Why I Love Animals More Than Humans #ThursdayThoughts

The above quote means so much to my mum so she wanted to share it and explain why. 

Of course, most animal lovers would agree so she doesn't need to explain. But as she is co-writer of this blog I decided to let her have her say instead of always being dictated to by me :)

Professor Noel Fitzpatrick

First, a little bit about Noel Fitzpatrick. He is The Supervet (also The Bionic Vet) - the world’s leading neuro-orthopaedic veterinary surgeon. I know that I mentioned before that I often hide when Supervet is on TV, but that's because, being a cat, I don't like vets very much. They scare me (just like human doctors scare some humans.) Some vets are great, but some I've met haven't been that nice, and well, they make us furries hurt don't they? Mum says they do it to help us feel better. Well, let's just say I know that that's what they are meant to do!

So before I hand you over to Mum, let me just say that I do admire Supervet. And I know why humans admire him too. He does great things for animals and is pure genius at what he does. Having said that, all his team seem like incredible human beings too and also deserve a pat on the back (or some purry furry hugs) for the the amazing care and respect they have for all the animals that pass through Fitzpatrick Referrals.

Here's Mum

This quote just resonates deeply with me. It's what I've always believed myself. To me animal love is the purest love. It's that strong intense feeling I get whenever I look into my sweet Athena's eyes (those all-knowing eyes of kitty wisdom), and whenever I hug her - in that moment all that exists is just me and her. One powerful super spiritual bond. Just the two of us together against the whole world, existing for each other. Soulmates forever and ever.

Most people will say (and I've had it said to me many many times) that I feel the way I do about my pets because I have never had children.

Well, sorry to disappoint, but actually I have been a mother - to my beautiful Tuxie cat Suzy. And now I am a mother to my beautiful tabby girl Athena. This love I feel is simply too powerful to put into words, but I am sure many of you animal lovers will understand.

And my cats end up saving me. They are my reason for living. It may seem over dramatic to some, a bit too Wuthering Heights, but I don't care. It's my life and this is how I want to live it.

I just want to save animals

Someone asked me the other day what it is I want to do with my life and when I said "to save animals" the look on their face said it all. This person, who I like and admire very much for various other reasons, sadly does not share my love for animals. Maybe this person thinks I'm wasting my life and should be aspiring to other "great" things (like marriage & babies, or making lots of money). But then I think to myself how sad it is that they can't experience that beautiful human-animal bond.

To most people, I may be a failure. And many times I have felt one too. But to my cats, to my amazing beautiful girl Athena, I am her world. I am someone. I rescued her. I have given her the most amazing life and she has done the same back to me.

Who rescued who?

I was in the depths of despair when Athena and I met at the rescue shelter 5 years ago. I have battled depression for most of my life, and I had just lost my dad a few months earlier which depressed me even more. I decided it was time to adopt a cat and then found this precious tabby kitten who wanted me the moment I stepped into the cattery. She made a great fuss to get my attention, climbing up the wire mesh door of her pen. The other sweet kittens were very quiet and didn't seem that bothered. But Athena, oh how she fought for me to get her out of there! And when I touched her little paw through the door, that was it. Bonded forever.

Abandoned in someone's garden as a tiny kitten, Athena's first few weeks of life must have been horrific. But thanks to the work of the charity that rescued her, she came to me as the most affectionate little cat I have ever met. She gives so much love, her beautiful expressive green eyes always filled with emotion. And I love her SO much.

Love has always been a scary feeling for me. Maybe it's because I'm overly sensitive.

All I know is that pure unconditional love is what really makes the world go round. It is the best thing. The greatest love in the world.

That's why this quote really touched me. It's great to know others feel the same about animals. Noel Fitzpatrick totally gets how people feel about their pets. And I love how he calls them mum and dad on the show. Never refers to the humans as owners. How wonderful is that?

We are not owners. We are pet parents or guardians, or their humans. But never owners. No one should own anyone.

So yes, I admire Noel Fitzpatrick and have total respect for him. Of course I have never met him, but I do know that he is so passionate about his work and also extremely intelligent. He gives so much of his life in order to improve the lives of animals, to make a difference in this world for the sake of both animals and humans. An extraordinary human being. How many of those are currently in the world? Yes, I'm sure there are many but I'm just tired of all the evil that exists out there, and the shallowness of most people.

Hope

It's been a tough few months for me. But my love for my beautiful tabby girl keeps me going. And the hope and love I see in other animal lovers' eyes, and knowing that others feel the same way about animals, makes me realize that humans aren't that bad after all. At least some aren't.

And I love all you guys who read and comment on my blogs. I really believe that animal lovers are the nicest people around. I am so glad I have you all in my life too. Makes me realize I am not the only one who feels so passionately about animals and it's so wonderful to be able to share the love for our animal family across the pet blogosphere.

Truly blessed

If you have an animal in your life then you are truly blessed. When you're going through hard times, your beloved pet will always be there to help you through. Like days when you can't face getting out of bed. I've been there. And still end up back there sometimes. But Athena helps me through those awful days and stops me reaching for the bottle like I did in the past.

All animals matter

One last word: My love for animals isn't just for pets though. I believe all animals deserve love and respect and to be treated fairly and with compassion. They each have souls and their own lives to live. They have as much right as anyone to be free and happy and not exist merely to be used by humans. I won't go into animal rights in this post. I'll leave that for my other blog. But people must remember that all animals are sentient beings and should be respected as such. Animals give us so much, often much more than any human could. 

