Articulate Animals Blog, Kelly Krueger, Animal Communicator

Animal Communicator Kelly Krueger puts voice to your pet's thoughts, needs, and emotions.

Posts Tagged vacation

Vacation Preparation for our Pets

Jun 24

Posted by Kelly Krueger in Frequently Asked Animal Questions, Health & Well Being for Pets | 4 Comments

During this season of family vacations, following is a reminder partially taken from a post last summer on how to prepare our pets for our time away:

Generally speaking, a vacation is an exciting time for humans. This is not always the case for the animals of the family, however. For some pets, their human being away for any length of time is a sad, lonely, perhaps anxiety-ridden experience.

Each animal reacts differently to time away from their primary human guardians, and their reaction can vary depending on the arrangements made for their care. Preparing for a vacation means preparing our animals as well.

For some, the “you have fun, but behave yourself” talk is appropriate, along with your reassurance that you will return soon.

Some animals will benefit from a gentle explanation that you’ll be gone for a few days, then a detailed explanation of how they will be cared for.

Some animals are not concerned with their own arrangements as much as knowing that YOU will be safe and that you will return happily and refreshed, and they will likely want to know all about your adventure when you return.

For all animals, I believe it is helpful to explain that we love being home with them, but that it is important for humans to get away from home occasionally.

No matter which of the above scenarios best fits your animal companions, always finish your conversation with your beloved pets by envisioning a wonderful, joy-filled homecoming with snuggles, praise, and perhaps a small treat.

When the suitcases come out, your animals know that something is about to change in their world. Most will respond more positively when they are brought into the experience so take the time to communicate with them and do so positively and with joy. And most of all, remember that your pets pick up on your energy so remain calm and confident that your time away from them will be pleasant for all concerned.

Vacations are exciting, and don’t have to be feared by our animals. Help them by communicating your intentions, and they will be joyfully waiting for you when you return!

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Animal Communication Provides Vacation Preparation

May 17

Posted by Kelly Krueger in Activities, Events, Classes, Health & Well Being for Pets | No Comments

May begins the vacation season. Through the summer many of us will be taking a week or two away from our own homes to visit family, attend weddings and graduations, or to get away to a special spot with our loved ones. Often that means leaving our animal companion loved ones at home. Whether you share your life with dogs, cats, horses, guinea pigs, fish or others, animal communication can provide the opportunity to explain how they will be cared for during your time away.

May is National Pet Month; show them how much you care!

This summer, prepare your pet for your summer vacation. Let your animal companion know when you will return and how he or she will be spending THEIR summer vacation! Animal communication consultations with Kelly Krueger are available during the summer months for vacation preparation. 

Special:  Pre-book by May 31, 2010 for a 15-minute vacation prep phone consultation in May, June, July, or August for a discounted price of $15.

Enjoy your summer holidays!

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“Basic Animal Communication for Daily Living” Feb. 6

Jan 26

Posted by Kelly Krueger in Activities, Events, Classes | No Comments

Basic Animal Communication for Daily Living tele-class
Saturday, February 6, 2010
10:00 – 11:30 a.m. Mountain Time
(9:00 – 10:30 a.m. Pacific; noon-1:30 p.m. Eastern)
Cost $30 (plus possible long distance phone charges for the teleconference)              ***Early Registration Incentive: $10 discount if registered by January 28th

After attending this tele-class you will be able to successfully communicate simple information to your pet:  

  • Reinforce solutions after a training class or animal communication session
  • Convey your love to your animals while you are away on vacation
  • Address simple behaviors

Each participant is encouraged to bring a topic to class and receive individualized guidance from Kelly on how to structure an appropriate communication to your animal.

 To register and for more information, click here.

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Keeping Our Pets Safe During the Holidays

Nov 18

Posted by Kelly Krueger in Animal Behaviors, Frequently Asked Animal Questions, Health & Well Being for Pets | No Comments

Late fall often signals a flurry of questions from clients about keeping their pets calm in the midst of all the holiday happenings. Those of us in the United States will soon be celebrating Thanksgiving, and the celebrating continues on holiday 3through early January. That’s almost two months of parties, house guests, marathon shopping, extra food in the house, the delivery drivers ringing the door bell, and then fireworks on New Year’s Eve to top it off.  That’s a lot of possible stress for our pets. Hey, who am I kidding? It’s a lot of stress for humans, too! As enjoyable as the holidays are, they can lead to some mild (or more) anxiety, less sleep, less exercise, and chaos around the home. Our pets are right in the middle of it all.

