Holiday Special Starts Today, 10/28/07

Happy Holidays, Everyone!

Don't forget!

The holiday gift certificate special begins today (October 28th, 2007)!

It will run until January 1st, 2008. This will allow you to purchase gift certificates at $25 for one, $45 for two, and $60 for three, essentially receiving one session free for each group of three.

Payment can be made through Paypal or via personal check or money order, and gift certificates are delivered via email as a pdf attachment. In the rare cases where people don't have access to email, I will print and mail the paper certificates on request.

As always: Gift certificates are good for one year from the date of purchase (which, in the case of the holiday special, will always be listed as December 25th, 2007). Other specials and discounts do not apply to sessions purchased through a gift certificate, and the certificates are not refundable.


On another "holiday" note....

Remember, Halloween is coming up this week, and though it's a time for fun and frolic for many, it's also a time of additional need to keep an eye on the safety of our animal friends. With doorbells ringing, doors opening and closing, and strangers on the threshold all evening long, the chances for accidental escape, and other hazards, increase. Remember to be sure your pets are safely secured before the trick-or-treaters descend. While it might be fun to see how much Sparky enjoys the sight of monsters on his doorstep, it's much safer if he views the entertainment on a secure leash. For kitties and less social dogs, consider the wisdom of tucking them into a safe and cozy room, behind a closed door, till the excitement settles. Keep outdoor cats inside during the festivities, and supervise outings with your dogs if they have a fenced yard and the masked invaders are wandering the neighborhood.

Fun is much more fun when everyone is safe!


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Permission is given to forward this notice to anyone you feel might enjoy it. If this newsletter has been forwarded to you and you would like to subscribe, just visit the newsletter link below.

--------------------

Gayle Nastasi
Animal Communication Consultant
http://www.gazehound.com/pets
Free bi-monthly newsletter:
http://www.gazehound.com/pets/acnewslist.html
Creature Thoughts Blog:
http://gazehound.blogspot.com

--

The following concept inspired by Mike Dooley's
INFINITE POSSIBILITIES, The Art of Living Your Dreams.
Learn More: http://www.gazehound.com/about_tut.html  
 There are no coincidences.   
 

Gazehound's Creature Thoughts: September/October 2007

"CREATURE THOUGHTS"
GAZEHOUND'S ANIMAL COMMUNICATION NEWS
September/October 2007

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Keeping in touch with the animals....
and the people who love them
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Adaptations and Sacrifices

Note: although this is a topic I've visited before in the newsletter, recent events keep suggesting that it's time to explore it again.  I hope you enjoy the article.

Have you ever considered just how much we ask of our animal friends when we require that they live within the limits of a human household?  We as humans are so used to ... "spoiled by", in many ways ... the willingness of our animals to adapt to our requirements, that we don't usually think about just how much they must adjust to do so.  In many cases, we're actually asking them to ignore their instincts, and un-do the natural adaptations the species has undergone in order to become our pets.  The really amazing thing is how well they take our requests, and how willing they are to sacrifice.  It then occurs, quite often, that when an animal isn't quite able to make those adjustments, we as human caretakers become quite upset, and go to great lengths to "fix" what is "wrong" with the animal.

In all reality, what is often "wrong", is simply that we are asking our dog not to be a dog, or our cat not to be a cat, and the animal's instinct and natural behavior is having trouble adapting.  We're asking our dog or cat to shut off its instincts, and the pet is having trouble finding the off switch.

Since "inappropriate elimination" is one problem that comes up very frequently in my sessions, I'll just take that as one example of what I mean.

Most dog owners know enough about canine behavior to have heard that a dog in the wild won't soil in its den.  We use this basic fact as the very foundation of house training, and expect the animal to learn the rules and follow them.  However, do we usually give thought to just what we are defining as the dog's "den"?  In the wild, the den is usually a small niche, and the area around it.  The "no soiling" instinct falls into play in order to prevent the possibility of attracting predators, and in the great majority of cases, this "den" is only used by females who are raising very young pups.

Move the dog into a human household.  The "den" suddenly covers 1,500 square feet (give or take), the restrictions apply 24/7, and they are permanent regardless of age, gender and whether there are any puppies to protect.  When you look at what we're asking of our dogs, that's quite a stretch of the "no soiling the den" instinct, isn't it?

