P3_FINAL

An Animal’s Eyes: Windows to the Soul

A refuge for animals in Austin, the Austin Pets Alive! facilities offer temporary shelters for abandoned cats and dogs. As you enter the cattery, the façade of the building appears joyous and cheerful. Bright green walls and pictures of owners create feelings comfort and safety to neglected animals.  In fact, the cattery resembled a child nursery more than a shelter for animals. It’s almost enough to make you forget the stories of these abandoned animals. And although each animal may have a different story, they all have faced the rejection no animal or human, should have to endure. When you look into the eyes of these animals, it’s as if they are communicating their past suffering to you. We see sorrow, despair, but also hope. Despite these troubling experiences, these animals remain optimistic for a new home. Understanding Hippie’s background offered insight into the ethical treatment these creatures have endured. A unique encounter with a shelter cat, interacting with Hippie showed just how valuable each and every life is.  Although his story is not fully known, we can assume that it might have gone something like this.

Caged, but not for long.[1]

Hi, y’all! My name is Hippie and I am a black cat native to Austin, Texas. For a portion of my life, I wandered the streets until I finally was taken to the APA shelter. I was born to a family in November. My mother was raised by Austin residents Kate, Jon, and their three young children. Because my mother was never spayed, she surprised the family with a litter of kittens. When my owners first brought my mother home from the pet store, they made the decision not to spay her.  From what I know, my father was a stray cat who was also not neutered. Unfortunately, many pet owners feel that neutering an animal emasculates the owner. If anything, I think these measures are important to ensure a safer lifestyle for pets. At first, my family took care of all of us. The children were excited to raise adorable kittens on their own! The first few months were a time full of love and pampering for my brothers and sisters. But over time, I began to notice this joyful facade was only masking a darker truth. Sometimes the father of the house would grow angry and often violent. During these outbursts, I tried my best to hide in the kitchen cabinet or underneath the couch. When I first met this family, everyone seemed so loving. But the harsh reality was that the father’s violent impulses slowly destroyed the family. When the male owner was especially angry, he would hit his wife or yell loudly at her. I would hear glass shattering and shrieks from the distant room. On these nights, he would lock us in our crates for hours without food or water. I heard the children crying in their room.

Shattered glass remains after one of the family’s fights. [2]

The children saw us starved and behind cages. I could see in their eyes that both the abuse of their companion animals and the violence of their father was psychologically destroying them. This continued for months until one day, an unfamiliar woman came to the house. I couldn’t understand much, but she did say that she was a social worker. As I watched, she took the children away in a car. We waited for a while until another man came into the house. This time, he took me and the other cats and drove off. As we peeked through the cage and looked out the rear window, we could see we were driving farther away from our house.

Some humans think that they are a superior race. They may think that they are masters of development, technologic breakthroughs and so on. But there is one thing we animals have that most people don’t seem to understand, unconditional love towards all beings.  Many people think that pets are disposable items like toys, which they can rid of at their convenience- but we have feelings too. In fact, cats experience separation anxiety when apart from their family or favorite person. Never had I felt so alone. I didn’t get to say good-bye to my mother or my other brothers and sisters. My owners felt that spaying my mother was inhumane, but they failed to recognize the inhumanity of abandoning animals.

After some time, an older woman who drove by stopped and carried us back to our car. My little body shivered with fright as we rode in the stranger’s car. But she seemed quite friendly. At least this stranger, unlike our owners, took us in her care. Several minutes had passed until we could see city buildings out the window. The car finally made a stop near a gray building. From the parking lot, I could hear other animals from the buildings. Loud barking mixed with faint voices perked my tiny ears straight up. “You are going to stay here for awhile”, the woman said to me. As we entered the building, I peeked my head out of the box. The room was bright green with flowers painted on the walls. I could see joyous faces and several other cats in the shelter. Several young women who smelled of sweet perfume greeted me with honey-sweet voices.  For the first time in a while, I remembered what a smile looked like. Their soothing voices brought immediate comfort. Am I home?  Wire cages were lined along the walls housing other cats and kittens. I know the shelter is a loving place, but it is not a home. A home is a place where I always have someone there who loves me. A home is a place where I never have to be afraid. Finally, a home offers undying love.

Not quite “home”, but still an improvement.[3]

They say that cats have nine lives, but we only have one heart. I know that my past will always be a part of me, but it’s not who I am. Many people think that shelter animals are more burdensome than new pets, but we all are the same.  We all deserve to love and to be loved by the right human companion or family!

Visiting the animal shelter was an eye-opening experience, nonetheless. Animals have, and always will play an important role in the human world. Whether as a source of food, labor, sustenance, or companionship, animals contribute to our very survival. However, for the sake of our wellbeing, the conditions and suffering of animals is often marginalized in our eyes. This relationship we’ve maintained is far from balanced, but rather is a hierarchal structure where anthropocentricism continues to dominate society in multiple ways. While many ancient cultures idealize, even worship animals, contemporary society disregards the animals as mere commodities. Although the animal shelter is just one instance of animal abandonment, my experience with Austin Pets

Alive! and my relationship with the cat Hippie sparked concern for the ethical treatment of animals.

