Miranda, when she was much younger, relaxing on top of Bacchus
(Photo of Miranda and Bacchus – Copyright © Heather Joan Marinos. All Rights Reserved).
“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened. ”
– Anatole France, French poet, journalist and novelist
It’s very late in the day for me to be posting my first “Revelation” of the New Year, but this evening, we buried our ancient cat, Miranda. She died peacefully at home on the 29th. It’s a somber day for us, as we cherish each of our cats. And now there are 7 left. One of them, Zorba, has been wailing mournfully (off and on) since Miranda died. He reacted the same way when our old dog, Bacchus, died two years ago. Cats do grieve. Zorba, we think, is very attuned to the intricacies of life and death. A sensitive soul, he is the spiritual one of our cat colony. All of the cats have been taking turns comforting my husband and I, as we grieve. Just earlier today, I was sitting in my reading chair and, suddenly I had two cats on my lap and one straddling the back of my chair. I cannot imagine a home without animals.
And I cannot understand people who dislike animals. I am not comfortable around animal-haters. It’s a deal-breaker for me. But, to each his own.
To bring up a child with a pet dog or cat is to teach him/her tenderness, compassion and respect.
To give an elderly person a pet or exposure to animals is to provide them with joy, comfort, affection and companionship.
As for someone like me, who is somewhat halfway (okay, maybe a little more than halfway) between the two… I can say that I find true solace and serenity with my beautiful creatures. They have seen me through the best of times and the worst of times. In the hardest moments of my life, they reminded me that there is always a reason to laugh, to lighten up and relax. They give me perspective. And in return, I give them my heart, my time, my protection and, of course, some seriously good food.
MIRANDA
Sept 2, 2001 – Dec 29, 2017
R.I.P.
(Photo of Miranda – Copyright © Heather Joan Marinos. All Rights Reserved).
heatherfromthegrove 
I am so sorry for the loss of your furbaby Miranda 😦 I agree with what you wrote “And I cannot understand people who dislike animals. I am not comfortable around animal-haters. It’s a deal-breaker for me. “………….. it’s a deal-breaker for me as well.
Thank you!