Sometimes you do things which remind you that you love your cat companion. It is love manifest through action. You have to do it. The love has bitten deep into your brain. Sometimes you have to do something to express it. You cannot remove it or put it to one side.
I have a minor, recent example myself. Today I bought a tracking device for my cat and myself. He will have to wear a collar for a while. The device picks up the signal from the collar. It allows me to zone in on his position very accurately using a handset. It is workable up to about a hundred metres I’m told and it is not based on GPS and a cell phone, which pleases me.
I had to buy this device because my cat goes outside. I worry about him. He goes out every day in this nice weather. He stays outside a lot, too long for my liking which makes me anxious. My concern builds up and then, late in the day, he comes in loudly crying for me, pleased to see me and me to see him as I call back.
I live in a cat safe area well chosen by me so I hope people will not criticise me for letting him go outside. It is better for him provided it is practical, possible and safe. But sometimes cats wonder into other people’s homes. Also I don’t know how far he travels. I need to know. My concern for him through my love for him drove me buy this product. Once I know his movements, I’ll remove the collar and wait until I feel I need to use it again.
My love for him extends to actions far greater than the one described. I bought my apartment partly for him and I may move to a new home, a detached house with a garden which can be fenced in so that he can go outside in complete safety and so that I know where he is at all times while giving him some freedom.
There are many other examples of one’s actions which are driven by the love for one’s cat companion. I keep the ashes of my cat companions with in my living room. My ashes are to be added to them when I die. This indicates a deep emotional connection.
There is a story about a dog in the newspaper today. It is very touching. It really is the behaviour of a person who has a deep love for a dog that he met in the Gobi desert while running an ultramarathon (250 kilometers – 4 Desert Race) there. The ultramarathon runner is Dion Leonard.
The dog, who has been aptly named “Gobi” (who incidentally is an 18 month-year-old female terrier), ran alongside Leonard for four of the six stages of the ultramarathon. Gobi appeared out of nowhere and started running alongside Leonard and his team in the mountains of north-west China.
Leonard thought the dog would fall by the wayside. He even started to run faster and he thought the dog would not stick by his side the whole of the day but she did and more.
When Leonard went home he asked someone to look after his new-found dog companion. Gobi escaped the home of this person and was lost. Leonard could not bear the thought (sleepless nights etc.) of Gobi being lost and being unable to effectively search for her from Britain decided to travel back to China to look for her with the assistance of local residents and social media. In addition, Leonard organised a crowdfunding page which raised £20,000.
At the end of the day after a huge amount of effort Gobi was found in a local park in the town of Urumqi. By this time there were many fans who were involved in the search for Gobi. When they heard about the success they took to social media to celebrate the pair being reunited.
“I am crying in public I am so happy for you guys!”
“I can sleep soundly tonight!”
Other supporters on social media have asked for British Airways to fly pair home without charge in first-class. Gobi must spend 120 days in quarantine in Beijing, China and then brought to Britain in time for Christmas.
Leonard will spend the next few days walking Gobi on a leash and then return to Britain. He will make sure that there is no possibility of Gobi being lost again before, during and after his quarantine.
I presume that he will return to China after 120 days and then fly first class back to Britain for the last time with the dog that he loves so deeply.
Have I done something? Really?
I do everything imaginable, especially to safeguard them.
My indoor loves are well guarded. But, I look like I’m on patrol when it comes to my indoor/outdoor cats. I want to know where they are at every minute of every day. I make “rounds” and have roll call.
My ferals aren’t short changed at all either. I’m spending hours caretaking them and running off coyotes these days.
I dearly love them all and do everything within my ability to protect them.
Michael, I’m so glad to know that you got this device. Once a cat leaves our view, we really have no way of knowing what they do. But we do know that they are more vulnerable free roaming outdoors, even though it’s common in your country.
The reality of all manners of harm are well known: cat haters, intentional poisons, vehicles, other free roaming animals/pets are among them.
Most animals would prefer to be free roaming, just as most 2 year old children would. We all want to be free to roam at will; it seems to be our nature.
But most mature humans have the ability to know when it’s safe to cross a street, animals don’t. So, we have to do what we can to protect our pets. If we choose not to, then the consequences can be a maimed or dead pet.
I know a woman who lives on a well traveled country road. She’s lost 4 cats to vehicle accidents, yet she believes that they deserve to roam.
The only way I allow my cat outdoors is with a cotton velcro halter and leash, with me close by. She’d prefer to be free roaming, and cries at the door to let me know. I just scoop her up, and distract her with playing or cuddling or her favorite treat, coconut oil.
My care is shown by control over anything I consider dangerous, which includes pills dropped by roommates, or other items like tacks, needles, and the like which I see on the carpet from time to time.
Danger lurks in places we might never guess, like the pull strings on blinds, tinsel on Xmas trees, all sorts of odd items at Halloween, including candy dropped by kids.
Curiosity can kill our cats! Allow it only in safe environments. Treat them like 2 year olds….