no place for pets. To see the slightest hint of green, I had to walk to a park, the lungs of the city, a couple of miles away. When I was eight, my family bought a summer home about two hours away from the city. It was a large Spanish-style home surrounded by lush green, and lots of fruit trees. It was a little piece of heaven, away from the noise of taxi horns and exhaust fumes. All of my three-month long school vacations were spent there and, on one such vacation, I realized that I could hear animals’ thoughts. On the corner next to us were neighbors who had emigrated from Europe. They had a farm and everyone within 30 miles knew the family and sought them out for fresh produce. They also raised chickens for eggs, cows for milk, a few work horses, a couple of dogs and some barn cats. We felt lucky to have them nearby as it meant that we would not starve, even during bad summer floods. I would often go next door to buy milk and eggs. On one occasion, I was given a tour of the farm and saw a new mother pig with about 20 piglets beside her. I was surprised to hear her complain about how incredibly tired she found nursing her young. As I “heard” this, she was looking right at me, and it was clear to me that I was not imagining it. I was paralyzed by this phenomenon and couldn’t move for a long while. From then on, I volunteered to go for supplies all the time so that I could talk to the animals. Once a dog tied to a tree told me how hot he was and laughed about the beating he received the previous day for breaking his chain. He said, “It didn’t hurt that much, and besides it was worth it. I got to inspect the whole ranch and marked everything. Now, even if I’m tied down most of the day, everyone will know it’s all mine.” I also heard a cow that warmly offered me some freshly squeezed milk, and the chickens complained about the new arrogant young cock. At such a young age, I took these things for granted, never realizing that not everyone had this gift. I simply replied to the animals and went on playing. It was not always pleasant, however. One day, a dog was about to be beaten and I really heard his desperate cry for help. The man undid his belt and called the dog to his side. The faithful animal, well aware of what was going to happen, obediently trotted over to him, shoulders sloughing down, head looking at the ground, and tail curled low between his legs. He looked at me and screamed, “Tell him to stop, tell him not to do it.” “Please don’t hurt him,” I begged the owner, but to no avail. “He needs to be taught a lesson,” the man said gruffly. Filled with anger and disbelief, I turned and walked away, the dog’s cries ringing in my head. His pain was my pain. I ran home and vowed to never experience this again. It wasn’t until my eighteenth birthday that I realized I was different, and began asking why I got extrasensory information from people and animals but others didn’t. Why was vivid déjà vu an everyday occurrence? Why could I foretell events? For example, in conversations, I routinely knew what someone would say next. This was a matter of mild curiosity for me until the day my world stopped. I had just married and we went to a furniture store to buy furnishings for our new apartment. The moment I set foot in the store, I started to see a “movie” that showed me what the two-level store looked like, and I noted that the sweeping main staircase reminded me of the one in Gone with the Wind. I saw how every piece of furniture that we would buy was already in our new apartment. And I suddenly discovered why I was there and why this was happening. The picture inside my head showed me a little girl playing on the staircase accidentally fall and break several bones. My mind raced. What am I supposed to do, I wondered. Has this already happened? Or is it about to happen? And if so, what am I supposed to do? Stop the little girl? Tell her mother? WILL SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT TO DO, I screamed internally. The movie played for several minutes, during which time I actually saw a little girl begin to play on the staircase. She was jumping to the first step, then turning around and jumping to the ground. The next time, she jumped two steps and turned to jump back to the ground level. She did this several times, each time jumping up one more step before turning and jumping down. I was motionless, watching and reliving my premonition. I counted six steps and, as I saw her begin to turn, I screamed. This startled her and she shifted her weight so that, unlike the premonition, she was only bruised, with no broken bones. She still cried and screamed for her mother but I felt so good when I saw her stand up and run to her family. Somehow my scream had changed the outcome. Shaken and confused, I wondered to whom I could speak about this. Who would understand? Would I be judged weird or worse, insane? I decided to say nothing to anybody, except God, the Universe, or whoever out there was in charge and hopefully listening. “If I am never shown any bad things, then I will accept this gift and put it to work in helping people and animals. I will honor this promise as long as you never, ever show me scary things again.” Getting over the furniture store incident took many years. By then, however, I knew what the word “psychic” meant. I had read all the books by Jane Roberts in which she channels an entity named Seth, and was glad to learn that I wasn’t the only one who was “strange.” Jane Roberts had the same doubts that I had and as she recounted that she was, in fact, her own worst skeptic and critic, I began to feel more at ease. Then came other authors. And so