reddy2go ·
adoption or invasion? in the animal rescue world, the concept of fostering and adopting an animal is encouraged. i’ve never thought of it in this light and here’s why
Replies
reddy2go ·
ownership: i don't fancy the idea of saying 'my' cat or dog as it connotes ownership. maybe that can be said of 'my' girl too, but my poly philosophy is a story for another day. so, the animals that enter my space & my life may come and go, live and die, stay or leave
reddy2go ·
molly-cuddling: pet daddy is not a role i care to play, so instead i care as a peer who shares the same space. though by nature i essay the alpha role & set the house rules. it's incredible how aware animals are of set boundaries & comply comfortably
reddy2go ·
security: any animal that enters my space is under my protection; cat, dog, bird, squirrel, snake, grasshopper, beetle... any injured & lost animal that lands up here is welcome & safe. that said, if they die, they die. providence decides when you come, nature decides when you go
reddy2go ·
company: sanctuary is the foundation, but what we need more than shelter is one another. the animals that inhabit my space learn to live together in harmony one way or another. if they choose to play together that's awesome, if they chose to eat each other, it is what it is
reddy2go ·
childcare: infants need constant care that only a mother can offer. sometimes li'll ones get lucky when there's a lactating mother. sometimes it's on me to provide neo-natal care which despite best efforts rarely goes per plan. when it does, it's thanks to the peers
reddy2go ·
health: caring for injured & sick souls is a privilege, but also an absolute pain. dispassion is as important as compassion in caring, while patience sustains both abilities, especially when you're caring for them at home & not packing them off to a hospital
reddy2go ·
death: animals seem to know when another is going to die. so when the end is near, i chose to sit with the animal in suffering, rather than euthanize it to avoid the sights & smells of impending death. the end is not pretty but is no less a miracle than birth
reddy2go ·
birth: playing midwife is a hobby & i've embraced the mess aka miracle that birth is. also the reality that death & birth are often twins. every litter has either still-borns or runts who don't survive the initial few days. also young mothers can be unaware, unable or unwilling
reddy2go ·
savior: not a role i desire to play, & if i were to take a long hard look, it's the animal that saves me. from the disconnection of modernity, cynicism of age & the hubris of human ego - that enslaves some animals for food/fun & saves others to salvage the spirit
reddy2go ·
invasion: i don't adopt animals, i'm invaded by them. they take over every aspect of my life & space until i'm playing catch up to their energy that transforms me, their spirit that possesses me. until we are one, soaking in the embrace of nature, it's elements & the flow of life
reddy2go ·
feature not bug: this invasion aka happy takeover is the kind of M&A that nature designs for all creatures to live in serendipitous harmony. being lost in the quagmire of modernity, these creatures are that breath of fresh air that resuscitates & invigorates my spirit
reddy2go ·
disclaimer: i'm not running a shelter or affiliated to any org. just sitting here singing around my campfire. come warm yourself, heal your wounds, regale your spirits & continue your journey. i'll save you a seat (if you're an animal). if human, conditions apply