I'm not sure why I have such a soft spot for animals but I do. A great many of you can say the same thing. I know I could never be a hunter. Then again I won't be a hypocrite and condemn hunting since I can eat steak or pork chops or chicken with the best of us and I don't bat an eye when I ponder how that food ended up on my plate.
I guess I have a strange sense of balance with what I consider an important animal and those that I figure were placed on this earth to be digested by me. I also apologize to the Boss every night for what I ate just in case I need to.
Dogs and cats are two animal species I have a soft spot for, probably because they can seem to be a lot like people. Some are smart, some are dumb. Others are the kindest, most loyal friend while others are just dirt rotten and mean. Like I said, they are a lot like us.
I know I have a problem with seeing the demise of any kind of babies. Baby squirrels and rabbits and a few mice over the years crossed my path and I let them live to tear up something I owned or was trying to grow later on.
A few weeks ago, a pair of stranded baby ducks was running around our newspaper's property dodging the busy traffic. I tried like hell to catch them but the best I could do was to chase them into a yard full of high flowers and ferns. I hope they made it till they could fly but I doubt it. I think about those little buggers from time to time fully understanding that thousands of baby ducks don't make it through the day every day of the year.
I have caught of few raccoons over the years and I have driven them to the forest preserve to set them free even after they tore up something on the house. One was a nasty little bastard and I did give him a kick in the ass when I let him free but I couldn't have shot him.
I have friends with horses and they are a strange animal. They have a couple who are dumber than a box of rocks and then they have this one who actually will bring its horse blanket over to the owner when it wants to go for a ride.
They say cows are dumb and I have no reason to believe they aren't but every once in a while a cow bolts from the line leading into the slaughter house so it looks like there are exceptions to the rule.
Although farmers around here tell me pigs are very smart I have never believed that one. Any animal that gets fat and lays around in the mud eating hog slop doesn't seem like a higher order to me.
Rabbits abound in my neighborhood and they don't seem very smart. They are cute; especially the baby ones but we have way too many rabbits in the neighborhood. It seems rabbits mate every chance they get with whoever they bump into of the same species. Again that is a lot like some people isn't it.
I love birds, especially the big raptors. We have a barn owl family in the neighborhood and it was fun to watch the dad on one roof hoot at the baby owl to fly over to him while mom nudged the baby closer to the edge of the nest high atop a tree. There again old pop and mom owl will swoop down and grab a baby bunny for supper sometimes so now I have a species I want to admire killing another animal I like and it makes for a convoluted thought process for me.
I have problems watching animal shows, especially the ones where some poor animals were mistreated or neglected by humans. I could never hurt those poor animals I am watching but I sure could spay or neuter the human who mistreated them if you gave me a hedge clippers and an opportunity.
I also have problems with shows about animals in the jungle. Some are so majestic or magnificent but then they go and eat some other animal that I have a fondness for. So what do I do? Do I root for the prey to always get away? That means the predator I think is so neat will starve to death. Like I said, this whole living in a world of animals is a conundrum to me.
I also worry that my choices of animals and birds I like are based on looks. I can't stand alligators or crocodiles or hippopotamuses. That makes me concerned that I am a shallow person judging life by how it appears. It's sort of like staring at a cute young lady and ignoring the old one trundling along with an oxygen tank and a walker.
At least my judgment pattern for the animal kingdom allows me to have no use for any insects. Let's be honest, there are no cute insects. I never could figure out the phrase "Cuter than a bug's ear" since what bug is cute let alone having cute ears: or ears at all for that matter.
The bug world does allow me to bring out my killer instinct at least. I have no problems searching out and killing a stupid bug running around the house. But am I right to think that way?
Maybe that beetle I just squished was recently married and has a family at home waiting for dad to return and now he never will. Like I said: this is all so confusing. Ouch! What just bit me?
Freelance writer, columnist, author and writing coach, ex-Chicagoan Mike Fak presently resides in Central Illinois. More information about Mike's services are available at his home website www.mikefak.com
Mike currently writes primarily humor columns for searchwarp bi-weekly and is the managing editor of www.lincolndailynews.com
Mike now offers a 26,000 word e-book on making money as a freelance writer for only $10.00 at this page. http://www.mikefak.com/id45.html
» left by Elizabeth from DE (132 days 5 hours ago.)
I am with you Mike...I am also an animal lover/meat eater! I don't like to see an animal suffer, even the non-cute ones. I spent an hour cutting a 4 1/2 ft long black snake from bird netting a few summers back. Not easy, but she looked grateful as she dragged her dehydrated body back to the woods!
During extreme weather we try to make life easier for the outdoor animals (water/shelter/food). I work with a cat rescue group and we trap, fix/shots, and release back to the same area. I have even converted my kitty-neutral fiance' into an all-out cat lover.
If I had to kill my dinner though, I would be a vegetarian!
Hi Mike ~ wow, a couple of more paragraphs and you would have a short storybook which does prove your love for animals ~ I loved the article and I too live in a small-animal kingdom where the raccoons grow so big that they walk like humans and about reach out to shake your hand; and as you round a corner while out walking, you just might step on a possum ~ I wouldn't be surprised to see a deer or a coyote walking the river banks some morning or evening ~ all the dogs for miles around know me as "Suzy the walker" ~ they love me.
I do believe that some animals are God's way of teaching humans of unconditional love. I am connected with a lot of animal-rescue groups via MySpace and hoping I can not be too sensive to volunteer live at our local animal shelter ~ we'll see.
One night not too long ago I heard a rumble outside, so I went to the side porch and looked up on one of the roofs and saw an animal staring me down ~ I swear he looked like a monkey and he wouldn't go away until I shouted at him. Then he scurried down the street but walked like a raccoon and was white. When I related the story to a friend, he laughed and wanted to know if I'd been drinking monkey juice. Now, whenever, I come up with some type of a different story, it's always "have you been in the monkey juice again." Oh well..have to go buy a bird bath...the weather is so, so HOT and I worry about the birds. My crazy friend said to just put out a sign and direct them to that big pool of water 3 blocks away known as a river...what a friend but good advice.
I for the life of me can't recall what is the smartest animal. I just heard about it the other day. Have a great one and keep on writing the enjoyable articles. Suzy
I'm another animal lover/meat eater. You described my dilemma perfectly!
Even without that, I really enjoyed your article. I don't watch nature shows all that much any more ... can't stand it when the bobcat kills the bunny. And don't talk to me about the cycle of life and all that. :)
Oh, and what do you mean about insects. Aren't lady bugs cute? What about butterflies and dragonflies and painted grasshoppers?
» left by sue thom from nj (130 days 13 hours ago.)
hi mike,
i agree with everything you said.
i only kill flies and mosquitoes, and boy, it's with a passion, and feels great, but any other animal means life to me, and i won't watch the animal shows where they eat each other, either.
i think they are here for our pleasure, so we should treat them that way.
i love birds, too. the freedom, and colors, and ability to go wherever they want by just flapping their wings!
bats are out, spiders i scoop up in a cup and throw outside, ants i spray anything under the counter at! and mice and snakes are very questionable.
Right now there are 4 puppies ( new born should be coz the eyes are still blurred ) in my next door rescued by the boys who stay there but the problem is they don't always stay home so the puppies keep on crying for their mom for milk which , believed to be a stray . I couldn't stand the irritating cries so I went over to have a look. From then on I got to bottle feed these 4 poor things. They look so down and sick at first but after feeding now they look in better shape and size. Not that I have a soft spot for them but it's just out of human sympathy sorry to say that, honestly!
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