FROM the age of eight Niki Senior could talk to animals.
But it was not until the 36-year-old from Sheffield did a Reiki course that she honed her powers and set up a business travelling the country healing everything from naughty dogs to depressed lizards.
"It all started when my parents bought me a cat called Timmy to keep me company," she explains.
"Timmy had been a stray and my dad had taken him home from a building site he was working on because he noticed he had an abscess.
"Timmy was not expected to live, but I used to sit with him, holding my hands above him.
"Eventually he improved and lived until he was 17.
"It was quite natural to me, it felt almost telepathic. I imagine it looked quite strange, but my parents just let me get on with it."
Niki honed her skills aged 12 when her parents rescued a Rottweiler dog. "I used to sit with her in her basket once a fortnight. She'd had a traumatic past vets predicted she would die but she lived until 12."
Meanwhile, Niki would have chats with cats in the street who would tell her about their well-being.
"I was able to relate with animals. I used to have conversations with Timmy or cats in the street. I used to follow them and they would show me their old haunts.
"It sounds quite strange to tell someone who's not been in that situation, but we were on the same wavelength."
Reiki ... cat is healed
Then when Niki was 23 she became interested in alternative therapies and trained as a healer and Reiki master.
At first she would just treat humans, but increasingly, Niki got requests to help animals too.
"Cats are my favourite, but I love all animals and have healed lizards, ducks, chickens, goats, sheep, cows and of course dogs.
"I was once asked to treat a tarantula, but I refused because I was too scared!"
Healing hands ... Niki at work
Niki is careful to get the animal's consent before she starts the healing: "It's important to ask the animal if they want the healing to take place. You can't think that the animal has no say over it's body.
"I usually ask and judge the response by the movement of their eyes or how they move their feet.
"I once asked a horse who said no and I had to come back a week later. I guess he must have been in a bad mood."
Niki says she won't see an injured animal until it has visited a vet.
"I've done a lot of work with cats who have suffered abuse. At a rescue centre, if a cat is refusing to leave it's cage, I work with them and within an hour I can have the cat out and be stroking it," she says.
"One of the most dramatic changes I have seen was in a border collie dog.
"The mum of the family had taken the dog in after her mother died. But it was very aggressive towards the children.
"When I saw him, I was terrified. It was a large dog and was bearing his teeth.
"They had a safety gate between the dog and the family.
"I was able to sit the other side of the gate and communicate with the dog.
"Before it moved in with the family it had lived on a farm and the local children taunted it. I was able to understand why it was being so hostile to the children in the family when it was OK to the adults.
"After an hour, the dog was able to greet the family and after three sessions, would relax with the children, lying across their legs."
Niki says she now receives referrals from vets.
"There aren't many animal healers in the UK," she explains.
"And I'm one of the few who will treat all kinds of animals rather than just household pets.
"I love animals and I believe every animal should be able to benefit."
Hi, Having had the experience of receiving healing for myself due to having M.E for 4 years I can say that reiki is wonderful. I also love animals and I'm owned by 6 cats so I can relate to this ...
This is a wonderfully uplifting story for a change and about a subject dear to my heart, animals, keep up the good work, is this lady to be feature in the paper?
Posted_by: chord
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