Why Your Pet Needs Reiki: Understanding Energy Healing for Animals
Have you ever noticed your pet staring at you when you're stressed, as if they're absorbing your emotions? Or watched them seek out a quiet corner after a chaotic day?
When I first started offering Animal Reiki, I was amazed by how quickly pets recognized what they needed. No explanation required. They'd simply move closer or settle into a corner of the room, receiving exactly what served them. Animals are incredibly sensitive to energy—and sometimes, they need support managing it just as much as we do.
What Is Animal Reiki (And Why It Works)
Reiki is a gentle, hands-off energy healing practice that helps restore balance in the body. What I've learned working with animals is that they don't bring the mental resistance humans often do. We might overthink healing—Is this working? Should I feel something?—but pets simply receive what serves them.
Animals are natural energy receivers. They instinctively know what they need and will move toward or away from Reiki energy as feels right to them. It's one of the purest forms of healing I've witnessed.
Signs Your Pet Might Benefit from Reiki
You don't need to wait for a crisis to offer your pet Reiki. Here are common situations where energy healing provides support:
Anxiety and Stress
🐕 Separation anxiety or fear of thunderstorms
🐈 Stress from moving, new pets, or changes in routine
🐎 Nervous horses before competitions or travel
🦜 Birds experiencing feather plucking or vocalization issues
Physical Health Challenges
Recovery from surgery or injury
Chronic pain or inflammation
Digestive issues
Supporting hospice and end-of-life comfort
Behavioral Concerns
Aggression or reactivity
Excessive barking or meowing
Destructive behaviors
Difficulty bonding with guardians
Empathic Overload
Here's something many pet guardians don't realize: if you're an empath, your pet likely is too. Animals who live with highly sensitive people often absorb their human's stress and emotions. I see this regularly in my practice—the anxious dog whose guardian is navigating a stressful job transition, or the restless cat whose person is processing grief.
Reiki helps both of you maintain energetic boundaries and find your own center again.
Pet & Person Reiki Sessions: Healing Together
Because your energies are so intertwined, I offer sessions where you and your pet receive Reiki at the same time. As you both settle into the healing space, something beautiful happens—you'll notice your pet relaxing as you relax, or feel your own tension release as your animal companion lets go of what they've been holding. Many guardians tell me they feel lighter, more grounded, and more connected to their pets after these joint sessions.
💫 Curious about the empath-pet connection? Dive deeper in Root Chakra Grounding: Essential for Empaths and Anxious Pets to understand how your energy field affects your animal companion.
What Happens During an Animal Reiki Session
Unlike human Reiki sessions where someone typically lies still on a table, animal Reiki honors the pet's autonomy completely. Here's what I've learned about how animals interact with healing energy:
The Pet Chooses Everything
Your animal decides:
Whether to participate at all
How close to be (some love hands-on contact, others prefer distance)
How long the session lasts (they'll walk away when they're complete)
Which areas need attention (they may position their body to show you)
Creating Sacred Space
I create a calm, meditative space and offer Reiki energy. The pet then interacts with that energy however they wish. Some animals:
Settle immediately and fall asleep
Stay for 5 minutes, leave, then return
Receive the entire session from across the room
Place specific body parts near my hands
All of these responses are perfect. Animals know what they need. My role is to hold space and allow their healing wisdom to guide the session.
The Science Behind Why Reiki Helps Animals
While Reiki is an energetic practice, what happens in the body is tangible:
Activates the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest mode)
Reduces cortisol levels (stress hormone)
Increases circulation and oxygenation
Supports the body's natural healing processes
Enhances immune function
Plus, the intentional, calm presence of a Reiki practitioner provides nervous system co-regulation—something especially valuable for anxious animals who need to borrow a sense of safety until they can find their own.
Reiki Works Alongside Veterinary Care
Let me be clear: Reiki complements veterinary medicine, never replaces it. Your pet needs both. Your vet provides medical diagnosis and treatment, while Reiki supports:
Stress reduction during treatment
Faster recovery
Pain management
Quality of life
Emotional wellbeing
🌿 Want to build a holistic support system for your pet? Check out my guide on creating your animal's wellness team for integrating different healing modalities.
Distance Reiki: Yes, It Really Works for Animals
I know—distance healing can sound far-fetched. When I first learned about it, I was skeptical too. But here's what I've observed over years of practice: energy isn't limited by physical space.
