Tapping for your Pets:The essential guide.

How to effectively help your ill and ageing pets

using EFT Tapping.

by Ferris Jay

© Ferris Jay 2017

Contents

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Contents page 2Introduction. page 3How tapping can benefit our pets and us. page 4Before you begin. page 5Chapter 1: How to tap for your pets. page 6What is EFT Tapping? page 7How do we tap for our pets? page 7Chapter 2: Tapping for your pet’s health challenges. page 11Case study: Treating injury and shock. Paulo’s story. page 14Chapter 3: Tapping for your elderly pets. page 15Case study: End of life care. Maureen and Bunny. page 18Chapter 4: Tapping for pet loss grief. page 19Case study: Pet loss support for Billy and Andie. page 21About Ferris. page 22Further Resources. page 23

© Ferris Jay 2017

IntroductionMy intention with this guide is that it gives you the confidence to use EFT tapping effectively to help your pets. I write it both for you, the pet lover, and for those sweet furred and feathered souls that give us an unfathomable depth of unconditional love. The love and companionship that our pets give us affects us deeply, it nurtures us. Their presence is uplifting and brings much joy to our lives. Yet, when our beloved pets are unwell or unhappy, it can also affect us deeply and it can bring up feelings of fear, worry and helplessness.When our sweet pets are ageing and then nearing the end of their lives, again we are deeply affected. We can find it hard to face death and doing so can trigger the pain of past wounds related to grief and loss.

I have found that EFT Tapping is a highly effective tool for assisting our pets to overcome health challenges, to age gracefully and end their lives with dignity. It is also excellent to help us, as pet guardians, be the best advocate we can be for our pets, by dealing with the emotional reactions we have when we see them unwell. By using EFT Tapping we can clear those reactions, become calmer and clearer headed, so we are better able to make smart decisions concerning their care. Once we have cleared our minds and energy, then we are in the best position to assist them using EFT tapping.

In this short guide I will share insights from using EFT Tapping with my human and animal clients, and my own dear animal companions, over the past 7 years. I will also link to further useful sources of information. I wish you happy tapping with your pets.

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How Tapping can benefit our pets and us.Here are just a few of the ways I have found tapping has helped the pets I have worked with.

•It can accelerate their recovery from illness or injury•It can reduce their levels of physical pain and stress•It can promote a sense of peace and comfort•It can soothe anxiety or nervousness•It can balance emotional responses•It can re-vitalize and re-balance on all levels of their being

•It can help us go from confusion to clarity•It can help us manage our emotional reactions•It can give us strength in tough times•It can soothe our anxiety or nervousness•It can empower us to actively help our pet•It can re-vitalize and re-balance on all levels of their being

Here are some of the ways I have found tapping has helped the pet guardians I have worked with.

Later on I will give some examples of how tapping has helped in specific circumstances. It’s application for pet health has amazing possibilities and it can easily be used effectively by pet lovers worldwide, by following the simple protocol and tips outlined in this guide.

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Before I start sharing about tapping for pets, it’s important to be really clear about the role of EFT Tapping in pet care. Using EFT tapping is ALWAYS complementary to veterinary care and NEVER a substitute or alternative for it.If your pet is unwell or unhappy please seek veterinary assistance for them first and foremost.

Of course, EFT tapping can be of huge benefit in case of illness and emergencies, so I’m not saying ‘don’t tap’, just be sure it’s used alongside veterinary care. In fact tapping is my first go to technique for dealing with the shock of pet emergencies (after arranging veterinary assistance). It helps both humans and animals to feel calmer and can release the effects of trauma.

When tapping for your pets or your reactions to their condition, please take responsibility for your own and your pets well-being. Tapping for our pets can sometimes bring up deep or intense emotions. If this is a deep rooted or complicated issue or it brings up emotions that you find challenging to deal with tapping on your own, please consider tapping with a professional qualified EFT practitioner, like myself*. Sometimes self help tapping isn’t enough. We practitioners are trained to guide you safely and gently through the process.

