Michael, this was beautiful. Quick story. My sister‘s dog is OK, but this morning she got hit by a car. The driver of the car drove away, never even slowed down.
I think that people who do not care for animals have a huge disconnect with the rest of humanity. I do not think it’s a coincidence that many people that go on to be serial killers or murderers have a history of harming and abusing animals.
To look at a creature and see a personality, value their worth for simply existing, and enjoy their company is, I think, a sign of our connection with the world.
The person that hit my sister‘s dog and just kept driving might have 1,000,001 excuses as to why, but even a bleeding heart liberal like myself cannot fathom leaving an innocent creature to suffer without coming back or sending someone else back to help them.
People who did not love animals are still often very good people. I do not understand them or the way their brains work. I agree with you, Michael, that those of us that do love animals are trying to connect, not just with them, but to something bigger than what we are.
Thank you for writing this very beautiful essay Michael.
This piece made me emotional. I love my stupid dog and my stupid cat.
You are so right... animals are that bridge between a higher world we've tried to distance ourselves from. Our consciousness as a species isn't really all that special and I'm 100% with you on our bigger brains have made us dumber. I don't entirely know what "it" is but I'm certain dogs and cats get "it." I think this is why my cat climbs up on my lap and tries to show my therapist his asshole during zoom sessions. He gets it.
Hands down, this is my favorite of the pieces you’ve posted on Substack (and they’re all pretty fabulous). This human-pet connection, which seems to involve bypassing the funhouse mirror up in our noggins in favor of a more pure, direct experience, also occurs between adult and human babies. Furry meditation partners? Yes, sign me up.
Its the innocence for me. My kittens are so cute and bring me much joy because they just eat, sleep and play and BE all day. The concepts of greed and evil are beyond them, they are consciousness in a purer form to our own and they love me unconditionally in a way no human ever has. Housecats have life figured out, as a student of zen they are my spirit animal for sure, they never do anything they dont want to, life is truly just a game to them and its great.
We have three cats. Each one has its own distinct personality. One is sassy and brassy. One is gentle and friendly. One is timid, but sometimes starts fights with the other two when they push her limits. They sleep with us at night and sit in our laps while we watch tv. They snooze most of the day and leave occasional barfs all around the house. So cleaning barfs is like my side hustle. But they are so sweet and funny. Our lives are so much better when they are around.
Sorry, Mike, I gotta nitpick the language. Many pardons. There are no pet 'owners.' There are only parents, or stewards. We can no more 'own' living, sapient creatures than we can 'own' the land of the earth. That's just syntax apocrypha, I know, but...I like to point out that our dogs and cats and horses are not possessions. :)
We had a dog (puppy)for about 5 months. Then I ended up having a BIG surgery, spinal fusion L1-L6 that involved a long recovery time and me not able to really give her good activity time and rehomed her to a young couple whose dog had died. They are very active and have a large yard, swimming pool and chickens. Now Lulu goes out every day to “help” gather eggs. We do miss our little canine but know that she has a better more active life.
The authentic nature of animals is what I love about them, and probably why I surround myself with them. It is easier than dealing with people, who are complicated and hard to understand. Animals ask us to show the qualities of fairness, love, and listening. If we do a good job of that, they reward us with affection and companionship (I was going to say without judgement, but in fact, studies have now shown your female dog is definitely judging you on your actions, and cats definitely have strong opinions on they way things should go). A happy pet embraces joy -- that's not to say they don't have independent thoughts of their own, get mad, or put their own needs above ours and break the rules we taught them, but they do live life to the fullest of their being, and share that with us.
As we watch politics, it’s easy to say humans are miserable and getting worse. Now, however, I and everyone I know has a pet-usually a dog, around whom the joy of life springs. Horrifying to remember in my youth-dogs were trained by beating (rolled up newspaper, if lucky), supposed to run free-hardly a neighborhood you could drive through without a dog or two chasing your cart, many killed. I think humans are evolving into something better. Terminal (not eternal) optimist.
