Sunday, August 24, 2025
About #cats and #dogs
Wednesday, November 6, 2024
Animals Forced to Perform
The lives of animal performers
My heart aches whenever I come across videos of dogs being
forced to walk on their hind legs wearing tutus. The terror in their eyes
is evident, a reflection of the fear instilled by their abusers. I cannot help
but speak out in the comments against such cruelty, "Why are you torturing that poor animal? For likes on your video?" These poor dogs are manipulated
and subjected to abuse; they're forced to perform an unnatural act. Their bones and
muscles are not built for this kind of movement, causing them great discomfort.
Take a moment to visualize being forced to run on all fours
with your legs completely straight, unable to bend them. The thought of being
beaten if you didn't comply adds to the discomfort and pain. Now imagine how
uncomfortable and painful it must be for four-legged animals when they are
forced to walk on two legs.
The sight always brings back memories of the first and last
time my parents took me to the circus. I was young and innocent, but even then,
I could see the fear in the majestic lion's eyes as he was forced to leap
through a blazing hoop. I cried in disgust and anger as I turned to my father
and asked him, "Why is the lion so afraid of that man? He could kill him
with one swipe of his paw." My dad explained how the animals are trained
to perform, and we left. After that experience, my parents never took me to the
circus again.
Utilizing animals for entertainment purposes entails immense cruelty. These creatures do not possess the innate ability to ride bicycles, balance on their heads, or leap through hoops of flames. Traditional methods of training circus animals involve physical abuse and punishment. Animals are repeatedly beaten, shocked, and whipped to perform tricks that are unnatural and beyond their physical abilities.
The lives of animal performers are filled with suffering and humiliation. Constant travel, confinement, and torture to perform tricks strip wild animals of any chance to fulfill their natural physical, behavioral, and emotional needs. Their existence behind the scenes is mistreatment and abuse.
I'm not referring to the positive reinforcement techniques used to train service animals. You see a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment when you gaze into their eyes. These animals understand the significance of their role and take pride in performing it well. The trainers use positive rewarding methods and patiently wait for the animals to learn and understand what is expected of them. Also, the trainers never force them to do anything that is physically against their comfortable, natural movements.
Also, animals shouldn't be treated like accessories. A cute puppy toted in a purse and dressed in human attire is a sentient being with the capacity to live, breathe, and feel. Treat animals as close to their nature as possible.
Animals, including birds, cats, pigs, and especially dogs, have a natural desire to please their favorite humans and will often create tasks for themselves. Also, they can be natural clowns to amuse themselves or do something naughty to test the boundaries.
We had a Kuvasz mix who would wait at the gate each day for the postman, take the newspaper from him, and bring it into the kitchen. We never trained or commanded him to do so. The first time he brought the newspaper in, my dad patted him on the head, told him he was a good boy, and rewarded him with a chicken leg. From then on, our dog seemed to take his job of fetching the newspaper very seriously and happily did it every day.
When a pesky fly found its way into the house, my cat, Mirci, watched me as I tried to swat it away. But when the fly got too close to her, she sprang into action, capturing it with her sharp claws and ending its life with precision. She then presented me with the deceased insect on my lap, looking up at me for praise. I couldn't help but praise her for her hunting skills. After that day, no fly stood a chance against her keen instincts and lightning-fast reflexes. Although I wasn't thrilled about the occasional dead mouse or frog she left on the doormat as a present, I couldn't stay mad at her when she looked up at me with such pride and happiness. So, I learned to tolerate her hunting expeditions and thanked her for the "presents" she brought me.
Our funniest dog was a small, nimble mutt named George. Thanks to our spacious, enclosed yard, we rarely took him for walks; he had plenty of room to run and play as he pleased. Unfortunately for our cat, George's mischievously playful nature often led him to invent new games that irritated her. George despised bath time and getting his paws wet in the snow, but he still braved the outdoors to do his business. One day, he realized that if he lifted his hind legs and balanced on his front paws, his hind legs would stay dry. It was a comical sight until he started relieving himself and accidentally drenched the white hair on his chest and chin instead of painting the snow yellow. That day, he gladly let me put him in the tub without any complaints.
What is your opinion about using animals for entertainment?
Erika loves to dance to her own tunes and follow her dreams, introducing her story-writing skills and her books that are based on creative imagination with themes such as magical realism, alternate history, urban fantasy, cozy mystery, sweet romance, and supernatural stories. Her children’s stories are informative, and educational, and deliver moral values in a non-preachy way.
Saturday, February 27, 2021
Saturday Fun: Badass Cats
Cats are fearless
A friend came to visit with his big bully Rottweiler. He attacked our gentle-natured dog to show her who’s boss when he wasn’t securely tied up on the leash. That day Carl didn’t have time to put the leash on as the dog bolted out of the car knocking him to the ground. I watched in horror as my dog cowered and tried to hide behind my hubby.
Suddenly, we heard a loud meow. I saw my fearless cat, Miau, charging like a bullet toward the approaching Rottweiler. She pounced, let out a furious growl, and sank her needle-sharp claws into the huge dog’s face. The Rottweiler let out a painful cry and tried to shake the cat off his face. Miau wouldn’t let go and kept growling and biting the dog’s nose.
