Category Archives: Cats

Jan 24 – Animal Chaplain Blessings

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Blessing of the Animals Today

One spiritual care service of an animal chaplain is to bless or thank a higher power for the non-human companion(s) in our life.

For some great examples see this book edited by Lynn L. Caruso:

A couple of quotes from this beautiful book that caught my attention are:

“There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats.” Albert Schweitzer, p.31

“Deep peace of the running wave to you. Deep peace of the flowing air to you. Deep peace of the quiet earth to you. Deep peace of the shining stars to you. Deep peace of the infinite peace to you.” Celtic blessing, attributed to Fiona McLeod, p.163

“May all sentient beings be happy, may all sentient beings be peaceful, may all sentient beings be free from suffering.” Buddhist prayer, p.184

In this spirit, I wish you and your companions, human and non-human, many moments of love and joy today:

Bless you and yours, here

and now, may your love expand

like the universe

Jan 23 – Four Roles of an Animal Chaplain

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Donna Rae Yuritic’s Compassion for Creatures Animal Ministry https://tucson.com/lifestyles/faith-and-values/animal-chaplain-brings-peace-to-many/article_026dfee4-b9ca-50e5-a4f7-165c63ad5b06.html

Yuritic estimated, as of 2008, there were “50 animal chaplains in the U.S. and Canada.” That number has grown significantly since due to her work and that of Reverend Sarah Bowen.

Sarah Bowen’s roadkill ministry http://www.modernreverend.com/about-rev-sarah.html

What does an animal chaplain do? Sarah Bowen identifies at least four roles in a Tricycle magazine article. https://tricycle.org/article/animal-chaplain/

Those roles are: “animal chaplains primarily help people with

  1. end-of-life care and the grieving process for the animals who often become an integral part of our families but whose deaths we tend to not process as fully. The job can also entail
  2. working with animals in shelters,
  3. addressing behavioral problems through interspecies spiritual practices, and
  4. animal advocacy.” https://tricycle.org/article/animal-chaplain/

Or, stated another way on Sarah Bowen’s website, ModernReverend.com:

  1. Supporting animals
  2. Promoting human/animal bonds
  3. Sacred Sendoffs
  4. Advocating for non-human animals

If you’re interested in “honoring animal lives and healing human hearts” check out Sarah Bowen’s companion website Compassion Consortium: https://www.compassionconsortium.org/training

CYE Countdown – Dec 31 – Grateful for 2022

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Dear Friend,

Thanks to the generosity of many people like you who value the difference that grateful living makes in your life and in the lives of all sentient beings, please consider a gift to your local animal shelter or Humane Society International: https://donate.hsi.org/page/112649/donate . 

Your support today will truly help. Please join me with a gift of any size. Your support helps protect all animals—including those suffering in laboratories, on factory farms and those abused in the wild.

You can help stop animal cruelty. Please give today.

Today’s senryu: Make A Difference

make a difference –

if you can’t adopt a pet,

adopt a shelter

Please remember, together we can make a difference in our local community and for the planet as a whole.

High Coo – Dec 4 – Animal Blessings

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Who blesses who? Who loves who? Who rescues who?

It’s been three days since we said goodbye to Lexie. Today I say hello again and look forward to the day we all will meet in the Pure Land aka Rainbow Bridge.

Below are a couple of quotes from the excellent book Blessing the Animals by Lynn L. Caruso (c) 2006 to comfort us in the meantime.

“The love we give to a pet, and receive from a pet, can draw us more deeply into the larger circle of life, into the wonder of our common relationship to our Creator.” Kevin E. Mackin, OFM referenced on p.23 Blessing for Cats

“There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats.” Albert Schweitzer referenced on p.31 Blessings for Cats

“May all creatures be freed from their suffering. May all creatures be freed from their illness. May those in fear be comforted and those bound be set free.” Buddhist prayer adapted by Lynn L. Caruso Partings p.180

Today’s humble senryu: Lexie

we will not forget

our love for each other – we

will reunite soon

Leezy (with caramel-colored feet) and her sister Lexie (with white feet)

Dec 3 – How to Live When a Loved One Dies

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https://www.parallax.org/authors/thich-nhat-hanh/

“Our loved ones are in us and we are in them. When a loved one dies, a part of us also dies.” p.2

“We are in the habit of identifying ourselves with our bodies. The idea that we are this body is deeply entrenched in us. But your loved one is not just their body; they are much more than that …. The idea that “This body is me and I am this body” is a belief we must let go of. If we do not, we will suffer a great deal. We are life, and life is far vaster than this body, this concept, this mind …. We are not limited to our physical body, even when we are alive. We inter-are with our ancestors, our descendants, and the whole of the cosmos. We do not have a separate self; we are interconnected with all of life, and we, and everything, are always in transformation.” p.100-101

I miss Lexie.

I’m grateful for the reminders Thich Nhat Hanh offers us.

May we all have a peaceful weekend.

Dec 1 – Some Days Are Stone

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Lexie

After fourteen years together, I delivered our beautiful cat, Lexie, to veterinary specialists for a throat scope early this morning. In a few short weeks she had gone from a social, vocal and loving feline companion to a hoarse, weak, barely eating cat choosing to hide from the family.

An x-ray late last week and a CT-scan earlier this week, revealed a mass in her throat. Veterinary specialists advised a throat scope but forewarned us Lexie might not survive the procedure. They told us a throat scope could tell us more about the mass and any possible treatment options.

We were mentally prepared for the worst but still hoped for any good news. Sadly, we were not fully prepared emotionally to hear the final diagnosis and recommendation. The throat scope revealed Lexie had cancer and it had progressed beyond any recommended treatment. They could revive her for a final goodbye, but euthanasia appeared to be the most compassionate next step.

My wife and I returned to say our goodbyes. We petted and hugged her. We apologized for not knowing how to help her earlier than we had. We thanked her for our fourteen years together. We asked her to wait for us at Rainbow Bridge. We told her we would miss her terribly and would place her cremains on our memorial bookcase with other loved ones from our “furever” family.

My wife held Lexie as our beloved feline received two injections into her IV. She was gone almost instantly. See https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/euthanasia-what-expect-and-what-questions-ask-first

Love is hard, grief is hard, and some days are very hard.

High Coo – Oct 16 – Global Cat Day

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Buddy in the rafters

October 16 is Global Cat Day. Formerly known as National Feral Cat Day, the founding organization Alley Cat Allies (https://www.alleycat.org/) established the day in 2001 to promote awareness for saving community cat lives, preventing their harm and encouraging nonlethal neutering of cats before returning them to their chosen freedom. (See https://www.alleycat.org/global-cat-day-is-october-16-take-the-pledge-to-fight-cruelty/)

The picture above is the cat that adopted us one day and accepted food, water and a safe place to sleep in our barn on cold nights. We followed the TNR (Trap – Neuter – Return) protocol with our veterinarian. Otherwise, Buddy would travel the countryside as he pleased.

Today’s haiku is dedicated to Buddy: Global Cat Day

one day you arrived

we enjoyed your company

until you moved on

We’re not sure what happened to Buddy, but we know for a short while we were graced with his presence.

For more information on how you can help feral cats, check out https://www.alleycat.org/about/frequently-asked-questions-faq/

Buddy inspecting a garden bucket