Remember, our state of mind affects our pets. When we are worried about the in-laws week-long visit, or stressed that we haven’t found that perfect gift for Aunt Sally, our pets can take on – mirror – our anxiety. When our stress is intensified because we haven’t been to the gym for a week and a half, we might begin to see our companion animals exhibiting unusual behaviors.  A stressed-out human often equates to a stressed and mis-behaved pet. It is important, for your sake as well as your animals, to stick to your normal routines during this busy time.

Sure, easier said than done! But consider strategies and opportunities to keep your routine in place and to minimize anxiety as much as you can. Try to calm yourself before walking in the door to your home or stable. It’s a cycle – if you are calm when you greet your pets, then they do their favorite thing of keeping you calm and entertained all evening long. The calmer you are, then the calmer they are, then they calm you more…. and the cycle continues.

Consider the things in the next couple of months that will be out of the ordinary in your animal’s perspective. Will your home be a revolving door of visitors, a college student returning home, or relatives taking up residence for a few days? Or perhaps your family will be vacationing for a few days and your pets will be staying in a kennel or cared for by someone else. An animal communicator can help prepare your pets for these short-term changes.

And what about the food? All that glorious food! Both dogs and cats have intolerance to certain foods that humans take for granted – onions, garlic, chocolate, raisins, and some nuts are just a few. While cooking for a party or a family gathering, be aware of tasty but possibly toxic morsels that drop on the kitchen floor. 

The rich and abundant food during the holidays is intensified with the potential side-effect of less time and attention to
exercise. Remember that even during the most hectic of times, getting out with your animals – a nice trail ride with your horse or regular walks with the pooch – will benefit your animals AND you.

HolidayFinally, keep in mind that the holidays often bring in elements which can be harmful, even toxic, to your house pets. Christmas trees with lights strung on the low branches can be snagged by dogs and cats, resulting in the animal getting tangled or stuck, and a struggling pet may have the strength to pull the tree down on themselves. The water in the tree stand is far from fresh and clean, so try to keep the well of the tree-stand covered. Broken ornaments, tinsel  and  holiday ribbon could be deadly for pets if swallowed. Extra candles, possibly scented with essential oils, can have an adverse effect on cats. And remember seasonal plants like poinsettias, azaleas, and holly are beautiful and festive, but also pose serious danger to animals if ingested.

Whether you are traveling or staying at home, enjoy the holidays and help your pets fully enjoy this time as well.

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New Class: Basic Animal Communication for Daily Living – Dec. 8, 2009

Nov 5

Posted by Kelly Krueger in About, Activities, Events, Classes | No Comments

You can communicate to your pets *without* being a professional animal communicator! 

Please join me for this tele-class:

Basic Animal Communication for Daily Living
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Mountain Time
(5:30-6:30 Pacific; 8:30-9:30 Eastern)
Cost $20 (plus possible long distance phone charges for the teleconference)

It’s true. We can all learn basic skills for communicating to our pets without spending months or years studying formal animal communication techniques. After attending this one-hour tele-class you will be able to successfully communicate simple information to your pet. For example, you may like to: 

  • Reinforce solutions after a training class or animal communication session
  • Convey your love to your animals while you are away on vacation
  • Address simple behaviors such as: Reminding your dog to stay with you at the car rather than running through the parking lot to the hiking trail; Encourage your cat to use only the appropriate scratching posts; Help your horse understand your expectations for getting in and out of the horse trailer; Request a less-aggressive style of play from your dominant guinea pig; and more

Each participant is encouraged to bring a topic to class and receive individualized guidance from Kelly on how to structure an appropriate communication to your animal. By listening to the variety of participant topics, you will learn to structure additional communications between you and your pets in your home environment.

Please RSVP by December 1st 
For questions, please email Kelly@ArticulateAnimals.com or call 303-670-0292.
Due to the interactive nature of this tele-class, registration will be limited
to eight (8) participants.