* I have been an AAMET certified level 2 EFT practitioner since 2010, a Matrix Re-Imprinting Practitioner since 2012 and a qualified Energy EFT Practitioner and Trainer since 2016.

Before you begin.

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How to tap for your pets.

Chapter One

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What is EFT Tapping?

I have a hunch that readers of this guide already have a basic understanding of EFT tapping, but in case you don’t, here’s a very quick explanation of the technique.

EFT tapping, also known as Emotional Freedom Techniques, is a simple and effective tool for clearing negative emotions, limiting beliefs, fears, phobias and trauma.As well as being used to clear negative issues and even dis-ease, it can also be used to promote positivity and enhance general health and well being. It involves tapping on particular acupressure points whilst focusing on the issue at hand.For for information, a video demonstration and a chart of the tapping points visit http://ferrisjay.com/eft

How do we tap for our pets?

1. Tapping for your reaction to the situation.

As I said earlier, when our pets are unwell or unhappy we often have negative reactions. It’s important to tap on these BEFORE we attempt to tap for, or on, our pets.

As well as helping us to be more present and clear this also helps our pets because they pick up on our emotional and mental states. Thus, when we improve our own emotional well-being through tapping our pet can sense the change and this in itself is beneficial.

Secondly, we are then emotionally and energetically more available to be of assistance.

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What sort of reactions do we have to our pet’s health conditions? Below are just a few.

Let’s take an example. If your pet is facing surgery, there may be many aspects of that which could trigger an emotional reaction. You could have fear about the success of the procedure, worry about the risk of anesthetic, some concern about the cost of the procedure or anxiety about how to care for your pet after the operation, especially if they are required to wear a cone or to have limited movement during recovery.

Ideally, you should address all those aspects so there is no emotional charge left when you think of them or try to tune into them. It can help to prioritize in terms of intensity, perhaps tapping on the most intense first until it clears completely, then moving on to the next. Remember, if your emotional response is intense, get professional support.

Once you feel at ease or at least neutral and able to face the issue without feeling significant negative emotion (preferably with no negative feelings or even positive feelings e.g. of acceptance or hope), then you are ready for the next step, tapping for your pet’s issue.

It pays to take your time and not rush this vital first step.

•Fear / anxiety / worry•Confusion about treatment options•Anger•Grief•Frustration•Guilt

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2. Tapping for your pet’s issue.

Now it’s time to focus on your pet and their issue.There are two ways that this can easily be done.

A. Surrogate or proxy tapping.

This is where you tap on yourself with your focus being for the tapping to benefit the animal. So, your focus is on the animal and your body is the bridge between you and them. Your intention is that the tapping benefits the animal.

Surrogate tapping may also be done using a teddy bear or doll as the surrogate.

I have created a free video series that demonstrates surrogate tapping (as well the other steps involved in tapping for our pets) and it can be accessed at http://ferrisjay.com/free-video-series

So, if you were to tap for your pet who is going to have an operation you could use the surrogate tapping before the operation to give them strength and reduce any anxiety (often they pick that up from the people around them who may be anxious about the operation). You could also use it during or after the operation to speed up the healing and recovery process.

When tapping for pets I tend to speak to the pet when using a set up statement e.g. “Even though you’re feeling sore after that operation, you’re a really good boy / girl”.You could also set it up by using their name e.g. “Even though Spot is feeling sore after that operation, he’s a really good boy.”

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© Ferris Jay 2017

B. Tapping on your pet.

People always ask me if they can tap on their pets and if so, what are the tapping points for tapping on your pet.The answer is yes, you can tap on your pets, but there is a caveat. If you choose to try tapping on your pet you must allow the pet to walk away if they do not like it. Whilst some pets do like to be tapped on, others do not.So if you try tapping on your pet and they do not seem to like it, please do surrogate tapping for them instead.

I do demonstrate how to tap on your pets in my free video series and I do have a chart showing the tapping points for pets here on my website, which are the same as for people (but some tapping points, such as under the nose, can be hard to reach on some animals).

