As a lot of people know - I am the proud pet mother of two beautiful cats. Today I had an interesting experience with my older girl, Meethi. She goes out into the lawn every time the sun is bright. Today was not much different - she had a lot of entertainment around her too. With spring finally here - the birds were chirping and squirrels were running about. Now Meethi is usually a very gentle spirit (and a lousy hunter if I may say so) - so I usually don't have to worry much about her disturbing the happy scene. She usually scampers under a bush and watches, chatters, enjoys the fresh air and comes home happy as ever.
But today was different. Today she found a rabbit burrow and before I knew it she caught a little baby bunny and jumped back trying to get inside with it. The bunny was screaming for its life like a frightened bird. Finally I intervened, allowing the bunny to scamper off and having to face the wrathful look of my cat stolen of her rare hunting prize :) She didn’t harm the bunny, she hardly can with about 16 teeth missing and I think she probably wanted to play with it. Regardless, she scared the li’l fella!
Now if you’re wondering why I am sitting here blogging about this – let’s get to the point :) So initially I was pretty mad at Meethi for traumatizing the little bunny. But when her innocent eyes would glare back at me – unsure if she is in trouble, unable to control her entire excitement of actually catching a prey and also perhaps a lil angry at me for interrupting her proud moment- I started thinking and realizing how easy things are for her to understand. How an animal’s instincts are so simple and strong. And throughout it, how they seem to retain their innocence.
I know everyone hasn’t had the experience of a pet – but for those who have, must know of how easy it is to communicate with your pet. It almost makes you realize how our explanations, words and behavior seems so pointless and almost utterly silly. When all it takes is a simple smile and a warm touch to say a thousand words to your furry friend. How easily they can convey their feelings – hardly using any words. How they can love you unconditionally regardless of who you are, who your demons are and where you’ve been.
So after this whole drama was over – I was looking at the burrow and saw the li’l bunny peeking out. His eyes rapidly scaling the horizon and then promptly jumping out to munch on some grass. After such a long, traumatic experience – he was ready to move on with life. To do what he must. Sometimes, its amazing how much we can learn from creatures who are supposed to be less intelligent than us.
I had a strange day today and it made me think a lot about human intention. I don’t know if I am more like that rabbit in the burrow than I realise. Whenever life has thrown me a stone, I have cowered in for a short period of time and immediately jumped back on to do what must be done. Have I lost touch with emotion or have I just kept life as simple as it needs to be?
There are so many things I wish people would do and say like the bunny. Like Meethi does –with simple words, without complicating life more than it needs to be. Without complicating our feelings so much that we ourselves lose track of our own self respect, our own feelings. We completely become unaware of life as a whole. When instead we should be using our senses… using our minds, hearts for what they are meant to do… Not hiding in the burrow – but coming out and eating the grass of life even after almost losing everything that signifies it.
Whatever the struggle...continue the climb.
