When Animals “Misbehave”

By Sulana Stone 

Have you ever considered that animal “misbehavior” might be a form of animal “communication?”

“Misbehaving” Animals as “Doctors”

Recently researchers discovered that specific animal behavior signals the existence of cancer or foretells an upcoming seizure. According to an article by NewScientist.com, “one dog’s misbehavior—biting and sniffing a cancerous mole—most likely saved its owner’s life.” Inspired by this case, dogs are now being trained to “diagnose” melanomas, bladder, breast and lung cancer—before symptoms appear. Our canine buddies also alert people prone to seizures—before the seizure occurs.  

It’s a modern discovery that animals have amazing diagnostic abilities to help people be healthier. Yet animals have always had these abilities. Might animals have other talents that researchers haven’t noticed? Is it possible that our pawed, clawed, and hoofed friends have been trying to assist us to live happier lives using a language that people have labeled “misbehavior?”  

“Misbehaving” Animals as “Guiding Angels” 

A few years ago, I uncovered a mind-blowing relationship between animals who “misbehave” and their keepers.  

While working at a dog-boarding kennel, I start honing my skills as a fledgling animal communicator. Soon I discover my talent is one I never heard about—seeing that “misbehaving” animals are “communicating” animals.  

Critters who “misbehave” have a message for their keepers. And the message always is giving the keeper clues as to how to live a happier and healthier life. Even more world-shaking is discovering what happens when the animal’s keeper takes action on the message. When the keeper’s behavior changes, the animal’s behavior changes! 

Holy Cow!

Holy horse! Holy bird! Holy cat! Holy dog! I wouldn’t believe such an outrageous claim if I hadn’t found so much evidence.  

Through my own experience and those of animal communication clients, I found that through “misbehaving,” animals give people “wake up calls.” These calls help to bring our attention to areas of their lives that have gotten off track. Take the instance of John and his Yorkshire Terrier, Mitzi. 

John and Mitzi

John contacted me because after years of good behavior, Mitzi had suddenly begun piddling outside his office door. John often saw clients in his in-home office. Now, almost every time John had a client over, Mitzi would leave a puddle outside the door. The situation was causing John a great deal of embarrassment. During our session, John realized that he was overworked and needed to take more “play” breaks with Mitzi throughout the day to relax and unwind. As soon as John gave himself much-needed “playtime,” the indoor piddling stopped. And, when John would forget and push himself too hard, his Yorkie would faithfully “remind” John to ease up on himself. 

I found that cats who bite their keepers is a common occurrence. During an animal communication/life coaching session, clients experiencing this situation often discover areas of their own lives where they are angry or fearful—at themselves or others. The clients aren’t aware of the harmful effects of their pent up emotions. But their kitty is! Once a client releases the stuck feelings, their cat stops biting them. 

We’ve Only Just Begun …

… to explore this radically divine relationship between pets and people. Yet I’ve come to a few conclusions in working with the keepers of dogs, cats and horses: 

1. Animal “misbehavior” is merely a communication system.

2. “Misbehaving” is a creature’s way of telling us something’s out of balance.

3. Pets often communicate messages from our intuition that we miss or ignore (like dogs who detect cancer and foretell seizures).These messages can show us a way to get what we really want in life such as more love, abundance, improved health or a more rewarding career.

4. Taking action on the animal’s message creates the change of behavior in the animal. When we take appropriate action to bring our lives into harmony—the “misbehavior” stops!

Getting Your Message

If you’re interested in being happier and healthier, why not check to see how your pet is trying to help you reach your goal? You can begin to decipher the language of “misbehavior” by using the skills of a detective. Follow each lead to find what secret is revealed. 

One way to begin your investigation is looking closely at the words you use to describe your pet’s “misbehavior.” Then apply the words to yourself. For instance, if your pet’s “misbehavior” is biting, you might ask yourself if your behavior is sharp, piercing or stinging (saying or doing hurtful things to others or yourself).  

If your pet is continually running away, you might look to see if there’s some person, some situation, some feeling that you’re avoiding—or want to get away from.  

If your pet is urinating on the floor, you might look to see if you’re pissed off at someone or something and haven’t resolved the issue. 

The key in your detective work is to be creative, open and playful. If one avenue of investigation doesn’t ring true, try another path.  

In John’s case, he didn’t discover anything he was pissed off about. Instead, the location where his pet was urinating was the key: the doorway leading to where John worked. Further investigation revealed that Mitzi was giving a clue about the way John went about working: too hard. I may never find out the benefits to John of his taking frequent play breaks throughout his workday. But we can make an educated guess. By taking breaks to pet or play with Mitzi, John probably reduces his stress level, lowers his blood pressure and boosts his immune system. Relaxing may enhance his clarity and creativity so he doesn’t have to work as hard to accomplish the same goals. Most likely, John’s regained health and creativity he didn’t realize he was losing.

“Misbehavior” as Your Life-Saver  

What if your cantankerous kitty holds the key to why your dream jobs always fall apart? What if your mischievous mutt can sense the beginnings of an illness and is alerting you so you can take preventative action? What if your hyper horse is indicating how you can open to the deeper intimacy that eludes you? What if your pesky parakeet knows what’s in the way of your greater self-expression?  

What have you got to gain by finding out? Your dream job! More health! More love! More happiness!

I admit that it can be challenging to see and take action on what our furry and feathered friends are telling us. We need a willingness to see the truth about our lives. And the courage and strength to make a change. Yet it’s well worth it if we want to be healthier and happier.  

If you’d like assistance on getting messages from your pets, contact Sulana at sulana@qwest.net  or 602.992.1538. Free initial consultation.