#i'm watching a youtube video about prehistoric nettle textiling and the lady's cat decided to interrupt the filming

[uncanny-tranny]

I'm reblogging this with the addition that my cat is sleeping next to me as I crochet, and as I've been moving down the row, she's being swallowed up by the fabric and she looks so happy as she naps.

I wonder how many animals have slept near their person, just basking in each other's company. I wonder how many ancient people have invited their animal companion to be beside them, and I wonder how many animals have slept under the fabric their person is making. None of this is new - we have all loved in this same world.

And another thing that gets me about the human condition is how we weren't even meant to survive this world alone - humans with humans. We chose to trust certain animals, to nourish them, to be symbiotic with them, to love them like we love ourselves. I think a lot of people talk about how selfish it is for humans to take advantage of animals, but I think that's too simplistic. It's closer to friendship - if you do not foster the relationship, then it simply won't go anywhere, and I think the implication that animals can't ever know anything for themselves, for their survival, is also human-centric and selfish (selfishness not inherently being a bad thing).

It's just nice to know that we want to be around people - we want to be around comfort and security and safety so much that we now have animals by our side. Every time I cuddle with my cat, I think that we weren't meant to survive this world alone; she is shaped to fit in my chest, and my arms were made to wrap around her.