Animal Reiki Stories
The Power of Love
Joyce Leonard is one of the 5 winners of our Animal Reiki Stories competition and has won herself a copy of the Animal Reiki Handbook for this sad but beautiful story of Felipe, a little foster kitten…
ps – Everyone who entered the competition also gets to choose one of 1/2 hour Reiki meditations from our online Reiki Meditations!
Felipe was barely 5 weeks old, had short jet-black fuzz for fur, little round eyes, a black nose, and was cute as a kitten could be. He weighed barely one pound. He was wobbly and weak when I brought him home to be fostered for the SPCA, but I was hoping that with a little cleaning up, some good food, and a warm bed, he would perk up, as they usually do. I provided all these things and went off to work.
When I came home, about 5 hours later, Felipe was splayed out on the floor with his eyes opened and glazed over. When I touched him, he was stone cold and lifeless. His three siblings were huddled in their basket on the warm heating disc, staring at me. A wave of sadness crashed over me, and I went out of the room and cried for a few minutes. Then I went back into the room and respectfully wrapped Felipe’s body in a towel and placed him on the chair. I gathered the other kittens in my lap and proceeded to offer Reiki to Felipe’ spirit and to his siblings, who had been with Felipe the entire time. I put my hand on the towel that Felipe was wrapped in and started the Reiki. After a short while, I heard a faint sound. At first I thought it was one of the other kittens, but then it happened again. Ohmygosh, Felipe was still alive!
I cradled his still cold and lifeless body in my arms and continued to offer him Reiki. And that’s when it happened. The most powerful energy, filled with the purest love I have ever known, came into my body and out to fill the room. Every cell of my being was vibrating with an intense sensation of unconditional, eternal love. I felt so encompassed and overwhelmed, I couldn’t even move. Felipe responded by making continuous, very weak, raspy meows. He still wasn’t even able to close his eyes or even blink and his body was absolutely limp, save for his mouth opening slightly when he cried.
After a few minutes, I knew he wasn’t going to die on the spot, so it was time to bring him to the SPCA hospital. I called to let them know I was coming and took Felipe, towel and all, down the stairs to my car. I placed the little bundle on my lap, and all the way there I held his head and neck in my hand to warm him, turned the car heater up as far as it would go, and offered the loving energy of Reiki. He continued to respond with his raspy meows.
The foster care program manager was waiting for me in the parking lot and whisked him away before I even got the car parked. They immediately gave him glucose by mouth, which he was able to swallow, gave him oxygen, fluids, and a warming pad. They ran all the initial tests, and then placed him, with his little IV and heating pad, in his hospital cage.
I went home and offered Felipe distant Reiki all night long. I fell asleep with the loving Reiki energy flowing to him. I’d wake up during the night and continue the offering until I would fall back to sleep again. This went on the entire night.
When I awoke at about 6:00 the next morning, the Reiki energy no longer flowed to him. I anxiously called the SPCA and learned that little Felipe died at 4 that morning. They said he seemed to hold on to life for a long time.
Feeling the intense power of the Reiki energy and the incredible love that it generated is something that I will never forget. Felipe literally brought himself back from the brink of death and I believe it was because he felt this immense energy and love going to him and he resonated with it—he seemed to attune himself with it.
There are many ways to interpret this story—perhaps Felipe’s body just wasn’t strong enough for the Reiki energy to pull him through. Or perhaps he used the Reiki energy to help in his transition. We’ll never actually know, and it really doesn’t matter. The fact is, the immense power of Reiki and love came over us that night and changed us both, forever.
Joyce Leonard is a Reiki Master/teacher and founder of Santa Cruz Reiki Works. She teaches Reiki and meditation techniques and provides treatments to humans and animals. A subset of her work, the Felipe Project, focuses on providing Reiki treatments and training to hospice caregivers and the dying.
