ANIMALS

Q: What is the story about pets? What is their purpose?

I assume you are asking the question in a spiritual sense when you speak of purpose. Before we get to that, though, let’s look at some of the many ways they serve humankind. If we look at the work dogs do in particular, we see that they perform jobs that assist human beings on many different levels. There are guide dogs that assist people with all kinds of disabilities. There are police dogs that help sniff out everything from illegal drugs to human bodies. They help in search and rescue operations, help find missing persons, and hunt down criminals. There are dogs that pull sleds and find the safest routes through hazardous terrain; others herd cattle and sheep, protect other animals and human beings, retrieve objects, provide love and companionship for the elderly and infirm, and even chase geese off golf courses. Dogs have been known to sacrifice their lives for their owners on many occasions, and to save human lives. Their stories are often remarkable and heart-warming.

Apart from their “work” functions, dogs make wonderful pets, as do many other animals. The unconditional love offered by a dog, in particular, can provide its owner with undying loyalty, companionship, and a feeling of acceptance that many people need to keep their sanity in today’s stressful and often unpredictable world. Sometimes an animal is all a person has of value in his/her life. Yet, if people are lucky enough to have a loving animal, they can have a life that is full and enjoyable.

In a spiritual sense, animals are a reminder of what human beings should strive for. Besides offering unconditional love, they live each moment of each day in the present, instead of the past or future. They don’t reflect back on all the problems they had when they were puppies or kittens. They don’t pine away for what is missing in their lives. They look at what’s there. They look for what is exciting about this moment in time. They need very little care, except perhaps when they become ill. If they have an affliction, they don’t focus on it; in fact, often human beings don’t even know when something is wrong with their animals. The animals don’t worry about or even wonder what is going to happen to them tomorrow or the day after that. They don’t worry about money, though they do like to be fed when they’re hungry :). They feel pain, but without the fear that goes into human thoughts about pain (unless they are being viciously attacked, in which case their fear is meant to help them try to survive).

Of course, animal minds do not have the capacity of human minds, and so this isn’t an achievement for them to live in the present. Yet, their example can remind human beings of the value for them in staying in the present and appreciating everything the present moment has to offer. Human beings could learn a great deal from the animal world, such as when the animals fled the oncoming tsunami. Instinct was obviously at work here, but human beings, with their powers of observation and their intelligence could have learned from the animals, had their minds not been distracted by fear and other things.

Humankind, in looking at all the ways animals have served them over the ages, from the time of horses changing the course of travel and agriculture, to animals sacrificing their bodies for space travel, scientific experimentation, food, and other human pursuits, should thank the animals deeply for their sacrifices and services. Animals should be prized and treated with respect and dignity for the specific qualities they possess, and for the unique needs they have. For example, if they are territorial, they should be given reasonable territory, instead of being crammed in a small space, as frequently happens to pigs and chickens. If they are being slaughtered for food, they should be killed in the most “humane” way possible. This is the least humankind can do for those that serve their needs.

With respect to pets in particular, human beings are the caretakers. With this comes the responsibility to see to their needs and their well-being. If human beings cannot be kind to their pets, they should not have them and should strive to find them another home. Cruelty to animals should not be tolerated in the civilized world. Instead, pets are to be loved, respected, and to a degree that’s reasonable, considered as a member of the family. This does not mean the pet should be treated better than the human beings are treated, nor does it mean that human beings should run their lives around the wants/needs of their pets. It just means that taking on a pet should not be done lightly or frivolously, but as a serious undertaking, and every effort should be made to provide a good home for the pet.

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Q: I just got a new kitten a short time ago after my other cat died of a rare disease, and this one now has been diagnosed with another disease. I’m feeling devastated at possibly having to put this kitten to sleep. I want to do the right thing for the kitten, but how do I know what the right thing is?

What I would like for you to do first is to release your fear and demand peace of mind. This is because you are feeling fearful that you were inadequate for having chosen this kitten in the first place, and are now concerned about how you will care for the kitten in the future. What we want to do here is restore your peace of mind, as at this time you are being very hard on yourself. Understand that you are still grieving the loss of the first cat, and now the idea that another loss may soon follow is almost too much to bear. Releasing fear and demanding peace of mind is very important during the grieving process. Do not be upset with yourself (or how you’re handling the situation) for any reason. Allow your mind to regain its peace.

