animals

[IndigoSalvia]

Inspired by flofrog:

I think because I see how vulnerable a horse can be, I find the trust given by Duty moves me to tears. It is more being moved than being hurt, sorry if I mis-explained…  thank you Uni

I didn't want to derail the original post, but was inspired by the comment. 

I have been drawn to animals since as far back as I can remember. I've fostered shelter dogs for a couple of decades, and regularly pick up wounded animals that cross my path. 

Moves me to happy tears too, flofrog. It might be nice to hear how animals touch and open our hearts. If you'd liked to share ...

[schubert]

i think of animals like toddlers in a lot of ways. they're cute and innocent and very intuitive. i've been consistently surprised over the years learning how so many animals are smarter than i realized. people have squirrels, skunks, etc. for pets! it depends on the individual animal but so many species can be affectionate. fun little clip of a skunk eating a banana: https://www.instagram.com/p/CWYsMHjjOqu/

[Diana]

Some of my animal friends hanging in my backyard.

From top left to right and down—Scardie (who has now passed on); Precious (now grown and just showed up in the backyard with two fawns; a tiny ground squirrel; javelinas sunning themselves with two babies; a hawk who lived in my backyard at the water hole for almost two weeks straight; a bobcat.

[IndigoSalvia]

Wow, Diana, you have so many wild animals who come to visit.

My son and I were driving late at night, and a fawn was paralyzed in fear in the middle of a busy road. It couldn't find its footing with hooves that slip on asphalt and its new legs. We could see mama far away on the side of the busy road watching. And we were in a quandary: what do we do?

Obviously we plucked the little fawn up because it was going to get hit, and pulled over to assess the situation. Very populated area, and racing cars. Mama does can be very protective and kick. I couldn't see a way to reunite the two in this particular location without either us, or one of the two deer getting hit by a car. Reluctantly and with an aching heart, we took the baby home, and took it to a wildlife rescue center the next day. There, the rescuers agreed with my assessment, so I felt better, but still sad that I couldn't reunite mom and baby.

That little fawn bonded so quickly to us in the few hours we had it. Followed us around. It was so moving to observe.

I'm always heartened by other people: If they can see what you're doing, people will slow down, turn on their hazards and give you protection. Some will jump out of the car and help.

[IndigoSalvia]

I volunteer at a farm animal sanctuary; we rescue farmed animals from eventual slaughter. We have quite a few special needs animals because they are not worth the expense to farmers. 

Another volunteer said to me: The animals' disabilities literally saved their lives. If they weren't disabled, they would have been killed.

That got me to thinking about "disabilities" -- challenges, shadow stuff -- in a fresh way. It inspired me to be almost eager to look at those undesirable things in hopes of learning what it can teach me, spiritually. 

Can challenges of whatever nature "save our lives?" 

Have any of you had such an experience ... when a challenge "saved your life?"

[pat19989]

I adopted a couple cats just over a year ago and man the way they show affection will never cease to amaze me, they are such intimate little animals. On top of that, they are masters of zen, perfectly content in the moment, doing "nothing." Growing up with dogs all my life, it has been amazing to get to know cats. I feel each kind of animal has a unique vibration that we can learn from

[AnthroHeart]

I love animals too. My favorite are the anthros, or humanoid animals
that don't exist here. But they have been my passion for decades.

["the stumbled one"]

Service to self or other... Ones compassion for life around does not only refer to human. I feel service to other includes all life all the way to the elements. Regardless of density. If I recall correctly Ra made mention of us being able to give consciousness by giving attention to it. Like a tomato seedling treated with love. I have found in my life I have been blessed with the presence of many animals, all of which have shown me that they too have an awareness and the wisdom to connect. All because we may not be able to perceive something does not mean it does not exist.

Today I have nearly thirty animals I have close contact with daily, none have been sought by me, all have come out of strange circumstances, all know their name. 15 cattle (4 came with the house and the rest born here), 2 immortal old sheep (came with the house), 6 chickens (given to us when they were orphaned), a goat addicted to the couch and fireplace (orphaned at birth), 2 cats (one from a marriage breakup, one ex-feral that just appeared as a kitten), a dog (marriage breakup), a currawong (wild that got caught on a fence follows me around outside)… Manifestation has been very creative in my distortion.

