ANIMALITIES

ANIMALITIES

I was tempted to throw a piece of bread with poison. Our neighbor’s dog has been howling scandalously for two nights just – in time with the death of another neighbor. I hardly slept during these nights as the howling dog was almost non stop.

My mother used to associate dog-howling with impending death of someone in the neighborhood but this time a neighbor has been dead already for two days. Dog-howling always deliver ominous event as is always presented on Television and on the movies.

A little investigation revealed that the dog owners spent their Holy Week vacation in Bulacan and the dog was either hungry, lonely or afraid or all of the above asking for help, but not because another death was coming soon.

Barking of dog can mean many things. It could be a signal to the owner that some bad elements like robbers or murderers are just around planning to attack. So beware. It could also mean a welcome greeting to a familiar face or a friend of the owner.

Animals don’t talk but they communicate in very interesting and most of the time, helpful manner. A cat washing its face with its front leg is saying that a visitor is coming. A pig that gathers leaves and branches of plants to a certain corner is announcing that a storm is coming. A rooster crows every hour. Those and many other signals made by animals could be a useful information at times.

It is good to have pets at home but we shall find them more important if we study what they want to tell us in connection with their behavior. Considering that humans are mere animals who can reason out we should be kinder to our animal friends.

I am still amused to think of what happened to a couple who were lunching with us one time. The “tuko” began making its decadent sound to which I joined in by saying he loves her, he loves her not, he loves her, he loves her not and the “tuko” stopped at he loves her not. The woman got mad and had the chance to review the supposed infidelities of her husband that even the lowly lizard is aware off.