Having Compassion

I sometimes wonder how people feel about their pets.  I know there are extremes of love and adoration and also of neglect and abuse just from reading the headlines once in a while.  I guess one could say the same about parents and their children.  Sadly there is abuse in so many areas from the sneaky,  hard to prosecute to the more obvious done in public almost.  Animals and small children are not really of the same importance, but certainly sometimes in the same category of victims of abuse,
and even the elderly are subject to abuse, frequently at the hands of the ones who should be protecting them.  Then of course there are the animals that are raised for food and often mistreated as well.  What is inside someone's heart and mind who abuses a child or an animal that only has a short time to live?  I have seen footage of ducks, chickens, etc being abused on their way to being killed for food.  I'm not a vegetarian, but I do have compassion for the poor animals who live their lives chained to a post , living in a small spot until they are fat enough to be killed and butchered and sold for consumption.  The second issue is the lack of clean facilities.  In some cases the poor animals live their entire lives in one spot, standing in their own waste until they are slaughtered.  The food and drug admin, or some other agency should insist on a different and better way of handling these poor animals.  Yes the meat would cost more, but we really only need small amounts of meat and dairy for our protein source.  Vegetables are safer and healthier for humans and only children need milk and maybe the elderly who have trouble chewing some types of food.

Today I brought my sweet kitty to the veterinary clinic which is quite near my home.  I had to leave my 10 year old cat (approximately)  for testing and observation.  He is a diabetic (recently diagnosed) and they will check his blood glucose levels throughout the day and help me care for him with a plan for controlling his diabetes and anything else that come with the diabetes.  I know that some children are not treated as well as my cats are (I have 4).  That is a sad commentary on Americans who have the best opportunities to improve their lives and their children's and pet's lives, but so often are neglectful and allow terrible things to happen or worse participate in the terrible happenings.

So today hug your children, and your pets and be kind and gentle with both.  You will feel better for that.  I will feel better when my kitty is back home with me later today.