LOVE AND A CAT: A Haibun
Friends have occasionally corrected me when the subject of
my childlessness crops
up. I remark that I’ve
housed and loved many “cat children” over the years, rather
than human children.
“Oh, loving your cats is not the same as loving a human,”
they would inevitably say.
Not the same, perhaps, but in my mind no less worthy, no
less intense and certainly
more unconditional than the love of parents who spend much
of their time planning
for and obsessing about their human child’s development and
education. I don’t
expect my cat child to be the way I want, to change, to “do
me proud.” Love of a cat
is, by its nature, unconditional love. I watched the kitten
grow into his fullest feline
expression without any input from me other than what I
provide out of my loving
care for his health, i.e. healthy food, entertainment and
lots of stroking and cuddling.
Who can say that
love of a human
is better than
 |
| Charlie, on the left and Carrie, his big sister, on right. |
love of a cat?
Love is love
wherever it shines,
cherishing plants,
pets, family alike
with the warm, pure glow
of a golden reflection
of that which transcends
and cannot be defined.
I stand firm that my love
for a mischievous
four-legged bundle of fur
is a valid expression of love
that must not be denied.
