Happy Halloween from Max & Luna!

(but where’s Luna?)

Have you ever tried to take a posed photo of your animal companions? I feel it might be similar to taking photos of very young children. You just never know what might happen and good luck getting them to look at the camera, let alone stay still, or in the case of our kitty Luna, to even come into the space. I have always admired good animal photographers.

One must have patience and be very creative and find the perfect distraction.

This morning I had the best idea. It was my husband’s day off from work today so I thought to myself, while I have an “assistant” why not try to take a Halloween photo of Luna & Max for this week’s Animal Paradise newsletter?

We gathered some Halloween themed items and set up a space that the kitties have both loved to get up on. We made sure to have their very favorite treats and a toy they both love to play with. It was time to introduce Max & Luna.

They are both curious kitties, but for some reason today was a different story. Max was happy to come in the room and begin exploring.

The photo above is Max checking out the new items.

Luna was nowhere to be found!

OK… she was in the other room under a chair, just far enough away that I could not coax her out, not even with her favorite “Mr Dot” toy. I finally gave up and went back into the room with Max.

Ab0ve is Max checking things out. I thankfully snapped a couple of photos. I loved the one above where he is looking at me, but his eyes are out of focus and his mouth is blocked by the pumpkin, but not a bad beginning.

As you can see in the photos above and below, Max was getting comfortable and exploring, and I had treats and toys to grab his attention. That’s the MOST important part of course! TREATS!

Now, Luna has gotten a bit curious. She was sitting in the doorway of the room, but not about to come in, not even for her favorite bribes. She knew something was up and she was not about to take a chance that she would be “nabbed” and taken to a vet or something. I kept talking to her calmly and then turned my attention back to Max hoping that she would come further into the room and maybe join Max on the desktop.

The photo above you can clearly see that Max was beginning to get bored and was totally distracted by Luna and by me trying to play with her and coax her into the room. Nothing doing says Luna!

Maybe a trip to the kitchen would be a good distraction. Everyone ran like it was their last meal! I got out their special snacks and as you can see from the photo above it got their full attention. It’s all about TREATS. The love the “TREAT” part of Halloween.

I carried the treat container back down to the room and they followed, but Luna would only come just inside the doorway. She was very clear that she had to be able to escape quickly. Oh, she is a wise and cautious little girl.

I was constantly taking slow deep breaths and checking my energy so she would feel calm and secure, but she never fully released her suspicions and fears.

Max on the other hand was more than happy to play with one of his favorite toys on a string/stick. (See the photo above and below) It was easy peasy getting him back up on the table, but NOT Luna! Nope. She was just fine on the ground under a little table. She was able to catch the orange toy (in the photos above and below but not seen in either picture. That would be MAX.) and she felf totally safe. Luna must always be in full control at all times. Do you know anyone like that? I know I do!

Oh Look! Max is looking right at me and therefore the camera. (Photo below) Take some photos quick!!! Thanks Max!

Watch the BIRDIE! Or is it a bat?! Trick? or Treat? Luna (watching from the safety of the floor) knew it was a Trick!

Below, Max was ready to go and actually left a treat behind on the table. Ho hum!

But what is Luna up to? I must investigate.

Oh NO! She has my favorite toy! I can’t let that happen. I’m going to get it from her.

Yes, Luna (photo above, Luna on the right with the toy) was happy to play and she began to get closer to the table.

Patience. You know that cats are so patient when they are stalking their prey. Luna was teaching me that lesson or at least she was trying to, but I was not in that mind-set in that moment. I wanted to take a Halloween photo with both Max AND Luna. She had other things in mind! Don’t you just love the felines?

(Luna in photo below )

Max (photo below) tried to show Luna that everything was just fine and from time to time a “treat” would magically appear. No “tricks”. Just treats. Max was inviting her to come us or was he daring her? Ha!

She did it! (photo below) For this brief moment, Luna hopped gently up on the desktop and found a yummy morsel. The moment after I took this photo, she was out of the room completely. She did not look my way once. No thank you for the treat and play time. No sir! She was gone and clear she wanted her special room back in order!

You might be wondering why can’t I just tell them what we are going to do and instantly they do it? I’m an animal communicator after all. Everything should be so simple. Well one would “think” that would be the case, but clearly it was not.

Before I began to collect the items that are on the table, I did communicate with both of them to ask them and let them know what I was going to be doing. I asked their permission. I invited them. I shared with them the purpose. Of course, they wanted to know what was in it for them! My answer was treats, play time, time with me and a connection via their photo with friends and family.

My “assistant” had different energy to get this task done and he is used to getting things like this done. There was patience to a point, but super sensitive Luna was having none of it.

Have you ever tried to get a teenager to do something that you want them to do? Do they always happily comply? Why should they right? Same thing is true at times with our animal companions. If they have a choice in a matter, they will not always choose to do what we ask or even demand, but with patience and a good self-check we can come to an understanding between each other and the task at hand can be accomplished with peace, love and joy. Luna & I have a little ways to go when it comes to the original Halloween photo.

At this moment both Max & Luna are with me in my office as I share with you our experience this morning. Max loves to get right next to the computer and look out the front window while Luna stretches out on the mini kitty condo next to my chair.d