Listen to nature as it will teach you many things.  To truly walk in balance we must honor our Animal Relations by listening to what they have to teach us.
Our fellow creatures, the animals, are all different.  If the Totem you are to learn from at this time is a shark, you must ask yourself what type of shark.  Here you will find very generalized characteristics and lessons that the animals bring to us, but you must remember that each animal is also individual.
Your culture and society are also important. If a Cat comes to you in your dreams, he may be telling you something different than he is telling me simply due to our regions. An example, if someone thinks of evil when they see a cat.  Someone else on the other hand, may think of Egypt. Cats in a dream would be very different for them than it is for me. The generalities of the Cat, however, would be the same.