Gretchen Kunz - Animal Communicator - Ask Maya Archives, page 5


		I TOLD YOU ALREADY! The Ask Maya archives page 5 Please note: Maya's opinions are not always those of the management! Ask Maya for the 1st week of June, 2003 Ask Maya for the 5th week of May, 2003 Ask Maya for the 4th week of May, 2003 Ask Maya for the 3rd week of May, 2003 Ask Maya for the 2nd week of May, 2003 Ask Maya for the 5th week of April/1st week of May, 2003 More "Ask Maya" archives on pages 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 Ask Maya for the 1st week of June, 2003: Hi Maya, Wow! Thanks so much for your prompt reply! I forgot to ask you two things. 1. I just saw one of the strangest books in the world, called "Why Paint Cats". What the heck is that about!?! Have you or your moms seen this book? I didn't read the actual text of the book, I just looked at the pictures. But I did read one paragraph that said one owner had a theory that cats painted a certain color "know" that they are a different color, and choose food bowls of their new color. Check this out! http://www.pacificislandbooks.com/humor.htm From a human-style-visual point of view, it's shows great skill, albeit for a stupid outcome. What about from a cat's-eye view? 2. Is that your paw print on the "Ask Maya" link/button thing? - Mickie Dear Mickie, I had not heard of that book before, although my Mom G had told me about the book "Why Cats Paint". I think it is all a joke. I thought the first book idea was kind of funny, except it's sort of talking down about cats, like "isn't the idea of cats painting ludicrous and doesn't that make them dumb?" Actually, we all have different sets of skills, and I'd like to see a human kill and eviscerate a mouse or a sparrow in 30 seconds flat. That said, humans can be pretty funny, and I get the joke. I think a lot of humans have a lot of time on their hands and don't know what to do with it, so they write books like this. I suppose everything has its place. That said, Mom "sent" me some pictures from the second book of those painted cats, and that is just SICK and WRONG! I mean, some cats, I suppose, wouldn't mind (idiots), but most cats realize that cat-ness has a beauty all until itself that should NOT be sullied or added on to. Humans who do that are basically torturing their animals, and I don't approve. Of course, some animals will do anything, anything to get approval. It just makes me sick sometimes. A cat should have some self respect! [haughty sniff] And humans... I suppose we all have to amuse ourselves, but shouldn't you be doing things that are more productive, now and then? (Not you, I mean. The ones who wrote those books.) Anyway, no, that's not my paw print. That's some kind of mountain cat print Mom found on the Internet. You would not like to see what might happen if my Moms tried to get a print of MY paw! Did I mention my paw has CLAWS on it? Hee hee hee...! Thanks for the questions. Don't wear yourself out, or anything. Heh! Your friend, - Maya The Cat Ask Maya for the 5th week of May, 2003: Hi Maya, Being that you're mostly an indoor cat I'm wondering if you can help me with a question about one of my cats. Loki and Tyr are both indoor cats and have been since they have come to live with me. (They were born on a farm.) They have been outside a few times on leashes and once when they, ahem, "fell" out the window but I don't let them go outside unsupervised. A few weeks ago I had them both outside and was brushing Loki when he started to have a seizure. I wrapped him in a towel and brought him inside and reassured him that things were ok. He seemed a little disoriented at first, but then things were back to normal. This morning I took the trash out to the alley and when I opened the back door Loki bolted out and then froze when he realized he was outside. I brought him inside again and then he had another seizure. After I cleaned him up and held him for a while he was fine and even went about playing with one of his favorite toys. So, my question is, do I have an agoraphobic cat? What's the deal here? Can cats be afraid of being outside? Can you help with my questions? Thanks so much! - Lisa Dear Lisa, Thanks for writing me. What an interesting question! My Mama G has not been keeping up with giving me my questions, lately, so I've grown quite lazy. It is good to get one again! (Hint, hint to GRETCHEN!) Okay, first of all, that sounds really scary. Seizures can be bad news. I would suggest you take him to a vet, even though he may not like it. Better to be safe than sorry. Now, why could he be having them? Well, it could be coincidental that he's having them outside, but maybe not. My Mom suggests that maybe he is photosensitive, and reacted to the sun flashing thorugh the trees or something, like some epileptics do. She is interested in this theory because that used to happen to her as a child, but it sounds unlikely to me. But, leave no stone unturned, I suppose. I think it's much more likely that he is having a nervous reaction or an allergy attack. He might be really sensitive to something out there, systemically