From my personal experience, I prefer surrogate tapping and I use it 99% of the time with clients (as most of my clients are long distance I guess that isn’t a surprise). Even when I am in the same room with my animal clients I often use surrogate tapping. It makes it easier to see their responses.My own pets will tolerate being tapped on, but they seem to prefer being stroked or to have other forms of therapeutic touch, yet they enjoy surrogate tapping and often sit near me when I tap for them. Some of my clients report that their pets do enjoy being tapped on, and in live demonstrations I have found many pets have enjoyed hands on tapping. Some have a particular point that they especially like, for many it’s the collarbone point.

If you do try tapping on your pet you can speak to them as you tap e.g. “Even though you’re sore after the operation, you’re a really good boy”.

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© Ferris Jay 2017

Tapping for your pet’s health challenges.

Chapter Two

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Top tips for tapping effectively for your pet’s health challenges.

1. Be specific

Whatever the challenge you are facing with your pet, being specific when you tap makes a world of difference. You start by being specific about your reactions to the situation and tap though that.E.g. If there has been a diagnosis recently, start with your reactions to that e.g. shock, confusion, guilt. Or, if it’s an ongoing condition, what are your ongoing concerns?

Then, notice what your pet’s reactions are. These can be physical reactions, such as drinking more, or eating less, of having reduced energy or mobility - depending on the specifics of their condition.You can systematically tap for all those aspects and also for emotional and mental changes e.g. if they are less interactive, snappy or clingy. You can do this using surrogate tapping.

You can also to help relieve their pain, inflammation etc. Sometimes I use anatomy charts, so I can see the body part I am focusing on while I do surrogate tapping. I may also research the physiological affects of their condition, and use medical terms if that helps me to be more specific in my focus.

Example: When my cat, Elvie, had an accident which injured his tail and back leg (resulting in amputation), after ringing the vet I immediately tapped for the shock (mine then his). There was a long wait before the vet, so I also tapped to soothe him and then to ease any pain. The fact that I was calm helped him be calm. I had to sometimes stop and tap for me, e.g. if I looked directly at the wounds, as that could make me feel queasy. Once I was calm again, I returned to tapping for him, whilst sitting beside him.

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2. Be consistent.

Especially for ongoing conditions, consistency is key, both when tapping for your reactions and for their issue or symptoms.For example, if your pet has arthritis that is affecting their mobility, it’s much better to tap for 10 minutes every day rather than to tap once for 20 minutes and not tap again for a week. Also, like any skill, practice makes perfect. Tapping regularly builds your skill and allows for cumulative results. Slow and steady is a good approach.

Ongoing chronic conditions can take time to respond to the tapping, although usually benefits start to become apparent after a few sessions of tapping for your pet and often you can notice improvements during or within a day of working with your pet e.g. improved mobility, they look brighter or have more energy.

I strongly advise making notes from your sessions so you can track changes e.g. ratings on the SUE scale. That helps you notice gradual progress and improvements.

3. When to get extra support.

Obviously you pet will be under veterinary care, as stated earlier, but sometimes you may also require some additional support. I can’t underestimate how our pet’s frailties can trigger deep issues from our past or strong feelings of helplessness. Sometimes you need extra help when that is the case. Also, if your own tapping isn’t getting the results you’d like for your pet, consider calling in an expert in the field, who can assist you or work with your pet.

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© Ferris Jay 2017

Paulo the horse had a nasty accident where his front legs got caught in a gate for several hours, resulting in a wound down to the bone of one of his front legs. His owner was present and was very traumatized by the event, having to wait over an hour for the vet.

Case Study: Treating injury and shock. Paulo’s story.

I worked over a distance using surrogate tapping. I had one session with Paulo where I first tapped for shock and then for accelerated physical healing for his leg. I intuitively guessed the level of intensity. Interestingly, I kept sensing stomach anxiety, even when I felt he was fine.