Now, I'm not saying we're being unreasonable.  After all, I don't want my pups using my living room carpet as a wee wee pad any more than anyone else does.  Many of the rules we set up are necessary, of course, and we really do need to teach our pets how to live within them.  However, when we look at such situations from the point of view of the animal, and think about just what we're asking the animal to do, we might have a little better insight ... and greater patience ... as the animal makes efforts to comply (or has trouble doing so).

So how can we help our pooch to adjust to our guidelines?  With many issues, including house training, there are approaches that we can take to make the job easier for the dog:  breaking the task down into small steps, working on one aspect at a time, not expecting too much too soon (for example, not giving the dog too much freedom ... "too large a den" ... too soon), lots of positive reinforcement to help lower the stress levels, and making an effort to outline a consistent training plan that allows us to clearly communicate to the animal just what it is that we're asking him to learn.  Throwing some animal communication into the works to help with that clarity can be a bonus, but it does not take the place of the training plan.  Realizing just how much instinct, bred into the species by thousands of years of survival efforts, we are asking our pet to over-ride will give us a new perspective, and more patience as we put our own efforts into the partnership.

For cats, we have a similar, though different, problem.    It often happens, in the confines of human homes, that a stressed cat will suddenly stop using its litter box.  This will invariably trigger an instinctive human response ... and not a pleasant one! 

While those upset human emotions are perfectly justified from the human's viewpoint, of course, it often helps to see things from a cat's perspective as we work on and solve the problem.  First of all, we're confining a species whose strongest survival instincts revolve around the very clear marking of territory, and using urine to communicate urgent issues, to going potty in a plastic box.  I mean, how weird is that (if you're a cat, anyway)?  The very survival of the species, in the wild, depends on the female in season and the male finding one another, through scent markers, to ensure a next generation.  The safety of the individual, or the colony in wild cats brought together under some sort of human intervention (feeding, shelter), depends upon clearly marked territorial boundaries.  The cat who only and always uses her litter box has already overcome millennia of survival instinct for the sole purpose of pleasing her human.  When stress hits, if you think about it from the cat's perspective, the fact that the first thing to fall apart is often the cat's toilet behavior shouldn't be a great surprise.  This is also why, very often, the thing that makes the most difference in solving the problem is reducing the stress.  Punishing the cat rarely has any effect ... because it instead increases stress levels, which leads to more "instinctive paranoia", the natural response to which is ... you guessed it!

Inappropriate elimination is only one issue that can be linked to the ways our animal friends are stepping out side of "who they are" in order to be members of our human-centered families.  Most of the time, despite these hurdles of instinct, such problems can eventually find a solution.  I've found, over the years, that the gentlest path to such solutions often begins with the human making an effort to do what their animal friends have been doing for them all along. 

We humans can help our pets tremendously, if we can step outside who  we  are for a moment, and try to see the problem from the animal's perspective.

 


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FYI NOTES

Don't forget that you can keep up with changes and info on rates, policies, and "other fun stuff" on my website:  http://www.gazehound.com, and that you can find archives of this newsletter and other articles on my Creature Thoughts Blog: http://gazehound.blogspot.com.   

Gift Certificates:  Beginning Sunday, October 28th, 2007, my regular holiday gift certificate special will begin.  It will run until January 1st, 2008.  This will allow you to purchase gift certificates at $25 for one, $45 for two, and $60 for three, essentially receiving one session free for each group of three.

Website Updates:  Several important additions/updates have been made to the website recently, in the form of policy details.  Please visit http://www.gazehound.com/pets and click on the links to these updates in the "news" section at the top of the page.



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PREE'S TALK-TO-ME TIPS

Miss Pree, who had her sixteenth birthday in late July, has been having some health issues recently.  Although she's improved quite a bit, the problems are ongoing, and we're still diligently working to help her to overcome them.  We would like to sincerely thank everyone who's sent good wishes and healing energy our way.

Pree would like to talk about how having a good attitude ("cat-itude", she says, correcting me) is so important when you're trying to get through health problems.  I have to confess, there have been times her attitude has been better than my own "worried mom" feelings, but she really is so right.  Pree's chin has been up, even when she's felt physically down, and her bright personality has really given us strength.  In fact, I am starting to suspect that my vet is scheduling rechecks every two weeks partly because she loves how Pree takes over the exam room, hops onto the table to greet her, and otherwise charms the entire staff.

While we have not hidden any of the prospects and details from Pree, which she appreciates, we've also listened to her encouragements and taken heart from the fact that, although her symptoms are worrisome, her positive outlook hasn't been dimmed at all. 

