Them Creatures Again
I readily admit that animals play a big part in my life. I would go as much to say that they make up a part of me; I don’t feel complete without having animals in my life. I have come to a point where I don’t feel a need to justify my affinity towards animals as most people cannot (or would rather not) understand this strong bond that I have with them.
Every time I see a stray animal by the side of the road, all skin-and-bones or manged or wounded, or a mangled, crushed-up body on the road, an unfortunate victim of roadkill, I get a deep, sick-to-the-gut feeling of helplessness and sorrow. Helpless because I cannot save them all, sorrow because many of them would eventually die a painful and slow death. All I can do, at this point in time, is to say a little prayer for their safety and hope that they will find a better place to be in.
Which is why I’m so thankful for my cats. Thankful that I managed to save at least a few and give them a good life. Thankful that they don’t need to suffer the fates of the many strays who have to fight to survive, not only for food but against the needless cruelty in the hands of two-legged creatures, which most of the time they will lose. It’s also therapeutic for me to have my cats lying/sleeping peacefully at the foot of my bed, near enough for me to reach out to stroke them or give them a pat on their heads.
Talking about animals and responsible pet ownership brings to mind a friend, also an animal lover, and her dog of 14 years. Aleena has had her dog for that number of years and in the past few years since I’ve known her, we’ve shared stories about our pets. She shared with me that Rambo is getting on in age and has been encountering signs of old-age like deafness and bowel problems. There are days when he couldn’t muster enough strength in his legs to get himself out of the house to relieve himself, so a member of Aleena’s family would carry him out several times a day for him to do his toilet duties.
But other than that, Rambo seems happy and content. Aleena mentioned that there were several other things that her family has had to change in order to make life easier for dear Rambo, and the amazing thing is, they didn’t think that having to make those changes was an inconvenience to them. It was a natural reaction for them because Rambo was a member of their family. And when Rambo showed signs of old-age and started having those problems, they didn’t immediately condemn him to death just because he required a little more effort to be taken care of, which so many people would have done because the dog is old and has outlived his “usefulness”, so to speak. Of course, if the animal is in pain and suffering, then the humane thing to do would be to put the animal out of its suffering but only unless absolutely necessary and not because you couldn’t be bothered to take the extra effort to care for your aging dog (or any other pet).
My reasoning is, you wouldn’t put your aged and ailing parents to death so why would you subject your pet to that? They are both living creatures, aren’t they? Of course you would do anything you can to ensure that your parents have an easy and comfortable life in their old age and you would see that their every need is taken care of. So why not extend this similar consideration to your pet?
Each time we speak and I get an update on Rambo, I am overwhelmed by Aleena and her family’s commitment towards their dog. THAT, to me, is a perfect example of responsible pet ownership and treating animals with respect. THAT is a perfect example of treating animals as living beings instead of objects that can be disposed of as and when you feel like it.
And she is one of the few friends among many who will actually take the time to ask me how my cats are doing each time we manage to catch up. She even remembers what problems they had when we last spoke. And it is a gesture that I greatly appreciate because I know that (1) she remembers that my cats exist, and (2) her concern of my cats’ well-being is genuine.
I know I’ve talked about this topic to death but it IS something that I’m passionate about and nothing fires me up more than seeing and hearing the way humans behave like they own the Earth, without any respect for God’s other creatures.
I shall let my family and friends tell you about me. These comments may be rather old but I think the gist of them still hold 
