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Blogs by Dr. Ronald D. Bissell
Innocent Love 7/5/2006 3:15:17 AM
I’ve never been a “cat person” as many would say. I’ve had many dogs as I grew up and my last pet friend was a Lasso Apso named Mindy. She was a beautiful dog with a warm and kind personality. She lived to be 17 years of age and in the end suffered from multiple seizures which left her blind, incontinent, and disconnected from the world. Her last seizure was severe and necessitated our aiding her in her passage on.
My wife and I then decided not to have pets for a while and made it about 4 years without those ‘pet sounds’ that please and make you smile. My son adopted two Devon Rex kittens and visited us with them a year ago Christmas. Of course, he brought along his two furry friends. Needless to say I immediately noticed a deep need for another companion and I feel deeply in love with their breed.
It’s been about a year since we adopted our two Devon Rex kittens which are now cats. They, of course, took my heart by storm and are now an integral part of my family. They’ve traveled with us several times to the mid-west to visit relatives and spent the entire trip sleeping on the passenger’s lap. Neither bothered us as my wife and I became drivers on/off over a 15 hour trip. They were incredibly gentle and intuitively knew who and when to make their presence known. They never created a problem whether in a car, motel, or new surroundings. They just fit in.
As I write this blog Rusty my male Devon Rex is sitting by my side watching my every move with eager anticipation. I call him my “computer Rex” since he loves to be with me when I’m on my computer. He also loves to watch the drives open and close. His affection is remarkable for an animal who many say cannot experience love. I ask those who doubt that possibility a few simple questions. Is it love when an animal knows you are sad and comes over to sit by you and give you his/her entire attention and makes you smile? Is it love when they caress you during the day and ask for attention so they can be close to you? Is it love when they greet you at the door like you’re the most important person in the world? Is it love each time they cuddle with you, put out their small arms to touch you so they know they are safe, or when they simply look at you with that indescribable twinkle in their eyes?
Some ‘experts’ say animals act that way because you are the source of their food and shelter. They say they simply respond to habitual desires and have no real personality. For me, as my best friend looks at me with curious eyes, I know they feel and want my presence around them. They play not for food but for the companionship they desire. Right now Rusty is working hard to get me to put down my keyboard and play with him. He communicates with me on many levels. It’s like he knows I know what he wants. This give both he and myself great pleasure. He has enormous patience as we waits my decision because he has made up his own mind already and is telling me ‘it’s time to play”.
Is an animal capable of innocent love? My answer is a resounding YES for I see love in two small creatures each day. I see two beings who want to play, want to be with me, want to interact with me in as many ways as possible. I look and see those open eyes glistening at me. Rusty just reached out and touched me with his paw asking me to stop, play, and be with him. I think I’ll just do that because innocent love is hard to find and when you find it seize each opportunity to drink it in. It will make you a better person and friend.