From the earliest account of human civilizations, animals and humans have shared a close relationship. It was the first concepts of ‘domestication’ that brought the idea that animals were property not autonomous beings.[4] In fact, it was Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels who explained that labor and production was the primary criterion that set mankind apart from other animals.[5] As a result, we often disregard the welfare of other creatures. Although cats and dogs are not necessarily bred for production purposes, their ultimate “purpose” is to serve as our companions. This is their “labor”, this why we “produce”, in other words, breed cats and dogs. Across America, animal shelters have become temporary refuge for the surplus of domesticated animals. It may seem disheartening to refer to the shelter population as a ‘surplus’, but it is the unfortunate truth. We have justified the exploitation of animals by abandoning animals at our convenience. I was relieved to know that Austin’s animal shelters practice a “no-kill” policy. These animals are spared their life but they still experience the feeling of neglect everyday.

Walking into the Manchaca cattery, I could see walls painted with bright green, flower décor everywhere and smiling faces greeting me. Despite its encouraging appeal, I could not help feeling despair. This is the home of hundreds of abandoned animals. Innocent and eager, this is where they remain hopeful for love and security. As I entered, two friendly women, one who escorted me to Hippie, greeted me. “He’s very gentle”, she

says. I thought to myself, “I must’ve lucked out” (I was never good with cats). I remembered Bump once saying, “The eyes of an animal are the windows to their soul”. So, I willingly gazed deep into Hippies eyes. What was he telling me? Almost instinctually, he pierced his verdant eyes right back at me. As if with deep concentration, my new feline friend peered into my eyes with wonder and intrigue. It took me days afterwards to understand exactly what that encounter meant. Maybe he was trying to communicate with me, or maybe, it meant nothing.  But instantly, I grew an attachment to Hippie. He is gentle, quiet, and watchful. As I stood there taking pictures of the enigmatic creature, he stood patiently for every flash of quick light. His lush, velvet black fur and soft purring sounds encapsulated just what a majestic animal he was. As people we often attach humanistic qualities to animals. I used to think this was foolish and naive of us. I would ask myself, how do we know what they’re feeling? Who are we to decide that the animals want? But this brief encounter refuted this previous assumption. It’s not that we humanize animals, but we personify them. We see this anthropomorphic behavior in Alice in Wonderland and Ishmael, where humans share strong affection for animals by attributing human qualities to an animal. Being exposed to Hinduism at a young age, “Many of the religious texts refer to anthropomorphic figures that adhere to mankind’s perception of the world”.[6] Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-Gita says man can better conceptualize God when he is in these forms. As I connected with Hippie this way, I understood just how unique our encounters with animals are. From mythological tales to capitalist markets, animals are forever influential in our lives. But now, we must reevaluate our ethics towards these beings. What ethical stance should we take? Do we, and if so, what is our responsibility towards animals?

Cats were always an unfamiliar species to me, and yet, I quickly grew a strong connection to my furry counterpart. Just like me, he yearned for freedom in life. I could see Hippie’s unrest. Though he was calm and tranquil, I could see something was missing--love.  He was made to experience this world, and not to be confined in a metal cage.

Hippie: Out of the cage and ready to explore this world. [7]

Bio Description: 

Peaceful - Adaptable - Lap Cat

There couldn't be a more purr-fect name from this adorable adult cat. Hippie is a very peaceful and loving cat. He has soft velvet-black fur with a small patch of white on his chest. He also has beautiful big green eyes that will take your breath away. Hippie is very approachable cat, even to most strangers. He will sit on anyone's lap and purr softly. He is very friendly to anyone, including kids. He enjoys being scratched on his belly and behind the ears. He loves exploring new places and meeting new faces. Hippie is very adjustable and friendly with other animals. He loves lounging around or playing with his toys-he rarely causes any trouble. Hippie is an excellent addition to any welcoming family. As long as you show love and affection to Hippie, the feelings will surely be returned! He is more than ready to find a new home! Come visit Hippie and see just how sweet he really is! 

          

FINAL COUNT: 1963
W/O QUOTES: 1948

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[1] Taken by Sonali Kalvala

[2] Image: https://www.ownerbuilderbook.com/images/journal/full/8786.jpg

[3] Taken by Sonali Kalvala.

[4] Serpell, James. In the Company of Animals: A study of human-animal relationships. London: Cambridge University Press, 1996.

[5] Manning, Aubrey, and James Serpell. Animals and Human Society: Changing Perspectives. London and New York: Routledge, 1994.

[6] Barrett, Justin, and Frank Keil. "Conceptualizing a Non-natural Entity: Anthropomorphism in God Concepts." Cognitive Psychology 31, no. 17 (1996): 219. http://www.wjh.harvard.edu/~lds/readinggroup/barrett1996.pdf (accessed March 28, 2011).

[7] Taken by Mantis.