my path began. How will I use my gift in a positive way to help animals, I wondered. I reasoned that when you meet new people, you begin by asking them about themselves. So why not just do the same with the animals? I will ask them questions, and they will answer, I decided. As I would come to find, animals are usually happy to describe their personality so that I can get to know them quickly. For example, they may describe themselves as “a little lady,” “an old grouch,” “an adventurer,” or ”a couch potato.” Sometimes they explain their interaction with family members. They might tell me, for instance, that they are very close to Mom or Dad. (Most animals hold a parental-like image of their humans, so ‘Mom’ or ‘Dad’ often comes to mind.) Members of a multi-pet household talk about who is “top dog.” A few talk about “friends” when describing the humans with whom they share a home. Amazingly, even those who are beaten and cursed talk lovingly about their families. Some give me deep spiritual messages while others talk about their favorite food or activity. They all talk about love, about patience, and about having a job to do. Their jobs vary and are the most important part of their lives. Dogs, for instance, might take care of the house, watch for strangers, keep an eye on the kids, prohibit the cat from entering the room, or watch the baby. Outside dogs can go hunting, fishing, hiking or herding. No matter what the job is, they always enjoy doing it well. They want to please their human companions and see them happy. Cats, on the other hand, are more independent. Although some of them have a job, their main desire is to sleep, sunbathe, and do exactly what they want (as opposed to what you want). Still, they balance their wants and desires so that the relationship can be give-and-take. Granted, some of you give more than you take ... or do you? At times, it seems as if our animals give us a lot more than we offer them. Their unconditional love is always there for us, regardless of how we treat them, and that far outweighs any payment or sacrifice that we can make. Many of the stories in this book reveal that often our animals’ main purpose is to teach us something about ourselves, and if they don’t achieve that purpose in one lifetime, they will reincarnate back with us to continue their work. This may involve an animal getting the same sickness as its human guardian. With one of my clients, the animal died while she made a complete recovery. Understanding the role of our animals and what they do is sometimes far beyond our comprehension. By their actions, they mirror your feelings, showing you whether you’re having a good day or a bad one. By being stressed themselves, they show you how stressed you are. Even when you show no outward signs of stress, they sense it because they can see your aura (the energy field surrounding your physical body) and become sponges, absorbing your stress for themselves. This helps you feel more relaxed. And what do you do then? You pet them and tell them you love them. They, in turn, show you their tummy, look at you with adoring eyes or simply purrrrrrrr .... Purring signifies a magnificent feeling of contentment. To make your kitty purr with delight means that you must be a wonderful person. She needs you to show love and you do. In return, she shows you just how special you are. After all, she doesn’t purr for just anyone! When our animals speak to us, they say things they need us to hear. They seldom complain, but do want us to see their perspective. It’s not enough for us just to understand what they’re saying, though; often we must also take some action. If, during a consultation, I tell you that the reason your cat refuses to use her litter box is because it’s dirty, I get concerned if you give me excuses such as, “I work long hours and get home tired,” “I can’t change the location of his box!” or, “He always liked that brand of litter before.” I can’t change your animal’s mind; I can only tell you what they tell me. It’s up to you to act on it and do the changing. Some people scoff when pet lovers ascribe human-like feelings to their animals. As an emotional empath, I disagree; every day, animals share their feelings with me. They can also rationalize what they want and what they prefer, and events and circumstances to do with home and family. It is my hope that this book will open a door in your mind. Even if you question my gift, please strive to be receptive to the insights it offers. And know that I have been as truthful and honest in every detail as I possibly can. Some of these consultations are on audio cassette for my reference, and others have been verified with the animal’s owner. The stories are all true! Hopefully, this book will reveal the rich and deep inner world of our pets, so that owners may appreciate them more. Animals know far more about what is happening in their lives—and yours—than we give them credit for. And as you will see, they have souls that survive physical death as do we, and often watch over us from the other side. For clarification in the following accounts, I have put the animals’ communications to me in quotation marks, as if they are speaking. Sometimes, I do in fact hear actual words; when it is important, I get the whole sentence and, other times, I get a few words with the movie clip. I hope this conveys the to-and-fro nature of our telepathic “conversations.” So please relax and enjoy each chapter, filled with the animals’ insights and perceptions, and walk alongside their families to experience how animals affect, enrich and enlighten our lives every day. Dr. Monica Diedrich Anaheim, California