Flower Essences Questionnaire
for Pets & Animals

This questionnaire is designed as an educational tool for you, a caring pet owner, to help broaden your perspective and invite you into the world of the animals you love. Its intention is to help you assess their flower essence needs. Because animals live in their feelings and instincts, they are highly receptive to flower essences-herbal tinctures for strength and balance.

While an evaluation of this nature is somewhat general by definition, many people find it a helpful tool in assessing the needs of their animal friends. (Consultations are also available; please call or see our website.) Some of the questions are species-specific, such as litter box problems, while others are more general, as with loneliness. The emotional state of fear, for example, is the same for a horse as for a hamster, so species specifics are often irrelevant. In addition to the questions below, it is important to consider other factors, such as: the influence of other pets, adults, and children in the household/property; owner-caused problems; diet, exercise, and various health-related factors; and most importantly, the presence of a loving, committed caregiver for the animal. Lastly, always rule out medical causes with proper veterinary care.

Answer the following questions fairly quickly; your “first hunch” will generally be the most accurate. Place a checkmark by those statements (in groupings of 3 to 9 questions) to which you respond with yes; leave blank those statements you feel do not apply to your pet or are not a particular area of concern at this time. Also check yes if any part of the question applies. An Answer Key will be found at the end of the questionnaire.

Also, please note that flower essences will not control or manipulate your pet’s behavior. If you are wanting her to be more graceful, for example, a flower essence program will bring forth this quality only if it is in her nature to be so. Nor do flower essences directly treat physical symptoms; thus the following questionnaire addresses the animal’s emotional needs.

You may wish to date and save your responses and re-test your pet at a later time; monthly intervals are recommended. We welcome your feedback on the overall helpfulness of this questionnaire.

