Why?
It does not take that much -- either time-wise, or financially to find someone who wants to give them a home, or to have them put down if it's too late. Many vets are willing to help you for free, and there are many NGOs and NPOs who will find, or act as a foster home for unwanted pets. In England, where I grew up, the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals) sponsors an ad, around Christmas time, with a strong message towards those who buy puppies (and kittens) as Christmas presents, only to get bored when the puppy is no longer is cute, and subsequently gets abandoned, or even worse, abused...
" A dog is for life, not just for Christmas" -- RSPCA Ad Slogan
I would like to extend this message to all the unwanted cats, rabbits, ferrets, hamsters, and all other pets that are bought with casual intend, and not looked after for life.
Their life.
Today Belle and George are healthy, happy cats, although Belle still prefers to sit on "top" of boxes (rather than to sit in one) and George does not like to sleep under the covers -- it's too suffocating for him. What happened to them not long after they were born are still in their memories. They will forever carry the trauma of someone's cruel acts toward them. What was their sin? What did they ever do, but be born to a person who didn't want to look after them?
Imagine being locked up in a cold box, without much vision, confused and without your mother, watching Death's breath take your brothers' life one by one? Imagine being sick and sealed in a bag, struggling for air, while you can hear the carrions outside, eagerly waiting for your last wheezing breath.
I don't want to die! Meoooooow!
Belle and George are my treasures, and they are the best of friends. They sat with me through thick and thin. They were there when I was in and out of an abusive relationship. They were there through other break-ups. They are there when I get asthma attacks, or when I am down with a cold. They are always there, giving me unconditional love. We've had to move houses 5 times in the past 5 years, but not a single grumble from them (I, unfortunately, cannot give them the most stable home, but I try my best). They still both come running when I call their names. They still keep my feet warm on those cold winter nights. The choose to stay with me, and I hope they will be with me for life.
Their life....
best of friends 
(Post script: There are many animal shelters and providers of foster homes in Japan. Many of these resources are in Japanese, but I here's a site maintained in English. The Animal Rights Center not only look after unwanted pets, they also look after pets that were separated from their owners during natural disasters e.g. earthquakes. Many emergency shelters for people do not allow the owners to live with their pets, and sometimes the owners of pets found after an earthquake cannot be located. It is organisations like this that reduce the number of Belles and Georges. They are the ones that really look after our animals -- for life.
Places to place ads if you find an unwanted pet/or look for pets needing homes:
Metropolis Classifieds Section(in English)
Pet's City (only in Japanese)
Animal Refuge Kansai (only in Japanese, Kansai Region.)
Animal Welfare Groups List (only in Japanese, all Regions)
Hugs for Homeless Amimals (in English, International)
If you are looking to be a foster parent for unwanted pets in Japan, you can also contact your local Department of Sanitation (Eiseikyoku) and ask if they have unwanted animals that they have under their protected care.)
7 comments:
Ahh, yes, about life not namely cats. Very cleaver. I do wonder this thought: How many cats would you be willing to live with. For examlpe you would happen to stumble upon an enitre litter, or just a number of other cases as Belle and George? Is 2 your limit or would you keep accepting them as yours and taking them home?
It is a good thing you have done, saving the lives of animals (Even if they were cats). I too wonder how people can be so mean to such a creature. I guess it takes all kinds, but I feel better knowing that Karma will eventually undo the injustice and all will be well agian. If you or I ever see it, that is another thing, but we can take comfort in knowing people that can just throw out animals, babies, whatever, they will pay for their actions. Sad but true.
But then again there is the aspect of 'Life is sacred'. Well first I ask this, who says so? When did life become sacred? And why only some lives not all? For examlpe George Carlin has a good take on this...
