On the tightrope with cat like reflexes...

I just love animals.  I feel at peace around them, and I often wonder what it would be like to be one.  I watch our cats, curious to know what they think, how they feel about us.  Do they feel differently toward us individually or just see us all as feeders, petters and let-outters?  I have always felt this way toward animals.  We raised animals as I grew up, a real gentleman's farm, though I didn't know it was called that at the time.  We had sheep, goats, chickens, ducks, a turkey, horses a pony and dogs and cats.  This is pretty much the only life I knew.  No wonder I keep trying to get back to it in my adulthood.

We have far from a farm currently, though I suppose you could call it an urban farm: 2 cats, a gecko, 2 guinea pigs and a rabbit.  Due to the cold weather, our rabbit is in the house - in the kitchen, to be exact.  When I first thought about putting George there, I thought I would really hate the smell and fur all around the food we eat.  But, with regular cleaning, he doesn't smell, and has become a wonderful addition to our home inside.  I will miss him if we decide to put him back outside in the spring.  He has this quiet, thoughtful expression that I love.  He watches us all as we bustle about.  And though I hate that he has to be caged, he doesn't seem to mind.  He gets excited as we come close to his door, hoping we will gift him with the sweetest of red grapes left over from lunch.  Then he plops down for a nap - something a bunny only does when completely comfortable with his surroundings.

But if I could be an animal, I would be a cat.  I would like to move around soundlessly, with a coat of sleek, shiny fur.  It would be nice to be pampered, though I think the independence of the cat is what is alluring to me.  To be able to go where I want, when I want, sleep, eat, lounge and visit when it appealed to me...on my clock...on my terms.  I think this is what is so motivating to me about living more simply.  The more I read about life energy (how many hours I have to work in order to pay for expenses), the more I understand how important it is to take things a little less seriously (the amount of time spent working), a little more calculated (budget) and a little more, well, cat like.  Not that I want to lounge about every day being petted and fed like the best of our feline friends. But I do want to spend less time filling the 'I wants' and the 'I needs' and looking toward more peaceful tranquility.  Not a care in the world for a piece of every day sounds like a treasure to me.  Our cats practice this all the time.  Why should it be so challenging?

If you could be an animal, what would you choose to be?