It is no secret we spoil our two shysters, our cats, Boris and Natasha. They are an integral part of our household, and they hold our hearts. We laugh at their antics and forgive many acts of naughtiness. That is what you do when you love someone, even furry creatures. We worry what will happen to them when something happens to us.

I feel age and maturity has brought about a better understanding that these little creatures that share our home have real feelings. They hurt, they are sad and they get scared of what they don’t understand. Since having Boris and Natasha and also with our dog we used to share our home with, Sam, I understand I can learn from my animals’ behaviors. It is possible this has taken on greater meaning because I have more time in my life to notice their behaviors.

When we are sick they are by our side trying to comfort us. When we are sad, they seem to sense we need the softness of their warm bodies and the sound of their purrs to calm us down. They sense our moods.

It is with disbelief and sorrow I read the many stories and posts lately of animals that have been abused. Many rescues are taking in animals whose abuse has been horrific. The headlines in the City Pages in July stated Minnesota is home to some of America’s worst puppy mills. I cannot imagine subjecting any animals to the abuse some have been subject to.

One of the rescues I follow took in an injured cat that people saw being tossed out of a pickup at high speed. Others have been maimed and tortured. Some of the animals that have been abused have a deep mistrust of humans. It takes much love, patience and care to get them  to trust again.

I must say I am not in love with all animals. A bat flying around my house or in the dark at my head sends me screaming for cover. A mouse trying to get into my purse, which happened one time at my place of employment, had me exiting a building, and a snake making itself at home sunning itself on my patio had me yelling for help.

One of my readers has a love of bats. I couldn’t imagine that she actually wasn’t afraid of bats and would touch them. She even went so far as to describe them as “cute.” Another one of my readers loves snakes and another mice. I learn from my readers. They make me think and examine why I have some of the misconceptions I do.

With all three cases — bats, mice, snakes — it is my fear that rules how I feel about these animals. Would my reactions change if I looked at these creatures in a different way? Bats actually are very cute if you take the time to study their faces. They don’t actually want to harm us and they are as afraid of us as we are of them.

I don’t know where I got my fear of mice. Possibly from my mom. I saw her reaction, so I had the same reaction. I like the cute mice I see on television; I just haven’t taken the time to know them up close and personal. The same goes for snakes. Possibly it was the snake crawling up the wall of my room in the house we had bought when I was in sixth grade. Now mind you, I never saw it but was told about it by my parents. They fixed the foundation of the house after that.

A couple of my grandchildren were afraid of my cats and dogs when they first met them. With patience and love and guidance that soon was not an issue.

When an animal is cornered or has had a bad experience with humans, they react by biting, growling, cowering and clawing. They lash out in fear, and unless someone takes the time to work with them to rehabilitate these animals and teach them trust and love they will continue to become more aggressive.

Recently we had to transport a friend’s cat from one state to another. The cat was terrified, and when I tried to touch it or hold it I got bit, clawed and hissed at. The cat was an attacking tiger. My hand grew and changed color. This wasn’t an aggressive cat but having been in the same home and never leaving it in four years, it was terrified and thought it needed to defend itself. She went to a home where the people understood and took the time to teach her they could be trusted and now again she is mellow and loving. Some people would have just put her down, gave up on her.

We could learn from these animals’ behaviors. I have the feeling if a person has no empathy for animals and could abuse them without a blink of the eye, they may abuse people too. Perhaps they have suffered abuse in their life. Perhaps they strike out in fear with destructive behaviors because they feel cornered or have had a bad experience as a child or as an adult.

Fear turns us into people we don’t want to become, but we feel backed into a corner with no way out and so we lash out. We fear that which we don’t understand. We don’t look into the eyes of those who are different than us and see the human soul inside the body. Unless we have people in our lives who recognize we are not throw-away people and take the time to work with us on compassion and kindness and give us unconditional love, we will not change.

That’s my opinion. No proven documents to back it up except for watching another of God’s creatures, our animals.

I often wonder what would change if we would treat aggression with kindness, be patient and rehabilitate rather than punish, if we could change the lives of those who live in fear and lash out and create chaos and pain for others. If you wonder, take the time to adopt a furry creature and observe their behavior. They might be more human than you think.

As for me, I might make friends with Mr. Bat the next time he decides to visit. We will have one thing in common to bond over: our fear. This time I will not lash out in my fear. I will open my outside door and usher him out with kindness and compassion, knowing he is one of God’s creatures and doesn’t deserve to be punished for my insecurities.

 

Wells resident Julie Seedorf’s column appears every Monday. Send email to her at hermionyvidaliabooks@gmail.com. Her Facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/julie.