You would love ‘An Immense World’, by Ed Yong, or his Pulitzer prize winner, ‘I Contain Multitudes’. I also am a domestic zookeeper with dogs, cats, bird feeders, but I also caught a magical glimpse of trees in winter playing music. I know that sounds crazy, but in the dead of February, walking my dogs in the little forest by my house, I stopped to blow my schnoz & leaned against my now favorite tree. I heard this beautiful music-like sound, just for couple seconds, like I snuck up on it, & it quickly hushed (or my brain said this can’t be). I suddenly realized that all of nature was joyfully connected & we have no clue what we’re missing. It never happened again, no matter how quietly I sneak up on it. Lol! But, this was very clear & very real!
This reminded me of something I read a few years ago: the trees in winter love to show off the shape of their branches, only visible without the cover of leaves. I have never heard them sing, but I do now love looking at forests in the winter, as I never did before.
I could not love this article more! When I was a kid, it destroyed me to find out Dr Doolittle was fiction. I wanted a Polynesia parrot to teach me animal communication, and to realize it wasn’t possible just crushed me. But since then, I’ve come to regard human language in the same way you describe it: the most amazing tool for expression and understanding, as well as perfect manipulation. I watched animals read each other by instinct, and run from us in fear, figuring we would never have that conversation I was promised in Lofting’s book. But as I aged, I realized non verbal communication was definitely a thing and my interpretation of their thoughts completely valid. And not just my pets—I’ve been on 3 African Safaris, looked into the eyes of elephants and lions and have perceived a connection. (Luckily, a non territorial, non prey connection!) I don’t prefer animals to humans, but they are always authentic and never try to deny that they are beholden to the laws of nature. If keeping 2 spoiled house cats and constantly filling the bird feeder reminds me, then I’m a better primate for it.
I kept expecting you to somehow connect animals to UFOs and speculate about what the dynamic might be with extraterrestrial visitors. Do we become the pets? I’m get mad if there are silent alien races in Sci Fi stories when surely aliens would have to have a complicated communication system to collaborate and get here. But filmmakers and writers are used to relatively silent conversations with pets and sometimes that turns into silent alien moments.
Here's where I think it connects - I think consciousness is part of the overlap. Human consciousness, in my estimation, may be overvalued in terms of its specialness. Just because we're "smarter" has no bearing on whether or not we are "more" conscious. In fact, I think the idea of "higher" and "lower" consciousness may be overstated, at least in terms of how we conceptualize the idea. Animal consciousness, I suspect though have no way of knowing, is likely just as rich as our own because consciousness itself is likely to be responsible for life as opposed to the reverse. But all of that is just speculation and one layman's funsies. But the more I study this stuff, the more I think we've got it all exactly backwards, that consciousness creates life, not the other way around. If that's true (and that's a mighty big "if"), it means that consciousness finds expression in all sorts of different ways, including ways that are likely to be utterly "alien" to us.
“Animal consciousness, I suspect though have no way of knowing, is likely just as rich as our own because consciousness itself is likely to be responsible for life as opposed to the reverse.”
I have thought of animal consciousness as being as rich as our own given the range of emotions in cats, dogs and primates. I hadn’t thought of consciousness leading to life instead of life leading to consciousness. So thanks for that!
Hmmm other expressions of consciousness that are not verbal language. Science fiction stories have led me to expect music or math and think I would be left out of the conversation if it’s math and would pepper the conversation with noise if it’s music.
I remain in awe of the complexity of life and not being able to source a reason or origination point for consciousness.
I agree with this so much. I treat my cats like roommates with their own minds because I respect their sentience. We are all part of the larger Universal consciousness that underpins reality, animals are no different or lesser consciousness' then us in that sense. If we hadnt invented language to abstract ourselves from true reality this would be a lot more obvious to our species.
I heartedly agree. Consciousness/soul is everlasting. I’m not a religious person but do believe our consciousness transforms when we die. What that something is , who knows?
I am a broke grad student. If I had extra money right now, this post would lure me into paid subscribership. One day, I will have $ and will make the jump. Viva Alfalfa!
"Do any other pet owners occasionally stop and contemplate the strange fact that they’ve invited an animal or, in my case, several animals into our homes? Why do we do this?"
I'm a veterinarian and the sheer surreality of my chosen profession never ceases to amaze me. I've spent decades honing my ability to provide medical care to these weird, furry creatures that try to steal my own people food, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Michael, this was beautiful. Quick story. My sister‘s dog is OK, but this morning she got hit by a car. The driver of the car drove away, never even slowed down.
