Get the Reader!!!
Read TCM on your desktop
(no surfing!)

Welcome!

THE CAT'S MEOW is a free weekly newsletter.
If you've received it, you've subscribed or been given a subscription,
or have had it forwarded to you by a friend.

To subscribe or unsubscribe, please follow these links:
SUBSCRIBE
UNSUBSCRIBE

Please feel free to forward any part or all of The Cat's Meow
to your friends, either in e-mail or printed form!!

The Cat Gets Blessed

October 4, 2005 is both The Feast of St. Francis of Assisi,
the patron saint of animals, and World Animal Day.

The New Animal Spirituality:
Do All Dogs (And Cats) Go to Heaven?

Churches of almost every denomination, as well as many Jewish groups, are bringing animals to the front of religious consciousness - and in some cases, right up to the altar. Clergy are performing animal blessings, funerals and even weddings. While animal spirituality has long been debated, interest is turning into actions designed to recognize animals' spiritual roles.

The attention shouldn't come as a surprise: Almost six in 10 American households include a pet, compared with one in three that includes a child. And animals have long been revered in religion. Buddhism regards animals as beings in different stages of reincarnation. Hinduism and Jainism embrace vegetarianism out of respect for all life. Islam teaches respect for animals as part of God's creation.

The shifts in thinking are happening among Christians and Jews, who have long debated the spiritual role of animals. The Greeks believed that animals had souls, but Thomas Aquinas did not - at least not souls that survived death. So when God gave man "dominion" over the earth and its creatures, did that entitle humans to treat animals as they wished? Or did that give them the responsibility to care for animals as they would each other? In the eyes of God, are animals of equal or lesser worth than human beings? And if they have souls, is it acceptable to eat them?

Some credit the animal rights and environmental movements for renewed religious interest in animals. Others say it is a result of a return to the roots of religious traditions, where animals have always had a revered, if forgotten, place.

A few of the recent developments:

• The Blessing of the Animals, a celebration once marked by Roman Catholics on the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi (Oct. 4), is now celebrated by many Lutherans, Episcopalians, Anglicans, Methodists and the United Church of Christ.

• This year, for the first time, the American Academy of Religion has organized a group of scholars who will discuss the roles of animals in religion at its annual convention Nov. 22-25, 2003.

• Ministers of many denominations now offer their services for pet funerals, weddings and blessings. Some churches have established pet cemeteries in sanctified ground.

• Animal rights activists are reaching out to religious groups as allies.

• People are becoming vegetarians and vegans because of their religious convictions.

• Books by Christian and Jewish theologians, scholars and other thinkers have branched out from religion publishing houses to the mainstream publishers. Chief among these has been Dominion: The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals, and the Call to Mercy by Matthew Scully (St. Martin's Press, 2002) and On God and Dogs by Stephen H. Webb (Oxford University Press, 2002).

• Animals and the spiritual have made it into mainstream culture with the popularity of movies such as Seabiscuit, My Dog Skip and All Dogs Go to Heaven. Hallmark now carries pet sympathy cards, some with religious themes.

See The Cat's Meow's list of books about Spirituality and Cats.

Why It Matters

Some theologians say that a common respect for animals as spiritual beings could serve as a bridge between religions because it rises above doctrine, rituals, and practices. They point to the fact that every major world religion - Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam - recognizes animals and man as of divine origin.

Background & Resources

• The 2003/2004 National Pet Owners Survey found that 62 percent of U.S. households have pets, up 10 million since 1992. The annual survey is done by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, a nonprofit pet industry organization.

• According to 2002 U.S. statistics, 35,705 of the United States' 105,456,124 households include children under age 18.

• See the results of a 2001 ABCNews/Beliefnet.com poll that asked whether animals have souls.

• Read a Beliefnet.com article by T. Griffith Foulk on whether dogs have a Buddha-nature.

• The Christian Vegetarian Association is an ecumenical association that promotes a vegetarian diet and animal ministry.

• Read a September 2002 article by Marianne Arbogast in The Witness, an Anglican/Episcopal feminist magazine, about the history of the movement toward animal compassion in Christianity.

