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meditation for pets (illustrated)
RichardH
Veteran
This is posted at our dogs food dish to aid in her practice.
0
Comments
sorry
Norman came to us from the SPCA. We were his 3rd home. Norman came into this world with a few problems. Initially vets thought he may have had hydrocephalus as a kitten, but another vet felt it was something called Sotos syndrome. I think the second vet was right.
Norman had a larger than normal head with his very large eyes spaced widely apart. His nose had a crease down the centre having nearly split in two.
His eyesight was poor, and he had very slight mental retardation.
When we first encountered him the staff at the SPCA had put him in a room with other male cats, who sensing his being "different" were brutalizing and raping him. He was terrified. My wife was the President of the SPCA at the time and upon seeing this immediately had him moved to his own kennel and after a quick phone call with me we brought him home.
Norman and I bonded deeply almost instantly and he would be my constant companion.
Within a year Norman started having seizures but thankfully these were easily controlled with phenobarb. Norman was the ultimate patient! I would cradle him and touch his lips, he would open him mouth and I would pop the small pill in. This was a ritual played out twice a day for the rest of his life.
We had several other cats when Norman joined us, but unlike the cats at the shelter, our cats all came to love and take care of Norman. When Norman was sick I literally saw the cats step aside to encourage him to eat first at the bowl. They would also clean him, and if he was too tired to play they would just sit by him, touching him.
Norman would reciprocate, and once when one of our other cats was very ill (we had to say goodbye the next day) Norman came up to him and just laid his head on the other cats hip. He was such a loving little guy!
Norman had the sweetest gentlest personality! His mental issues made him sort of a perennial kitten, but even in the roughest play, he would stop and give me, or the cat he was wrestling with , a kiss.
He had his quirks...he occasionally over groomed until he had licked all the fur off in spots. I would fashion shirts for him to wear to protect the area until the fur grew back. but mostly his odd little habits were thoroughly adorable!
For some time my wife was selling on Ebay, and ebay had sponsored a cutest pet contest. She entered Norman sending in pictures and telling his story. Norman not only won the cutest cat section, but one the overall contest getting more votes within the first week than any animal in the history of the contest! Many people around the world came to know of Norman.
2 years ago on my wifes birthday, I noticed he was breathing quickly. We took him to the vet and and after many tests (all of which Norman was totally cooperative for) we discovered he had Cardio Myopathy. Our decision was that we would treat him to keep his life enjoyable, but should his quality of life become too poor, we would let him go.
He ended up on a massive cocktail of meds, but he took them all, 3 or 4 times a day without complaint. For most of the next two years Norman had a wonderfully healthy and happy life. This was made possible especially with an herbal remedy calld 'biocardio" that was nothing short of miraculous.
Here is a video my wife put together of Norman in the middle of his illness:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxB1PkWjGys&feature=related
Once Norman was diagnosed, more and more he would disappear, and I would find him sitting at my Obutsudan (Buddhist shrine)..all by himself looking at the statue of Amida.
If he heard me ring the bell as I was chanting he would show up immediately, and loved to press his forehead into my lips as I recited the Nembutsu. He especialy seemed to enjoy if I chanted the short Amida Sutra in the book "Teaching of Buddha"
Moslty one would never know there was anything wrong with his health and he would romp and play, but he also had down times when he didn't have the energy to play. This happened one winter, and he loved to watch birds, so I put together a dvd of birds for Norman to watch:
Then in what would be his final Christmas, the crows he so loved to watch made an impromptu appearence...the only time we saw them all winter!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W98pR9NYH8
Eventually he began to slow down, and we noticed some swelling on his upper lip. We took him in to see he had developed a massive sarcoma in his mouth, and his heart could not handle surgery. On October 24th 2009 We had to say goodbye to Norman. I was with him and chanted the Nembutsu to him...lips against his forehead as he passed. I then tearfully read his favorite Amida Sutra to him.
I have since had several dreams....indescribably vivid and real dreams that do not have the usual "plotlines"...they are simply Norman coming to see me, and I get the joy of cuddling with him again for a couple hours. I can smell his fur, feel the vibration of his purr, hear his rather unique sheep-like meow...all as real as reality itself.
I think Norman is a Bodhisattva!
Here is one more video my wife made after he passed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRoYAps8wI4
Anyway...I just thought I would share his story.
Thank you for your kind words.
I feel that in Norman's imperfection, could be found perfection. If Norman had no problems, his would not be such a remarkable story, and he would not have touched so many hearts so deeply.