Pepper, Prakruti, Scout? Oh My!
In 2006, I was living in Albuquerque attending a LOT of 12-step meetings. One day, I was picking up a gal who needed a ride to a meeting. An adorable Siamese mix cat walked up and sat in front of my car while I was waiting for the gal. She looked directly at me and said, “Get me out of here.” I took a moment to communicate with her and she affirmed that she was a reincarnation of a previous cat – Scout – who had been hit by a car when I was living in Tucson.
The gal had named her Pepper because she had these adorable brown dots on her white paws and they looked like peppercorns. When she came to the car, I asked her if Pepper was her cat. She was, but only loosely – she had wandered in with the others one day and didn’t quite fit. I asked if I could adopt Pepper and she said sure!
Since I was going out of town for a couple of weeks, I picked her up when I returned. When I saw Pepper again, I had a hit that she was pregnant. I was studying at the Ayurvedic Institute at the time, so when I heard her name was Prakruti I was not surprised. I just knew that to be true.
In Vedic texts, Prakruti refers to the basic cosmic material that is the root of all beings, and Purusha to the spirit or conscious energy that governs life and reality. The cosmic entity, Purusha, exists beyond the realms of time and space and combines with Prakruti to form this world of creation. (i.e. the combination of the two is necessary to make things. In this case, kittens:-)
Bringing Home Prakruti
It was only 18 months after the car accident that caused the head injury, and everything was clear in that way. How could I just know these things? I didn’t know how, but I knew it was happening. I was living in my right brain – talking with animals, rocks, plants and hearing all kinds of things about the people and places around me. I saw Ascended Masters, Gurus who had left their bodies, and Spiritual teachers still alive – and had conversations with them! I had no filter.
So, Pepper became Prakruti and I let the gals living with me know she was pregnant. No one believed me! But I knew. Not that I had ever had a pregnant cat before – or dog for that matter – but I knew. I fed her well, acclimated her to the house, my roommates and Zoe, my Golden Retriever.
One day, my friend Geo was visiting. I knew he had grown up on a farm and knew a lot about animals, so I asked him how could I tell if Prakruti was pregnant? She was putting on weight, but I (my personality) didn’t know if it was because she was well-fed or pregnant.
He put his hand under her belly and exclaimed “She pregnant alright! Due any time!” He taught me to feel the tautness of her belly – where it would have normally been soft and squishy. And I prepared for the birth.
Prakruti’s Babies
About a week later, on April 11, 2006, she had 4 kittens on my bed. She curled up next to me, made a little nest, and as she leaned back to look at me, her eyes rolled back, and I thought – oh God! She’s in labor! I was so glad I had done some reading on what to expect. It was a long labor for her and one of the kittens did not make it a week. But the other three eventually filled the house with their joyful exuberance.
The little one I named Dora. She had a short tail and was into everything. Hence, Dora the Explorer. One of the males, Manu – which means “first man” in Sanskrit – had a right angle at the end of his tail. I wish I had a picture of that! When he was about a year old, he came home without it, so he’s had a short tail ever since, just like his sister.
Manu was clearly my cat and was staying with me forever. Dora, however, seemed to be waiting for someone else to come for her. She seemed content, but not quite mine. Yet over the years, no one came for her and she became a member of my household.
The third kitten was lovely but didn’t seem to me “mine”. A friend of a friend adopted him and named him Cody. I hope he lived a long and happy life!
Life with Prakruti
Prakruti was quite young when we found each other; she got pregnant in her first heat, and I had her spayed as soon after. She loved bringing in leaves, sycamore pods, and anything else from the backyard. She’d meow at the top of her lungs, often in the middle of the night, to let me know she had brought me a gift. She hardly ever brought in mice or living beings. Always leaves, flowers, pods, and such.
She died in 2011 at about six years old – almost the same ages as Scout, her previous incarnation – when she got into something poisonous in the neighborhood. But I still have her kittens today. Manu and Dora will be 16 on April 11, 2022. I’m so grateful to have them in my life.
And thus began my work with animals.
From that day forward, I’ve communicated with them, listening for their needs and wants, taking in their simple wisdom, and healing them with the energy that comes through my container (body, hands).
I’ve worked with the pets of family and friends, stray dogs and cats, and occasional birds or horses. I’ve “rescued” them, helped them find their forever homes, and supported animals through their death process – holding them as they took their last breath.
I’m so grateful for all they have taught me about living, healing, and dying. I look forward to supporting you and your pets in this way through my newly public Healing for Pets and Their People sessions.
And I look forward to hearing about your pet stories. Share them in the Dragonfly Den, please😊
Thanks for reading!
