A friendly “Meow” to all my pals from my cozy lair at Grand County Public Library!
I just learned that May is “Be Kind to Animals” month. Fortunately for me, I receive so much kindness from the people in the library all year long, not just in May. The staff here treat me like a prince, and visitors stop to give me kind words and gentle affection all day long–sometimes they even bring me treats! It really makes a guy feel special, so thank you.
In the interest of helping to pay it forward, I’d like to remind all you humans how much it matters when you’re kind to animals. There are so many ways to show kindness, like making sure your pets have fresh food and water, taking your dog for nice walks every day, and showing your cats respect by not calling them names like “Mr. Precious Kittykins” in front of their friends. You can also grow flowers for the bees and butterflies or set out seed for the birds. Yes, bees, butterflies, and birds are animals. Even worms and slugs! These types of animals may lack fur and whiskers, but they’re still animals and they need your kindness even more than I do, since they can’t trade on their good looks!
One of the most important ways to show your respect and kindness to us critters is to help support your local Humane Society or animal rescue organization. These places dish out kindness in the form of safety, food, and veterinary care. They rely on donations from kind folks in their communities. Adopting a pet who needs a home is a great kindness, and will make you very happy as well. Some of you can’t have a pet, but you could still volunteer to play with kitties who may get lonely or take shelter dogs for walks. (A big shout out to the staff and volunteers already doing this for my fellow creatures!)
We animals will receive your kindness gratefully. Wild animals repay you by keeping your ecosystems in balance and pollinating your plants and gardens. And we pets will love you with our whole hearts in return. When we’re all kind to each other, it can be a pretty great world!