speaking, that is setting his immune system off. That might be something you want to look into. Now, then, the nervous reaction... okay, I'm about to tell you something very embarassing. At one point I would never have told anyone this, but I have moved on from it now. Okay, once, when my Mama M -- my other mother-human -- was living in another apartment, I got out of the window. It was way high up, and I jumped out and onto the stoop awning below, and then onto the street. She didn't even notice! And the freedom! O, Joy! The sunlight! The... fast, racy things! And cars, which are quite different when you see them from down low, rather than above, and... Okay, I got scared. Suddenly, I realized I was out, but all this STUFF was going on and around me and all these smells in the air, and Mom didn't know where I was and I didn't even know how to get BACK there, and... I panicked. I hid under a car on the street and yowled until a neighbour found me. While I was under there, I realized that my feet hurt from that jump down to the street I made. Oh, and did you know the smell of underneath cars is nasty and OVERWHELMING? Feh. So, yeah, I freaked out, and I am normally a rather smooth customer. And I know many other cats feel the same way when they get out. It's just that, the outside looks so attractive from the inside, and you'd really like to go on an adventure, but when you get out there, it's just very big and real and confusing. So, maybe that's what happened to Loki and his brain got ovewhelmed and he flipped out. That's just one theory. I'm just saying. So... I don't know, I'd actually go more with the allergy idea, and take him to the vet, but you never know. Actually, I feel much better for having told my story! You know, even I, the Great Maya, am only human, as the saying goes. Hee hee hee! Anyway, Lisa, I hope that helps. My best wishes to your cat friends, and tell them just to stay inside, already -- it's much safer and more comfortable, anyway. Plus, you can get your humans trained to do what you want them to and bring you whatever you want, anyway -- I guarantee it. Oh, and tell Loki I'm sorry if he has to go to the vet, and that I hope he feels better. Vets are no fun (in my opinion, anyway), but at least the trip there should be interesting. Thanks for the question and take it easy, - The Great Maya, Indoor Cat, Who Can Go Outside In Her Spirit- Journeying Anytime She Wants To, Anyway, Thanks. So, There. Meow. Heh Heh. (Wink.) Ask Maya for the 4th week of May, 2003: Hi Maya, I'm one of your moms' friends that doesn't visit you because I am allergic to cats. I've always wanted to know, how do you and other cats feel about that? I know I'd feel bad if someone were allergic to me, but that's life. I hope you folks don't take it personally. Also, is it true that some cats know if someone is allergic to them, and tease them by coming up DIRECTLY to the allergic person in a room, just for laughs? I know people who are allergic say this all the time ("Oh, cats just KNOW to come over to ME!") Personally, I don't think this happens to me. On the flip side, will a cat keep some distance if I say, "Sorry, pal, I'm allergic to you."? By the way, do you like how your moms have decorated? Can you please tell them to take pictures of your house so that I can see it - especially the Hawaiian hula lamp I gave them? Tell them to have a good trip! And that I miss hanging out with them! Thanks, - Mickie Dear Mickie, I'm sorry you can't visit me. We've got it pretty good here. It's usually warm or cool enough and the Moms leave lots of soft stuff for us to relax on and weird stuff for us to chew and play with. I think you would like it. Most humans seem to enjoy their visits, especially when they see my beauty, although I don't pay them much attention. Maurice is a real suck-up, however. No matter how allergic you were, he would be in your lap. You should be glad you don't have to meet him. You'd be covered in gross boy cat drool and sneezing for weeks. Nobody likes that. I don't take it personally that you are allergic to me, although I don't quite understand it. You humans have some pretty weird ailments. I mean, I've gotten chin acne from a plastic dish, but at least that's man-made. Cats are natural! That said, I respect your illness and your inability to be near cats. I don't need to be all over people to have an understanding with them, unlike some cats I know. Live and let live, I always say, y'know? Also, maybe you are working out some health issues or emotional issues from your past lives, or something. If you are allergic to cats, it's probably for a reason. Even if it's genetic, you chose in your spirit form to go into a body that had those reactions, so it's something that serves something for you. I can respect that, and let you go on your path. Everybody's got their restrictions, their quirks or handicaps or differences in life. I've got mine. Like, I'm deaf (so what) and can't stand having my claws clipped (don't try it!), but I'm still cool, right? So, whatever. I can't speak for other cats, but I can make some guesses. Cats