I've often found, in fact, that when health issues bring clients to me, the animals themselves are less worried about the situation, and more likely to take things in stride, than their worried human friends.  So much is being learned in modern medicine about how attitude can affect our ability to heal and recover.

I guess our animal friends have known this all along.


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Permission is given to forward this newsletter to anyone you feel might enjoy it.  If this newsletter has been forwarded to you and you would like to subscribe, just visit the newsletter link below.

--------------------

Gayle Nastasi
Animal Communication Consultant
   http://www.gazehound.com/pets
Free bi-monthly newsletter:
   http://www.gazehound.com/pets/acnewslist.html
Creature Thoughts Blog:
   http://gazehound.blogspot.com

News, Thanks and a Reminder from Gayle

Hello, friends!

** First in importance, and in my heart ... Miss Pree would like to sincerely thank all who've inquired as to her health.  She is feeling much better, though we haven't totally resolved the situation yet.  It will be one of ongoing special diet and maintenance, and she hasn't quite returned to the proper balance yet.  However, she is "way more better" than she was last week, when she was a very sick little kitty.  She's leaping and laughing and playing and bossing the dogs around again now, as we continue to watch carefully and find what works best to bring her back to full equilibrium.  I can't express how deeply grateful we are for all of your caring emails and loving energy and prayers.

** If any of you are within driving distance of Middleburgh, and have next Saturday free, you might want to take a little drive to the Community Spiritualist Chapel's Psychic and Wellness Fair.  The information is as follows:

Sat. Sept. 22 from 1pm to 6pm

The Community Spiritualist Chapel
Corner of Main Street and Wells Avenue
(Landmarks: The white building on the corner where the churches have gathered, caddy-cornered across from the school and close to Stewart's.)

Please call Reverends Bob and Peggi at 518-827-6123 for more info.

There will be psychic readings and animal communication readings ($18 for 15 minutes; the Fair is a fund-raiser for the church), free healing sessions, Native American vendors from the TePee in Cherry Valley, and a door prize drawing.  Bring photos of loved ones and your pets, both living and in spirit, and a few pertinent question for the psychics.  There is also a gift shop on the premises.  In the evening following the fair there will be a seance ($8 per person). 

The fair will be a chance to meet some of you live, I hope, as yours truly is the animal communicator in attendance.  In addition, if I'm able to, I plan to attend the seance in the evening.  If so, it will be the first seance I've sat in on as a medium since the fall, so have patience with me.  ::smile::

I do hope we'll be seeing some of you there!

** Lastly, don't forget, my "Celebrating Autumn" special on gift certificates closes on the 23rd, next Sunday!  The special price is $65 for groups of 3 gift certificates.


I hope this little note finds everyone well!  Wishing you love, light and laughter,

--Gayle

--
-- Gayle P Nastasi
Animal Communication Consultant
http://www.gazehound.com
Bi-monthly newsletter: http://www.gazehound.com/pets/acnewslist.html
Archives and blog: http://gazehound.blogspot.com

Celebrating Autumn, gift certificate special

Hello, everyone!

I know I normally hold a holiday gift certificate special, but this year I thought I'd also do something special for the rest of the summer.  From today (September 9th) until the autumnal equinox on September 23rd, I will be running a "Three-Fer" special.

If you purchase three gift certificates at one time, the cost for the three will be $65 ($10 off the usual price for groups of three).  This is only applicable to sets in increments of three, and the usual gift certificate specifications otherwise apply (non-returnable, may be used for your own pets or given as gifts, other discounts and specials don't apply to gift certificate sessions, and must be used within one year of purchase date).  Gift certificates may of course be paid for via Paypal, or via money order or check.  Please feel free to email me if you have any questions. 

--Gayle

PS: I'd also like to ask all of you, our friends, to send love and healing light to our own Miss Pree, who has been quite ill recently.  We both thank you sincerely.

--
-- Gayle P Nastasi
Animal Communication Consultant
http://www.gazehound.com
Bi-monthly newsletter: http://www.gazehound.com/pets/acnewslist.html
Archives and blog: http://gazehound.blogspot.com

Gazehound's Creature Thoughts: July/August 2007

"CREATURE THOUGHTS"
GAZEHOUND'S ANIMAL COMMUNICATION NEWS
July/August 2007

================================
Keeping in touch with the animals....
and the people who love them
================================

Our Amazing Friends

Recently,  a news story has been circulating around the internet about a cat who lives in a nursing home,  knows when patients are about to pass away, and spends comforting time at their sides before they cross over.  The story went on to say that the cat has accompanied the deaths of many patients, sometimes giving alert to staff in time to call the family in, and bringing peace to those family members as they say goodbye.

