People frequently call me to schedule an animal communication session because they want to see if their beloved furry family member is happy. Does Skippy want a friend? Is Pookie pleased with her vittles? 

I have heard all kinds of responses from animals when asked what they need or want (always blunt responses; animals never beat around the bush), and there are 2 things they almost routinely mention. The third one is my personal observation.

1. Put down the phone, computer, iPad, whatever electronic gadget you are staring at, and pay attention to only your pet. Animals will say that they never see their humans, and the humans will tell me they see the animal all the time. Then the animal sends me a vision of the human engrossed in the phone, or staring raptly at the boob tube. You may be physically present, but they want, and need, your undivided attention for at least a little time daily. They need you to put down the electronics and let them know how much they matter to you. We are the only one in some of our animals’ lives–we are their only companionship. Even if you have 2 or 3 dogs, and they all routinely attend doggy daycare or bark parks, they want YOU. You are their special friend, their very own human. Just as our human loved ones value our full, undivided attention, so does your pet. They feel sad when they constantly have to share you with an electronic thing. 
2. They LOVE to enjoy different foods. Feeding them the same kibble every day, or same treats, gets boring. I know many literally can’t stomach much variety in their meals–they have digestive issues, and their booties go haywire if they ingest certain substances. If your pet can enjoy anything different at all, she will be happiest when you regularly offer yummy additions to her regular meals. Some animals can digest and expel anything, so if your animal is one of these lucky souls, experiment to see what brings her the most joy. I have a client whose dogs are very happy campers for many reasons; she is a fantastic mom/friend to her furry angels. She always tops their food with different morsels, such as cottage cheese, broth, etc. Some folks use a little shredded cheese, green beans, steamed carrots, whatever is healthy for an animal to enjoy. Our cat adores nutritional yeast and a few grains of sea salt on her food. She has an iron gut and can stick anything into her kibblehole, so I always buy her as many assorted kinds of wet food and treats as I possibly can. I rotate her kibble flavors too. 
3. This one is my observation, and the one I most wish folks would adopt. Please respect your pet for whoever he or she is. Just as all humans have a cornucopia of personality traits and quirks, so do our animals. All of them have their own unique type of intelligence–no animal is “stupid” or “dumb”. Yes, I have heard people refer to their animal as dumb, right when the animal is standing there, and it breaks my heart. Pets understand the vibration of  your words, and it hurts their feelings. We all have creatures with whom we have shared a seemingly one of a kind bond, and that will never be replicated. It doesn’t mean that your current sweetie can’t be just as good of a friend, and every bit as enjoyable to live with. Please don’t expect your dog to be someone she is incapable of being. Love her for who she is.  Our dog Daisy endured horrific abuse before we got her. Despite us providing energy work and every resource available at that time to help her, she never overcame her fears and emotional issues enough to be just a regular, happy-go-lucky dog. If I was walking her and stopped to chat with a neighbor, I had to pick her up, hold her so she could look over my shoulder away from the other person, and gently rock her back and forth so she’d relax. We had to take her to doggy daycare to stay all night if we wanted to entertain friends. She hated it if Jim and I kissed and would have a yapping melt down if she saw us do it. We decided early on that she was going to be who she was going to be, and we determined to love her with our whole hearts for absolutely everything about  her. She was an unusual, and at times difficult, dog, but we wouldn’t have traded her for all the tea in China. To this day, we would have her back in a heartbeat if we could. 

So that, my friends, is what I observe animals pining for the most. If you intuitively feel your animal needs or wants something different in his life, you are most likely right. Pay attention to your gut feelings because  you know your furry loved one better than anyone else does. I hope you can try these suggestions and notice the happiness your sweetie feels.