I think that people who do not care for animals have a huge disconnect with the rest of humanity. I do not think it’s a coincidence that many people that go on to be serial killers or murderers have a history of harming and abusing animals.
To look at a creature and see a personality, value their worth for simply existing, and enjoy their company is, I think, a sign of our connection with the world.
The person that hit my sister‘s dog and just kept driving might have 1,000,001 excuses as to why, but even a bleeding heart liberal like myself cannot fathom leaving an innocent creature to suffer without coming back or sending someone else back to help them.
People who did not love animals are still often very good people. I do not understand them or the way their brains work. I agree with you, Michael, that those of us that do love animals are trying to connect, not just with them, but to something bigger than what we are.
Thank you for writing this very beautiful essay Michael.
This piece made me emotional. I love my stupid dog and my stupid cat.
You are so right... animals are that bridge between a higher world we've tried to distance ourselves from. Our consciousness as a species isn't really all that special and I'm 100% with you on our bigger brains have made us dumber. I don't entirely know what "it" is but I'm certain dogs and cats get "it." I think this is why my cat climbs up on my lap and tries to show my therapist his asshole during zoom sessions. He gets it.
Beautiful essay.
Hands down, this is my favorite of the pieces you’ve posted on Substack (and they’re all pretty fabulous). This human-pet connection, which seems to involve bypassing the funhouse mirror up in our noggins in favor of a more pure, direct experience, also occurs between adult and human babies. Furry meditation partners? Yes, sign me up.
Its the innocence for me. My kittens are so cute and bring me much joy because they just eat, sleep and play and BE all day. The concepts of greed and evil are beyond them, they are consciousness in a purer form to our own and they love me unconditionally in a way no human ever has. Housecats have life figured out, as a student of zen they are my spirit animal for sure, they never do anything they dont want to, life is truly just a game to them and its great.
We have three cats. Each one has its own distinct personality. One is sassy and brassy. One is gentle and friendly. One is timid, but sometimes starts fights with the other two when they push her limits. They sleep with us at night and sit in our laps while we watch tv. They snooze most of the day and leave occasional barfs all around the house. So cleaning barfs is like my side hustle. But they are so sweet and funny. Our lives are so much better when they are around.
Sorry, Mike, I gotta nitpick the language. Many pardons. There are no pet 'owners.' There are only parents, or stewards. We can no more 'own' living, sapient creatures than we can 'own' the land of the earth. That's just syntax apocrypha, I know, but...I like to point out that our dogs and cats and horses are not possessions. :)
We had a dog (puppy)for about 5 months. Then I ended up having a BIG surgery, spinal fusion L1-L6 that involved a long recovery time and me not able to really give her good activity time and rehomed her to a young couple whose dog had died. They are very active and have a large yard, swimming pool and chickens. Now Lulu goes out every day to “help” gather eggs. We do miss our little canine but know that she has a better more active life.
James, you helped the dog and the family. A compassionate decision.
The authentic nature of animals is what I love about them, and probably why I surround myself with them. It is easier than dealing with people, who are complicated and hard to understand. Animals ask us to show the qualities of fairness, love, and listening. If we do a good job of that, they reward us with affection and companionship (I was going to say without judgement, but in fact, studies have now shown your female dog is definitely judging you on your actions, and cats definitely have strong opinions on they way things should go). A happy pet embraces joy -- that's not to say they don't have independent thoughts of their own, get mad, or put their own needs above ours and break the rules we taught them, but they do live life to the fullest of their being, and share that with us.
Oh yes, they (our pets) can be very judgy!
As we watch politics, it’s easy to say humans are miserable and getting worse. Now, however, I and everyone I know has a pet-usually a dog, around whom the joy of life springs. Horrifying to remember in my youth-dogs were trained by beating (rolled up newspaper, if lucky), supposed to run free-hardly a neighborhood you could drive through without a dog or two chasing your cart, many killed. I think humans are evolving into something better. Terminal (not eternal) optimist.
