The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.
Mahatma Gandhi

Aug 8, 2010

The little kitty climber



This adorable little kitty lived and played around the stables in Sierakow, Poland. She was very friendly, and a mascot of every worker there. She didn't run away like other cats, rather she would climb up the jeans of somebody in search of attention.


She liked to rest upon my shoulder, and other's people as well. She would always look around from such spot, looking for something interesting. She was really smart. Sadly, she was killed, some reckless driver ran her over as she was (I believe) going out of the garden she used to play in. Usually, there are no cars there and no danger. But that Saturday was different. She was killed just few minutes after I had her on my shoulder as usually. Now, there is another young kitty in the stables. But Skalka (as I named her) will never be forgotten, as each of the cats there is one of a kind and can never be replaced.

Apr 9, 2010

Old vs New

Very often, when a persons' pet gets older, some people get themselves a new one. Why ? Maybe, because it will help them forget about the loss when the older pet’s time comes. Or maybe, because they want a new pet, because with the old one the kids can’t play so much. I don’t know, I don’t understand humans. But lets focus on how the older pet might feel. Dogs and cats are very attached to their owners, and to the place they live in. At least the domesticated ones. And now a stranger appears on their territory. Their owners turn their attention to that stranger, and those dogs and cats, that have lived there for many years, and served their owners are suddenly pushed to the background. And the owners often don’t understand why their former pets are being hostile towards the new. They are just protecting their territory and family. They want to be noticed. They are jealous. Of course, sometimes it happens, that when an owner has a good heart and wishes to save some dog or cat from a cruel fate, he brings the pet home. Then in order to avoid confusion owners should be patient and teach their former pets what they are equally loved, important, and wanted. Never shout at them for their confused and hostilely behavior. And if you are not a person of kind heart that wants to save a poor soul, and just want to get a new toy to your house because the older animal is not as fast, as fun, as cute, then go to hell. You don’t understand a dog’s or cat’s heart and you are being cruel both to the old and the new.

Mar 11, 2010

A thing about muzzles

When I was sitting at a bus station, I saw this beautiful German shepherd with his blind owner. The dog was quite large and had a magnificent fur. However, he also had a very sad look in his eyes. And I began to wonder why. Then something occurred to me. He had a muzzle on. Now in Poland there is a law that every large dog is obliged to have a muzzle on while outdoors. This is supposed to be a protection for humans from the large and dangerous dogs. Still I see some ill-considered thinking here. Why do humans believe that all large dogs are dangerous ? I think a muzzle should be worn only by the more aggressive races (but even Dobermans which are usually trained as protective dogs and killers, are quite nice and friendly if brought up correctly). I must say the German Shepherd looked quite miserable. I’m sure he wasn’t a bad dog, he helped a blinded man after all. And the muzzle made him look like a criminal. I think that some people react like that, they see a large dog with a muzzle and they think “this dog is probably dangerous, we should stay away from it” while the reality is quite opposite. Imagine that humans who are over 2 meters high or weight over 150 kilo would have to wear cuffs all the time “just for the safety measures”. Its intimidating, and I think some of the dogs think of the muzzle as some sort of punishment. I would think that I had done something wrong, if I had to wear such a thing. Some dogs can be aggressive, some can attack if they have a bad day, or can attack because they suffered from bad rising by bad humans. But I think people should keep a closer eye on their dogs if there is a possibility of them being aggressive. Muzzles are just an easy way out of the problem. Its like those stupid mothers who gossip with their girly friends while their children play in the sandbox or around the swings and then suddenly disappear. And then there is shouting and crying “where is my baby?”, well you should have kept an eye on him stupid woman…. And then the poor dogs, those who attack often come from broken homes, meaning their owners treat them with cruelty. And they don’t look after the dogs, they just let them run loose. And thus clever humans came up with the brilliant idea of muzzles for every large dog. Making some of my good hearted calm brothers look like criminals.

Mar 4, 2010

Picture time

This little cutie is called Pu. She's the sweetest dog I know, a real princess. Looks kinda like a fox. Pu is always friendly to everybody, and even though she's old now, she still acts like a little puppy and loves to play around. She loves snow especially, and always runs around in it.

My little cat Lucky, he used to be a real wild beast, but after my grandpa died he calmed down. Now he looks after grandma and protects the house. His name is Lucky, because he was saved from death and sickness. Still, he is blind on one eye and probably doesn't see well on the other.

This is Misia (Misha), a young 2 year old kitty. She's very friendly and loves her owner. Always follows her around, and waits for her patiently when she is at work. Misia loves to play with stuff, and really anything can do for a toy.