may be teasing you now and then, but more likely they sense you have an aversion to them and want to know what it's about. Personally, if you don't like me or want to be near, then you can take a long hike, in my book. But, some kitties, like the irritating Maurice, need to be the center of attention all the time. It may be that he'd wonder why you aren't petting him, and want to come closer, or feel your fear and shrinking away. What can I say, some cats are stupid. And some just don't understand. And yes, some might be teasing you. I've been known to play a trick or two, in my time! My Moms have decorated just fine, although there are some things missing. I don't know what they did with my plastic bags, and the refrigerator light doesn't turn on anymore, which is just WRONG. On the other hand, I've got a nice perch in the window, now, Momma M has been moving stuff around and cleaning lately, which is always fascinating to watch, and there are some baskets in the clothes-room now that I've been able to get into of late. Now, usually, I can't get into the clothes-room, much less lie in baskets, so that's pretty cool. If I could ask for one more thing, it would be more access to the basket room. Oh, and maybe getting my laser pointer back. And getting rid of the other cats... ha ha HA! As for the other decorations, it's comfortable, but I don't see things like you do, so they may sound strange if I describe them. I see mostly shadows and movement, which doesn't seem to be what you humans do. I'll ask them about the pictures, though. Maybe then they can stop taking pictures of me for one @#$%!#$ minute! I know I'm gorgeous, and everything, but that flash hurts my eyes! Oh, and I'll miss them, too. Don't worry, I'll rub it in. Maybe they'll hang out more with both of us when they get back. OK, I hope this helped. Thanks for the question and take it easy, Moms' friend, - Maya The Cat Ask Maya for the 3rd week of May, 2003: Dear Maya, Our cat Charlie (11 years old) has travelled with us from our home in Germany to spend a year in the backwoods of Maine and then a year in NYC... yes, we were there during WTC. Now, we are back in Germany and I think he likes it. Unfortunately, the house we live in now came with neighbors who are less than desirable. Last week, they caught Charlie on their side of the fence (probably going after the food they leave outside) and beat him. I was able to get him back under the fence, bloodied sore, and very shaken. ( No, we don't have enough evidence to take legal action.) He's nearly healed now and our vet and my family all think it best if Charlie be allowed to go outside again like he always has during his lifetime. Our house is for sale... we want to leave, but we have to stay until it's sold. My question, Maya, is this: Has Charlie learned that going over to the neighbor's house is dangerous? He is very smart, but I am frightened. That's why I am asking this question. Next time may be fatal. Hope to hear from you soon, Maya! Tchuss! - Barbara from Germany Dear Barbara from Germany, How do you do? How is your cat friend? Listen, I don't understand why anybody would want to go outside all the time if it's like that! I wanted to go outside for awhile, and I can see it's appeal, but dealing with all those dangers, and then people who disrespect you? No thanks. They must have gotten him cornered, too, to beat him that way, so they're obviously REALLY not nice. We're talking a bunch of bastards here. HISSSS! I don't like 'em. Of course, I can't vouch for any cat's intelligence or stupidity. I can tell you we are curious, and like to explore things, so sometimes we can get into places we don't realize some human thinks we're not supposed to be. In my house, they just yell at me (which never works -- I'm deaf. Hee hee hee!), or push me away, or something. Well, the Moms will give me a swat on the nose if I scratch or bite them. But I told them to do that, anyway, because that's how I get sometimes, and I need to snap out of it. They don't do it to the other cats, who wouldn't get that sort of thing. A bunch of wimps, they are, when it comes to the humans! Anyway, like I told you, I can't vouch for whether Charlie has "learned his lesson" or not. At the very least, I hope he's learned to avoid them, and watch for them coming. That doesn't mean they couldn't sneak up on him. You have to be careful like that. Humans can be sneaky! Sneaky and mean! But not my humans. And I guess not you, most likely. Hee. If Charlie's very smart, as you say, he's probably got it covered. But, nonetheless, you might want to explain it all again to him and ask him. It may be that he's got a thing for going into the neighbours' yard now, and you wouldn't want him to tempt them again. I'd suggest that you talk to him, and if he's not stupid, or too stubborn, he'll understand. If you let him out again, you might want to watch to see where he's going for a while, too. Ask your other neighbours to look out for him, too. And don't be afraid to do what you have to do to keep your friend safe! I like to be independent, too, but I'm glad my