Life is not sacred, that is just some shit we made up. Life is a continuing process that is on going. If life is sacred, how come we can pick and choose which lives are sacred? A cancer cell is alive, but how many popele have you seen with a buper sticker... I break for advanced Melanoma? Or Save the Flies? So we pick and choose what life is sacred... Human life, yes it is sacred, the life of a chicken, not sacred.... Chickens are decent, why is their lives indspensable and ours are not? Becasue we are hungry. So this whole idea of life being sacred is bullshit, we made it up, and the reason we made it up is becasue we have a self intrest to be alive.
If we did not think life was sacred, DWR would not care that kittens and such are being tossed away. I am not trying to justify the people's actions of throwing away cats and such, just playing the role of Central Negative here. Yes life is good, in our minds, but that is only because we are alive.
Carlin agian...
We do not hear dead people going around preaching about the sancity of life, and you know why, they do not give 2 fucks as to the sancity of life. Why? Because they are dead. So this whole idea of life being sacred is nothing more than an illiusion, to make us feel better, and make us think we are special because we are alive.
He makes some good points, and I do think they deserve a thought. I still think it is a good idea to save helpless animals and such, but still keeping in the back of your mind that life really may not be sacred. And if it sacred, I want to hear some arugments as to why you think so - beyond the idea of self intrest. It is a hard thing to do really. Whether life is sacred or not, it is wrong to punish or abuse any life that is not your own. And if you are punishing or abuseing your own life you need to take a step back and reflect on life before you continue. But again, keep in mind that life really may not be sacred or even special. A gift, maybe, but it could also be a curse.
It seems that human are really no different from a virus, besides the fact we can think and reason in a complex manner. But it just could be that the universe is just really a single cell to some larger object and we, the humans have been injected in to that cell. We stared out small, but are quickly growing (in comparison to the entire span of everything) and will soon exhause all of the resources on this planet. Then we will move on... this will be a continuing process until we have killed off the whole cell (or universe). Then what? Do we discover another univers (cell) and move there only to kill it off in the near future. It is like we are cancer, and we are just getting started.
Or another thought is that we are a vaccicine, and in reality we are still cancer (or something to that effect) and have been injected into a cell, so that we will one day be killed off by the larger things' immune system. In that aspect, god could be the immune system and we are just waiting for the final judgement or take over.
I could aslo be just really fucked in the head and should be put in a home. All yall really need is 3 singatures yall...
Interesting take, o. You might also argue that if life is sacred, then why are there beings that by nature can only survive by eating other living beings? Then you run into the quandry of "I am alive" and "My dinner is alive (for the moment)", yet I am by nature forced to choose between life and ... life? The question is who will die? There are cultures that revere and 'thank' their hosts for giving of their lives to allow the cultures to live, yet again you might ask if the hosts were so very willing, yet wouldn't just hop into the skillet. That said, though, you might also ask that, by being able to revere life and sacrifice as a sentient being, you then have a 'duty' to be more careful and caring of life. Whereas those with more limited facilities are, by their very limitations, less responsible. Using a different framework, you might ask (yet again) "What is life?", "Am I alive?", and "So what?".
Good point A. The point from the sacrifice type cultures never entered my mind. That really adds a new perspective... and I like it. I will continue to ponder, but wanted to post and thank you for that angle, very interesting.
can I add my two bits here? I studied physiology and pharmacology. I performed vivisection, I also dissected the human brain many times...
There were many students who didn't respect those that gave their lives to science and did the usual "I have my eye on you" trick with someone's eye "litterally" poached on your friend's head, or the classic "do you need a hand with that" handing out someone's chopped up hand.
Not funny.
My group of friends and I alway wore a black tie out of respect for the animals and the people who gave their bodies for the advancement of medicine. We have come a long way from Trephining to MRIs.
As for sanctity of life? Well I think it is our faith. Our faith that all life comes from some source, whether is God, the spiritual world (aliens even!), or even the universe in itself. A lion eating a gazelle may not be away of the importance of a gazelle's life, he and all the other predators/scavengers leave nothing. Just as a Pharsi dies, his remains become part of nature in the tower of death, for his remains are consumed by the "sacred" vultures who will take his soul to heaven.
