Even though these pets are small, they are able to show affection and love just like our larger animal companions.  Many of them are comfortable being held and petted and have learned to enjoy the human contact.  Even frogs and fish learn to recognize their humans and will respond in their own way.

One thing that has always surprised me when offering Reiki to small animals is how much energy they will take.  It seems that, since they are so small, they’ll only need or want a small amount of Reiki.  However, I have found that they absorb just as much if not more energy than larger animals.  Once they get used to the energy, they’ll sit (or swim) for a full session and fully enjoy the process. If you’ve been reading my articles for a while, you have probably noticed that in just about every one I mention that one should always start slowly and gently when offering Reiki to an animal for the first time, since they most likely aren’t familiar with it.  They may sometimes be wary of the energy at first until they realize they have the freedom to take only as much as they want.  This becomes even more essential when working with the littlest animals.  They are very small, and even though they can and do absorb amazing amounts of energy, introducing it slowly and gently are of the utmost importance with them. So, as always, it’s best to start out at a distance … perhaps sitting several feet outside the animal’s cage or pen.  Very often when I start a session for a small critter like this, it’s usually hiding in its house.  Thankfully, you don’t need to ever touch the animal if it doesn’t want you to – distance Reiki will do the job just as well as hands on.  Sit comfortably, just resting your hands in your lap, ask the animal’s permission first, and then let the Reiki flow.  Most often, after a few minutes, the animal will peek out of its hut and look at you very intently.  Soon after that, it will usually come out fully and make its way over to the area of the hutch that’s closest to you. At that point, I will usually offer hands on Reiki.  Rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, hedgehogs, hamsters, iguanas … they all respond positively to the energy and will usually sit or lie quietly while I place my hands on them (though, hands on Reiki on a hedgehog does present its own set of challenges)! Unless the animal asks for Reiki in a certain spot by putting that body part under my hands, I usually use the same hand position that I do for cats – that is, one hand on the shoulders and the other on the chest, surrounding their little bodies with gentle healing energy. Our small animal friends will show the same signs of acceptance and comfort as our larger animal companions.  Small sighs, total relaxation, droopy or closed eyes … these are all signs that the animal is accepting and enjoying the Reiki energy.  Rabbits will often stretch out on their sides and go to sleep, while rats and mice will usually curl up in the bedding in their cage. Two years ago I had a white rat that was given to me by one of my students.  She was a sweet little girl and was very affectionate and intelligent like most of her species can be.  At home in the evenings I would very often sit on the sofa, doing schoolwork and watching television.  I’d usually take Finkle (short for RatFink!) out of her cage and let her roam around on the sofa.  I offered her Reiki one night and at first she reacted by sitting up on her hind legs, whiskers quivering, and just looking at me.  She soon came over and climbed up on my arm, then up onto my shoulder and then finally she burrowed under my hair where it lay along my neck and fell asleep.  I think she was very comfortable there, snug and warm under my hair and with the back of the sofa for a cushion.  The Reiki flowed very strongly for about 40 minutes – at one point I could actually hear her little snores!  The flow gradually tapered off and soon she poked her head out from my hair, nibbled my earlobe, and then crawled back down my arm.  At that point I put her back in her cage where she took a long drink of water from her bottle and had a treat of blueberries that I’d previously put in her cage.  This became an almost nightly ritual for us, and was something we both enjoyed. Even our companion fish can enjoy and benefit from Reiki.  Of course, since they live in a watery environment there are certain restrictions as far as hands on Reiki goes.  And the water itself presents somewhat of a challenge, since water is a very effective conductor of energy.  Not only that, but fish take the water into their bodies through their gills, along with any unhealthy energies or toxins that may be in the water. So in this case, it’s best to start out several feet from the tank and offer Reiki that way.  At first, the fish may swim around crazily but usually after a few minutes they’ll settle down and come over to the side of the tank nearest you.  At this point, it’s a good idea to move closer to the tank.  Placing your hands on the tank is often too overwhelming for them, however.  Remember, the water is conducting the energy and may actually make it seem stronger.  Slowly and gently is the key to offering Reiki to fish. Our small animal companions offer us just as much love, comfort and affection as our larger, more visible animal friends do.  Offering Reiki to them is one way that we can show them our thanks for their love and companionship.]]>