Next time I'll add some more pictures.

Feb 18, 2010

I love animals, I eat meat

Recently I came across an interesting feedback after reading an article about animal abuse in Poland. “How can you, animal lovers, eat meat ? Why is a pig different than a dog for you ? Is pig worse ?” or something like that, indicating that those of us who love animals are hypocrites when eating meat. To tell you the truth, there is no difference. And if I were forced, I would eat a dog too. However, I stress the word FORCED. Why ? People should remember that we are animals who should eat MEAT and VEGETABLES in order to be healthy and live, as we are omnivores. That’s how nature has created us, people who eat only meat or only vegetables will never be as healthy, and won’t live as long as those who do. Both pigs and dogs are cute animals and very intelligent, yes pigs too are very intelligent and in some countries they are kept as domestic animals. But both are source of meat as well. The difference lies in our mental perception. In Poland nobody would ever try to eat a dog, and me neither. I guess that if humans in Poland were “evolving” and by “evolving” I mean development, cultural improvement, environmental adaptation etc. differently, maybe dogs would be an accepted source of meat, and nobody would be surprised seeing someone eat them. I’d like to stress here that I am against eating dogs in general and I will never understand some Asian people who do. I could never hurt one of my kind. As I cannot hurt any other animal, not even flies or mosquitos, these live shortly anyway. But I do eat pigs, chickens and fish, and at the same time I respect them. I am grateful that they share their goods with me and rest of the society. Of course I know the reality is brutal, those poor animals are often kept in very bad conditions, because the majority of humans see them only as meat. If it were up to me, I would treat them kindly, with respect and I would kept them in better conditions, in open spaces and feed them and clean them (I’ve seen the meat “factories” animals are cramped in tight spaces, unable to move, without sunlight, its horrible) and I would only kill one of them when I would need to, in order to survive. Still not convinced ? Some probably will think that it’s bestiality to eat pigs. But they should keep in mind that nature is filled with carnivorous animals which eat herbivores in order to live. However, there is one significant difference between humans and animals, which I mentioned before. Animals kill in order to survive or in self-defense. Humans kill for pleasure, or to steal animal fur or other things that are their pride. Humans can kill for meat out of need, but they shouldn’t kill animals for any other reason. That is something unacceptable.

Feb 8, 2010

Fur

I often wonder why humans wear fur coats and other clothes made out of fur and animal skin ? Because it looks good on them ? To be honest, furs look better on its right owners. Animals are beautiful, they have beautiful and colorful furs, and humans are greedy and vile and wish to take that beauty away. In this modern human world, artificial furs and leather are common, cheap and fine. Why does humans have to steal from animals their beauty and pride ? And then they are left dead. I’m saying animal world isn’t brutal. Many species fight for survival every day, as far as wild, free animals are concerned. But survival is not the same as greed. Never kill out of your own whim, never kill more than needed. The sad reality is that now, even domestic animals are endangered. The reason for the whole today’s note is what I’ve learned quite accidentally. A randomly found video on youtube, created by PETA. I’d like to know that I don’t find PETA perfect, there are humans there that care sincerely about animals, but there are also those that treat some species with greater care and some they don’t respect at all, money is one of the reasons too. However, this particular movie is quite shocking in its message. I suggest turning down the volume, because the background music is there only to make the viewers feel sad for the animals showed there or feel sorrow. I myself was mentally ravaged by it, and angered. At times like this I wish I were more powerful to help my animal brothers in need. But I’m stuck powerless.

Here is the link to the video The animals in China

I must warn you that it is pretty brutal and not suitable for younger viewers. However it shows how the situation of domestic animals is in China. If not the fact those humans are a powerful nation, I would stand up and fight for those little one's rights. I wish justice to strike those humans one day.

Jan 30, 2010

But he bit me

This is a common story, an owner has a dog, that is very playful and never aggressive. Then one day out of the blue the dog bites the owner, attacks him. And the sad ending of the story, the dog is given away or killed. Humans are so blind that they always blame the animal, and are always shocked – how could this happened ? They even go over the edge “we had a beast under our roof”. The truth is, animals are unpredictable and can have better or worse days, just like humans. This may be considered as personification of animals, but it goes beyond doubt that animals can feel, they can be happy, scared, sad. They never attack without reason, even if the reason may be not understandable for humans. Besides, humans are far worse. They quarrel with each other, shout at their offspring, hit each other in rage or anger. From our point of view humans are scary, noisy creatures walking on two paws, and they are a threat. If every human who acts in rage were to put to sleep like the poor animals who just had a bad mood or act according to their instincts (hunting instinct is something all animals have, it is the driving force to survival, it may be dormant but it never fades, and humans should understand that), the world population would decrease by half or maybe more. If humans can act unpredictably and its generally accepted (here I omit all the human psychos and other criminals) why can’t animals ?

