Project 1: Meet Simba and Rossi
Sympathetic
Imagination
Meow! Hi, I’m Simba, nice to meet you! I
am only one year old, but my history is already very extensive! I’m a
very friendly and energetic cat, but at the same time I can be your favorite
cuddle buddy. I am a very curious animal and exploring is one of my favorite
hobbies. I have been well taken care of; I am a healthy cat for my age. Currently,
I live at a place called Austin Pets Alive! But, I didn’t always live there; I
used to live with my owner, mother, and brothers. My owner was very caring and he
treated my family very well. Often, we could get treats and he would play with
us every day. Sadly, over the course of a month, my family and I noticed that
our owner was getting very sick. One day he left the house and he was hospitalized; we haven’t seen him since. Thankfully, my owner
cared so much about us that he made sure we wouldn’t be unattended when he
left. Unfortunately this meant we were going to be split up. I was sent to APA
when I was only eight months old. There wasn’t enough room for my family and I
to live together at APA and I am the only one in my family to live there. I
haven’t seen them for three months and I miss them.
Not
to be mistaken, even though my family isn’t here, I have had a nice time
growing up here at APA. Every day, I see people walk by my cage. They make eye
contact with me but always look away. I don’t think they realize I am looking right
back at them hoping for a chance to be adopted. Sometimes they will open the
cage up and hold me, but that doesn’t last too long. On a good day, someone will take me to another
room and play with me. I try and show
them as much affection as I can so they will stay. I haven’t been
successful yet though. I have made many human friends but I haven’t found my family yet.
On the other hand, I have found my family of felines. Luckily, there is another cat in my cage that I get along with very well. Her name is Smokie. Some days, I get moved to other rooms with cats in them, so I have a lot of friends and I enjoy making new ones! We enjoy playing and chasing each other around. I am never physically lonely, but my heart is. I haven’t been able to show anyone all of my love. When I get too attached to another cat, I worry that they will get adopted and I will never see them again. This has happened to me too many times; the first time was with my family. I envy the other cats and kittens that get adopted quickly because I am so eager to be like them. If only I could talk to the humans and tell them how much I want a family, and how loving I am.
Every night, I dream that someone will adopt me the next day. I dream that my new family is as loving as I am, and as willing to add someone to their family as I. Every night I dream that the next day will bring the greatest and happiest change in my life. I just want to be the happiest cat in the world, is there something wrong about that? Is my goal unreachable?
In my opinion, it is difficult to remain positive every day. Humans don’t realize how hard it is for people to judge you based on your fur, size, age, and even disabilities. Luckily, it is part of my personality to be optimistic, happy, and carefree. However, I want a family to see and understand my dynamic personality; I want a family to see that I am just like them.
I know that day will come soon. I have a lot to offer, but I think it will take a special family to realize how unique I am and this is definitely worth waiting for. Even though my only choice is to wait, I will make the most of it. I will be affectionate to every human I meet. I will allow them to understand me and take care of me, hold me, and love me. Until that day, you can find me here at Austin Pets Alive!
Best wishes,
Simba the Hopeful and Eager Cat
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From
My Perspective: When I received an email about this
class stating that this would be a service learning course, I called my mom and
told her how I excited I was. I have always been incredibly fond of animals. They
are amazing and every time I see one, my face lights up! Because I was
moving to a new city, I was also worried that I wouldn’t be around animals
ever. Therefore, I was enthusiastic about starting this project, almost
impatient! I have volunteered in animal
shelters before. I have worked with
adoptions and I have seen animals in poor health and poor living situations, so
I tend to feel sad when I visit animal shelters. However, when I visited
Austin Pets Alive! I thought that the environment for the cats was very clean,
safe, and not overcrowded. They all had room to move around, toys to play with,
and plenty of food and water. I was happy for the animals because they had a
safe place to live. They were healthy, and taken care of. I couldn’t help but
feel sorry that they did not have a home. Adam Smith writes, “As we have no
immediate experience of what other men feel, we can form no idea of the manner
in which they are affected, but by conceiving what we ourselves should feel in
the like situation.”[i] While he writes only about “other men”, this
quote can be applied to way we treat animals as well. We don’t know or even
understand what animals have been through, and the effect their histories have
on their current behavior. It is impossible to judge an animal because we
haven’t lived their life. However, thanks to my recent understanding and
application of sympathetic imagination, I can understand animals better. When I
looked into the eyes of my cats, Simba and Rossi, I knew they were looking back
at me. 
I
did not know their past nor did they know mine. From the moment we made eye
contact, neither of our histories was important, only our futures. Even
though I would not be able to adopt them, I understood that they saw hope in my
eyes. I understood that they were always welcoming to others because they
wanted to be loved; they wanted a family, home, toys, of their own.
I have always felt a special connection to animals. Sometimes, I feel more connected to them instead of humans. Animals give you priceless amounts of unconditional love. I feel a great sense of acceptance when in the presence of my pets and even other animals. Truthfully, I am at my best when I have a special animal in my life or I am around animals. Animals offer a great, unexplainable, and irreplaceable feeling of comfort, relief, and security.
When I first met Simba, I admit that I was nervous. I did not want to make her feel uncomfortable or scare her. Oddly, she immediately made me feel comfortable. She would rub against my legs to request that I pet her and she would play with the toys when I threw them near her. She let me hold her; she didn’t scratch or try and jump out of my arms. It was rather easy to imagine what it would be like to be Simba because she was very loving. Thus, I assumed that she wanted a playmate, a family, a new home. I could see in her eyes that she was craving more of the attention I was giving her. I also noticed that in the pictures I took of her, she looks very stoic and hopeful. But I notice a trace of sadness in her eyes. I think she fears that she will never find a home, but her hopefulness definitely outweighs her fears.
