With Great Responsibility Comes Great Reward
Life comes with many responsibilities. As we grow up we learn more each day about the importance of showing respect to others, taking responsibility for our actions and caring for our environment and everything within it. As soon as we put these ideals into action, the payoff we receive in return can be a great reward.
For many, the first experience of responsibility comes with taking care of a pet. These cats, dogs and other animals that we invite into our homes rely on us for their food, health and care. We share our lives with them and they reciprocate with unquestioning companionship and love. That seems like a good deal to me.
Children can long for a pet as a gift. It would seem to be a perfect present, especially at this time of year. But it should not be taken lightly.
Unfortunately, it is often the case that neither parent nor child has considered the long-term consequences and the once cherished gift can become an unwanted burden as soon as the realities set in. Animals need to be fed, walked and cared for, and they can be expensive. The arrival of the first vet’s bill can mark the end of the line for many pets.
I have been lucky to live with pets my whole life. We had cats, dogs, rabbits and other small creatures when I was a child, but it is cats that have been a constant in my own life. For a few post-student years when I lived alone without any pets, it felt that something was lacking. My house was not a home. So I changed that situation at the earliest possibility.
When we set up home in London nearly seventeen years ago, we visited a branch of the Cats Protection shelter to pick out two new kittens. While looking from cage to cage, being charmed by every small bundle of fur with big bright eyes, our attention was drawn to a particular a cage. To be honest, we did not have much choice in the matter.
A black and white tuxedo cat was screaming at the top of his voice. There was such insistence and determination to get our attention from a small kitten. His companion in the cage was even smaller and again black and white. That was the end of it: we had been chosen. We left the shelter with our two kittens and, for the next sixteen and a half years, we shared our lives with Alex (the tuxedo) and his brother Sasha.
Sadly, Alex died last month. Even though he was getting on in years, he was still a kitten at heart and was very affectionate. He wanted to be with us as much as possible and would snuggle up close in the evenings. His youthful spirit made his sudden death more shocking. Thankfully, he did not suffer in his final days, which is a big consolation after spending so many memorable years together.
Thankfully, his brother Sasha is still with us and is sat beside me as I write this piece. Like us, he often seems to miss Alex, but we have the memories of nearly seventeen years together and life goes on. Sasha has our focus now and he gets the attention he deserves.
Clearly, I am an animal lover and I fully intend to share my life with animals. However, some people are less charmed by the thought of having pets in their homes and they can turn that dislike into cold-hearted spite, as we have seen in recent tasteless YouTube clips. My blood boils when I see such cruelty and evil exhibited by these wicked criminals.
On travels through the Balkans, the number of stray cats and dogs seen struggling on the streets has surprised me. Towns and villages across the Balkans are rife with abandoned dogs and feral cats begging for scraps. Many are clearly domestic animals that are no longer wanted. When they become pregnant or sick they are forced to fend for themselves in the gutters and rubbish behind their former homes and shops. They become scraggy and matted, weak and diseased and, before too long, many die from the harsh winters, inevitable sickness or being hit by a car.
Thankfully, there are some who go out of their way to care for these street animals. I have seen people refilling plastic tubs of food and water, while some shopkeepers even buy pet food especially for the animals on their doorstep. These are the lucky ones and it happens right across the Balkans. I have seen the same in the backstreets of Banja Luka, along the lakeside in Kotor and at the foot of the fortress in Ohrid, where water bowls and pet food show how people are caring for needy animals on the street.
When walking near the Zeleni Venac market in Belgrade, I usually take a few moments to spend some time with the numerous cats and dogs in the neighbouring park. I give them a little attention and sometimes food bought from the market. They are very affectionate.
Next time you are passing a stray, especially with the cold weather drawing in, it would nice if you could stop for a few minutes to take care of these animals. Give them a bit of attention and some fuss. If they are hanging out near your home, maybe check that they have somewhere warm and dry to sleep. If it is possible, you could even take them home. They do not ask for much in life, and they give back so much more.
Marcus Agar has been commissioned to write a series of reports for Wannabe Magazine. Click here for Serbian or for an interview in English or Serbian.
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