meowzician
Community Member
- MBTI
- INFJ
- Enneagram
- 4
This thread is dedicated to all the "winter sheep" in this room. Yes, just came from watching "Sheep Detectives" with the granddaughter. Do not wear mascara to this movie.
You know how we look back on past ages and wonder, "How could they have justified slavery?" or "How could they have justified how they treated women?," etc? I suspect that in a hundred years, people will look back on us and wonder, "How could they have justified the way they treated animals?"
There have always been some of us who have formed intimate relationships with animals. We have been told so many times, "Stop anthropomorphizing animals!" But the science is starting to come back, and it's showing we have been right all along. They are conscious. They think and feel very much like we do.
Some of us have always known this. We don't see ourselves as their owners, but think of them as family. Can we take a moment to share a little about the animals that have come into our lives and touched our hearts in some way?
I'm going to start with the goats I had when I lived in Yucaipa, a small town in the process of being developed into a suburb. Goats and sheep feature in many of our stories, but I can't think of a single story that prepared me for the intensity of their love. I got the goats because the property was huge, and it was just a lot of work to keep the grass cut so that it didn't become a fire hazard. I was completely unprepared for how they would come up and lay their little heads in my hands, trusting me with complete abandon. I don't think I had ever truly seen unconditional love until I knew these goats.
Next I want to share about the jaguars. I have an INTP daughter, and I wanted to really treat her to something special. So I said to her, "How about we go on a road trip? Let's not plan where we go. Let's just take off and see where the road leads us." She was like, "Oooooo, yes!" We wound up at a cat sanctuary out in the desert where endangered species were bred. This was perfect for my daughter, who I swear is the reincarnation of a cheetah. For me, that special animal that has always come into my dreams is the jaguar.
As we walked towards the jaguar enclosure, there were many people already there. We could see the jaguars lounging deep inside in the area designed for sleep, completely ignoring the visitors. As I approached the bars separating me from them, I said very quietly, "Hello, my friends." And they all got up and walked towards me, coming as close as they could, pacing back and forth on their side, making this soft, breathy puffing noise, almost like a snort. It was completely unexpected, and incredibly exhilarating. I doubt it was my words that elicited their response. I have no idea what it was that I actually did, but I can tell you it was one of the most deeply spiritual moments of my life. They say that true life is stranger than fiction. This was one such moment.
Before I had children, I had a cockatiel named Birdicus Stupidus, or Bird for short. This was because the apartment complex didn't allow cats or dogs, but did allow birds. I began my life with Bird using the typical large cage. But don't you know, my heart just couldn't keep Bird in a cage. My hubby and I bought a non-cage activity stand with perches and places for chew toys, millet seed sprays, and food and water. I'd say, "Hello, Bird!" and hold up my finger, and Bird would fly right to me and lower his head onto his chest so that I could scratch the back of his neck. It broke my heart when we had to find another guardian for Bird when we decided to have a baby, but babies on the floor and occasional turds on the floor just don't go together.
But mostly I have had cats. Many, MANY cats. "Cats here. Cats there. Cats and kittens everywhere." I have a welcome mat outside my front door that says, "Crazy Cat Lady Lives Here." I have been marked as a cat person since my preschool years when a bedraggled kitten showed up on our doorstep one rainy night, and we entertained it for a while with a string. I knew in that moment that someday I would get a tabby and name it Fluffy. And of course, I did. My cats have always chosen me rather than the other way around. I love how I simply sit there quietly, working at my computer, streaming TV shows, or sleeping, and my kitties simply come on their own and curl up next to me, always touching my feet, or lie on my chest, or occasionally make their own statements in chatrooms as they walk on my keyboard. Anyone who thinks cats don't love us and aren't loyal are idiots. When I come home, the first thing I do is feed my cats, but the first thing my CATS do is spend time with me, snuggling and being pet, NOT EATING. They always know when I'm sick or upset or am not breathing right during sleep. They never hold a grudge if I accidentally step on a paw or tail. I can't imagine a life without my kitties.
To all the cats I've loved before,
Who've wandered in and out my door,
I'm glad they came along,
I dedicate this song,
To all the cats I've loved before.
Here is my present kitty, Black Beauty (who thinks her name is Baby), with an AI added kippah and tallit.
