After many years of lacto-ovo, flip-flop vegetarianism, I finally went vegan in the early part of 2011. A few random events caused me to investigate the outer limits of veganism as I understood them at the time, to either validate or discredit the movement in my own thinking. A friend posted something about the Atkins diet in relation to strength on facebook, and I remember commenting with a link to a veganbodybuilder.com article (even though at the time I ate cheese, eggs, and sushi). Later, a video clip on the tv show Whale Wars of a seal being dragged screaming onto the deck of a ship by the fishing line and hook that was caught in her mouth caused me to give up seafood, without any doubt of ever going back. Some other friends had been vegan for many years, and had recently opened a vegan shop; things got intense when I was constantly asking so many questions of them, and trying to make what I now know are typical arguments against the necessity, or the ultimate possibility of absolute veganism.
Looking back, after having several months to reflect, the whole journey started with an elderly cat my girlfriend adopted right after I met her. Ivan was a gentle, quiet old tomcat that was being given away when she got him. I hadn't had any animals since moving out of my folk's house as a teenager, where throughout the years we had dogs, cats, chickens, ducks, birds, rats, hamsters, rabbits, and even a temporary pig that my brother was raising for 4H. I was glad in my 20's and early 30's to be pet free and not have all of the maintenance work that comes with so many animals, so I wasn't too excited about the thought of cat hair on my clothes, stinky litter boxes, hairballs, and all of the "negative" things I could dream up about having animals. I half-grudgingly tolerated Ivan constantly seeking my company, like when I'd lay on the couch to watch tv. He was alright I figured, and since he lived at her place, it was just a matter of visiting. Later on when things kept getting more and more involved, we wound up living in the same place; me, her, and Ivan. A few years down the line, the old guy's health started giving out on him. He reached a point where we couldn't do much more for him, and we decided to put him down, to alleviate his misery. After that visit to the vet, animal life and responsibility took on real undeniable meaning. I have that old kitty to thank for awakening something inside.
Looking back, after having several months to reflect, the whole journey started with an elderly cat my girlfriend adopted right after I met her. Ivan was a gentle, quiet old tomcat that was being given away when she got him. I hadn't had any animals since moving out of my folk's house as a teenager, where throughout the years we had dogs, cats, chickens, ducks, birds, rats, hamsters, rabbits, and even a temporary pig that my brother was raising for 4H. I was glad in my 20's and early 30's to be pet free and not have all of the maintenance work that comes with so many animals, so I wasn't too excited about the thought of cat hair on my clothes, stinky litter boxes, hairballs, and all of the "negative" things I could dream up about having animals. I half-grudgingly tolerated Ivan constantly seeking my company, like when I'd lay on the couch to watch tv. He was alright I figured, and since he lived at her place, it was just a matter of visiting. Later on when things kept getting more and more involved, we wound up living in the same place; me, her, and Ivan. A few years down the line, the old guy's health started giving out on him. He reached a point where we couldn't do much more for him, and we decided to put him down, to alleviate his misery. After that visit to the vet, animal life and responsibility took on real undeniable meaning. I have that old kitty to thank for awakening something inside.
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