As we welcome this New Year, 2014, I imagine many of us are quite glad to be rid of the old year.  It was very tough for so many people and for so many animals too.

One feature of a new year is the urge to clean out, clear out and make way for something new, something different, and something that feels more aligned with our current expectations and us. I’ve experienced this in two very different but interesting ways.

I had a huge clear-out last week, during which I found lots of old photos.  Amongst the views of places I can’t now remember, were lots of photos of me with cats.  These photos were all taken at different times, on different holidays, in different countries, the wonderful thing was, whatever I was doing in the photo, a cat had appeared from nowhere.  When I looked at the photos, I remembered each and every one of these feline connections and I also remembered how at difficult times in my life, a cat will appear to cheer me up, put me back on track or rebalance me.  If I hadn’t had the clear-out, I wouldn’t have made space for those memories.

The second clear-out wasn’t mine, but Charlie cat’s.  He’d been quite feisty for the last few days, really annoying his sister Rosie with his boisterous play fighting and I knew this was a sign that he wasn’t feeling so good.  This morning, having left a large hairball on the kitchen floor, Charlie is much calmer.  He’s had his clear out!

For those of you who have cats but haven’t yet had the hairball experience, a couple of points. All cats can make hairballs, not just longhaired ones.  Brushing and combing several times a week is a really useful and loving way to prevent hair build up and of spending time with your cat.  If you notice coughing and straining, a hairball is usually the reason.  Sardines will soften the hair and help its removal, as was the case with Charlie. Incidentally, hairball is a bit misleading; they tend to look like dark sausages.  Too much information? I hope not!

All this feline activity has sparked an idea for a specialist cat clinic, which is an idea I am building on for this year. Watch this space.

This year I am continuing to teach animal healing skills, see the website for details. If you and a few friends would like to share in an animal-healing workshop, please contact me to arrange this.