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A Spiritually Enlightening Online Magazine. May's Theme: "Being Present"
Volume 7 Issue 4 ISSN# 1708-3265

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 		Pet-sense
Being Present
by Jean Hofve, DVM

Being present is said to be the key to peace, happiness and enlightenment. All the great spiritual teachers and traditions emphasize it. Being present means to fully engage all the senses, live in the moment, and "be here now." How often we've heard it—and yet, how much we still struggle with it!

It's easy to live in your head, instead of your heart. In fact, our ego demands it. If we are fully in the present moment, there's nothing and nowhere for the ego to latch onto. The ego is threatened by this, and has become adept at distracting us with thoughts of the past, the future, what might be going on over there—anything rather than to not exist—even for a split second. To the ego, this is death.

Animals are much better at living in the moment. They obviously have the capacity to think about the past and the future; or they would not be able to learn and apply those lessons to life as it happens. However, animals don't get hung up worrying about much beyond the present moment.

For animals, the "now" contains a great deal of information, and animals take in much more than we humans do; they haven't developed "filters" that allow them to ignore most of what is going on around them. Dr. Temple Grandin, a professor at my alma mater, Colorado State University, has written about her experience of being autistic, and how it's similar to how animals perceive the world—everything coming at you at once, from all senses. (If you haven't read her book, Animals in Translation, you owe it to yourself to do so. It's quite extraordinary!)

Several years ago I was privileged to take part in a guided meditation on shape-shifting. It is one of the most memorable experiences of my life. First, we became otters. Instantly, I was skimming swiftly through the green water of a river, feeling the cool water slip by, absolutely bursting with life and joy. Then, suddenly, we were deer, and every sense became supremely acute. My ears were constantly turning and scanning for any sounds that could indicate a predator. My eyes took in everything in my enlarged field of vision. I was not afraid, but intensely alert, as my hooves carefully moved through the forest.

There was no place in those wild lives for retrospection or planning, or even wandering thoughts; the present moment filled them up completely, and was the only reality.

Mark Twain once said, "If man could be crossed with the cat, it would improve man but deteriorate the cat." Sometimes I wonder if the pets sharing our homes have not been badly influenced by us. I do see more "ego" in pets than in wildlife. Because they don't have to hunt, forage or compete for resources, dogs and cats seem to have developed at least rudimentary filters. The phone ringing, for instance, is a non-event to my cats. They don't even twitch a whisker; at least, not until I dump them off my lap to go answer it! And I see quite a bit of planning ahead. When my bully cat Spencer walks across the room with "that look" in his eyes, I know he's heading for trouble, and a hiss or growl from one of his victims is imminent.

But maybe it's not us. Many animals do plan ahead; for instance, a zoo chimp stockpiled "weapons" for future use, and many animals cache food to eat later; some even make tools, implying that the animal knows what sort of tool is needed, how to make it, and what he will do with it when it's finished. Animals that live in groups have more "leisure time" and may do a little reflecting and planning while they're resting.

But I've never heard of animals getting so absorbed in a thought or process that they forget where they are or are unaware of what's happening around them. Even when relaxed, they are still alert. An unexpected noise or movement around even a sleeping cat or dog will instantly put it on its feet and ready for action. Contrast that with a lot of people who are anything but alert in the morning (personally, I've been known to sleep through ambulances and earthquakes)!

Somehow, no matter what the topic, it seems there is always a lesson to be learned from the animals. But "being present" may be the most important lesson of all!


Dr. Jean Hofve recently retired from holistic veterinary practice, but still writes and consults on holistic health and nutrition. She recently co-authored "The Complete Guide to Holistic Cat Care" with nutritionist Dr. Celeste Yarnall. She is a Medicine Woman of the Mountain Wind Lodge Nemenhah Band and Native American Traditional Organization (Oklevueha Native American Church of Sanpete). She founded SpiritEssence in 1995, which remains the only line of essence formulas for animals created by a veterinarian. For more information on pet health, nutrition, and behaviour, please visit the free article library at www.littlebigcat.com.

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