I think I could turn and live with animals. They do not sweat and whine about their condition. Not one is dissatisfied. – Walt Whitman

I love animals for so many reasons. For finding the right twig for a nest, rather than trying to make the wrong one fit. For being joyful. For being present. For being loving. For being accepting. For being forgiving. For being resilient. Though I make a point of being present to animals along my way, my pets are the primary way I connect with animals.

As a cat mom, I have recently come face-to-face with my love for my cats. We returned from a recent trip (I had been gone for 11 days) and one of our cats, Freckles, was not eating. She had been losing weight and she just was not herself. I took her to the vet and x-rays and blood tests revealed she had eaten 15 hairbands, was jaundice, and was suffering from fatty liver syndrome. (Yes, 15 hairbands.) She had surgery to remove the hairbands and came home with a feeding tube and a bag full of meds. At home Team Curling kicked in to follow doctor’s orders. Syringes of medications and tubes of supplements to ease her back to eating.

This event taught me the depth of my love for animals. There was no end, or expense, to the extent I would go for my pets. The vet told us she would make a full recovery. We did what we were asked to do and she did. She cares for us when we are sick or sad or angry. She plays with us in the morning and at night. She greets everyone who enters our home. She forgave me when I left her on the balcony for three days. She has moved with me. She is a constant source of connection and love. She is family. They are family.

https://kitt.global/may-6-twig-and-nest-mark-nepo-the-book-of-awakening/