My cat, Gracie

Loving Our Pets

Today’s DailyGood Blog Post, An Illustrated Love Letter to Canine Companions, sparked the idea for this post, although as more of a cat lover than a dog lover I am expanding the topic to include all our pets.

I fell in love with cats at an early age.

As a child growing up on a farm with lots of cats I considered myself the official cat tamer for all of the new litters of kittens that were born. I hunted down the baby kittens and shortly after they opened their eyes began handling them and playing with them so that they would be accustomed to human touch and let me play with them when they were older. I spent so much time with the cats and kittens that when I stepped outside our front door and called, cats came running from every direction. Cats brought so much good into my life.

What can be better than the unconditional love of your dog or the deep rumbling purr of a cat in your lap?

What makes these creatures such key members of our families?

Perhaps it’s because our furry friends have long provided us with comfort, camaraderie, and unconditional love. Cats and dogs are our unending source of kisses, cuddles, slobber, claws, and laughs. — PBS Post on Why We Love Cats and Dogs

Despite the time, hassle, expense, and inconveniences of pet care, many of us voluntarily give our hearts to our furry friends.

My cat Gracie brings great joy to my life along with occasional aggravation but I wouldn’t give her up. I have friends who feel similarly about their dog companions.

The PBS series Nature aired an episode called “Why We Love Casts and Dogs” in 2011.

I think the answer to why we love our pets is simple.

It makes us happy.

“If there is a purer, less complicated joy than that of making an animal happy, I have yet to experience it. And there’s something deeply fulfilling about knowing that, even in a complicated and often unkind world, you’ve managed to create a pocket of perfect security and bliss for at least one small creature.” — Gwen Cooper, Why Do We Love Our Pets

May you walk in beauty.

Endless curiosity

Gracie’s spot

Gracie likes my silk scarf

What’s that? She notices anything new immediately

A note on The Good, the Bright, and the Beautiful Series of blog posts: I committed to a 30-day practice during November 2015. Each day for 30 days I committed to notice, write about, and photograph (if it can be photographed) something that reminds me of what I call “The Good, the Bright, and the Beautiful.” I believe that focusing on the positive and spreading goodness, light and beauty is the best thing I can do to change the world. Join me by noticing kindness, goodness, and light in your life.