The sancitiy of life means many things to many people. For those who believe in reincarnation, all life is sacred. Have you heard of the story of the Dali Laama crying when he saw earthworms being dug from their home by the Chinese building a road to Lahsa? THat is a truely spiritual man, regardless of his religion.
Life became sacred when we realised that our life was just as important as the person you loved. The man next door. Life became sacrade when we became aware that we (once) were once with nature....
Life is sacred because it is part of a larger picture.
Listen carefully, o, to those who are dead, for their stories are told by the likes of us, the ones that remember. Yes there is no telling what out there in the afterlife? But why wonder about what it will be like, when you have so much to enjoy right now? The rays of sunshine, the warm covers on a cold winter's day, the rush of feeling high as you snowboard down a steep mountain, or dive in the deep blue sea to swim with sharks. Does it matter what is after life? What is important is to give life the opportunity to enjoy -- regardless of whether it is an illusion or not. Don't you think?
Surya-namaskar (sun salutations) must come before Shavasana (death).
I would like to disclose with you both my other research titled: Where did the Neanderthals go?
Neandethals burried their dead with flowers -- archiologists have found pollen in their graves. Elephants if they come across one of their ancestral bones will spend hours stroking it's bones... It's not just humans that view life as sacred.
On a last note to my feline-despising friend, o, (kidding) how many cats will I have? As many as I can give a good home to, and I will consider Belle and George's vote on that matter. I understand that cats are solitary creatures, and if they don't get on with a new kitten, I would rather give the kitten away to someone who can give them a good home. I also travel alot so I end up asking the "pet sitter" to come in 3 times a week for 2hrs to look after them. When I was in HK for 8 months, I had to ask my mother (who also hated cats) to look after them. Now, they love her to bits, and she is always smiling by having two lovely, low maintenance animals in the home.
Yes, when I retire, you will probably see me blogging with 20 cats in the house!!!!
LOL! No WONDER I'm still single!!!!
umm... You say:
"Does it matter what is after life? What is important is to give life the opportunity to enjoy -- regardless of whether it is an illusion or not. Don't you think?"
A good point here. Yes why wonder. I guess I have spent time thinking about it because it might be never ending. It might be nice to know what is coming. No matter, you are right, why ponder it.
On the matter of the life issue. I will admit i was playing a devils advocate for some of that post, but in some aspects there is some logic behind it. I do appericate life and what I was given. I am not against life or anything like that, I question it all sometimes, that is all. In that post, it took on a negative view point. Maybe next time it will be more postitive?!
Well we hope you are feeling better, or/and will be getting well again soon. peace...
o, besides you and my anonymous poster, A, are the only ones who challenge me to look beyond what I have discovered!!! and personally, it seems like the two of you have any sense out of the 1300+ readers who actually challenge me! and it is wonderful! all stories have many sides to it, and sometimes I forget the other angles, the other prospectives, for I am engrossed in one path, forgetting to see the other ways.
Many thanks to you o, and a, for keeping me on my toes.
BYW, O, if you want to get people on Morton's list to get involved to think about some of my prosectives, please ask them. They may be busy, or stoned at times, but is is always good to see things from multiple angles. Ideas get refined from various quesions from the masses.
Thank you O, and C, for your constant support.
*tears* (and a bit of sneezing) DWR
p.s. as for cancer cells and virisus.... well maybe humans are taking a warped view of trying to eriadicate them against our spiritual force. According to Darwins theory of evolution, we should not have X many people on or planet...
Maybe we are playing "hitler" with the germs. And that's why new strains of virusus keep coming up to "clean up" the population (e.g Bird Flu, SARS, Malaria, AIDs)to keep it at a level where the earth can sustain itself...
I don't know....
I do not have an answer for this one... but I would like to intruduce you to a blog run by a gay may with HIV: http://mesouthern.blogspot.com/
interesting blog...
Post a Comment