Rescue Animals
By Veggie
Gal Lisa Tuck
I am a vegetarian because
I don’t want to kill anything. It
doesn’t start there. Not eating
animals, fish or fowl is really just a
spot on the long winding trail that includes
moving snails and worms off the sidewalk
so they don’t fry during the summer.
Along the trail, I also find myself rescuing
several animals a year and finding good
homes for them.
Sometimes the “good
home” is mine. Many years ago I
had my publicly stated upper limit of
cats, when another one showed up at the
door. I knew my young niece desperately
wanted a cat, so this looked like a match
made in heaven to me. The handicap to
this plan was my twin brother (my niece’s
dad), who detested cats.
I admit it. I groveled.
The cat was a beautiful calico, fully
grown. I committed to having her spayed
and getting him a kitty starter kit. Finally
he agreed. Before he could change his
mind, I dashed to my local pet store and
loaded up a litter box, litter, bowls,
food, treats and toys. I pushed my laden
basket to the register and eagerly waited
in line. While standing there, I noticed
the magazine Cat Fancy. I picked up a
copy. I delivered the cat and the cat
supplies to my brother. I did not deliver
the magazine. Instead, I took the magazine
home and used one of the forms to order
a two year subscription to Cat Fancy for
my brother.
A month later I got in
from work and the phone rang. When I answered,
my brother didn’t say hello. Enunciating
very clearly, he said “I just. Went.
To the mailbox.”
I quivered with excitement.
“I pulled out this
magazine called Cat Fancy and thought,
‘How nice. Aunt Lisa got this for
Amy.’ Then I turned it over and
it is addressed to Larry Tuck.”
I chortled with glee.
“I just wanted to
let you know that your subscription to
Cattle Baron’s Monthly will be on
its way shortly.”
I howled with laughter
to the point that I couldn’t speak,
so he finally hung up on me.
I do not try to convince
my family—or anyone else for that
matter—to adopt my lifestyle. They
do not try to convince me to adopt theirs.
Do we tease each other about it? Oh, yeah.
In our convoluted little world, teasing
is part of accepting each other exactly
as we yes. That being said, my family
really doesn’t have a clue how to
feed me. Our mother kept a can of bacon
grease beside the stove and put it into
everything from grits to cornbread to
fried chicken. Green beans got salt pork.
The traditional meals we grew up on will
not work at all. I started this column
and website for those who also need to
feed a vegetarian, but don’t know
where to start. I hope it will help you
along your trail.
By the way, my brother
never did send Cattle Baron’s Monthly.
If this column reminds him he still needs
to pay me back for this, it might be really
big…
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