Healers in fur coats

Healers in fur coats

By Life Positive

July 2013

Nothing can be more cathartic than running your fingers through the soft fur of a cuddly tabby. Children, particularly, need no encouragement to relate with cute, domesticated animals. Little wonder, Rehana Mohammed Shakir, an advertising professional cum healer living in Bangalore, and an ardent cat lover, has started a programme called Pet Therapy, for young children.

A proud Rehana with her little healerShe says, “Children have it tough. Even with loving parents, their life is fraught with many minor traumas, which they are unable to articulate, like rejection or lack of acceptance; sometimes by schoolmates, teachers or even siblings, or their need for love as compensation for it. Pet therapy is a nice way to heal children of unspoken traumas. These little healers, through their unique personalities, help children to accept themselves, and discover their latent qualities and abilities.”

And Rehana has nine of these gentle, natural healers, each with their own healing speciality!

“Cats have unfortunately got a lot of bad press, whereas they are very sensitive creatures. I have always adored cats from childhood and have bred, reared and nurtured Persian cats for a long time. An association which made me see them as ‘little people’ with distinct personalities, quirks and emotional needs,’ she says.

She adds, ‘They are unusual and un-catlike is what most people observe when they meet them. Like Labradors – they are friendly, playful and very gentle.”

Cat Qamaruddin deals exclusively with hyper children with aggressive tendencies. He instinctively inspires kindness, gentleness and compassion.

Toffee and Zafran work very well with quiet, withdrawn kids. They bring out joy and volubility in them. And cat Shahryar just reaches out. He allows the child to love him, hug him. The programme module is of a 2-hour duration, designed for children in the age group of 5-13 years.

As a result children become unafraid to show their vulnerabilities, become sensitive to animals, and find a good way to channel all their extra energies through sessions with these furry friends. Even if none of the above reasons are high on your agenda, a tryst with these warm, soft, loving and playful creatures is something to look forward to.

Rehana Mohammed Shakir
98861 81366 fb rehanapettherapy