P2 - Belle Star
The
animals that have been and will be saved by the volunteers at Austin Pets Alive
are incredibly lucky. There is an estimated 70 million cats that roam the
streets as strays in the United States alone. Of these cats, only a small
percentage of them are rehabilitated and adopted. Like many of the cats and
dogs that have been rescued by Austin Pets Alive, it is impossible to know
exactly how Belle Star's journey led her to the Town Lake Animal Center. Belle
Star has the potential to fill a void in someone's life and through using
sympathetic imagination I will appeal to her future owner by depicting what her
life may have been like before being saved.
I
don't remember very much from before I was rescued and taken to Austin Pets
Alive, but I do recall some happy moments as a kitten. I have memories of rolling
in the lush green grass while I tussled with my brothers and sisters. I didn't
know it then, but my family was homeless. My mother struggled to nurture us;
she was too weak and feeble to care for so many kittens. As a result, two of my
sisters died very young. Not long after their deaths, my mother disappeared
from our lives completely, leaving the rest of us to fend for ourselves. Following
the dispersal of my family, my life consisted of aimless wandering and
struggling to find food. I was found hidden beside a dumpster, cold,
malnourished, and alone. I sensed that the person who had discovered me had no
idea how to handle me. The large man snagged me by the skin on the back of my
neck and held me at arms length. I blinked curiously at him as he scrunched his
nose and gave me a pathetic look. I could only imagine what he saw: a mangy cat
with matted fur covering an emaciated body. He must have taken pity on me,
because unlike the humans who had ignored me in the past, he took me to the
Town Lake Animal Center.
Were
it not for the volunteers at Austin Pets Alive I would have been doomed. Every
day, the wonderful volunteers feed me and take care of my basic needs, but I
dream of being the perfect addition to a budding family outside of this
adoption center. I imagine myself roaming freely and enjoying the outdoors,
knowing that I have a family to come home to. I would observe the birds flying
in the rich blue sky or watch the leaves fall from the trees, begging me to
catch them. I'd come pawing at my owner's door, signaling to them I was ready
to be cuddled. I would spend hours in the laps of my loved ones, thanking them
for my new lease on life. They will see the love beaming from my eyes whenever
I peer up at them. I would never stray. But until then I will be here, caged
and hopeless. My gaze “has turned into a vacant stare which nothing holds.”[1] Today I amble in circles,
itching to work out my muscles though it’s impossible in the small space to
which I am confined. I observe people watching me, hoping with all my heart
that they realize that I am the one for them. Can they see me? Do they know how
much potential I have? They walk on by.
Out
of the corner of my eye I notice a girl walk in. She is inquiring about me. I
can hear her words clearly, "Can you tell me where I can find Belle
Star?" she asks the volunteer sitting behind the desk. I jump down from my
spot on the perch to get a closer look as the volunteer motions to me. Am I
being saved? Has the time come for me to leave this place and start a new life?
The girl kneels down and peers at me. I've been at the shelter long enough to
know that if I want to be adopted I have to be active. This could be my only
chance to make an impression. I adjust my posture and begin to show off.
I prance
around the kennel, stretching my long legs as I go. I decide to impress her by
showcasing my jumping skills. I leap for my perch and stick the landing. I
glance back at the girl who is still crouched beside my cage. She must be interested
because I notice her take out a camera and begin filming me. As she continues
to record me, a million thoughts run through my head. Will my forever family
find me by watching this? Will I finally be chosen? I am not destined to live
out the rest of my life behind bars. I must be adopted. I deserve the chance to
love and be loved. I beg her with my eyes to understand.
I was gazing into Belle Star’s
expressive eyes and could feel she was trying to communicate something to me.
She was asking me to pick her up and show her how humans are meant to care for
their animals. Her desperate stare reminded me “we sympathize with what we see
rather than what we hear.”[2] The second I walked up to
where she was being kept she jumped gracefully down from her perch to watch me
herself. I read from her chart that she was only 10 months old and I instantly
wondered how long she had been at the shelter. She was very well mannered and
didn't seem to be afraid of interacting with humans so I doubt she had spent
much time outside these walls. If she had a family before being brought here,
how could they have abandoned her so easily? The reason why I choose to believe
that Belle Star has never had a home to call her own is because the thought of
someone teasing her by caring for her only when it was convenient for them
sickens me to my core. Her eyes look so innocent peeking up at me from behind
the metal bars. I take my time studying her. She walks in circles around her
kennel, alternating her speeds. Occasionally, she surprises me by hopping up on
her favorite perch, giving me a fleeting look before springing back to her
previous spot on the floor. I laugh when she proves to me that she is litter
box trained. It's almost as if she is trying to show me all that she is capable
of doing before I can make the decision to walk away. I wonder if Belle Star
knows why I am watching her.
