My recent personal experience has shown me the impact that illness and stress has on the entire family and includes our pets as well. My Mother has not been well (all OK now and accepting flowers, thank you), what was to be a quite small eye surgery created stress all round. She developed unrelated symptoms that the Dr could not diagnose but it seems perhaps it was the stress of what was coming up was creating it? Pippi the Rescue Kitty started peeing on her mattress, and the day of the surgery Barni the Rescue Dog did not eat his breakfast. Unheard of for a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel to miss a meal!

I have not slept properly for a week and in the days before the surgery I have been running to the bathroom every few hours. While we were waiting at home for the hospital to call back the animals were pacing up and down the hallway and I have not been able to focus on work. Totally unique behaviour for all of us.

My Mother is now home, eyepatch off and her other symptoms subsiding, Barni is eating everything in his path again, Pippi is jumping from cupboard to cupboard and I got a great 9 hours sleep last night.

It has made me realize just how disruptive even a small illness can be and why it is often the entire family who will benefit from healing. Our pets are much more sensitive than we realize, and they pick up on how we are feeling. I often see dogs or cats for healing and when I delve deeper find their caregivers are really the ones who need help. What do you do in this situation? Healing for everyone, one at a time, lets all be well.