I have no brothers or sisters, but I have a few friends in the animal kingdom. Annabel and Purrrl live at the same address, having the same masters, Lucille and Hank. Annabel is a beagle and she might be a relative of the world’s most famous one, Snoopy. Who wouldn’t want to be a relative of that guy? Annabel lives in Buffalo and Purrrl is her companion. She’s a tiger cat, but gentle as a lamb.
Who says we can’t all get along? Speaking of which, you may have heard Woody Allen’s comment, “the lamb laid down with the lion, but didn’t get much sleep.” Some say that one of Purrrl’s relatives is Garfield, whom you may have seen in the Sunday comics – I’m not so sure about that.
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On occasion, humans are compared to animals, but that may be an unfair comparison.
After all, men and women go after each other with knives, guns and weapons of mass destruction – I hope they stop at sharp instruments – killing each other. On the other hand, animals have predators, who need to eat to survive. If they aren’t herbivores, they themselves are predators, who go after other creatures for nourishment.
Some humans doubt the intelligence of the animal kingdom, but numerous examples over the years prove otherwise. On one occasion, Annabel found Lucy on the floor one summer day – and she wasn’t praying or playing craps – so she proceeded to the screen door leading outside and commenced barking. Annabel may be small but her bark is king-sized and Joe, the next-door neighbor could not help hear the yelping. He came to the rescue and saved Lucille, who fainted, but whose condition could have been life-threatening.
“Did you see that show about the danger that cancer poses to pets?” Purrrl asked Annabel.
“No, I didn’t – I was in the kitchen since a beagle has to eat – three or four meals a day is a good start. What was the concern?”
“The air, water and land are contaminated by chemicals and toxins which can cause sickness and more dire consequences to four-legged furry pets. Since we’re so close to the ground, we’re more 12
at risk. Imagine how a dachsund feels,” added Purrrl.
Annabel replied, “I noticed the Chemlawn guys spraying the grass in t-shirts and shorts, who seemed to have no concern for the chemicals they were spraying on the ground. Then they put up signs warning people to stay away for forty-eight hours or so. What’s wrong with this picture?”
“People want the perfect green lawn but don’t realize that adding toxic chemicals makes it imperfect. This is a case where green is not a good thing. A yard that has dandelions – there’s that reference to the animal kingdom again – wild strawberries, clover and wild flowers may even have a bit more color, but at least you can lay down on it.
“It’s safer for us critters, too,” added Annabel.
“Maybe humanity has reached the level of intelligence as exhibited in the 2006 Luke Wilson movie, Ideocracy, where the brightest person has the smarts of a butter bean. It’s not an encouraging picture.”
“It certainly isn’t,” replied Annabel. “There are too many instances of pets dying of cancer. I’m sure those in the wild are victims as well. The cause is obvious. What do we do about it?”
“I should become an indoor cat, but that wouldn’t protect me from the poisons inside any 13
house. Pressure treated lumber decks and blue vinyl siding may make a maintenance-free home, but each is a huge threat to the humans, animals and the earth. The arsenic in that kind of lumber is very unhealthy and dangerous. A house that is sided with blue vinyl that catches fire would devastate a large area. Besides, making that product poses huge risks to the workers creating it. Neither of those two products should be used in any building. In fact, both should be banned from the construction industry.”
“Thanks for the encouragement, Purrrl.
Whenever I’m outside, I do my duty quickly, and by my actions send a message to Lucille and Hank about the chemical sprayed on lawns, fruit trees and gardens. Somehow I get the feeling that they are aware of the problem.
“That’s all we can do,” said Purrrl.
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