My cat is missing. In fact, the last time we saw him was August 23. I’ve remained optimistic until yesterday when a neighbor found his collar. His name is Jangli (we call him Jungles), which is a Nepalese word meaning ‘wild’. He is a super friendly cat but he has always done things ‘his own way’ which is what makes him ‘wild’. My daughter named him, for when we got him over 14 years ago, she had spent quite a lot of time with me in Nepal. This has been a bad month in our family for pets, all of which, we were close to. First, my son’s dog Madeline died of cancer. Then my daughter’s puppy darted out into the road and was instantly killed. And now, Jangli is missing.
We all love and treasure our pets. Even the Bible says that a sparrow doesn’t fall without God noticing. Perhaps because of Jangli’s Nepalese name, my mind keeps going back to what Praveen said to me a number of years back. Praveen is a young man who graduated from St. Devi’s Academy and came to the States to continue his education. A couple days after his arrival here he went to Pet Smart. As he walked into the store, on his right were several dogs in the doggie ‘beauty parlor’. Further into the store was the pet ‘hotel’. As he walked down the various aisles loaded with everything imaginable for pets, he was overwhelmed. Praveen said, “I would rather be a pet in America then a child in Nepal.”
It breaks my heart to think that Jangli is hurt, hungry or was killed but it also has me thinking. I want to make sure I place more value and concern for the children in Nepal (and other places) who live their lives with so much less than our pets – animals who are showered with love, comfort and food. Even our Almighty God cares about His animals, but His little children are even more precious.
