Pet Peeves

I miss animals. I miss walking in the front door and being greeted by a fuzzy four- legged creature. I miss waking up in the middle of the night and feeling a cat nestled against my feet. I miss every about my Atticus other than cleaning his litter.

Most Koreans don’t have pets. I rarely see animals around the neighborhood and when I do, it’s not enjoyable. The dogs are either chained up outside and forgotten or they are dressed like little humans. I suppose I should mention that the worst fated pups are the ones that I haven’t seen. Those canines end up in dog soup..

The few cats I’ve encountered have behaved like strays. Whenever I see a kitty, I crouch down and meekly try to call it over. My warm intentions are never enough to shake them from their fear of humans. I often wonder if they’ve been mistreated..

As of late, I have also heard a lot of foreigners say they don’t like animals. I seem to be submerged in an anti-pet environment! Was that part of the application process I missed? Obviously, I’m joking but I sometimes wonder. People who don’t like animals have always confused me. In fact, my mother raised us to question the ethics of anyone who dislikes furry critters. Should I question the ethics of the entire country? If I decided to, I would only being hurting myself. Korea is a beautiful place, and It would be a shame to disvalue any of its goodness! Instead, I am trying to open my mind and damper my judgmental thoughts.

I don’t know how long it will be until I return to Atticus. A cat is not enough of a reason to go home but it’s one of the reasons I would like to. Although it may sound silly, I think he would prefer for me to stay here and be happy, than to come home and be sad. I hope in the future, all the things I love will settle on the same side of the world and I can stop choosing between them. That would be purrrfect.