Pets and Tariffs and Toys and Prayers!

I decided to sort my mail into topics that needed answering. Top of the list was tariffs and toys. Second is: does God hear the prayers of animals? So, I will treat these topics in this post. Each of the two letters represent others I received on the same topic. Lily

Dear Lily: My favorite toys are shredded with age and my human refuses to buy new ones. She says all pet toys are made in China and prices for them have gone out the wazoo since higher tariffs were imposed on China. As a result, she has tied empty toilet rolls to string which is then attached to a small stick, and she dangles the gimmick as she would the toy for me to play with. I refuse!! I need my toys to keep my nails sharp, and my mind engaged. I’m getting fat without play. Help me, Lily. There’s a cat show coming up and I need to win (as I usually do), but without the toys, I’m just a lazy, lethargic, would-be lioness!      Meowing in Miami

Oh Meowing: I feel for you. I love my toys. But dog toys are made of tougher materials if you get the rubber-made stuff. Cats need toys that feel like fur or feathers like mice and birds. Just sayin. No judgment here. I suggest the ‘catwalk.’ All cats love to do this, but you should bring it to a higher art. When your human opens her laptop, you jump up and keep walking over the keys, over and over. Your human will say ‘go away.’ But don’t. All theatres have the famous ‘catwalk’ where stagehands go from one end of the stage to the other across a bridge high above the audience unnoticed. The stagehands have to be stealthy, cautiously slow. Like lions. That’s you, Meowing. So, when your human is chasing you away, jump back up and continue. I guarantee your human will relent. Keep walking over those keys. Your human will notice you are starved for real play with real toys. Let me know how it works.

Dear Lily: Does God hear the prayers of animals? My humans believe God hears their prayers and I shudder to think God might not hear the prayer of an animal like a kitten trapped in a tree, bear cub lost in wilderness, a dog left tied to a fence post as the family moves away. I think these animals pray in their own way to be saved and loved. What do you think? Does God hear their prayer? Prudy in Prayer.

Oh, my goodness, Prudy! Yes, God hears the prayers of animals. My Ma’m says God hears all prayers we just don’t like the answers sometimes. What do you think howling is? How about the chirping of birds? The hooting of owls? The grunting of bears? The purring of cats? These are all prayers of satisfaction which is a type of animal praise. If you add an intention to it—at least in your mind, or the depths of your little anguished soul—God hears you. Remember what Jesus said: “…Not a single sparrow is neglected by your God.” (Lk: 6-12) and in Psalm 104:12+ the psalmist celebrates how God takes care of all the animals he created. Yep, Prudy, all animals emit sounds of praise and satisfaction and sometimes fear and hurt. We chirp because we are joyful. We howl because we are happy; we grunt because our tummies hurt from hunger. We hoot because we are breaking the stone-cold night of loneliness to get in touch with another being and with God. We are sometimes happy and sometimes sad. We pray all the time, Prudy. 

Every day I curl in front of my humans as they pray together at 5 o’clock. I’m very respectful because I know prayer is going on in their human way. My prayer then is a wagging the tail, smiling, and giving my happy bark. When I had surgery in April, my Ma’m slept on the floor to comfort me. That’s an answer to a prayer. So, next time you feel bad or so happy you don’t know what to do with your effervescence, just remember: Think of God and all will become a prayer! God made us this way.

Shout Outs from the Mailbag:

Thanks for the lovely picture of Angel from Cincinnati. Angel, you have to register for the Capitol pet show, September 16! You are a winner. And I’m jealous. I’ll put your pic in my next column.

To LaDolce of Cleveland. God bless you for the sweet note on how you pray for the raccoon who succumbed in your duel a few weeks ago. You sustained many injuries, but you are one valiant woman! So nice that you and your human had a burial for the raccoon and that you pray he will be “gooder” in heaven.

And finally, kudos to Babydog, the large 50-pound English Bulldog who is a regular at the Capitol and companion to Senator Jim Justice (R-WVa). Everyone stops to pet Babydog, democrats and republicans. She is mild-mannered and very welcoming. “If we made everyone smile as she does, the country would be a better place,” said Justice. Looks like Babydog has a huge assignment: “She humanizes all of us,” he said. Take heed, lawmakers. Take heed from a dog!

Reflection

Give your heart a boost. Ignite your spirit with some joy. Pet an animal. Prepare food for the coming winter for birds. Give old blankets, newspapers, animal toys, to your local shelter. Think of how we can learn something from our pets. 

This comes from a poem by Mary Oliver about her ‘praying’ dog.

Dog: “I like everything a lot, everyday.”

Mary: Well, see? Just keep on liking things and praying.”

Dog: “I don’t know about that.”

Mary: “Yes you do. Every time you wake up and love your life and the world, you’re praying my dear boy. I’m sure of it.”

Dog Songs by Mary Oliver, p. 105.