In The Abstract

Cause Essay

You’re stepping through the door, it’s unusually quiet. You sneak in slowly, shutting the door quietly behind you. You listen; you watch closely all areas of the hall, alert, prepared for attack. You hear a little noise, a pitter patter, a clickety click: little claws on the hardwood floors, tap tap tapping, coming closer and closer. Then you hear the low growls, and then a full bark, those deep-throated, protective howls. You stand completely still, waiting for him. He’s closer, in the hall, and he sees you! You turn to run, but there’s nowhere to go! He’s bounding towards you, tail wagging viciously as he leaps at your chest, and attacks you with his razor-sharp tongue! I know what you’re thinking… ‘Razor-sharp tongue?? What?!’ Yes, his tongue. You are being smothered and loved by none other than man’s best friend. There are a lot of people in this world who have a pet. I love animals, and I’m sure you do too. A pet is a comfort, a companion, a friend. A pet is a relief; a calm from the storm. Your pet could even be your favourite person! I happen to like animals more than people for an abundance of reasons.

I remember countless nights after a long day, curling up in bed, and hearing my old, antique doorknobs jingle. My cats, Fret and Merlin, would let themselves in my room. Both of them were polydexterous, or double-pawed, and could open doors and hold things with their front paws. They'd open the door, and push it open with their paws or their noses, and hop right onto the bed. While Fret would curl up at his guarding post on the bottom left corner, keeping a watchful eye on the window (he's very protective), Merlin would come right up to me and snuggle. He'd crawl right under the blankets and spoon himself right up to my chest, if I was laying on my side. If on my back, he'd lay his big fluffy self right on my chest and bury his little fuzzy face in my ear. Now, he had a bit of Norwegian Forest cat in him, which is very similar to a Maine Coon. Needless to say... He was a big, soft cat, with a big, soft heart. I lost him some time ago, because someone decided to use him as a speedbump. Fret is still around, and still as wonderfully arrogant as ever. He loves me very much, and turns his rump to anyone else except for my fiance, for some strange reason. What I'm trying to get at, is that having them as pets helped me through a lot of my daily woes and strife. They were my companions, and I could always turn to them for comfort.

I have a dog, two actually- Malcolm and Dakota. They're crazy. They jump, paw at you, whine and bark and whimper when you get in the door, but they, like Fret, are very protective also... Well, against other animals anyway. Dakota especially. She's short and small, but she's a tough girl. We have a farm across the street from our house, and she tends to bark at any animal that trespasses onto our territory. Both of the dogs go insane if there's another dog outside. You'd think there was a war going on, the way they howl. Dakota likes to keep them in their place. My dogs are my guardians, they make me feel safe. The don't discriminate, they don't judge, they love unconditionally. I can always rely on my dogs when I need to feel safe, and at home.

My pets are my favourite type of people. They're playful and loving, and they make me feel like I play an important role. I take care of them, and they take care of me, no questions asked. They don't tell me if I look fat. They don't care if I have pimples on my face or if my clothes don't match. They don't care if my feet smell, or if I eat a lot of junk food. They care about who I am, and that I make them happy. I feed them and cuddle them and keep them warm and safe at night. I think that every person should act like an animal and maybe everyone would be a lot happier. Now, I'm not saying to eat by sticking your face in a bowl, or to lick your privates, or sniff someone's butt, no, I'm saying, "Don't judge, just be happy with who people are". Respect everyone who respects you. I love animals more than people because they know how to get the best out of life, and live it to its fullest.

After my two years here at Eastern Maine Community College, I plan to go on to some Veterinary program at UMO or elsewhere. I'll create a career based around love and care and kindness to animals, whether they are my pets or someone else's. I've had so many pets in my 18 years that I probably won't be able to remember them all. I've had 17 cats, 5 dogs, 5 ferrets, an iguana, countless fish, a water dragon, 4 lovebirds, 2 snakes, a rat, a sugar baby (a little flying squirrel), a crow, a raccoon, and 2 little sisters (they count as animals). That's a lot of time, energy, love, and vet bills. You could say I'm committed.

posted by Kasey @ 10/06/2005 04:00:00 PM