ALMOND - Moderation
___ 1.
 Does your pet exhibit nervous, frenetic or obsessive behavior, i.e., does he over-groom, overeat, or overdo in any way?
___ 2.
 Does he need to adapt better to a domesticated lifestyle?
___ 3.
 Is he presently kept indoors after previously (by you or a past owner) being allowed to roam freely outdoors?
APPLE - Healthfulness
___ 4.
 Does your pet have chronic health problems, or does he have specific infirmities to which he needs to adjust?
___ 5.
 Do you suspect that he has picked up health-related fear, worry, or doubt from others in your household?
___ 6.
 Is he the runt of the litter?
___ 7.
 Does he exhibit behaviors that are unhealthy or not in his best interest?
AVOCADO – Good Memory
___ 8.
 Is your pet dreamy, unresponsive, or generally disinterested?
___ 9.
 Are you working with him on training for specific behaviors?
___ 10.
 Does he fail to come home, or respond, when you call him?
___ 11.
 Is he a slow learner
BANANA – Humility, Calmness
___ 12.
 Does your pet get easily upset or inappropriately riled for no apparent reason?
___ 13.
 Does he tend to bully other household members, or does he need to be easier to live with?
___ 14.
 Objectively speaking, do you think it would benefit him if his already gentle and sensitive personality were reinforced?
BLACKBERRY - Purity
___ 15.
 Is your pet unable to groom or care for himself due to illness or old age?
___ 16.
 Are there members in your home who exhibit negative behaviors or emotions to which your pet is exposed or does he himself express negative behaviors?
___ 17.
 Has your pet been exposed to harmful chemicals? (Please note that medical attention may be necessary.)
___ 18.
 Is there an area of your home that has been soiled or sprayed? (Use this essence in a misting bottle in that area.)
CHERRY - Cheerfulness
___ 19.
 Is your pet often bad-tempered or is he prone to moods, or to picking up moods of other members in the household?
___ 20.
 Does he often appear cheerless?
___ 21.
 Although many animal lovers pamper their pets, does your pet express being “spoiled rotten” in negative ways, such as through negative or difficult behaviors?
___ 22.
 Does he overstep established boundaries even after loving, consistent training?
COCONUT - Upliftment
___ 23.
 Is your pet coping with a particular painful physical infirmity?
___ 24.
 Is he aging and dealing with limited movement or range of physical abilities, or is he recovering from a surgery or accident?
___ 25.
 Are there difficult situations in the home or property for other members that might be affecting your pet?
CORN - Vitality
___ 26.
 Have there been any recent major changes in your pet’s living situation, or has he recently joined your family?
___ 27.
 Is he behaving sluggishly, or is he disinterested in his environment and those with whom he shares it?
___ 28.
 Is he an older animal?
DATE – Sweetness, Tenderness
___ 29.
 Is your pet touchy or irritable, (it is important to rule out medical causes), or does he seem to have a lot of “off days”?
___ 30.
 Does he pick on other pets in the household, or does he generally not get along well with other animals or people in the home/property?
___ 31.
 Is “unfriendly” a word that others use to describe his temperament?
FIG - Flexibility
___ 32.
 Has your pet received inconsistent training, or has he been trained one way by a previous owner and now receives different training from you?
___ 33.
 Does he exhibit bad habits that you would like to retrain?
___ 34.
 Is he overly dissatisfied with his food (barring his natural expression of likes and dislikes)?
___ 35.
 Does he have a history of many changes of homes or ownership?
GRAPE - Love
___ 36.
 Has he lost a household companion, either human or animal, to death or relocation, or have your pet’s babies recently been taken away?
___ 37.
 Is your pet excessively aloof and unapproachable by nature?
___ 38.
 Does he seem clingy or needy, or is he prone to whining or crying for no apparent reason?
___ 39.
 Is he left alone for long periods of time without companionship, including while you are gone for the day or on vacation?
___ 40.
 Is his behavior either bullying or jealous (may be expressed as soiling), or inappropriately territorial (possibly marking)?
___ 41.
 Do you know of, or suspect, abuse (meaning cruelty or neglect) from a previous owner?
___ 42.
 Is your pet’s behavior potentially dangerous to other animals or people?
LETTUCE - Calmness
___ 43.
 Is your pet nervous or restless by nature, or is he typically agitated by newcomers to the household?
___ 44.
 Does he express what looks like anger for no apparent reason?
___ 45.
 Is he young with a short attention span, or does “bouncing off the walls” describe his temperament?
ORANGE - Joy
___ 46.
 Has your pet just given birth?
___ 47.
 Is there a member in the household who is dealing with depression, or does your pet himself seem listless or despairing?
___ 48.
 Has he been abused or treated badly by a previous owner?
___ 49.
 Is he kept indoors after having previously been able to roam freely outdoors?
___ 50.
 Has he been declawed, debarked, or otherwise altered (excluding neutering?
___ 51.
 Has he lost a companion, either animal or human, to separation or death?
___ 52.
 Is he dealing with a terminal or debilitating illness, or is he expressing an impaired ability to move around?
PEACH – Selflessness, Expansion