Now I would like to give you some suggestions on how to view these last events. Choosing an animal for a pet is a spiritual experience for those who love animals. It is a connection that forms sometimes immediately, and other times more slowly, between the animal and the person. It is as though they choose each other, and a bond is formed effortlessly. Rarely is there any thought that goes into it, other than the thought of what breed a person prefers. It is done almost exclusively on a feeling and/or spiritual level. Such is what occurred between you and your pets. There was no mistake made; there was only this natural and loving energy that was being exchanged.

Now this energy did exist for the previous cat and does exist for the new kitten, even though with the new kitten, few memories have formed and little sharing has been experienced. I bring this up because this is where there is a tremendous difference in the two animals. You had several years with the previous cat, and just a few weeks with the kitten. You felt you had to do whatever possible to save the life of your cat but are understandably more ambivalent about the kitten. This is as it should be.

There is rarely a good reason to prolong an animal’s life when it is seriously ill or injured, unless it is a need of the owner to have the animal around for as long as possible. In the case of an “old friend” or a “child,” referring to the relationship with the animal, it is understandable why an owner would want to prolong the animal’s life, although this is not the wish of the animal. Animals instinctively know to accept death when their bodies are so weak or injured that they cannot continue to function as they are used to. Death to an animal is not something it fears, although pain creates panic if the animal is under attack. If an animal simply has an illness or injury, it accepts pain without attaching fear to it. This is different from most human beings, who respond to pain with a fear of its continuing beyond what they can bear. For animals, it is just a part of their experience in the moment they are experiencing it—nothing more and nothing less.

So, to return to where we started, it is important to keep fear and fear of out of your thinking by releasing fear and demanding peace of mind. Then you can evaluate any suggested treatment for the kitten from a peaceful state of mind and decide if that treatment is worth doing. It may interest you to know the connection you formed with this kitten will allow you to know its wishes. From a peaceful state of mind, just ask the kitten what it wants from you. Perhaps it was just to feel loved and wanted, and now it doesn’t need anything else for its life to be complete. You will know. You will understand. You will find your peace with this relationship.

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Q: I have heard that birds are disappearing because they have served their purpose. What is/was the purpose of birds? Is this a part of a larger event?

This question does not have relevance in today’s world. Maybe at some point in the extreme distant future birds may become extinct. However, in today’s world they have an important place in the structure of all living things. Birds serve a purpose in the food chain for what they consume and what may consume them. They are an important part of this chain and the chain would not be effective without the presence of birds. This would be the purpose of the bird’s having been created. Birds also serve to provide beauty and enjoyment to themselves and then to all others. This would include the enjoyment of humans.

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Q: This one is a little whimsical. I’m wondering about the relationship between people and their pets. Something is shared there, but what is it? Dogs, it is said, give affection without condition – and I would say that that seems to be true. Cats are more aloof. But I heard a lady who lost her cat in the hurricane crying over her lost friend. What’s the story about pets?

Please refer to the answer on the website to the question: What is the story about pets? You will learn a great deal from that answer.

In the exact circumstances of Katrina, there were thousands upon thousands of situations that occurred with people having to leave their pets behind, or people losing their pets in the hurricane, or of pets dying because of the hurricane.  This caused as much or more anguish for some people than losing their belongings or their house.

Pets play a fantastic role in people’s lives. The reason is that in this world of today when people face so many problems, they often find that the only solace comes from a relationship with their pet. Pets are able to give unconditional love. Where do many people find unconditional love in their world of today? Pets are able to give and accept love with no strings or conditions. Pets are able to give and receive love as a primary function of their living experience. Pets are able to trust and be trustworthy. Pets are able to experience joy in living.

Our pets go to great lengths in order to give us pleasure, to give us companionship and to give us love.

Cats are more aloof than dogs, yet they give the same unconditional love to their master or mistress. It is a difficult task to compare the two animals.  Each has its own set of characteristics just as different breeds of cats or dogs have different characteristics.

Yes, it a quite possible for one to grieve for a pet as they would grieve for a friend. Often the pet has been a closer confidant than a human friend.

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