humans are here to protect me (and do what I say, and bring me food), so that I don't have to worry about some yahoo cat or dog or person or whatever whacking at me. Heck, that's why I arranged for this set-up. I'm no dummy. I hope Charlie isn't, either. Anyway, I'm sending good wishes to you and I hope he feels better. Mama G asked if I would intervene on his behalf with the Kitty Committee, and I will, but I have to say that this falls within a juncture in the jurisdiction between the Kitty Committee and the human spirits, so we'll have to see what happens. [I also advised her to put him on some flower essences and to the Heal-A-Pet list at http://www.healapet.com - GK] I will do my best to put a word in and see that Charlie is on his best path. But he has to work on it, too, and maybe you can help him with that. Here's to Charlie. If you get a chance to tell me what he looks like and exactly where you are, that will help me with my petition to the spirits and cats. I wish you all the best, and a nasty skin disease on your neighbours, so they feel sorry. - Maya the Cat (and International Advisor) Ask Maya for the 2nd week of May, 2003: Dear Maya, I have a problem. My girlfriend and I have a friend, let's call him Guy, who we love to hang out with. He's a really wonderful person and we always have fun together. Unfortunately, Guy has this ex-girlfriend that he's still friends with, and we don't like her. She makes us uncomfortable and sets our teeth on edge, partly because we think she's treated Guy really badly. The problem is, a lot of times when we make plans with Guy, he invites her, too, or, if we're invited to his house, she's there, as well. We love to spend time with our friend, but this woman makes it hard for us to enjoy it. We try to stay open-minded about her, but she never fails to annoy us. What's more, I think we've indicated pretty clearly that she's not our favourite person, but Guy always invites her along, anyway. We think it could be trouble and not very nice to him if we tell him we really don't want to be around her, but it's hard to just grin and bear it. Any advice, O Wonderful Font of Feline Wisdom? Thanks a million, - Nate Dear Nate, That's quite a problem. First of all, if you know me, or have read a number of my columns, you probably know what I would do. I don't brook having anyone I don't like around me, in my personal space. Even if I like you, but am just not in the mood, I'm likely to be bitchy about it until you go away. So, of course, my first instinct is to tell him to tell her to get lost, or not go to hang out with him if she's there. But, that's just me, and you humans have a lot more complex social systems in some ways, so let's see what I can think up. Another thing you could do is start a fight or argument with her while you're out. Then he won't want to get all four of you together in the future, and neither will she! Ha!!! But my Mom tells me that's too drastic. So, let's see... It looks to me as though you're either going to have to have a heart-to-heart talk with your friend Guy, or just, as you say "grin (or grimace) and bear it". Maybe you could be really nice and smooth about it, and just say that you love him, but you don't like how she treated him, so it's hard for you to be around her. Maybe you could tell him you're allergic to her! Heh! Other than that, you're just going to have to deal with it, although, if it were me, I wouldn't go out of my way to be too nice to her. Mom says that's "passive-aggressive", but whatever. I can be aggressive in any way I want to be, even passive-aggressive, and it doesn't bother me! If you're not that way, you have a choice to make: what makes you more uncomfortable, just dealing with her when she shows up, or saying something potentially inflammatory to your friend? I cannot make your choices for you, my friend. But I hope my advice makes you think. One other thing you could do: every time you see this woman, try to think of something nice about her. Even if it's "well, she's clean" or "she's a fellow human being, a sister in the Universal Spirit, even if I don't understand her", that might help. Then maybe you can just go "Ommmmm" inside and ignore her and appear disinterested, if polite. Who knows, maybe she won't seem so bad anymore. Or maybe you will just get really good at meditating, which is quite a fine skill to have, anyway! Best wishes, and take it on the chin, if you have to! Remember, you could have a lot worse problems than this! Hee hee hee! - She Who Walks In Beauty, Maya Ask Maya for the 5th week of April/1st week of May, 2003: Dear Maya, The other evenning, my husband let the dogs out into the garden for toilets before we went out for the evening to see a film. When we came back some 4 hours later, we couldn't find one of our dogs anywhere. We started to panic. Then my husband had a terrible thought. Ruby must be outside. We opened the back door and sure enough, there she was, absolutely desperate to come in and quite cold. We felt dreadful. My husband presumed she had come in after going to the toilet but she obviously