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Thank you for your interest in my work and please visit again!
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KINDRED SPIRITS
No heaven will not ever heaven be
Unless my cats are there to welcome me.
Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)
2008 CHANGES:
All of the grief pages have another home. Please visit The Grieving Heart® for hope and support after loss. The revised Kindred Spirits page continues to offer comforting poetry and supportive links with an expanded section on grieving the death of your beloved pet. Thank you for visiting.
On this page...
The Cat and the Moon: And Other Poems
Lost or Stolen Pets: What Can I Do?
Franciscan Blessing of the Animals
A Prayer for All Animals
The Rainbow Bridge
Request from the Rainbow Bridge
How Old Is Your Cat in Human Years?
Lynx
I am privileged to share my life with three fur persons. Over time, they have acquired several monikers: Andrew Lloyd Katzenbear (Andy, Brillo Bear), Oedipus (Eddie Puss, Panthera Plumpo), and Vincent Van Cat (Vinnie the Boo, Felis Franticus).
I have a motto in my home: "Around here, cat hair is a condiment." If you understand this statement, curl up with your furry friend and stay a while. Canines invited, too!
PLEASE NOTE: The word pet comes from the Middle English word pety meaning small, trivial or insignificant. For centuries, pets were considered inferior to humans. For this reason, some animal rights activists suggest that we eliminate the word pet from our vocabulary and use the phrase companion animal instead. But pet can also mean cherished, beloved and favored. It is in this sense of love and respect that I use the word here.
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THE CAT AND THE MOON
By William Butler Yeats
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The cat went here and there
And the moon spun round like a top,
And the nearest kin of the moon,
The creeping cat, looked up.
Black Minnaloushe stared at the moon,
For, wander and wail as he would,
The pure cold light in the sky
Troubled his animal blood.
Minnaloushe runs in the grass
Lifting his delicate feet.
Do you dance, Minnaloushe,
do you dance?
When two close kindred meet,
What better than call a dance?
Maybe the moon may learn,
Tired of that courtly fashion,
A new dance turn.
Minnaloushe creeps through the grass
From moonlit place to place,
The sacred moon overhead
Has taken a new phase.
Does Minnaloushe know that his pupils
Will pass from change to change,
And that from round to crescent,
From crescent to round they range?
Minnalouse creeps through the grass
Alone, important and wise,
And lifts to the changing moon
His changing eyes.
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THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DOGS AND CATS
Author Unknown
A dog thinks: Hey, these people I live with feed me, love me, provide me with a nice, warm, dry house, pet me, and take good care of me...they must be Gods!
A cat thinks: Hey, these people I live with feed me, love me, provide me with a nice, warm, dry house, pet me, and take good care of me...I must be a God!
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TO A CAT
By Lytton Strachey
Dear creature by the fire a-purr,
Strange idol, eminently bland,
Miraculous puss! As o'er your fur
I trail a negligible hand.
And gaze into your gazing eyes,
And wonder in a demi-dream
What mystery is it that lies
Behind those slits that glare and gleam.
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ON A CAT AGEING
By Sir Alexander Gray
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He blinks upon the hearth rug
And yawns in deep content,
Accepting all the comforts
That Providence has sent.
Louder he purrs and louder,
In one glad hymn of praise
For all the night's adventures,
For quiet, restful days.
Life will go on forever,
With all that cat can wish;
Warmth, and glad procession
Of fish and milk and fish.
Only-the thought disturbs him-
He's noticed once or twice,
That times are somehow breeding
A nimbler race of mice.
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LOST OR STOLEN PETS:
What Can I Do?
Links in this article do not open new windows.
Use your back button to return here.
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Out of five million family pets reported missing every year, as many as two million are stolen. The majority of these pets end up at research institutions because the multi-billion dollar animal research industry creates the supply and demand market for stolen dogs and cats. Pets are also stolen for savage dog fights and the cruel training associated with it. This is a profitable big business because of illegal gambling. Please take precautions to protect your beloved companion from tragedy.
PREVENT YOUR PET FROM BEING LOST OR STOLEN
The following guidelines help reduce the risk of a lost or stolen pet:
If your pet stays outside on a run or in a fenced yard, make sure the gates and fences are secure. If your pet is indoors, keep doors locked and windows screened and secure.
Invest in a good ID tag for your dog and outdoor cat collar. Include your pet’s current rabies vaccine tag and your phone number: “If lost, please call…” Some animal educators do not think it is wise to include your pet’s name on the collar.
Take extra precautions during thunderstorms, parties or fireworks because some pets become frightened by the noise.
Initiate or join a neighborhood crime watch and invite your neighbors to do the same.
Don’t allow your dog or cat to go outside its yard space without a leash or harness. At minimum, your dog should be taught the basic commands of sit, stay and heel.
Have your pet spayed or neutered to reduce the tendency to wander in search of a mate.
Always use a carrier to transport your cat. Dogs may travel in a portable kennel if they are accustomed to car rides.
FINDING YOUR MISSING PET
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Use the following steps to find your missing pet:
If you suspect that your pet was stolen, immediately contact your local law enforcement agency.
Place posters in a minimum of a 20-block radius of your home and offer a reward. If possible, put a large photo of your pet on the poster along with information on where the loss occurred, height, weight, and age of your pet, collar, spay/neuter status and your phone number.
Again, some animal educators believe it is unwise to include your pet’s name on the notice because knowing the name makes it easier for a thief to capture or control your pet. On the other hand, calling your pet by name will assist anyone trying to help the animal. Please do what feels right to you.
Post a description of your pet at www.thelostpets.com and check back often.
If your companion animal has a Home Again computer chip, or equivalent, notify the organization where you registered your pet.
