God Our Heavenly Father, You created the world to serve humanity's needs and lead them to You. By our own fault we have lost the beautiful relationship which we once had with all your creation. Help us to see that by restoring our relationship with You we will also restore it with all Your creation. Give us the grace to see all animals as gifts from You and to treat them with respect for they are Your creation. We pray for all animals who are suffering as a result of our neglect. May the order You originally established be once again restores to the whole world through the intercession of the Glorious Virgin Mary, the prayers of St. Francis and the merits of Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with You now and forever. Amen

Author Unknown

Cat's Prayer

I hope I'm not asking too much, Lord. All I want is a home of my own, and to know when my next meal is coming instead of the scraps I get thrown.

I've been out in the cold for so long now, coping as best as I can, but it's not so long I've forgotten the touch of a soft caring hand.

For me there was tinsel and giftwrap, but the fun didn't last very long - they put me out with the rubbish; I don't know what I did wrong.

I really don't want to be greedy; at the moment I'm all skin and bone, so would it be too much to hope for, that someone will give me a home?

Author Unknown

A Cat's Attitude

My cat walked slowly across my chair.
I said "What are you doing there?"
She looked at me as if to say
"I wish you would just go away."
I said "That is my chair you know,"
but she was putting on a show.
I tried to show her to the door
but my advances she'd ignore.
So then when I sat down to rest
she decided my lap was best,
and there she lays in peaceful sleep
thinking I'm finally earning my keep.

Reprinted with permission from Anne Arisman

But, It's True!

"Mommie, Mommie, get up and see,
And get up everyone else!
Scrappy is typing on the PC --
Come and see for yourself!"

"AHHHhhh, get to sleep, don't be silly;
You woke me up, and I'm upset --
Go to your room, there's school tomorrow,
And I have to take Scrappy to the vet!"

"He's been acting strange of late;
His sleeping patterns have changed.
He's getting into things he shouldn't,
Acting as though he's deranged!"

"So what you saw is due
To nothing more than that.
He's probably bored and restless,
And becoming an insomniac!"

In the morning as her mom awoke,
Preparing for the day ahead,>
She heard the sound of a keyboard stroke,
And recalled what her daughter had said.

She overtook the cat by surprise,
And what she saw was amazing --
Scrappy pounding at the keyboard,
Intensely gesticulating!

To make an incredible story short --
Nature can make quantum leaps.
Scrappy is now a leading author,
riting poems while the family sleeps!

Reprinted with permission from Charles Albano

Ballet of the Butterfly and the Cat

butterfly did come along
in simple golden splendor
landed on the melon vine
on melon bloom so tender

sleeping in the garden shade
and dreaming dreams of play
black did open eyes of jade
began the grande ballet

cat did leap and pirouette
butterfly did flutter
and they danced a wild duet
jet black and golden butter

butterfly soon flew away
and wishing it had stayed
cat did stretch and with a yawn
closed his eyes of jade

Reprinted with permission from Holly Solt