Editor's Note - In his book, Whole Pet Healing, Dr. Dennis Thomas, acknowledges the well-known phenomenon that people with animals have less stress and live longer. It can also work in reverse. Dr. Thomas runs a holistic veterinary practice in Spokane, Washington, where he regularly utilizes acupuncture, energy medicine, chiropractic care and other complementary modalities for animals.

We all know people who love dogs, dislike cats, and wouldn’t consider owning a bird or “pocket pet,” such as a hamster or gerbil. But why do you think people have special interest in a particular type of pet? Why would someone select a Great Dane over a dachshund or a golden retriever over a Doberman? Why would someone be drawn to a feisty Siamese cat instead of a laid-back orange tabby? Are these random desires? Perhaps the preferential thoughts that come into our minds are actually little sign posts directing us along a path that will connect us to that special pet that has a purpose for coming into our lives.

Most pet caretakers will agree that there is a special, unexplainable connection that exists between them and their animal companions, a sort of unconscious bond that cannot easily be put into words. There have been fascinating displays of this bond; for example, a man leaves the desk at his office, and immediately his dog at home jumps up and runs to the door. Or a cat rushes into the room and springs onto his caretaker’s lap to notify her that she is about to suffer a seizure. This connection has been studied by many researchers, although at this time no one can explain it. In ways large and small, sensitive pet owners see this subtle but very real connection emerge.

For the type of response described in the examples above to occur, there must be at least two factors involved:

• An energetic connection between the pet and caretaker
• An awareness of that connection by at least one of the parties

All is energy—at a certain dimension, there is no differentiation between the pet and caretaker. In other words, the physical boundaries are removed. If one party (the pet) is aware of the energetic connection, then it will react energetically when the unaware party (the caretaker) alters itself energetically. Animals have the same five primary senses as humans, but they also have a sensitivity to feelings because they spend their time aware of everything that is happening in the moment.

Because they are not distracted by a constant barrage of thoughts and concerns, our pets are, in a sense, more broadly aware than we are, and thus can perceive energy differently than we do. (If you want to see the ultimate Buddha, check out your pet.) It isn’t that they sit there and think, I am aware that my caretaker and I are connected. They are simply being aware. Their internal radio is scanning all the stations all the time.

They are thereby keenly tuned in to our emotions and are deeply affected by them, because at the energetic level there is no difference between them and us. I cannot state it often or clearly enough: From an energetic standpoint, there are no physical boundaries.

If we learn to quiet the perpetual mind chatter, then we open ourselves up to subtle messages that might come by way of thoughts or guidance. They might even arise in the form of energetic sensations emanating from our pets.

Pets live close to their caretakers, and are thus receiving constant emotional energy from the shared environment. If the emotional health of the caretakers is good—filled with joy, happiness, and love—then the pet will thrive energetically. However, if there is an environment of fearful emotions—anger, depression, and anxiety— then the pet will suffer energetically.

This concept is called mirroring, and it’s a form of energy exchange. This isn’t just a fascinating fact; we can benefit practically from this knowledge as well. We now know that prolonged emotions, such as stress, can affect our bodies physically and lead to disorders such as immune suppression, heart disease, and cancer. If we accept that there is no energetic boundary between us and our pets, then we understand how the negative emotions that cause physical disease in our bodies, when carried into our environment, will cause physical disease in our pets as well. To learn more about the profound bond we share with our pets, see my book, Whole-Pet Healing.