Carl finally caught up with the Rottweiler and clipped the leash on his collar. My hubby tried to peel Miau off the dog’s face, and after a brief struggle, the tiny, growling, and hissing furball pulled her sharp claws out of the dog’s face and let him go.
Hubby put Miau down. The cat puffed her hair, hissed indignantly a few times, and then walked over to our shaking dog and licked her face as if she were saying, “Don’t worry about that thug, buddy. I’ve got your back.”
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
The Lovely Thief of the Neighborhood
The thief that everyone loved
We got into the habit of going from door to door in the neighborhood with a basketful of stolen goods. We apologized and returned the boots, gloves, screwdrivers, flowerpots, toys, and all other small things she stole. The neighbors understood, and they kind of made a game out of coming to our patio looking for their missing items.
She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and dropped down on her knees. She hugged Lucky and whispered, "Sorry, Lucky, I know you’re a good dog. I didn’t mean to shout at you.”
Friday, July 20, 2018
Five Things Cats Can Teach You About Writing
Five Things Cats Can Teach You About Writing
It takes time to write a quality book. If you’re a writer of non-fiction, there is research involved. For authors of fiction, there is world-building, keeping all our characters straight, and making sure you haven’t left any loose threads or plot holes. Can your cat teach you how to pen believable characters and realistic dialogue? Maybe not, but your cat can teach you the art of patience. Ever notice how cats are absolutely still as they watch their prey? How they wait for the perfect moment to pounce? Cats are patient. They know that a nice, juicy mouse is worth waiting for and if they rush, they might miss out on something delicious. You can try to rush your creativity, but you run the risk of missing out on an opportunity to create something truly spectacular.
2. Rely on all your senses.
Cats use all their senses to explore and conquer the world around them. They watch. Listen. Smell the air around them. Feel the breeze rustling their whiskers. When writing, if you really want to pull the reader in, engaging all the senses is the best way. What is your character seeing, hearing, and smelling? Smell is one of the most powerful senses, but many writers fail to use this to their advantage. Do you know who doesn’t forget to use their sense of smell? Cats.
3. Trust your instincts.
Cats are very intuitive. When I lived in Missouri where tornados were frequent, I never became truly alarmed when the sirens went off – not unless the cats panicked and tried to hide. Cats always seem to know when something is amiss or when something is coming. If you want to write the best book you possibly can, you would be wise to trust your instincts. Yes, feedback from beta readers and editors is essential, but if you’re receiving conflicting feedback from a variety of readers, who do you trust? Who is the tiebreaker? You are. It’s your book. You wrote it. Trust yourself.
4. Write with reckless abandon.
Anyone who has a cat has, at one time or another, become frustrated when that pushy feline walked across their keyboard, sending a trail of “awsedrftgygyhu” across their document. For the most part, humans are better typists than cats (and better spellers too). Still, there’s a benefit to just letting go and writing without overthinking. Sometimes we are too careful. We are so focused on writing a perfect first draft, we forget there’s no such thing! Rewrites and edits exist for a reason. If you’re struggling with writing your book, let go of the idea of perfection. Just sit back, relax, and write! Once you’ve accomplished the monumental task of completing your first draft, there will be plenty of opportunities to achieve perfection during the editing stage.
5. Take a break.
After a writing spree, cats like to take a break, usually by plopping down in the middle of your keyboard and taking a nap. In fact, cats will nap just about anywhere. You should too. While establishing a good writing routine is important, it’s equally important to take breaks. Some will advise you to write every day, but this isn’t always possible. It’s okay to take a break. Take a break between chapters, between books, or between rounds of editing. You need to recharge your batteries. Pushing yourself will lead to exhaustion and eventually creative burnout.
Saturday, May 12, 2018
When a Teenager is Cooking #OurAuthorGang
When a teenager is cooking, it doesn't always turn out well
2 eggs
1 cup whole milk
½ cup water or best seltzer water
3 Tbsp melted butter
¼ tsp Kosher salt (or ⅛ tsp table salt)
1 tbsp sugar (for sweet crepes only)
1 tsp vanilla extract (for sweet crepes only)
Let the batter rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Heat a 9- to 12-inch nonstick pan over medium heat, and add some butter or oil, or just spray it with some cooking spray. (I use peanut oil)
Let the pan get hot for about 30 seconds, then pour a small amount of crepe batter onto the center of the pan. About ¼ cup to ⅓ cup should be the right amount for most pans. Swirl the pan around so that the crepe batter coats the whole pan, right up to the edges.
Let the crepe cook for about 30 seconds.
Flip the crepe, let it cook for about 10 more seconds, and then let it cool on a plate.
Add the filling of your choice and either roll up the crepes or fold them, it's up to you.
Enjoy!
Next time, read about one of the characters from my upcoming books on the 22nd.
https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/p/erika_5.html
If you're interested in epic fantasy and children's books for ages 2-17, visit my website to see my published and upcoming books: http://www.authorerikamszabo.com
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