As a child, I did not spend much time around animals. But I have always learnt to appreciate God’s creations.
We are all created by the same God – humans, animals, plants, and all other beings. Since my childhood, I have always been fascinated by the wide variety of animals that are here on this planet.
I grew up in one of the most densely populated cities in the world, far from countryside. In the heart of the Dhaka, I did not see any green pastures for animals to roam freely. There were busy roads and concrete structures.
Also, in Dhaka, the culture of keeping pets inside the home, at least at the time, was not like what we witness here in the United States. Even today, I am pretty sure that it is not very common to see pets inside people’s homes in Dhaka. But a variety of birds fly over the sky of Dhaka, and that is something I truly enjoyed throughout my childhood. I loved the terrace of my maternal grandparents’ house, from where I could see the clear sky and the birds. Under the bright rays of the sun, I watched the birds fly and land on the terrace, and then soar again into the sky. From the terrace I also often caught glimpses of a beautiful, two-toned stray cat that lived in the neighborhood.
Prior to the holy occasion of Eid-ul-Azha every year, when we purchased goats for sacrifice, I enjoyed petting the goats and feeding them leaves. As a young boy, I was not afraid to be close to goats, but I was a bit scared of going near cows because of their size.
Throughout my childhood, I learnt a lot about animals from the books I read and the toys I played with. My stuffed animals helped my imagination roam freely and helped me develop a strong love for animals. As a child, I enjoyed my stuffed Paddington Bear. I also had another teddy bear that I played with. When I started to read Tintin comic books, I enjoyed about the activities of Snowy the dog. Another stuffed animal that I had, perhaps my favorite, was a cat.
Unfortunately, as a child, I suffered from various allergies, which was one of the reasons why I maintained a physical distance from most animals, with the exception of goats. Once, I had an allergic reaction after going close to a rabbit that our neighbor had as a pet. Therefore, it was in my best interest to stay away from small domestic animals, especially furry ones.
As I grew older, a lot of my allergy symptoms went away as my body developed natural resistance. I enjoyed traveling out of Bangladesh with my parents. I loved visiting zoos and going on safari to see wild animals during our tours. Two of the most memorable places I visited were Safari World in Thailand and Jurong Bird Park in Singapore.
And after I came to the United States, I started visiting farms and the rural countryside. I still am not very much used to being close to animals. But I truly enjoy watching God’s beautiful creations.
I am not the kind of person who would lift a cat or a dog up to pet it. I am not interested in having a domestic animal sit on my lap. I never had any animals inside my residence. I am the kind of person who enjoys watching animals from a distance and appreciates their freedom. It gives me a lot of joy to see animals move freely on God’s earth.
Few days ago, I visited a property called The Farm, in Milton, Rock County, Wisconsin, where I had the opportunity to be very close to a few horses and a cat. For me, it was a truly amazing experience. In fact, one of the horses I saw there is Caz, an award-winning animal. It was a pleasure to get to see such a special horse!
Horses are my mother’s favorite animals. Throughout history, horses have been used all over the world – for sports, drawing carriages, fighting wars, and so much more. I like horses – they truly are royal animals!
And, the cat I saw on the property was a very smart and cute one. I enjoyed watching the cat and its activities.
I always have a special place in my heart for cats. I think cats are some of the most beautiful animals on earth and are also quite intelligent. In my opinion, cats love freedom and they enjoy their independence in every way possible.
While I did not spend much time on the farm, I enjoyed every minute of my visit there. We must try to make room in our schedule to spend time with animals we like.
