I'm not sure I really want to know what the tom cat in the kitchen is thinking. It might be better to assume he's pretty happy with a pat on the head or the crunchy food in his dish. But there are times when he looks off in the distance that I'm sure he's pondering his place in the universe. And maybe he is.
Joyce Leake of Animal University hosts seminars on animal communication. She'll be in Brainerd March 9-11 at Spirit Horse Center. Her workshops are designed to teach people the basics and the complexities of animal communication.
Animals communicate on many levels. They are often vocal. That tom cat isn't shy when he's hungry, wants attention or decides it's time to go out. But it's understanding the body language that is key, especially with an animal that outweighs you by a thousand pounds. Working with horses years ago taught me to read those emotions from the placement of an ear, the swish of a tail, the flare of a nostril.
If I had to pick a super power it just might be a touch of Dr. Doolittle. Wouldn't that be nice to tell the trapped and scared bird how to exit a building. And then I could ask that tom cat what's he's really thinking about.