When I first met Rossi, I was instructed
that she was a vocal cat and she made noise when she was being held. I was told
not to fear her, so I waited a while until she felt comfortable enough in her
new environment. After she explored the new room she was in, she sat down and
allowed me to pet her. She became increasingly comfortable and made me feel
more comfortable as well. I found it easy to imagining what it’d be like to be
Rossi. Similar to me, she waited until she felt safe and then she allowed
herself to interact with others. I felt accepted by Rossi when she let me
pet and play with her.
If you are willing to understand an animal, it will be easy to do so. I think the best way to appreciate someone is to use sympathetic imagination and think like them. "If a sparrow comes before my window, I take part in its existence and pick about the gravel.”[ii] With this quote, I accept a new habit of trying to identify with others by using sympathetic imagination. I appreciate the fact that I understand animals without verbally communicating with them. With this project, I’ve learned that I can communicate with animals and I can understand them if I am willing to see through their eyes. This project has really made think about what life would be like if I were a cat at an animal shelter. “Sympathetic procedure demands something approaching a complete knowledge of the other’s situation.”[iii] Sympathetic imagination has made me appreciate my life more, but I’ve also learned how important it is to practice this type of imagination. It inspires me to help these animals in any possible way because I knew that Simba and Rossi appreciated the time I spent with them. I view animals as though they are my equals because truthfully, they are. They are capable of experiencing, processing, and exhibiting emotions just like us. They want to have someone to love, they want someone to love them, they want a home, and they want to feel secure. Humans and animals all share these needs and wants, and thus I am now able to look at animals with a greater understanding.
Word Count with Quotes: 1,842
Word Count without Quotes: 1,776
URL to Blog: http://wolfprojectone.blogspot.com/
List of Illustrations-
· Figure 1: Curious Simba, By Author
· Figure 2: Screenshot of a video of Simba playing, By Author
· Figure 3: Optimistic Simba, By Author
· Figure 4: Hopeful Simba, By Author
· Figure 5: Making Eye Contact with Rossi, By Author
· Figure 6: Fear in Simba’s eyes, By Author
Appendix A
Meet Simba
Simba
Curious. Playful. Friendly.
Simba
is a sweet, orange, short-haired domestic cat that enjoys attention. She
immediately befriends anyone who gives her positive attention. Simba is not shy
at all and enjoys being around other cats, children, adults, and dogs. She is
even a friendly cat to strangers and is always eager for interaction. She can
be very loving and playful, but she is also a calm animal. Simba enjoys being
petted and sometimes being held. She will encourage you to pet her by rubbing
against you. Simba doesn’t scratch people so she is very easy to hold. Not to mention, she is a very cuddly, soft
cat!
Simba
easily adapts to her new environment. Not only is she very curious, but she
pays a lot of attention to her surroundings.
After she explores her new home, she makes herself comfortable as well
as approachable. Like most cats, she enjoys playing with a fuzzy toy or a toy
with a bell. It is easy to see her playful side by just holding a toy in front
of her face. She isn’t a vocal cat, she
is actually rather quiet. Simba is not overly active. She is equally active and
calm; which is a perfect combination
Ideally, Simba would love to be around a caring family. She would like
attention to be paid to her regularly and she might even like to have a
companion to play with. Simba can make any situation comfortable for her as she
is not a very high maintenance animal.
In addition, Simba is a young cat; she is only one year old and is ready
to find a family to love her!
All APA! foster kittens/cats are litter box trained, tested for FeLV/FIV,
spayed/neutered, vaccinated, treated for worms/fleas, microchipped and come
with a 30-day health insurance plan.
If you have additional questions about
Simba, please send an email to adopt@austinpetsalive.org!
Check out this video of Simba!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rR1PPf0kZs&noredirect=1
Simba's Blog, Photos, and
Video Appear on APA! Website:
Rossi
Reserved-Loving-Kind
Rossi is a shy, but playful
short-haired domestic cat. Her beautiful shiny black fur sets her apart from
many other cats.
Her green eyes not only offer the greatest contrast, but
they individualize her from her companions too! Rossi tends to be momentarily
shy around new people and new environments. But once she begins to feel
comfortable, she is eager to play with her toys. She is friendly with other
animals and people, but she should not be forced into interaction. Rather, she
should be left alone briefly in order for her to explore and become familiar
with her new environment.
Once Rossi escapes from her shell,
she is very playful! She enjoys playing with small stuffed animals and toys
with bells. The best way to make her feel comfortable is to play with her by
tossing a toy to her. Rossi is an adorable cat with an enthusiastic
personality. Rossi is also incredibly curious. She tends to be as active as she
is calm. While Rossi is three years old,
she can be energetic like a younger cat. She is very ready to be adopted by a
loving family and find a definite home.
Ideally,
Rossi would prefer a home with a loving family. She has no preference for the
size of the family, as long as she gets her space, time to explore and be by herself. Rossi enjoys being around other cats,
and a companion may be of interest to her, but is certainly not
required. She would be a great addition to any family, as she can be as
loving and caring as you are to her!
All APA! foster kittens/cats are
litter box trained, tested for FeLV/FIV, spayed/neutered, vaccinated, treated
for worms/fleas, microchipped and come with a 30-day health insurance plan.
If you have additional questions about
Rossi, please send an email to adopt@austinpetsalive.org!
Check out this video of Rossi!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkP4KX9sRQE
Check out Rossi on the Austin Pet’s Alive!
website! 