Lettie and Me
I read a post a while ago in which someone was ranting about people calling the animals they share their lives with ‘fur babies,’ saying it was incredibly offensive to anyone with actual human babies. I read with incredulity!
Losing a beloved ‘fur baby’ is truly heartbreaking. It’s not ‘just an animal!’
Many people have told me they cried more losing their ‘pet’ than when a relative died! Our animals are family members that mirror daily unconditional love. Can we say that about our human relationships? Maybe that’s why we cry more. Animals allow us to feel fully, to let go of the ‘stiff upper lip!’
Skin and fur are sensitive – ‘the hair stood up on the back of my neck’ – the organ of interaction between the inner and outer world. Touch is part of our communication with animals. Stroking, grooming, riding, leading, just being with them, a non verbal relationship that takes time to nurture but creates incredible bonds, a two way trust.
So, if you want to call your horse, dog, cat or hamster a ‘fur baby’ or a banana for that matter, I don’t mind!
Animals are not lesser beings. They gift us an incredible portal to understanding love, to wordless communication, the psychic realms (yes animals do read our minds) and other great mysteries.
I can’t remember which culture it is that says ‘look after your dog, for it was your mother in a past life!’ but it makes sense to me! Who knows, maybe they call us ‘furless babies!’
Maisie, Acrylic on Board, 12 x 12 inches