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Preparing Pets for Our Vacation

Jun 30

Posted by Kelly Krueger in Animal Behaviors, Health & Well Being for Pets | 1 Comment

It’s that time of year – many of us will be taking a summer family vacation soon. Following is a refreshed version of my Articulate Animals Newsletter article published a year ago:

For many of us, summer signals our annual family vacation – a time to get away, relax, see new sights, and have fun. vacation post photo 2Vacations, however, aren’t always eagerly anticipated by our animal companions. For some pets, their human being away for any length of time is a sad, lonely, perhaps anxiety-ridden experience.

Each animal reacts differently to time away from their primary human guardians, and their reaction can vary depending on the arrangements made for their care. My two dogs are night and day different when it comes to me being gone. My male loves his wonderful caregiver and looks forward to what he considers his ”summer camp” experience. My female, on the other hand, would be perfectly happy if I never left her side. It’s not that she has separation anxiety – she does perfectly fine bossing all the other dogs around when she gets to the caregivers home.  But given her preference, she’d be at my side 24/7 and I would never leave the house without her. Never…. ever!

Preparing myself for a vacation means preparing my animals as well, and in different ways according to their needs. Boy-dog gets the “you have fun, but behave yourself” talk, along with my reassurance that I will return soon, refreshed and relaxed. The talk with my girl is different. I gently explain that I’ll be gone for a few days, but that she’ll be going to the same place she’s familiar with. She’ll be well taken care of and I’ll think of her and send her love while I’m away. I explain that I love being home with her, but that it is important for me, a human, to go away without her occasionally, and that I’ll be having fun and enjoying myself and will tell her all about it when I return. For both, I finish my described preparation exercise with envisioning a wonderful, joy-filled homecoming with snuggles, kisses (if you insist, mom!) and a small treat.

When the suitcases come out, your animals know that something is about to change in their world. Most will respond more positively when they are brought into the experience. Start with envisioning your departure with your suitcase in hand. Then visualize their experience, whatever that may be – a friend, neighbor, or caregiver staying with them in their home, or going to visit a family member or qualified kennel (yes, kitties can go to a kennel too!) – while you are away. Then envision your joyous homecoming, with everyone safe, happy, and relaxed.

Your animals may or may not pick up on all the subtleties of your visualization exercise, but the process seems to be a calming one for all concerned, and that helps everyone when it is time to leave. As with most things, “practice makes perfect.” In this case, your pets may never grow to love the thought of you going away without them, but the more times you leave AND safely return to them, the more they will trust the process.

If your pets are prone to a little separation anxiety, attempt to have a similar routine for them while you are away. This could include the same caregiver if possible, or the consistency of staying in their own home, even if the caregiver varies. If you’ve never left your pet but have an extended vacation period approaching, consider a couple of trial runs – a night or weekend away to put a structure in place before your several-day vacation arrives. For example, if you periodically leave your cats alone for a night or weekend but plan to have a caregiver come in while you are on a two-week vacation, make sure your cats can meet and get to know the caregiver before you leave on your vacation. Introduce them, and let your kitties participate as you walk the caregiver through their daily routine.

Vacations are exciting, and don’t have to be feared by our animals. Preparation and compassionate consideration of their views on the change in their environment, even if only for a few days, will aid in a more peaceful departure, less resentment while you are away, and a wonderful reunion when you return.

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While humans are away, cats can play!

Jun 3

Posted by Kelly Krueger in Products & Animal Resources | 5 Comments

Most of us are familiar with “kenneling” or “boarding” our dogs when we go on vacation. Having access to a safe environment for our pets when they can’t be with us for a few days is one less worry. I was excited to see recently that a similar opportunity now exists for cats in my hometown in Colorado.

winny1The Evergreen Cat Lodge recently opened for business, offering 32 – count ‘em – rooms for rent. Felines only please! I’ve not been by to visit, but apparently the rooms vary in size and decor according to economy , deluxe, and VIP pricing. Litter boxes are cleaned daily, photos are emailed to the guardians when possible, and special requests are generally accommodated.

True, cats and dogs are very different in their sociability. Some cats are much better off staying a few days without their humans at home with a caretaker checking in. But for those kitties who are of an adventurous spirit and would enjoy a little time away from the homestead when their family goes on vacation, check around your city and you just may find a “kitty kennel” that meets your needs.

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