My earliest memories are of a white German Shepherd mothering me in a crib, to this day I can still smell her. Her name was Chubby.

[IndigoSalvia]

We have a couple of mice (perhaps more) who have moved into the house. We clean deeply, and set humane traps. During this time, the mice have gotten quite cozy and like to take little things and stash them.

As I watch it bound up my steps in my clear vision (what was it thinking?), skitter across the floor as we disturb it, its determination and skills, I am fascinated and intrigued. Yet, I don't want it to destroy my house or belongings.

This situation has created quite the unexpected and "light" catalyst, as we interact with the mice. We caught 1 and it escaped in the house; we caught mouse #2 (same or different?) and released it in the ranch land behind. Thinking our mouse situation was over we relaxed. As of last night, I am clear it is no longer a mouse issue, it is indeed a mice issue. Perhaps soon there will be a nest ...  

Quite interesting to approach this catalyst with a heightened awareness and intention.

p.s. no mice will be harmed, guaranteed. 

[AnthroHeart]

What about an infestation of fruit flies?
Do we set traps for them?
They are just swarming around my kitchen.
Even when I cleaned up they didn't go away.

Is it wrong to set a trap for fruit flies?
Even so they don't really work.

[IndigoSalvia]

Don't fruit flies have very short life spans? Wonder about letting them live out their life spans and within days, they will pass. Of course, removing all food source (continuing to clean like a fiend) is an option.

[IndigoSalvia]

Try as I might to be conscientious and loving (e.g., long-time veg*n), I accept that I harm (have harmed, and will harm) life forms regularly ... rather intentionally or unintentionally, directly or indirectly. I decided to make peace with this destructive, shadow part of me ... work in progress.

Being in nature, encountering 2D (and 1D) life forms ground me, calm me, and open up opportunities for me to see more, be more and to process.

["the stumbled one"]

Try as I might to be conscientious and loving (e.g., long-time veg*n), I accept that I harm (have harmed, and will harm) life forms regularly ... rather intentionally or unintentionally, directly or indirectly. I decided to make peace with this destructive, shadow part of me ... work in progress.

Being in nature, encountering 2D (and 1D) life forms ground me, calm me, and open up opportunities for me to see more, be more and to process.

This concept has been in my mind too.
Things are neither good nor bad but thinking makes it so.
Pet Cats are a good solution, but their methods are far from humane, then you will have more mouths to feed than the mice.  What I have found is every time I try to redefine a balance (as in less mice), my attempts always created more imbalance in one way or another.  The more I try to deal with it the more complex it becomes, then more complexities require more solutions.  Like a Tom and Jerry cartoon.  Its called interference in my mind.  A Hindu technician that came to my house once to repair rat damage in the air conditioner said "Never, ever curse or swear at them... be kind in your thoughts or you will be overrun by them."  

Learning to live with them may leave a few holes in your house that is socially unacceptable, but I found a less interfering approach has always solved my imbalances since.

The Creator is truly remarkable in how everything moves in a point of balance, any deviation from the plan of complexities including a mere thought, to me shows just how much we are an integral part of that system.

["the stumbled one"]

What about an infestation of fruit flies?
Do we set traps for them?
They are just swarming around my kitchen.
Even when I cleaned up they didn't go away.

Is it wrong to set a trap for fruit flies?
Even so they don't really work.

In this particular instance I would recommend Frogs!
A few ponds around the veggie patch to draw in the Frogs does wonders, but the frogs will want hidey holes, like shrubs, and logs which mean more trees.  I guess you would have to get creative to integrate a forest into the kitchen.

But seriously, at home I have a few funnel web spiders on the window frames that catch all the flies that come in the house.  Every so often I just vacuum up all the discarded fly husks, and I try to leave the webs alone.
I have to explain to any visitors that ask to use the bathroom to watch out for the big spider.  Might explain why I don't get many visitors.