My neighbor Pet missed the annual event. I missed it too. My cat Gizmo and Pet’s five cats, Goober, Tiger, Swatze, Mindy Lou and Mandy Sue missed the event. We all missed the annual Blessing of the Pets in a nearby town. Co-sponsored by an Episcopal church and a Roman Catholic church, the service was held in a park and in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals. I’d read of other churches holding the services in the church proper. I wonder who cleans up after this special service? “We as Christians believe animals are a part of God’s creation,” said the R. C. priest. “They need blessed too.” Maybe the animals on our street need to be blessed. Lord knows. They have a difficult life. They have been over domesticated. Due to traffic problems and constant moving to new communities Gizmo is allowed outside only on a leash. This severely limits his instinctive hunting traits. It limits his freedom to carouse about, finding feline friends to cavort with. He has no woods to wander in, and has become accustomed to litter rather than dirt to meet his personal needs. Pet rescued each of her cats from a life of homelessness. Unfortunately for them, they sacrificed their sexuality at the gate of neutering and their freedom in exchange for food and shelter. Because of the threat of fleas, Pet’s clan isn’t allowed outside. They spend their days in a basement, chasing each other about, or sitting in one of two windows opened in the daytime. Captivity is the price of their safety. I cannot help but think these animals would benefit from a natural environment where they could chase bugs through the grass, keep lawns clear of moles and sun themselves among the flowers. But they live in the city. And in the city life can be cruel. These pets are special. Maybe next year I will see pre-publicity of the pet blessing service and Pet and I have our felines, Gizmo, Goober, Tiger, Swatze, Mindy Lou and Mandy Sue, blessed. | 