Call all area animal shelters, humane societies, veterinary clinics, kennels and pet food stores that have a Lost and Found board. Give them a description of your pet and post a lost notice on any public service bulletin board such as the ones you find in coffee houses.
Visit shelters many times because they handle thousands of pets and may fail to recognize a stray from your description.
Place an ad in your local paper and check the “found pet” ads every day. Notify radio and TV stations that offer lost pet announcements.
Contact your highway department to check on dead animal removals. Yes, this is a tragic possibility, but isn't it better to know?
Learn more about HR594, the Pet Safety and Protection Act, at ARKonline
The ARK site includes a huge list of animal rescue shelters.
A few years ago I found a Siamese cat under the bush in front of my house. She was exhausted and hungry. The cat was wearing a tag with a phone number. After I fed her and calmed her down a little, I called the number and the young lady in question drove to my house to take her beloved kitty home.
This story is most amazing because the woman had moved the week before from my neighborhood. Cats become attached to places much more than people—and the Siamese had walked almost five miles in search of her old home!
The person had made the mistake of allowing her cat outside unattended before kitty was comfortable with the immediate surroundings of the new location. We should always keep a cat indoors for at least a week after a move and then let her out on supervised visits for another week before allowing the cat to be on her own. Of course, keeping our cats indoors is best for overall health, safety and longevity.
My little story had a happy ending because the cat was wearing a tag. Not all stories finish so well. Please take care now to prevent heartache later.
Sources for this article:
The National Humane Education Society, a non-profit organization fostering the sentiment of kindness to animals in children and adults.
On the web: National Humane Education Society
From Pet Education.com: Steps to Take if Your Cat Is Lost
Also from Pet Education: Steps to Take If Your Dog Is Lost
My favorite tip from Pet Education: Dogs and cats have keen noses. Place your pet’s blanket outside your house so that your pet can recognize the smell of home.
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FRANCISCAN BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS
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Blessed are you, Lord God,
maker of all living creatures.
You inspired St. Francis to call all animals
his brothers and sisters.
We ask you to bless this animal.
By the power of your love,
enable it to live according to your plan.
May we always praise you
for all the beauty in creation.
Blessed are you, Lord our God,
in all your creatures!
Amen.
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A PRAYER FOR ALL ANIMALS
Adapted from a work by Edward Hays
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Spirit of Creation,
From your sacred breath came forth birds and beasts, fish and fowl, creatures of such variety that we are continually amazed at your divine imagination.
You have blessed these creatures of yours with simplicity, beauty and a cosmic purpose. May we never treat these creatures as dumb animals, but rather let us learn their language and be a student of all that they know, reverent of their purpose in creation. Surround us with the spirit of mutual respect.
Hear our prayer for mercy and protection—for the animals that are suffering, for any that are hunted, abused, deserted, frightened or hungry; for all that must be put to death. We ask that those who care for animals have hearts of compassion, gentle hands and kind words.
Bless the creatures that join us in our journey of life. We deeply thank you for the faithful animals that we delight to call our friends. Make us worthy stewards of your good gifts. Amen.
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THE RAINBOW BRIDGE
Author Unknown
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There is a bridge connecting heaven and earth. It is called the Rainbow Bridge because of its many colors. Just this side of the Rainbow Bridge there is a land of meadows, hills and valleys with lush green grass.
When a beloved pet dies, the pet goes to this place. There is always food and water and warm spring weather. The old and frail animals are young again. They play all day with each other.
There is only one thing missing. They are not with their special person who loved them on earth. So, each day they run and play until the day comes when one suddenly stops playing and looks up. The nose twitches! The ears are up! The eyes are bright! And this one suddenly runs from the group.
You have been seen and when you and your special friend meet, you take him or her in your arms and embrace. Your face is kissed again and again and again, and you look once more into the eyes of your trusting pet.
Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together, never again to be separated.
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REQUEST FROM THE RAINBOW BRIDGE
By Constance Jenkins
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Weep not for me though I am gone
Into that gentle night.
Grieve if you will, but not for long
Upon my soul's sweet flight.
I am at peace, my soul's at rest,
There is no need for tears.
For with your love I was so blessed
For all those many years.
There is no pain, I suffer not,
The fear now all is gone.
Put now these things out of your thoughts.
In your memory I live on.
Remember not my fight for breath,
Remember not the strife.
Please do not dwell upon my death,
But celebrate my life.
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FROM THE JUDEO-CHRISTIAN TRADITION:
All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small.
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.
Cecil Frances Alexander
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HOW OLD IS YOUR CAT IN HUMAN YEARS?
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A dog ages approximately seven human years for every year of life, so if you have a two year-old dog, he is a 14 year-old teenager. The aging of cats is more complicated. According to the Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, your cat ages like this:
--CAT-------HUMAN
1 month-----5-6 months
2 months----9-10 months
3 months----2-3 years
4 months----5-6 years
5 months----8-9 years
6 months----14 years
7 months----15 years
8 months----16 years
1 year------18 years
2 years-----25 years
3 years-----30 years
4 years-----35 years
5 years-----38-40 years
6 years-----42-44 years
7 years-----45 years
8 years-----48 years
9 years-----55 years
10 years----60 years
11 years----62 years
12 years----65 years
13 years----68 years
14 years----72 years
15 years----74 years
16 years----76 years
17 years----78 years
18 years----80 years
Over 20? A stately senior citizen!
The Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine publishes a newsletter for caring cat owners. Click Catnip to learn more. This link does not open a new window. Use your back button to return here.
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LYNX (I couldn't resist...)
All links open new windows.
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Prevent homelessness...
Please spay or neuter your pets!
My E-mail: FindingTheMuse@aol.com
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The smallest feline is a masterpiece. Leonardo da Vinci
© Copyright 2001-2008 Christine Jette. All rights reserved.
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