Blackie amd opossum 7/4/09

Blackie surprises us today by visiting us in the morning. We haven't see him for a while since his eye injury. ( His eye looks better today! I think TienTien is helping him from up there! ) Might be animal's instinct, he sneaks in when it is dark outside. During the daytime, there are many competitors for his food. Little sparrows and big loud ravens stop by to pick at his food bowl. I was amazed to witness birds to eat dry cat food; but realized later that cat food is 80% corn meal anyway. Of course they will found it appealing! Therefore, lots of time, I put out the food after dinner. Hoping Blackie will get more to eat.

Then there is another problem. Opossum! The other night I heard noise outside my window. Thinking it was Blackie, I tiptoed to the window. Then I saw a big ugly opossum chewing Blackie's food as if I set it just for it. Not only the opossum stays put while it sees my face at the window. It didn't move even I shine the flashlight at its face! Kalven and I got upset at the moment and walk out the door to chase it off. It finally runs off the back.




We walked back to the kitchen. Kalven told me, " Maybe we shouldn't bother the opossum. It is a life too. We shouldn't discriminate base on how the animal looks. " He is so right. We love cats; because of we adore TienTien. However, the opossum has no way to choose what form it was born into. Just because its rat-like face, we want to repeal them whenever we see one.

Is that right? Will it be right for me to dislike a person because he or she is not good looking or have some forms of physical handicap? What makes it different between opossum and stray cat?

As a matter of fact, opossum is known for its superiority on caring for its youth. The baby opossums usually ride on mom's back to be moved from one place to the other. This ugly opossum could have a family somewhere waiting for it to return home.

Now I start to feel more and more about the Buddhism teaching of " being compassionate to all living creatures ". All living creatures have feelings. Carry the compassion toward all.

So we leave out food every day. No matter who eats the food. We feel we share with other creatures; and it bring happiness to us.