Here are a couple of stories that show how we interact with animals.

Biting the Hand that Teases You

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In 1956, during the time my first sister was born, I was farmed out to the Duffs in New Lowell, Ontario. They had a huge (well, huge to me at the time) German Shepherd who was chained to a doghouse near the entrance of their home.

For sport, the younger Duff children liked to tease him, by putting a straw hat on his head, which he would then shake off. He was very tolerant of their game, and seemed to enjoy the attention.

Since I was then six years of age, and had previously owned a dog (Columbus), I wanted to join in on the fun. (Well, you do things like that when you’re young and naive.)

So, after one of the several shakings-off, I picked up the straw hat and then reached over to place it on the dog’s head, just like the others had done.

Imagine my surprise (!) when the dog decided that I wasn’t going to be doing that and bit my hand. I’d never had an electric shock before (I have since), but it felt just like one.

I guess he didn’t like young twerps that weren’t in his ‘pride’ messing with his pride.

The lesson I learned was to be wary of dogs, especially large ones guarding their family homes.

A Cat Experiment

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About 30 years (or so) later, while walking from Salmon Arm, BC to Andy Schneider’s Spiritual Retreat Centre, I happened upon a cat sitting with her back to me at the entrance to a farmer’s field.

I couldn’t resist: I had to see if it was true that cats are psychic. So, I stood on the gravel road facing the cat, and gently thought in my mind, “Turn around, look at me.”

Instantly, the cat swung her head around and stared at me!

At one level I was surprised, at another level I was not. I’d lived around cats most of my growing up years and had noted how sensitive to us they were. But this situation was different: this cat was totally unknown to me, and in all probability should have ignored me as not being worthy of notice. After all, she didn’t depend on me to feed her.

Now I know that I can interact with cats, anywhere, even England.