Honesty : Where an animal dominates human beings

One of the things that I find particularly compelling about animals is that they are honest about their needs and wants.

Whenever I moved Luna off of the couch to sit down, she didn’t go easily or politely. She hooked in her claws, holding on as much as she could to the place where she wanted to stay. When I took her to the vet over spring break and she was displeased with her cardboard box cat carrier, she didn’t just put up with it, she forced her way out and jumped into the back seat.

Animals are more comfortable with their desires than humans are, and I think we respond to that and envy it.

My daughter, Hannah, penned this reflection about our beloved Luna, who passed away Monday.

I wrote about Luna’s passing yesterday, and I wondered what it is about our animals that makes us love them and cherish them so much.

Certainly Hannah’s observation is part of the answer.

Animals are uninhibited and genuine
They feel what they feel
They go after what they want, without feeling conflicted
They love openly
They express their affection simply and purely

Luna did what she pleased, which included a fair bit of eating and not much exercising (earning her the nickname Luna Balloona).

She was a cuddler, a snuggler, a paw-around-your-shoulder sort of cat.

Right up until the end she was a comfort to her Big Brother, Malcolm, who at age 18 is disabled and frail.

In the kitten days, Malcolm played the role of stern, protective daddy-cat to Luna and her brother, Fish. But lately it was Malcolm seeking out Luna’s warmth and companionship.

It was Malcolm we thought we’d lose first. I took photos of him on the couch, wrapped in a blue blanket, paralyzed after two strokes, with Fish and Luna keeping him company. Amazingly, he’s walking again, though with compromised eyesight and a heavy limp.

S p o n s o r ed L i n k