Animals seem to understand this intuitively. Distance Reiki is especially helpful for:
Pets who are too anxious for in-person sessions
Supporting animals in different locations (rehomed pets, horses at new barns)
End-of-life care when travel is difficult
Immediate support during emergencies
Many guardians report their pets settling into their beds, sighing deeply, or falling asleep at the exact time of a distance session—without knowing when it was scheduled.
Different Animals, Different Experiences
Horses 🐎
Horses are extraordinarily energy-sensitive. They often show immediate responses to Reiki: lowering their heads, softening their eyes, licking and chewing (a sign they're processing). Reiki supports horses with colic, ulcers, anxiety, and musculoskeletal issues.
Dogs 🐕
Dogs tend to be enthusiastic Reiki receivers. They may circle a few times, then settle with a deep sigh. Many fall into peaceful sleep within minutes. Reiki helps reactive, anxious, or senior dogs find calm and comfort.
Cats 🐈
Cats are discerning—they'll absolutely let you know if they're interested (or not). They often prefer shorter sessions but may seek out Reiki repeatedly. It's especially helpful for stressed cats, those with chronic conditions, or during life transitions.
Small Animals & Exotics 🐰🦎🐦
Rabbits, guinea pigs, reptiles, birds—all animals have energy fields and can benefit from Reiki. These smaller beings often appreciate the non-invasive, hands-off approach since many are prey animals who startle easily.
When to Seek Animal Reiki
Preventative Support: You don't need to wait for problems. Regular Reiki sessions help maintain energetic balance and can prevent stress from accumulating.
Acute Situations: After vet visits, during illness, or following trauma, Reiki provides immediate calming support.
Chronic Conditions: For ongoing health or behavioral issues, consistent Reiki sessions become part of a comprehensive care plan.
Life Transitions: Moving, adding family members, aging, or approaching end-of-life—Reiki eases difficult passages.
Your Pet Is Telling You What They Need
Animals communicate through behavior, body language, and energy. If your intuition is nudging you that your pet needs support, trust that. They may be sending you a message that they're ready for healing.
Here's what I've witnessed over and over: offering Reiki to your animal companion deepens your bond. As you both relax into the healing space together, you strengthen the energetic connection between you. Many guardians tell me this shared experience transforms their relationship with their pet.
Experience Pet & Person Reiki Sessions
If you've felt the truth of the empath-pet connection while reading this, Pet & Person Reiki Sessions might be exactly what you and your animal need.
These sessions recognize that you and your pet are an energetic unit. When one of you is stressed, anxious, or out of balance, it affects the other. Healing happens most powerfully when you both receive support at the same time.
What makes Pet & Person Sessions unique:
🌟 Simultaneous healing for both you and your pet
💫 Shared energetic space that strengthens your bond
🌿 Address the root cause of mirrored behaviors and emotions
✨ Learn from each other's healing as you both release what no longer serves
💕 Experience co-regulation in real time
During these sessions, I work with both of you at once, allowing Reiki to flow where it's needed most. You might notice your pet settling as you relax, or feel your own tension release as your animal companion lets go of stress.
Ready to heal together? Schedule a Pet & Person Reiki Session! Available both in-person (Des Moines area) and through distance healing. Whether you're navigating anxiety, life transitions, or simply want to deepen your connection, these sessions offer support for your unique bond.
Explore More Pet Wellness Topics
For Empaths & Sensitive Pets:
If you suspect you and your pet are absorbing each other's stress, read Root Chakra Grounding: Essential for Empaths and Anxious Pets to learn grounding techniques for both of you.
Want to Start Helping Your Pet Today?
Download my free guide: 5 Ways to Calm an Anxious Pet. You'll get practical, energy-aware techniques you can use right now—no special training required. Perfect for pet guardians who want to support their animals between professional sessions or while deciding if Animal Reiki is right for them.
Get the Free Guide (coming soon)→
Ready to Go Deeper?
If you want to understand your pet's complete energy system, explore Your Pet's 7 Chakras: Understanding Energy Centers in Dogs, Cats & Horses. You'll learn how each chakra affects your animal's physical health, emotions, and behavior—and how to recognize when they need support.
Every pet's healing journey is unique, and I'd be honored to support yours.
