Animal Stories, Poems and other assorted tidbits!!

Here is Camille, sitting pretty!

When I first read this it made me cry.........

RAINBOW BRIDGE

"There is a bridge connecting Heaven and Earth. It is called the Rainbow Bridge because of its many colors. Just this side of the Rainbow Bridge there is a land of meadows, hills and valleys with lush green grass.

When a beloved pet dies, the pet goes to this place. There is always food and water and warm spring weather. All the animals who have been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.

The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; his eager body begins to quiver. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together, never again to be separated."

My favorite all time cat poem.....

The Naming of Cats
T.S. Eliot
from Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats

The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter, 
It isn't just one of your holiday games; 
You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter 
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
First of all, there's the name that the family use daily,
Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James, 
Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey-- 
All of them sensible everyday names. 
There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter, 
Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames: 
Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter-- 
But all of them sensible everyday names. 
But I tell you, a cat needs a name that's particular,
A name that's peculiar, and more dignified, 
Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular, 
Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride? 
Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum, 
Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat, 
Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum- 
Names that never belong to more than one cat. 
But above and beyond there's still one name left over, 
And that is the name that you never will guess;
The name that no human research can discover-- 
But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess. 
When you notice a cat in profound meditation, 
The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation 
Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name: 
His ineffable effable 
Effanineffable 
Deep and inscrutable singular Name. 

Cat Haikus

Dog Haikus

Animal Prayers..."I would give nothing for that man's religion whose very dog and cat are not the better for it?"  Rowland Hill (1744-1833)

Hear our humble prayer, O God, for our friends the animals, especially for animals who are suffering; for any that are hunted or lost or deserted or frightened or hungry; for all that must be put to death.  We entreat for them all thy mercy and pity and for those who deal with them we ask a heart of compassion, gentle hands and kindly words.   Make us ourselves to be true friends to animals and so to share the blessing of the merciful. Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965)

O Lord Jesus Christ, who has taught us that without our Father in heaven no sparrow falls to the ground, help us to be very kind to all animals and our pets.  May we remember that you will one day ask us if we have been good to them.  Bless us as we take care of them, for your sake.  Amen  Author Unknown

The Horse's Prayer

Feed me, water and care for me,
and when the day's work is done,
provide me with a shelter,
a clean dry stall large enough
for me to lie down in comfort.
Talk to me, your voice often means
as much to me as the reins.
Pet me sometime that I may serve you
more gladly and learn to love you.
Shoe me properly that I may serve you in comfort.
Never strike, beat, or kick me when I don't understand what you want, but give me a chance to understand you.
And finally oh master,
when my youthful strength is gone,
do not turn me out to starve or freeze,
or sell me to some cruel owner
to be slowly tortured or stoned to death,
but do thou, my master,
take my life in the kindest way, and
your God will reward you here and hereafter.
You will not consider me irreverent if I ask this
in the name of Him who was born in a stable...
Amen...

"Modern medical science...in trying to cure a body of it's disease, has totally disregarded the claims of sub-human creation. Man, instead of being lord and, therefore, protector of the lower animal kingdom, has become it's tyrant, and the science of medicine has been probably his chief instrument for tyranny. Vivisection, in my opinion, is the blackest of all the blackest crimes that man is at present committing against God and His fair creation. We should be able to refuse to live if the price of living be the torture of sentient beings."   -Gandhi

A Hunter's Poem

A hunter shot a flock of geese that flew within his reach.
Two were stopped in their rapid flight and fell on the sandy beach.
The male bird lay at the water's edge and just before he died,
He faintly called to his wounded mate and she dragged herself to his side.
She bent her head and crooned to him in a way distressed and wild,
Caressing her one and only mate as a mother would a child.
Then covering him with her broken wing and gasping with failing breath,
She laid her head against his breast, a feeble honk...then death.

This story is true, though crudely told. I was the man in this case.
I stood knee-deep in snow and cold, and the hot tears burned my face.
I buried the birds in the sand where they lay, wrapped in my hunting coat.
And I threw my gun and belt in the bay, when I crossed in the open boat.
Hunters will call me a right poor sport and scoff at the thing I did,
But that day something broke in my heart, and shoot again?
God forbid.

by Lemuel Ward

Ode to Spot

Felis Cattus, is your taxonomic nomenclature,
an endothermic quadruped carnivorous by nature?
Your visual, olfactory and auditory senses
contribute to your hunting skills, and natural defenses.

I find myself intrigued by your subvocal oscillations,
a singular development of cat communications
that obviates your basic hedonistic predilection
for a rhythmic stroking of your fur, to demonstrate affection.
A tail is quite essential for your acrobatic talents;

you would not be so agile if you lacked its counterbalance.
And when not being utilized to aide in locomotion,
it often serves to illustrate the state of your emotion.

O Spot, the complex levels of behaviour you display
connote a fairly well-developed cognitive array.
And though you are not sentient, Spot, and do not comprehend,
I nonetheless consider you a true and valued friend.

by Lt. Commander Data

Ok, well sorry to say that is all for this page for now.   I will be adding more in the future when I have time.  Until then, the invitation is open to anyone to submit their animal related stories, poems, links etc. Thanks for stopping come again soon!!

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