I think she is a Bu-Jew (Buddhist) because she has mastered the art of meditation and just being in the moment.
You know how we look back on past ages and wonder, "How could they have justified slavery?" or "How could they have justified how they treated women?," etc? I suspect that in a hundred years, people will look back on us and wonder, "How could they have justified the way they treated animals?"
There have always been some of us who have formed intimate relationships with animals. We have been told so many times, "Stop anthropomorphizing animals!" But the science is starting to come back, and it's showing we have been right all along. They are conscious. They think and feel very much like we do.
Some of us have always known this. We don't see ourselves as their owners, but think of them as family. Can we take a moment to share a little about the animals that have come into our lives and touched our hearts in some way?
I'm going to start with the goats I had when I lived in Yucaipa, a small town in the process of being developed into a suburb. Goats and sheep feature in many of our stories, but I can't think of a single story that prepared me for the intensity of their love. I got the goats because the property was huge, and it was just a lot of work to keep the grass cut so that it didn't become a fire hazard. I was completely unprepared for how they would come up and lay their little heads in my hands, trusting me with complete abandon. I don't think I had ever truly seen unconditional love until I knew these goats.
Next I want to share about the jaguars. I have an INTP daughter, and I wanted to really treat her to something special. So I said to her, "How about we go on a road trip? Let's not plan where we go. Let's just take off and see where the road leads us." She was like, "Oooooo, yes!" We wound up at a cat sanctuary out in the desert where endangered species were bred. This was perfect for my daughter, who I swear is the reincarnation of a cheetah. For me, that special animal that has always come into my dreams is the jaguar.
As we walked towards the jaguar enclosure, there were many people already there. We could see the jaguars lounging deep inside in the area designed for sleep, completely ignoring the visitors. As I approached the bars separating me from them, I said very quietly, "Hello, my friends." And they all got up and walked towards me, coming as close as they could, pacing back and forth on their side, making this soft, breathy puffing noise, almost like a snort. It was completely unexpected, and incredibly exhilarating. I doubt it was my words that elicited their response. I have no idea what it was that I actually did, but I can tell you it was one of the most deeply spiritual moments of my life. They say that true life is stranger than fiction. This was one such moment.
Before I had children, I had a cockatiel named Birdicus Stupidus, or Bird for short. This was because the apartment complex didn't allow cats or dogs, but did allow birds. I began my life with Bird using the typical large cage. But don't you know, my heart just couldn't keep Bird in a cage. My hubby and I bought a non-cage activity stand with perches and places for chew toys, millet seed sprays, and food and water. I'd say, "Hello, Bird!" and hold up my finger, and Bird would fly right to me and lower his head onto his chest so that I could scratch the back of his neck. It broke my heart when we had to find another guardian for Bird when we decided to have a baby, but babies on the floor and occasional turds on the floor just don't go together.
But mostly I have had cats. Many, MANY cats. "Cats here. Cats there. Cats and kittens everywhere." I have a welcome mat outside my front door that says, "Crazy Cat Lady Lives Here." I have been marked as a cat person since my preschool years when a bedraggled kitten showed up on our doorstep one rainy night, and we entertained it for a while with a string. I knew in that moment that someday I would get a tabby and name it Fluffy. And of course, I did. My cats have always chosen me rather than the other way around. I love how I simply sit there quietly, working at my computer, streaming TV shows, or sleeping, and my kitties simply come on their own and curl up next to me, always touching my feet, or lie on my chest, or occasionally make their own statements in chatrooms as they walk on my keyboard. Anyone who thinks cats don't love us and aren't loyal are idiots. When I come home, the first thing I do is feed my cats, but the first thing my CATS do is spend time with me, snuggling and being pet, NOT EATING. They always know when I'm sick or upset or am not breathing right during sleep. They never hold a grudge if I accidentally step on a paw or tail. I can't imagine a life without my kitties.
To all the cats I've loved before,
Who've wandered in and out my door,
I'm glad they came along,
I dedicate this song,
To all the cats I've loved before.
Here is my present kitty, Black Beauty (who thinks her name is Baby), with an AI added kippah and tallit.
I think she is a Bu-Jew (Buddhist) because she has mastered the art of meditation and just being in the moment.
