The other day my neighbour invited me over to meet her new kitten, Cricket. I was as excited as I had been as a child, when a new kitten was placed in my arms.
This love affair has been a part of my life.
“That girl is crazy about cats,” my mother insisted. And I was. I can name almost all of them that passed through our doors and ended up in the cat cemetery in the back yard.
And not just my childhood cats…they continued to be part of the family until finally my girls were grown and we moved into an apartment.
The crazy thing about this love affair with cats is that I was allergic to them. Even little Cricket could only be cuddled for a short space of time. But, I keep wanting to knock on my neighbour’s door and say “Can Cricket come out and play?”
My oldest sister Violet had a cat that actually died of loneliness after she left home. I imagine there are dozens of stories to equal that.
There is a plethora of books about pets and their value and input in people’s lives but only those who have had the experience of loving a pet can understand their impact.
One certainly is the story of Lawrence Anthony, author of “The Elephant Whisperer” who used to rescue and rehabilitate elephants. Two days after his death, several herds arrived at his home and stayed for two days before they departed…a sort of tribute to his life’s work.
Unexplainable!
I have a friend, who hates cats and in reading this article would shake her head and say “Pat, give me a break.”
I am not one that feels animals should be blessed or brought to church, but would not argue with those that do. How can one explain the relationship between a blind person and their seeing-eye dog? I feel that love given and received is a reflection of God’s love, whether it is for people or for pets… for scripture says “God is love.”
Losing a loved one or a pet, can cause considerable heart-ache. We were meant to be loved and cherished and when that part of our life is taken away, we really suffer. We see this in unloved children and in unloved adults.
But loss teaches compassion and understanding and God’s understanding comforts and completes us. We are often alone but not always lonely.
Actually today I am feeling a bit lonely so I think I will go up the block… and ask my neighbour if Cricket can come out and play.
Photo: “Millie’s kitten” by hehaden via Flickr, licensed by CC 2.0.