hadn't. Anyway, we cuddled and kissed her loads and told her sorry. We also promised to buy her a cream cake (her favourite) to make up for it. Anyway, to my point. My husband felt that Ruby probably only thought she had been out in the garden for a short while. He says that animals have no concept of time. I'm not so sure. I think he said that to make himself feel better! Looking at the muddy french doors the next morning in daylight, it looks like Ruby was quite desperate to get in. Could you, lovely Maya, shed some light on the concept of time for us from an animals perspective? Thank you, - tanialong67 Dear tanialong67, That is a very odd name, if I may say so. But, whatever floats your boat. Since the minute she asked me this question, Mama G has not been able to stop singing this song in our heads that goes "Tiiime... flowin' like a riv-er... to the seeea..." It was kind of funny at first, but now it's getting annoying. I'm trying to talk here, Mom. (Still, she cracks me up. That's one reason we get along so well.) So, you want to know about an animal's concept of time. Or animals, plural. Well, first off, I'd like to remind you that humans are animals. Take away all your fancy clocks and digital reminders and schedules and things and see how YOU feel about time. Then you'll be on the right track to figuring it out. But, let me try to be clearer. Animals understand time as a concept. We understand that there is progress, in terms of how we grow and learn, and sleep and play, and when we're hungry and when it's light or dark. We understand seasons, and we understand the energetic fluctuations over longer periods, like years. Also, if an animal does a lot of spiritual journeying, like I do, she or he will understand vaster regions: time as an ongoing and circular concept, and time over spaces so immeasurable it ceases to make sense to call it "time", at all. If I am in one frame of consciousness, I am aware that it's getting light and my tummy is telling me I'm hungry, so it's time for some crunchy nibbles. If I'm in another, I am realizing that the air is getting colder, so it's time to focus my energies on warmth, family, and the passages of energies and spirits that happen in the Fall period. And, if I'm in a higher one altogether, I'm grooving on the current and tide and paths of the Earth and Universe, and my lives as beings in the "past", "present" and "future" and how they inform who I am now, and it's like it's forever and all at once. I also can, with the Kitty Committee (TM Momma G), tap into these things with other beings, such as animals I talk with or even my Moms (but they have yet to take full advantage of this, yet!) The truth is, humans can do this, too. But, most often, they've fallen into sticking to time as the human construct... that is, strict measurements based on the rotations of the Earth and so on. We don't do that (we don't wear watches), and seems a bit silly to us, and restrictive. Some animals can approximate it pretty closely. If we are used to living with humans, we can gauge a certain number of your "hours" and adjust our schedules to them. This is why some of us know when you're supposed to get up and feed us every morning, and why some of us will even wake you up at a certain time, if you ask us. Maurice does this for the Moms all the time, although sometimes it's just to fill his own belly! Now, because we don't keep hours and minutes as you do, time can be a little slippery to us. A simple example would be when you're doing something you don't want to, like taking a test or petting Quan Yin (shut up, Mom), time goes reeeaallly slooooowly. If you're doing something you WANT to do, like eating some ice cream or talking to me, it goes fast. So, in that way, it's subjective. Therefore, your dog probably realized she was our there for a pretty long time, once she got cold and lonely. Good for you for offering her treats... although it might have been her fault... Now, have one final caveat (ooh, I like that word... thank you, Momma). Just as time is subjective as related to experience, it is also subjective as related to temperment. I want my answers typed out NOW, thank you, and I get mad if I don't get 'em. Others may not be that way. Also, a lot of animals will "forgive and forget" a lot quicker than humans do, but there are also individual animals who are working things and issues out and may hold a grudge forever. So, say, for the same action, for example, some human stepping on a poor cat's tail, one cat may say "Ouch! You're sorry? OK, well that's over, where's my lunch?" and another may say "OWWW! You @&$^#! I'm never coming near you again!" and mean it. So, for the one cat, the pain becomes ages ago pretty fast, and for the latter, it seems like just five minutes ago 'til the end of all time. Or at least until... whenever. So, that's my summary of how animals view time. I hope it's helpful to you. Thanks for the question, and good luck with your dogs (feh). - Maya The Cat More "Ask Maya" archives on pages 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 Copyright 2002-2003, Gretchen Kunz