Dear "Ethical" Vegans . . . . .

We live in a free country so I absolutely respect the right of others to have their own opinions, make their own choices, and express what they think and feel. This is what makes our country great.

However, I draw the line at being labelled a "murderer" for having made the free choice to consume meat and meat products. The meat eaters of world have been silent for too long and now you are going to hear about it.

I am so sick and tired of the so-called "ethical" vegans preaching how evil it is to eat meat and how evil we are for killing animals for food. While I agree that the treatment of animals in our current food industry could and should be 100x better, I don't see any problem with killing something for food. Animals hunt and kill for food, and humans are part of the animal kingdom. Life feeds on life.

What makes me angry is the hypocrisy which these "ethical" vegans practice. Let me play devil's advocate and pose this question:

How many insects, frogs, toads, gophers, prairie dogs, rats, lemmings, field mice, and a host of other creatures are maimed or killed during the harvesting of rice, soy, wheat, corn, quinoa, and other vegan products? If the answer is ZERO, then these "ethical" vegans have an argument. But the answer is not ZERO, yet they conveniently forget that and label the rest of us as "murderers".

Sure, we may be "murderers", but so are these "ethical" vegans...but they are ALSO hypocrites. If you want more firepower, ask them the hypothetical question about being stranded on a deserted island with no edible vegetation...they would tell you that they would do whatever it took to survive including hunting and killing animals for food. Again, hypocrites.

I could continue poking holes in their argument and I could continue presenting counterpoints to every point they make about why they feel veganism is purportedly better, but for the moment, I think my opinion has been expressed enough.

For the record, I have many vegetarian and vegan friends. I respect their choice and they respect mine. We agree to disagree on the subject and that is where it ends. Not once have they referred to meat-eaters as murderers nor tried to preach their beliefs. Those that do need to get off their high horse and take a long, hard look in the mirror first before passing judgement on everyone else.

Now that that's off my chest, I'm going to go grill a steak for lunch.

Not Just Any Cat

A few years ago, my cat contracted something called "fatty liver disease". Those of you who have or have had pet cats may have heard of this affliction. For those that haven't, it's an enlargement of the liver caused by an abnormal accumulation of fat cells. It's reversible, but if untreated, it can lead to liver failure and eventually, death.

My vet told me that the most common cause of this disease is lack of food (that is, my cat had stopped eating). Just like humans, when cats don't take in enough nourishment, their bodies start to use up fat reserves. However, unlike humans, cat livers are not very efficient at processing fat. So it accumulates and enlarges the liver. The longer the cat goes without eating, the larger the liver becomes.

To this day, neither my vet nor I know why my cat stopped eating for that period of time. Food and water were always readily available. Speculation is that it was due to stress, but for the life of me I can't think of how that could be it. Let's face it, cats generally have it pretty easy, especially indoor cats. They eat, they sleep, they play. Wish my life were as uncomplicated as that!

The course of treatment was to get food into my cat. The options were to force feed her or surgically implant a feeding tube. The vet techs tried the force feeding approach, but that didn't work out at all. My normally mild-mannered kitty fought tooth and claw. So we had no recourse and a feeding tube was inserted into the side of her neck.

For the next three weeks, I fed my cat 4 times per day through the feeding tube using a syringe. She was on this special food and on these special medications. She slowly gained back the weight she had lost and her liver slowly began to shrink. Once she began eating on her own again, the feeding tube was removed. Her liver is now fully recovered.

After all the x-rays, ultrasounds, surgery, medications, special food, and follow-up vet visits, the bills neared $5000. Sure, I could have just adopted another cat for $25 at the animal shelter. But when I adopted her, I made the commitment to care for this creature for the rest of her life. If I didn't at least try to save her life, I wouldn't have been able to look myself in the mirror.

Friends who have or had pets understood. They were sympathetic to my plight. Friends who don't have or never had pets thought I was nuts. Indeed, to this day, I have not even told my own mother that I had spent that amount of money on an animal. She comes from a generation and place where animals = food. The whole concept of a "pet" is foreign to her.

But I grew up in a different time and place. Where I live, pets are valued companions. They are humanized and for the most part, treated with respect. They are, after all, living creatures, not inanimate objects to be disposed of when they become inconvenient.

My cat is not just a cat. She is part of the family. She is not replaceable.