The original story of Oscar the cat, at least the original as first forwarded to me, can be found at:

http://www.reuters.com/article/wtMostRead/idUSN2531239020070726?pageNumber=1

Within the day I'd received quite a few copies of this story, plus another version of Oscar's tale from the CNN website:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/07/25/death.cat.ap/index.html

Once Oscar's story made the rounds, other "nursing home cats" surfaced as well, including this touching story of Buckwheat, which appeared in my inbox today, complete with video.

http://video.nbc10.com/player/?id=134786

Of course, to those of us who truly know  our animal friends for who they are, cats like Buckwheat and Oscar come as no surprise.  Stories have abounded through time of animals who exhibit an inner knowing,  and a desire to be caretakers for humans in need.  That knowing does not only center around pending death, of course, but many animals also sense health issues and emotional strain, and will come to their human companions with comfort and healing energy.  Some  animals, such as the amazing seizure alert dogs, are even trained as service animals for that very reason. This is something I have experience myself, in my own dogs and cats.

I'm sure just about everyone reading this newsletter can tell tales of how their animals know when they're hurting, ill, or upset, and offer their obvious help and comfort.  In fact, if you would like to share about your own wonderful pets, please visit the blog link at the bottom of this newsletter, and post your comments to this issue.  I would love to read them, and I'm sure others would as well.

Just what is this talent?  Is it intuition, telepathy, some kind of psychic knowing?  Or is it that animals have a much keener sense of smell, and ability to sense chemical and energetic changes in their companions?  My answer to that is, "Probably, yes."  Just as telepathic communication is only one of many ways that animals exchange their thoughts and feelings, I'm sure there are probably many different things animals pick up on when they respond to humans ... and other animals ... who require comforting.  What they sense, though it would be interesting to find out, really doesn't matter.  What truly matters is the obvious  love and caring these animals display as they offer themselves to those in need.  Animals like Oscar and Buckwheat are bringing to light the truth that you and I have always known.

Animals love.

Although I will not divulge identities here, I feel led to close this article by sharing about a beautiful pair of  dogs I had the privilege of talking to this past week.  Someone contacted me, because her friend's little dog was missing.  I spoke to the owner, a loving, caring mom who told me something about this dog that truly touched my heart.  This missing dog was not just the lady's beloved pet ... he was also the self-appointed guide for his elderly, blind and deaf canine companion.  In fact, she shared that one person who had sighted the dogs  told her that he'd seen the little guide dog take his blind friend by the fur and pull him out of the road to safety.  I had tears on my face as she explained how the people had been able to capture the blind dog, but his guide-dog companion had gotten away. 

My week was made complete this morning, when I received a joyous email that this little guardian angel had been found, safe and sound, and was back home with his family.

I leave you today with this joy, and with the knowing that each of your own animal friends is just as wonderful, just as special, and just as amazing.  Give them all a kiss for me.


================================

FYI NOTES

Don't forget that you can keep up with changes and info on rates, policies, and "other fun stuff" on my website:  www.gazehound.com, and that you can find archives of this newsletter and other articles on my Creature Thoughts Blog: gazehound.blogspot.com.   

Gift Certificates:  Enjoy savings, by pre-ordering sessions through my gift certificate program.  Single gift certificates are sold at the regular session rate of $30/half hour session. There is also a special rate for anyone who orders three or more at one time. Ordering 3 or more gift certificates will reduce the cost per session to the "old" individual session rate of $25/session. Therefore one Gift Certificate will be $30, two will be $60, but three will be available for $75, with increments of $25 per certificate over three. This will be permanent pricing. Gift certificates are non-refundable and other offers, warranties and discounts do not apply when a gift certificate is redeemed. 



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PREE'S TALK-TO-ME TIPS

Pree is my "purr-massage cat".  I thought that she would be particularly interested in today's topic, due to her knack of always knowing "just where it hurts" and her ability to apply the "perfect purr" to the spot.  Pree shows me that it's "no big thing", really ... she finds that she doesn't have to think about how it feels, or what she's looking for.  She can  just tell that something is wrong, and the person's body will simply lead her to the right spot.  She shows me, by letting me "feel how it feels", that a cat's nerve endings are sensitive enough to detect minute changes in body temperature and energy, and their sense of smell acute enough to note when a spot is inflamed or receiving the body's healing attention.  She shows me, too, that it helps when the person and animal are already used to communicating in whatever form they've developed, partly because the "Ah, that feels good" response the person utters, whether verbally or silently, lets the animal know they've found just the right spot.


