Animals = Family

Do you have cats? Are they considered a part of the family? I grew up in a zoo. 5 cats, 1 dog, 2 bunnies, 2 parrots, hermit crabs, frogs, fish, ducks, you name the critter, they were family members. I idolized Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter, and a vietnamese potbelly piglet topped my Christmas list for 4 years. My parents never gave in to that wish. Smart move on their part! Mom and Dad treated our pets as children and I’ve continued the legacy, while kicking it up a notch.

The dynamic duo of fur and purrs that currently nap the afternoon away on my down comforters are lavished with love and hugs in between my clients and classes. They curl up on my lap and shoulders while I write to you and munch their meals while I create tasty vegan dishes.

Since I committed to a vegan lifestyle 3 years ago, I’ve noticed a substantial reconnection to nature and all living beings. As I mentioned in my first year on raw, my life long ethics and raw vegan lifestyle now align and support each other. It boggles my mind how I grew up such an animal lover and diehard environmentalist, but saw no correlation with the meat on my plate every day. The only time in my childhood when I refused meat was during my pot belly pig phase. I wanted to raise and train a pot belly pig, since I had read several books on how intelligent they were compared to dogs. I told my parents one night I didn’t want to eat pork anymore. Some how chicken and cow were still okay because they weren’t as smart?!

I’ll never forget the evening they forgot and fed me pork. I thought it was chicken until I took my first bite. Never again.

I couldn’t imagine eating animals now. They are just like our pets, our family. They are energetic beings. We are all connected. They even do yoga!

What is your story? How are your pets apart of your family?

The Real Stories Project is an app that collects the real stories of cat people everywhere. Cats are special to each of us € this is our way of celebrating how much of a role they play in our lives, all the memories we have had together, and the fact that they are always there for us, no matter what. This experience lives on yourcatstory.com, catchow.com, facebook.com/purinacatchow, and youtube.com/purinacatchow.
Enter a story during June and July and participants have an opportunity to win $5,000 and a one-year supply of Purina Cat Chow.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Purina Cat Chow via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Purina Cat Chow.