Smile, You are on Candid Camera

There was an unwelcome guest at Ann’s place the other day – a rat got in the house. Shaggy and Tiger chased him behind the bookshelf in her office. She grabbed the camera to take a picture of her valiant pets guarding her. Just look who decided to come out and join in the group photo!

Ann has been “kitten sitting” Tiger Junior, better known as T.J., while Joanna is out of town. Naughty T.J. wanted to have a bite of bird for breakfast. Somehow he managed to climb up on Bobo’s cage. Ann designed the cage to be pretty well cat proof; the cats can’t tip them over. Bobo cat-proofed himself against T.J., though. It only took one look at the conure’s beak to convince T.J. that perhaps bird for breakfast was a bad idea!

When Joanna gets up, Ann’s whole herd of cats rushes to the kitchen begging for a treat. Whoa! One of those orange things isn’t a cat – it’s Shaggy, the long hair Chihuahua.

Gotcha! It’s me, not Jessie, sending out this message, but I know he would agree. And it isn’t so much about Catholic views on birth control as it is about respect for all creation. Over 800 years ago, St. Francis of Assisi had some strong things to say about respect for all creation. And his ideas are still good ones today. In particular, he saw mankind as custodians of the animals. Remember how he gave the animals extra rations at Christmas so they, too, could celebrate the birth of Our Lord? Or how he preached to the birds and tamed a wolf? Even today, animals are blessed on his feast day. And he was named the patron of ecology (not gardens!). Why not make it a point to learn more about this great saint with your family this summer.

A reader recently emailed offering free kittens. She had about 30 on her list that needed homes. Fortunately for me, we don’t live in the same state. I already have 6 cats! Turns out she helps at a shelter that was just flooded with unwanted kittens. Sadly, it’s the same story all over the US; thousands of unwanted animals become feral and are eventually captured and destroyed.

Oh sure, there is nothing cuter than a Kitten – unless perhaps it is a puppy.

But all too often, once the initial “cuteness” wears off, these animals are unwanted and abandoned.

Here’s the background to my pride:

Clyde – wandered up to my son’s in California, full grown and abandoned.
Nermal – taken away from abusive children at an apartment project; anemic and full of fleas.
Nicky – on his way to the pound, I just had to take him home.
Lucky – feral, adopted from the SPCA to comfort Austin while his mom was in Saudi Arabia.
Limpet – left in my backyard by an anonymous donor after midnight.
Kirby – when his family moved, they left him behind. He wandered up, scraggly and hungry.

Oh sure, I’d love to have a pair of cute little Siamese kitties. But my house is full, and all my animals are neutered. My heart is full, too – with the love I share with my pets. Unwanted at first, they are loved and taken care of as all animals should have a chance to be! That’s part of our responsibility to have respect for all creation.

Blessings,
Ann


Be an angel. Respect creation. Spay and neuter your animals!

Thanks as always to Lucy Rand for her clever animations.

Graphics Courtesy Lucy Rand

Click the kittens above to go a site where you can get free cats for your e-mail or personal use, thanks to a lovely lady named Lucy Rand in the Netherlands.

If you like these, you will want to visit her subscription site as well at:

http://www.randanima.com/