Note: the only exception would be animals that have rabies, then they are dangerous and act without reason. But its not like animals want to have that sickness, it just happens sometimes.

Jan 26, 2010

Toys rn’t us

I often wonder, what drives humans to have pets. Their looks ? Their cuteness ? It is beyond doubt that animals are beautiful, all kinds and races. Humans may be good looking or bad looking, and animals are always beautiful. But if looks are the reason, then pets are treated just like an object, like an accessory that looks good in the family pictures. I’m not saying that tamed, domestic animals are not given proper care and attention. I’m sure they are given food and care. But what was at first a cute ‘toy’ later becomes a burden, a problem. Especially during winter times and summer times. Winter times apply to dogs and all the animals that can’t use a toilet at home. Cats don’t have that problem. And its not dogs fault they can’t do it at home. Their owners should understand, but no, its cold outside it’s a problem. I often see owners taking their dogs for a walk during these very cold days, and they never look happy. But to be honest, nor do the dogs. Why ? Because in winter they are taken out not as often. And they hate being indoors all the time. Also, why is it that people living in flats, adopt large dogs ? That’s insanity. Large dog, small spaces, no freedom of movement. It is especially the case with Siberian Husky. I’ve seen many of those around, who’s owners live in flats, not houses with gardens, and I’ve seen their sad eyes. I’m not saying these dogs are not treated properly, they always look healthy and well groomed, but their eyes show the truth. Their spirit is often fading. During summer, all animals need to be strong. In Poland cases of pets being left by the road are numerous. Animal hotels aren’t cheap, and its easier to just leave them in a forest. Pets aren’t toys that you can throw out whenever you feel like. Furthermore, I think children are often not brought up properly around pets. They do treat them as toys, as something to cuddle, pat, observe, but the responsibility fades somewhere and usually parents are the one taking care of their pets. And after kids grow up, a dog or a cat become just your usual burden. I’m not saying it happens all the time, and I give my regards to all those animal lovers who get pets with conscious knowledge of responsibilities and suitable environments for particular animals. Humans should remember that large dogs require space and a lot of exercise, and even smaller dogs have to go out more than once a day. And don’t treat cats as toys, some races are submissive, just like humans can be, but it doesn’t mean they are fond of it all the time.

Jan 23, 2010

The story of pointy tail

There are numerous stray animals around neighborhoods in Poznan (Poland). Most of the time, they keep away from humans, minding their own business and struggling to survive. Pointy Tail was no different, with an exception. He was beautiful, and had that wise look in the eyes. He attracted attention. Hence some good hearted people fed him, and he never ran away from them. Also he always knew how to behave, never bit or scratched the hand that fed him, nor he attacked people. He was a real cat aristocrat with his tiger like pattern, dark grey with a white tip at the tail. Today he died. Somebody poisoned him and he died in agony. The culprit remains unknown. It makes me wonder - why? Why did somebody add poison to Pointy Tail's food ? That cat never did anybody harm. I guess, somebody didn't like his presence around. Its not like the neighborhood cats walk around your flats or houses, then what could possibly be the reason ? Some say, that stray animals spoil the surroundings (i.e. relieve themselves everywhere), but the same applies to domestic dogs that are taken out for a walk, and who's masters don't bother to clean after. And humans should remember, that its the only way the animals can do it. Outside. Humans invented toilets but animals were here first. If their stuff bothers humans, they should clean after them. Not kill them. That is only a speculation, I do not know the reason behind Pointy Tail's death. He mated a beautiful grey kitten, and their offspring will soon wander around this neighborhood. I hope they will live at peace.

Note: what I find disturbing is the accessibility and low prices of some rat poisons. Anybody can lay their hands on such products and poison any animal. I believe such chemicals should only be available to people working as professional pest terminators. Although it would be best, if they were never created at all. They are ways of getting rid of rats without killing them.


A word of introduction

I welcome you random visitor. If you wish, spare me a moment and open your eyes. I'd like to share my mind with you, about our surroundings and our little brethren - animals. People often take them for granted, treating them wrongly, hurting and abusing them. I hope that you, like me, can admire them. Let us enter this wonderful animal world and ponder about human cruelty. I will guide you through stories I come across, pictures I see, artwork I admire and thoughts I have. Me - a wolf in a human skin.