• The Anglican Society for the Welfare of Animals wants to raise awareness of animals within the Christian community in the United Kingdom and beyond.

Excerpted from ReligionLink

Are We 'A Keeper'?

Keep Us Growing!

We've never asked you for money before but, like these lion cubs, we're no longer a wee nursling. We are a vigorously growing young cat!

O sure am I when I come to die
And through death's portals go,
Those cats and dogs and little white mice
And birds I used to know
Shall all come rushing to welcome me,
Their friend of long ago.

And the cats will purr "We've missed you, sir",
And we know you've missed us too."
And the dogs will bark "Good morning, friend,
We've waited long for you."
And the little white mice will squeak with joy,
And the birds will chirp and coo.

And happen what may on Judgement Day,
I shall not affrighted be
If the cats and dogs and weak dumb things
That on earth were dear to see,
Shall receive from God the gift of speech
For I know they'll plead for me.

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 14 No 9 (October 2001), p. 18

Get A St. Francis of Assisi Medal For Your Pet

These lovely medals make great I.D. tags for your favorite cat or dog.
The back is engraveable.Click the picture to order.

Australia Post is celebrating World Animal Day with a new series of stamps featuring one of Australia’s greatest passions – Cats & Dogs.

World Animal Day, on October 4, was created to recognise the importance of pets in people’s lives. Australia has the highest incidence of pet ownership in the world, with 64 per cent of Australians owning a pet. Dogs and cats are by far the most popular, with 40 per cent of households owning a dog, and 26 per cent owning a cat.

One million Australian stamp collectors will also celebrate Stamp Collecting Month in October. Australian primary school children were asked to choose their favourite theme for this year’s Stamp Collecting Month from a number of options. ‘Cats & Dogs’ won hands down, reflecting Australia’s love for pets.

Katrina Warren, celebrity vet and Ambassador for Stamp Collecting Month 2004, said: “Having a pet is an important life experience, especially for children. Pets teach children about responsibility, and research has shown that pet owners experience less stress and are happier than people that don’t own pets. I used to collect animal stamps as a child – a hobby that fuelled my interest in becoming a vet. These gorgeous Cats & Dogs stamps will be irresistible to animal enthusiasts of all ages.”

Suzi Grimm of the Australia Post Philatelic Group said the Cats & Dogs stamp issue was created specifically with the Australian love of animals in mind. “With the highest level of pet ownership in the world, we are a nation that loves our moggies and doggies,” said Ms Grimm. “This stamp issue will not only appeal to stamp collectors, but to everyone with a soft spot for our furry friends.”

The ‘Cats & Dogs’ stamp issue features a $1 stamp with Edward, the Jack Russell Terrier and four 50c stamps; Max, the Labrador puppy; Ezzie, the black and white cat; Lily and Bridie, the West Highland Terriers and Tinkerbell, the ginger kitten.

With an entertaining stamp issue like Cats & Dogs, it is easy to see why stamp collecting continues to attract an estimated 22 million people worldwide!

For more information about Stamp Collecting Month please visit auspost.com.au/catsdogs.

About World Animal Day

October 4 is World Animal Day, coinciding with the feast day of the Patron Saint of all animals, St Francis of Assisi. St Francis’ love and respect for animals is commemorated on this feast day. In Rome on World Animal Day, stray dogs are temporarily spared from the city’s dogcatchers and offered free bones from the butcher.

In Australia, World Animal Day has been set aside to recognise the important role pets play in the lives of millions of Australians. More than 65 per cent of Australian households have a pet.

The objectives of World Animal Day are to highlight the enjoyable aspects of pet ownership, while at the same time enable groups associated with animals to promote responsible pet ownership.

For more information please contact:
Sam Lenton (03) 9684 5343 or 0416 122 052
Chanmali Tregambe (03) 9299 4498 or 0411 758 730

Reprinted from Australia Post Stamp Collecting site

It's Halloween!

If you'd like to share The Cat's Meow,