I
tried to mentally place myself in her position, but it was harder than I
expected. It's difficult to imagine how anyone would react to being caged. When
extending my sympathetic imagination to Belle Star I chose to illustrate her
intelligence and comprehension. The way she closely observed everything going
on around her showed me she understood how life worked living in the shelter. I
included the part about her showing off to me because that is how I
characterized her behavior. Unlike the other cats I had noticed, Belle Star was
almost always moving about, but only when someone would pass by her kennel. We,
as humans, are conscious of the fact that organizations like Austin Pets Alive
are doing what is in the best interest of the animals, but do the animals know
that? They are aware that the volunteers feed and care for them, but it is
impossible to know how they actually perceive their time at the shelter. I know
that they are better off kept at the Town Lake Animal Center until they are
adopted because professionals who can assess and monitor their condition are
close at hand, but would Belle Star rather be roaming free as a stray? I
considered this when writing from her point of view. She desperately wanted to
escape the confines of her cage, but living life as a stray would be so much
worse for her. As a stray, Belle Star would be exposed to a variety of
illnesses and have no access to medical treatment. Every scenario that I went
over in my head seemed misguided. No matter where she is being kept or how she
made it to the shelter, until Belle Star is adopted she won't be receiving the
unconditional love and attention every cat deserves.
I
didn't imagine that during my visit to the Town Lake Animal Center I would make
a genuine connection with the cat I had chosen. I've been strictly a dog person
all my life and rarely have I come across a cat that has mesmerized me like
Belle Star has. Before the experience of extending my sympathetic imagination
to her, I may have been able to at the very least half connect with a human
being were I to attempt to extend my sympathetic imagination to them. In my
opinion, although humans can speak and communicate their feelings, it is much
easier to characterize how a dog or cat perceives life. Because I am human, I
realize that there are a variety of emotions that people feel and keep hidden,
but I don't think animals interact the same way. I believe that animals are
more transparent than people, meaning they have no reason to lie about how they
feel mentally or physically. Whether the animal is wild or domesticated factors
in to how well I could extend my sympathetic imagination to them. For instance,
while I wonder if a domesticated cat wants to be held, I know a lion would not
appreciate being carried in the same manner. This double standard for the way
humans perceive animals, both wild and domesticated, carries many implications.
It’s easy to group all animals together, but the truth is, like in humans,
every animal perceives and characterizes actions differently, therefore the
ability to extend one’s sympathetic imagination is useful in forging a
connection with any living creature, whether they be human or animal.
Word count with
quotes: 1694
Word count
without quotes: 1673
Blog URL:
https://courses.utexas.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp
-All images in paper taken by
Gabriela Guerrero
*The APA! website has yet to update Belle Star’s page.
P2A:
Meet Belle Star, your future kitty! Belle
Star is a ten-month-old kitten that enjoys going on adventures and playing. She
is inquisitive and eager to be loved by you! While she absolutely adores
cuddling, she does so on her own terms. Belle Star was rescued and given a
second chance at life by Austin Pets Alive. Were you to adopt her, this sassy
cat would make herself right at home and be grateful that you gave her the
freedom she so desperately craves. Not only is Belle Star great with other
cats, she is striking to look at also! Her gorgeous black and white tuxedo
style coat compliments her bright yellow eyes. Those curious gleaming eyes of
hers will captivate you. Belle Star, a total sweetheart, would make the perfect
companion and addition to a family. Like her name, “Beautiful Star,” she
possesses a cheery energy that can brighten any one's day! Belle Star is the perfect kitty to greet you when you
come home.
She is litter box trained and is very
good-natured. The youthful sway in her step is hypnotizing; you won't be able
to look away! While she is clearly an independent cat she will catch your
attention with her agile movements and calculated leaps. An intelligent cat
like Belle Star should be spending her days exploring and not in a shelter.
Being so young, Belle Star has many years ahead of her, years she could be
spending by your side! With so much potential, it is a shame that Belle Star
hasn’t been adopted yet. Don’t miss your opportunity to watch Belle Star in
action and head over to Austin Pets Alive today!
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