___ 53.
 Is your pet overly demonstrative?
___ 54.
 Was he weaned too early, or does he chew or suckle objects of clothing or other animals?
___ 55.
 Does he need to get along better with other pets in the household?
___ 56.
 Have your pet’s babies recently been given away?
PEAR – Peacefulness, “Emergency Essence”
___ 57.
 Is your pet recovering from an accident, illness, or surgery, or about to undergo a medical procedure?
___ 58.
 Have you acquired an animal whose past history is unknown?
___ 59.
 Has he been traumatized or injured in any way, either physically or emotionally, or has he undergone a crisis, or expressed panic, anxiety, or disorientation?
___ 60.
 Has he experienced a significant upset in his normal routine?
___ 61.
 Does he need to be left overnight at the veterinary hospital or boarded away from home?
___ 62.
 Has he been attacked by other animals?
___ 63.
 Does he need to be transported by car, plane, or other forms of travel?
___ 64.
 Does he bite in ways other than playful?
___ 65.
 Is your pet in a time of transition, such as giving birth or nearing the time of passing?
PINEAPPLE - Assuredness
___ 66.
 Does your pet seem to need a stronger sense of his own identity, especially in a multiple-pet or person household, or does he seem to need excessive amounts of praise?
___ 67.
 Does your pet come from a kennel, shelter, foster home, or series of different living situations?
___ 68.
 Has he been in shows, competitions, or county fairs, or are you preparing him for these activities?
___ 69.
 Is he an older animal who, after being in the limelight of shows or having a specific function or job on the property, is no longer suited to those roles?
___ 70.
 Is he the runt of the litter?
RASPBERRY - Kindheartedness
___ 71.
 Has your pet been harshly disciplined and seeming emotionally wounded as a result?
___ 72.
 Is there any reason for which he may feel slighted, unappreciated, offended or somehow replaced?
___ 73.
 Is he receiving less attention than usual due to factors in the household, such as a new relationship or the arrival of new pets or babies?
___ 74.
 Is he exhibiting “lashing out” behavior, expressed as barking, hissing, soiling, spraying, shredding of furniture, or other destructive behaviors, or does his play express an uncommon or inappropriate viciousness?
SPINACH - Simplicity
___ 75.
 Is you pet “acting old before his time,” or is he an older animal who has been “put out to pasture”?
___ 76.
 Is he living in a stressful household, or does he have to cope with certain tensions in adjusting to a domesticated life?
___ 77.
 Has he suffered abuse or neglect during his childhood?
___ 78.
 Is he acting “not quite himself” after a surgery, injury, or illness?
STRAWBERRY - Dignity
___ 79.
 Has your pet lost the ability to groom, feed, evacuate, or otherwise care for himself?
___ 80.
 Has there been a divorce or separation in the household, or any situation that would be considered ungrounding for your pet, including. any persons in the household who are dealing with a strong lack of self-worth?
___ 81.
 Is he nearing his time of passing, especially after a debilitating illness?
___ 82.
 Is there any reason lately for your pet to feel that his territory or “space” is threatened, or has his innate sense of dignity been overstepped in any way?
TOMATO – Strength, Courage
___ 83.
 Does your pet exhibit any fears in ways other than instinctive or appropriately self-protective?
___ 84.
 Is he skittish or easily spooked, or does he jump at loud voices or noises?
___ 85.
 Does he bark excessively or somewhat hysterically?
___ 86.
 Are visits to the veterinary clinic a source of terror for him, or does transportation cause him serious crisis?
___ 87.
 Is city life especially traumatic for him?
___ 88.
 Is he easily bullied and unable to stand up for himself?
___ 89.
 Does your pet have a “job” serving people, such as a police or guard dog?
___ 90.
 Is he upset by extreme weather conditions?
___ 91.
 Is your pet’s previous history unknown to you?

Answer Key

If even one check is placed within a particular grouping, this indicates a beneficial essence for your pet at this time. If more than one statement per grouping is checked, it is best to prioritize the essences by the number of check marks for that essence or by the immediacy of the issue. If you check some questions in different groupings that are similar to each other, indicating that both essences may be needed, first use the essence with the most checkmarks in that grouping.

You may find that several remedies are indicated equally as strongly. If so, in keeping with the recommended single-essence approach, prioritize them in order of need. Administer each essence for 3 days to 2 weeks (at least the beginning of behavioral changes will be noticeable within 3 days); or you may use a combination remedy (results will be apparent within a month). For dosage directions, please refer to our literature. For new definitions of pets and pet owners and much more, please see the highly recommended Flower Essences for Animals: Remedies for Helping the Pets You Love, by SiNE founder/director Lila Devi Stone.

Theme Essences Questionnaire for Pets & Animals

Flower essences for animals: holstic pet health care

Copyright 2001 by Lila Devi Stone. Permission necessary for reprints.
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