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Permission is given to forward this newsletter to anyone you feel might enjoy it.  If this newsletter has been forwarded to you and you would like to subscribe, just visit the newsletter link below.

--------------------

Gayle Nastasi
Animal Communication Consultant
   http://www.gazehound.com/pets
Free bi-monthly newsletter:
   http://www.gazehound.com/pets/acnewslist.html
Creature Thoughts Blog:
   http://gazehound.blogspot.com

Toes has entered spirit

I wish to thank you all for your healing thoughts for Toes, Shellie's
very sick kitty. Toes passed away Tuesday afternoon, after going into a
decline that included seizures and other very serious symptoms. On a
subsequent visit to her vet, Shellie brought home a kitten, Shimmer, in
honor of Toes. Shimmer had been very ill, and is recovering; I feel in
my heart that this would please Toes -- Shimmer now has a good home and
help on his journey to perfect health.

The experts involved all are quite certain that it was the essential
oils which caused Toes' sudden illness and death. I know that many of
my animal friends are into natural health care, and many use essential
oils on themselves and their animals. I am hoping that Toes' story will
alert us all to the dangers involved.

I have seen many websites, experts on essential oil products and
aromatherapy, who exhort their use with pets. These well-meaning people
may be experts on essential oils, but they are not experts on cats.

Please remember Toes. One interesting aspect of this story is that
Toes' sister also received the product, and did not suffer ill effects
(as far as anyone can determine). The difference may be that Toes
licked the product from his or his sister's body and ingested it. The
difference may be that Toes was simply more sensitive to the oils.
Whatever caused Toes to react when his sister did not, though, the
potential is always there for any cat.

Essential oils have many wonderful uses. None of those uses should be
applied to cats.

Again, thanks to everyone who has emailed me, and who has been praying
for and sending energy to Toes. Please continue, that his adjustment to
spirit is a joyful one, and that his sister Pooh, his momma Shellie, and
his new little soul-sibling Shimmer, all find comfort and love together
in their journey onward.

Be blessed,
--Gayle

--
-- Gayle P Nastasi
Animal Communication Consultant
http://www.gazehound.com
Bi-monthly newsletter: http://www.gazehound.com/pets/acnewslist.html
Archives and blog: http://gazehound.blogspot.com

Dogs that know when their owners are coming home

Hello, friends,

I received the following email this morning.  Although I have not checked out the validity of the information, other than by visiting the websites listed, it sounds like an interesting experiment, and I thought I would pass along the information to you, in case your own dogs might wish to participate in the study.   I have a copy of Dr. Sheldrake's book on the subject, and my own experiences certainly support his findings.  Sadly my own dog who always, unfailingly, knew the school bus was coming ten minutes before it arrived was Dancer, who passed away in March.

On the page that is listed first, with the previous research information, there is a link that you can click to nominate your dog for the study if interested.

At the least, I hope you enjoy the reading.  Have a great day!

--Gayle

-------- Original Message --------

Dear Gayle,  I found your email address via a link at Animaltalk.net.  I am a parapsychologist and the senior editor for a new collaborative project called Open Source Science (www.opensourcescience.net).  At OSS, we facilitate the discussion and replication of controversial scientific experiments that may contribute to an improved understanding of consciousness.  Right now we're looking at the research of Dr. Rupert Sheldrake (a biologist and former fellow of Clare College, Cambridge University) on the phenomena of 'dogs that know when their owners are coming home'. Dr. Sheldrake's research suggests that dogs may have a link with their owners that is currently unexplained by science, and we'd like to look into this a little further.  I have summarized the previous research on the subject here: http://www.opensourcescience.net/index.php?title=Experiments:_Can_Dogs_Anticipate_Their_Owner%27s_Return%3F  We are looking for dogs who exhibit this behavior and dog owners who would be interested in participating.  Right now, we are assisting curious dog owners in conducting self-tests of their dog's behavior at home. Would you or anyone you know be interested in participating? If not, do you have suggestions on how we should go about finding dogs and/or collecting stories?  Thanks for your attention,  Annalisa Ventola www.opensourcescience.net www.publicparapsychology.org