Sept and I started an inadvertent conversation about animal abuse in our childhoods. This is such a big one for me. I watched my only friends being toturted and murdered. They had no value. The kittens on the farm were cloroformed or shot. Same with dogs. My little dog died and they threw her with the garbage. I would watch as my mother would get stimulated killing the animals. When I was very young I remember my large family all had to help with the butchering of chickens. At 4-5 I am watching these headless birds flying everywhere with blood spurting. I had to pluck. When I was older they would take the birds and hang them udsidedown and slit their throats and let the blood drip into buckets beneith. The aniamls were my friends. As I was beaten and tortured, neglected and sexualized, they were always there for me. And then she would kill them. Dogs, cats, sheep, goats, you name it. Managed to save a pet banty once by bringing it to the neighbor's. I used to lie awake at night with my dog and her puppies in my bed. I was about 11 and by now she had taken to breeding and selling dogs. I would pray so hard that my dog and her puppies and I would all die. So while my critters give me much joy, there is an awareness within that these places of pain exist. It makes me a very good pet owner though. I am accused of spoiling them more then the kids, Jealous kids! A lot of what my mother did to the animals was to show me her power and to take away the life I felt within. Sorry if this is just too horrible for you guys, seemed to come up yesterday. Unfortunately too common I believe.