Are Animals Our Friends?
There is something beautiful in the simplicity of life that animals exhibit. They are not out to get our wallets or make us feel bad for being so materialistic. Instead, they are out there, loving their families and looking for ways to entertain themselves. Some people have this notion that animals are our friends, but that is probably because they have never seen one in the wild, and therefore have not had a chance to experience the bond that comes with having a friend in the wild. Animals do not need our friendship in order to survive, and sometimes they actually enjoy our company just as much as we do.
Our domesticated pets cannot function without a human friend. If we do not have a pet, they will go hungry, lonely, and without any source of food. If there is no one to love them and keep them company, then they will cry, whine, fight, and otherwise seek out a little bit of human contact in order to satisfy their hunger and loneliness. This is a survival instinct that all animals have, and it is also why animals are our friends. They do not know that we do not care as much about what happens to them as they do about our lives.
However, there are times when animals can display violence toward humans. They can attack you because of misunderstandings, frustration, fear, hunger, or simply because they feel like dominating you and taking over your world. When this happens, the animal has lost its real, true friend in humans, and may take revenge against you in an attempt to get what it feels it is missing. While such behaviors are understandable, they are neither right nor good. We all need to remember that animals have feelings, even if they are unable to speak them.
There is nothing wrong with being angry with an animal. In fact, if you show anger towards an animal, you are not doing anything wrong. Some people actually think that if they throw a few boos at a cat that the cat will not bite them, and will not attack them. This is not only false but is also not helpful. While cats may not always be your friend, they do deserve to be treated with kindness and respect, just as we do every day.
If an animal has done something that you deem to be wrong, don’t justify it or try to become a legal kingpin to make up for your mistakes. Animals do not have minds of their own, and trying to force one to behave based on who you are or who your parents are, is exactly the wrong way to go about this. Instead, try to work with the animal and show that you care about its well-being. If the animal cannot make sense of the world, maybe it is time to find a new friend.
When animals are our friends, they are there to help us reach our goals, and if they see us acting disrespectfully or wrongly, they may choose to refrain from acting that way in order to avoid trouble. Not all animals are easy to befriend, but most do respond favorably if given the opportunity. If you are unable to work with an animal regularly, perhaps it is time to move on. In life, there are those that are easier to live with than others.