When I went to work with his owner, she said that she had a recurring churning stomach since witnessing the accident (animals often reflect their people’s emotions and stress). She also presented with constant worry about his ability to heal and sadness about him having to rest.In our single session together her level of worry dropped from 9 to 1 and her sadness from 7 to 2.Her churning stomach eased completely and she felt much calmer afterwards. I suggested that we could do more tapping if she still felt worried or sad, but by the next day she said she felt fine and very relieved, especially as the wound looked better when she next changed the dressing.

The vet had said that the would could take several months to heal, yet 6 weeks after the accident it had almost fully healed. The vet was very impressed by the speed at which the wound healed.

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© Ferris Jay 2017

Tapping for your elderly pets.

Chapter Three

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Top tips for working with your pet’s age related challenges.

The same principles apply here as did for general health conditions. When tapping for your ageing pets it helps to be specific, to be consistent and to get extra support when necessary.

Working with elderly pets and their people has become a large part of my work over the past few years, and it’s an area I’m keen to advocate. Watching your pet age can bring up a lot of deep emotional reactions and it’s also a reminder of our own mortality. Tapping for elderly pets can help give them a renewed vigor and vitality, whilst providing comfort as they end their lives.

They need extra care.

Especially when our pets get closer to the end of their lives, they often require additional care and attention and can have an increase of health issues. They may be slower on walks, less tolerant of new people and situations, have dietary issues, be on more medication. I find that when people tap on such issues they get practical insights about helpful actions e.g. putting ramps up to doors, having softer beds or changing their pet’s routines.

You need to look after yourself as well as them.

If your pet requires additional care from you, it’s important for you to stay strong and focused. I see people focus entirely on their pets without remembering to take care of themselves. They can be up with pets during the night, have lack of sleep and even become obsessed with care taking them. This is a risky strategy, as if you are tired and stressed, you have less to give to them. So please be sure to have a good self care strategy, including using EFT tapping, and watch for being over anxious or overly obsessed with their health issues.

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Monitor their well being and quality of life.

Monitoring their health and behavior is very useful, both for your own assessment of their well-being and quality of life and also when liaising with veterinary practitioners. This is particularly important if the quality of life of your pet is deteriorating. You owe it to them to recognize, along with your vet, if their quality of life is no longer acceptable and euthanasia may be required. Tapping can help you be clear headed about this and deal with any emotional turmoil that arises from the thought of ever having to make ‘that decision’.

Anticipatory pet loss grief.

This is a huge issue for pet lovers. Many can’t face the idea of losing their beloved animal companions. For a full article about this click here. For now, let me just say that this is very common and people can become distressed at the thought of their pet dying for many months or even years before it happens. Tapping can be used to help people come to terms with the inevitability of their pet’s mortality and, even better, it can help people to enjoy the rest of the time they have left with their sweet pets.

Resources for tapping for elderly pets.

I have created a free 5 day mini course to help us tap out our anxieties about our pets ageing, monitor and improve their well-being, deal with specific ailments and practice appreciation tapping with them while they are still with us. To access the course, click here or on the course image in the resources section.

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Bunny was a rescue cat who had been diagnosed with cancer of the lung. Her owner, who we’ll call Maureen was very distraught at the thought of losing Bunny, after losing her other cat a year earlier. She was having panic attacks at the thought of losing him.

Case Study: End of life care. Maureen and Bunny.

I worked with both Maureen and Bunny for several weeks. Here is how I used EFT to help them.I did remote surrogate tapping for Bunny to help his system cope with the treatment and to keep him comfortable. That means that I focused on Bunny’s condition and symptoms and did EFT on myself, but for Bunny. For example, if his breathing was labored, I would tap for that, if he was hiding and shy, I would tap for that. To rate the intensity I used my intuition. I advise clients to just guess the intensity when working with their own pets.

Through my work Bunny was looking brighter and seemed more buoyant whilst Maureen was calmer. I felt the sessions helped them re-bond. For example, after sessions Bunny would come up for cuddles with Maureen like he used to do, whilst before starting the EFT he had begun to hide and became withdrawn. The sessions also helped Maureen come to terms with having to make the decision about when to let Bunny go, as he was determinedly staying alive even though his quality of life was deteriorating. The tapping helped her face her emotions and fears in a safe way that didn’t re-traumatize her.

