We are truly living in extrordinary times. While there are many topics to discuss regarding COVID-19 and quarantine, I just wanted to share a few things as they relate to cats and animals.
The fact is that Coronavirus came from an animal to a human. It came from an animal that was tortured and killed by humans in the worst of conditions. Not out of necessity, but for profit. It saddens me that more people aren’t talking about we we have this issue and how we can prevent this from happening again.
I recently shared this photo on my Instagram (photo by Kitten Lady). Placing blame on different cultures and judging them as bizarre, is not helpful. Instead, we should examine our own culture and habits and see how we are similar instead of different.
To learn more here are some videos explaining the history and origins of such viruses and how they moved from animals to humans.
I have shared in the past how living with cats has actually helped open my eyes to animal crusty and has encouraged me to live a more vegan lifestyle. See my post on What My Cats Taught Me about Clean Eating and Veganism.
On a lighter note I hope you all are enjoying this precious time with your pets. Cats truly are the visible soul of a home. Having the privilege to care for a cat and enjoy their company, is truly a blessing. These two have become my new colleagues on daily Zoom calls.
Jackson Galaxy shares great tips of what you can learn and how you can increase your bond with your cat during Quarantine.
Lastly, it is important to know scientists agree that all evidence shows, that cats and dogs are not able to contract not spread COVID-19. There have been some stories of people giving up their pets due to fears of infection. There is no reason for this and it is heart-breaking. There is no reason to fear your pets nor give them up. In fact, pet shelters are suffering too. If you have been wanting to adopt or foster a cat, now may be the prefect time. Please contact your local animal shelter.
I hope you all are well and are making the most of this precious time.
You know, I never even thought about this. But you are absolutely right. In a way, we brought this on ourselves by mistreating animals. Thank you so much for opening our eyes to this, and making the connection.
Please stay safe now!
Here in Lanzarote, we have been in lockdown for two weeks now, and we are not even allowed to go outside for a walk (not a valid reason, unless you have a dog to walk). I miss the ocean so much – I can see it from my balcony, but I really want to go for a simple walk with my legs knee deep in the water and hearing the ocean waves and smelling the salty air. But I guess this is not going to happen for many months now. I have never been more grateful for my online teaching job (90% of people on the island are now out of work because tourism has completely shut down, as has everything else, for that matter) and for my 3 beautiful kitties, who keep me half way sane during this crazy time….