You would love ‘An Immense World’, by Ed Yong, or his Pulitzer prize winner, ‘I Contain Multitudes’. I also am a domestic zookeeper with dogs, cats, bird feeders, but I also caught a magical glimpse of trees in winter playing music. I know that sounds crazy, but in the dead of February, walking my dogs in the little forest by my house, I stopped to blow my schnoz & leaned against my now favorite tree. I heard this beautiful music-like sound, just for couple seconds, like I snuck up on it, & it quickly hushed (or my brain said this can’t be). I suddenly realized that all of nature was joyfully connected & we have no clue what we’re missing. It never happened again, no matter how quietly I sneak up on it. Lol! But, this was very clear & very real!
This reminded me of something I read a few years ago: the trees in winter love to show off the shape of their branches, only visible without the cover of leaves. I have never heard them sing, but I do now love looking at forests in the winter, as I never did before.
I could not love this article more! When I was a kid, it destroyed me to find out Dr Doolittle was fiction. I wanted a Polynesia parrot to teach me animal communication, and to realize it wasn’t possible just crushed me. But since then, I’ve come to regard human language in the same way you describe it: the most amazing tool for expression and understanding, as well as perfect manipulation. I watched animals read each other by instinct, and run from us in fear, figuring we would never have that conversation I was promised in Lofting’s book. But as I aged, I realized non verbal communication was definitely a thing and my interpretation of their thoughts completely valid. And not just my pets—I’ve been on 3 African Safaris, looked into the eyes of elephants and lions and have perceived a connection. (Luckily, a non territorial, non prey connection!) I don’t prefer animals to humans, but they are always authentic and never try to deny that they are beholden to the laws of nature. If keeping 2 spoiled house cats and constantly filling the bird feeder reminds me, then I’m a better primate for it.
I have looked at pet ownership differently since one of my homeless friends was over and remarked, “…pets are luxury items…”.
We keep them and they keep us, therein lies the luxury.
I kept expecting you to somehow connect animals to UFOs and speculate about what the dynamic might be with extraterrestrial visitors. Do we become the pets? I’m get mad if there are silent alien races in Sci Fi stories when surely aliens would have to have a complicated communication system to collaborate and get here. But filmmakers and writers are used to relatively silent conversations with pets and sometimes that turns into silent alien moments.
Here's where I think it connects - I think consciousness is part of the overlap. Human consciousness, in my estimation, may be overvalued in terms of its specialness. Just because we're "smarter" has no bearing on whether or not we are "more" conscious. In fact, I think the idea of "higher" and "lower" consciousness may be overstated, at least in terms of how we conceptualize the idea. Animal consciousness, I suspect though have no way of knowing, is likely just as rich as our own because consciousness itself is likely to be responsible for life as opposed to the reverse. But all of that is just speculation and one layman's funsies. But the more I study this stuff, the more I think we've got it all exactly backwards, that consciousness creates life, not the other way around. If that's true (and that's a mighty big "if"), it means that consciousness finds expression in all sorts of different ways, including ways that are likely to be utterly "alien" to us.
“Animal consciousness, I suspect though have no way of knowing, is likely just as rich as our own because consciousness itself is likely to be responsible for life as opposed to the reverse.”
I have thought of animal consciousness as being as rich as our own given the range of emotions in cats, dogs and primates. I hadn’t thought of consciousness leading to life instead of life leading to consciousness. So thanks for that!
Hmmm other expressions of consciousness that are not verbal language. Science fiction stories have led me to expect music or math and think I would be left out of the conversation if it’s math and would pepper the conversation with noise if it’s music.
I remain in awe of the complexity of life and not being able to source a reason or origination point for consciousness.
I agree with this so much. I treat my cats like roommates with their own minds because I respect their sentience. We are all part of the larger Universal consciousness that underpins reality, animals are no different or lesser consciousness' then us in that sense. If we hadnt invented language to abstract ourselves from true reality this would be a lot more obvious to our species.
I heartedly agree. Consciousness/soul is everlasting. I’m not a religious person but do believe our consciousness transforms when we die. What that something is , who knows?
I am a broke grad student. If I had extra money right now, this post would lure me into paid subscribership. One day, I will have $ and will make the jump. Viva Alfalfa!
"Do any other pet owners occasionally stop and contemplate the strange fact that they’ve invited an animal or, in my case, several animals into our homes? Why do we do this?"
I'm a veterinarian and the sheer surreality of my chosen profession never ceases to amaze me. I've spent decades honing my ability to provide medical care to these weird, furry creatures that try to steal my own people food, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.