Veteran and His Cat Lived In His Car for Two Years

Man's best friend. Dogs! Exactly! Cats???? And so it goes. Yes, cats can be a person best best friend too. Cats and kittens serve in many situations. In prison, cats can literally change a person, instilling compassion, changing hearts and perhaps a therapeutic solution for whatever troubles people. We can talk about prisons and the lonely elderly, who follow other older people off a spiritual cliff. I remember my dad dying, holding his hand as he passed away. His Navy tatoo, once a reminder, had become flaccid, while his dog (Pup) had died and it seemed like only a few months later, he passed away.

I hear all the hubris over cats and a littany of insults, and torture, that many think is funny. To that 60 year old and many who sleep in a car, a cat can be your best friend. At 58, my cat was my life. Living through cold snaps and heat waves, my cat would be there at my side. Or the thunderstorms, which she hated, snuggling close to me shivering, taking solace in my presence. A veritable shelter again the storms, that face us all. We live in a symbiotic tradeoff, one that purifies us, bridging loneliness with a purr or a bark.

Two separate species with the same love and commitment, to us. Dogs mourning over a grave, a hurt so palpable, to make one cry. Cats have their own technique and in the case of that veteran and the countless thousands of others, unconditional love finds its own way.

We talk about humanity, but aside from laws, convicts and the elderly suffer in a slow dose of nightmares. A cat or a dog can be the answer. What do we do, for the needy, except building moats and restrictions that maim the spirit.

We can all do something, whatver that something may be. I was raising money for the same pets who could invariably be put to better use. I was homeless at the time. Cognizant of the fact, that needs remain. At a food kitchen, I saw an Air Force Veteran in line, being told to get back in line, by a Sheriff's deputy, who treated people with utter disdain. That veteran commented on how he was treated. I told him, I was homeless too.

I know that we can do better. We ALL have time, that we can spare. Money is great, but someone has to man the soup kitchen and see the pain, and a person with no pet, may never experience unconditional love.. What a shame and more importantly, what are we doing, to help?

What are we doing to secure help for the disaffected? What is your take? Do you know that service and an emotional pet, can literally save a life. I know, the feeling!
None of us, can take our cars, our boats or houses to heaven but we can make a difference with UnderDog or Felix the cat. SMSgt Minister Gerald A. Thomas SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL PO2 Ed C. SP5 Mark Kuzinski MSG Tom Earley LTC Stephen F. CPT Michael Martinez CPT Aaron Kletzing LTC Stephen C. A1C (Join to see) Cpl (Join to see) COL Mikel J. Burroughs 1SG Mike Case