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© Ferris Jay 2017

Tapping for pet loss grief.

Chapter Four

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Dealing with pet loss grief.

The death of a pet is something all pet lovers have to deal with at some stage. It can trigger intense grieving, to lose that source of unconditional love. Unfortunately, pet loss grief is often misunderstood, dismissed or hidden but it really should not be ignored.

It can be constantly triggered, from reminders, such as the empty spot where they used to sit, the quietness without them, the missing of them at their usual mealtimes.

Using EFT Tapping with clients I have found that it helps people to allow the grieving process to be softer and gentler. It also allows them to soften the pain of the loss so it is not overwhelming and so that, over time, the love for their pet becomes stronger than the sense of loss.

I have found that the grief seems to come in waves for may people, some bitter-sweet with memories.If you are grieving I invite you to ride those waves as gently as you can. Tapping through them can help prevent you from being overwhelmed and pulled under by them.

Often I hear my clients start to berate themselves for not 'pulling themselves together' when they still get sad about a deceased pet, months or even years after the pet died. The grieving process is unique to us all and can be unpredictable. Just when the sea seems to calm, a huge wave can surge forth and threaten to engulf us.

I have a free pet loss guide with suggestions for helping you navigate that journey with grace and ease. It includes a link to an EFT tapping video for pet loss grief. To access it, click here or on the image on the resources page.

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Andie was an adoring pet ‘parent’. Billy, her poodle, was at the centre of her and her husband's life, he used to go to work with her (she worked at a dance school and the pupils loved Billy) and out to social events, in fact he rarely left her side, as she didn't like to leave him alone in the house.

Case Study: Pet Loss Support for Billy and Andie.

I started working with Andie when Billy was 16 and mostly blind and deaf. I showed Andie how to use tapping to help her cope with the worry she felt about this.Shortly after his 17th birthday Billy had a stroke and, as Andie said, the light had gone out of his eyes. She knew it was 'time' and after spending one last night cuddling him she had her vet, who had known Billy since he was an egg in his mother's tummy, come to help him 'cross over to rainbow bridge'.It can be hard to describe the heartbreak that a pet parent feels when they lose their fur baby, and I won't attempt to either imagine or describe how Andie felt that day, or during the days afterwards.Yet, even in her time of grief, Andie remembered to use the tapping. I showed her how to use EFT to move gently through the waves of grief, so she didn't get stuck or lost in them. I reminded her that she had done her best for Billy and I encouraged her to take extra good care of herself in the weeks after Billy died.Andie also made sure to surround herself with good supportive friends, which is what I recommend to anyone going through the pain of pet loss. I interviewed Andie about her experience of using tapping for Billy and afterwards as she grieved. You can see the interview here.

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For the past 17 years Ferris has helped pets to overcome illness, injury, pain and discomfort using natural, non-invasive techniques that complement veterinary care.

Since 2010 she has extensively used EFT tapping to help pets worldwide to improve their quality of life, vitality and happiness with great results.

She also helps empower pet guardians to be active participants in their pet’s healing process and shows them how to avoid the stress, upset and confusion that can arise when caregiving for their pets.

About Ferris

Ferris assists pets to navigate old age with grace and ease. She supports their people as they come to come to terms with their pet’s mortality, and helps them enjoy every moment they have together. She also offers pet bereavement support worldwide for those struggling to cope with the death of a pet, helping them come to terms with their loss, heal their hearts and move forward whilst cherishing the precious memories of their pets.

She lives in rural Ireland with her furred and feathered friends and works with clients worldwide via Skype, phone and photograph.

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Resources•For basic information about EFT tapping, including a demonstration of the tapping points and a chartof the location of the tapping points for people, click here.

•For a chart showing the tapping points for pets click here.

•To access my free video series demonstrating how to use EFT Tapping for your pets, click here or on the video image below.

•You can also follow the links below to access my mini course for helping your elderly pets and my free pet loss survival guide.

•To find out how to work with me personally, click here.

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