The quote above comes from the video Supervet:The Ethos Behind Fitzpatrick Referrals. You can click on the link to see it or view it below. 

P.S. Keep watching until the end to see Noel's adorable dog Kiera. What an amazing strong bond they share! Melts my heart :)

 

Wordless Wednesday Wisdom

It's important to meditate daily

Busy humans must make time in their day to meditate. Felines however, can meditate whenever they want, and can do so with great ease.

Why Do Tabbies Have the "M" Marking On Their Foreheads?

As a little kitten, my M marking on my forehead was pretty striking, as you can see from this picture.

It's still there now of course, and I am very proud of it, as all tabby cats should be. But what exactly is it, and where did it come from?

As I am not the only tabby that has this distinct marking, I don't think it stands for Marie (or Mum). But there is a story that it does stand for the Virgin Mary. And Mary is a variant of the name Marie, isn't it? Now, the story goes that there was a cat and her litter of kittens in the stable when Jesus came into the world, and as his mother Mary stroked it, she left the "M" marking on the cat's forehead.

However, there is another version of the origins of the tabby "M" marking. The "M" is said to have been left by the Prophet Mohammed as gratitude to his favourite tabby cat, who was named Muezza. This cat had once saved him from a venomous snake, and legend has it that when the prophet was called to prayer and went to pick up his robe, Muezza was asleep on the sleeve. Rather than disturbing the cat, Mohammed chose to cut off the sleeve and let the cat enjoy his nap instead. When the cat awoke, the prophet marked his forehead with "M" and since that day all tabby cats have that marking.

But cats go back further than that. We know how the Egyptians just loved us and worshipped us (some of those are reborn today, I think, in our own mums and dads and humans. Mum and I certainly shared many lives together, and there is bound to be a few ancient Egyptian ones in there!

The ancient Egyptians called cats "Mau" - probably because it sounds like "meow". So this too can be why us tabbies have this amazing marking!

So what do you think the M stands for?

How about Magnificent? Magical? Mystical?

Wordless Wednesday

"With the qualities of cleanliness, affection, patience, dignity, and courage that cats have, how many of us, I ask you, would be capable of becoming cats?" – Fernand Mery

Wordless Wednesday

"In a cat's eye, all things belong to cats" - English Proverb

Wordless Wednesday Wisdom

Always make time in your day for a quick nap. Great for recharging your batteries!

Check out my store for some great Christmas gifts for cat lovers!

And Mum has her own store too featuring loads of nice gift ideas for animal lovers and other great stuff too!

Athena Wise Kitty Makeup Mirrors by CatGoddessDesigns
See more Cats Compact Mirror at zazzle.com

Purrfect Love Aprons by PurrsFullOfLove
Browse Cooking Aprons

Wordless Wednesday

Take time to enjoy the little things in life

Wordless Wednesday Wisdom

All you need is love...

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All you need is love #cats #catmum #lovecats #ilovemycat #mycat #furbaby #tabby #tabbiesrule #tabbycat #tabbiesofinstagram #catlover #catstagram #catphotography #love #pure #purrs #meow #instacat

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Love my mum xx #cats #cat #catmum #catmom #catlovers #tabbycat #tabbysofinstagram #catsofinstagram #instacat #instapet #pets #sweet #sleepykitty #catlady

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Wordless Wednesday Wisdom

Always pretend you are staring at something on the wall or ceiling when your human/guardian/parent wants to take yet another photo of you. It makes a great pose, but can also make them think you are bored (which you probably are by now).

Sorry to keep plugging my mum's memoir, but it is FREE and we wouldn't want you to miss your chance

of downloading it! It's also the last day it will be free so get over to Amazon and download it on your Kindle or other device NOW! If you don't have a Kindle device, don't worry, as you can download one of these free Kindle apps to start reading Kindle books on your tablet, computer and smartphone right away!)

Wordless Wednesday Wisdom

When the going gets tough, just yawn and settle down for another nap.

Wordless Wednesday

Wednesday Wisdom: Always make time for fun and games.

Here is a short video clip of me playing hide 'n' seek with my mum.


And here is a photo of me playing with a paper bag.

Wordless Wednesday Wisdom

Always live in the moment.

Wordless Wednesday Wisdom

Slow down. Embrace a slower pace of life. I mean, come on you humans, why are you always running around stressing yourselves out? Does it do any good? No. Just makes everything feel ten times worse.

Just follow the example of your feline friends and chill out a bit...

Wordless Wednesday Wisdom

OK, well Mum and I were having a talk about this blog the other day and we realised that even though I am a wise cat, I haven't been sharing much wisdom with my readers, which is a bit embarrassing to say the least. So having come to that conclusion, we will now start giving you some weekly wisdom. We were going to call this post Wednesday Wisdom as it has a nice ring to it due to the alliteration thing going on. Unfortunately, it clashed with the Wordless Wednesday hop, so in the end we decided to add the Wisdom to Wordless Wednesday (which sounds good too!)

This week's kitty wisdom:

Worried about never finding your soulmate? Well, have you looked into your fur baby's eyes? Perhaps in this life your soulmate just happens to have paws.

A soulmate connection doesn't necessarily have to be a romantic one. It could be a friend, parent, son, daughter.... or your little furry four-legged friend.

The purest love there is