Don't Kill the Host

I woke up at 5:45am this morning to the sound of crying babies. I un-glued myself from the mattress, slowly struggled myself to a stand, and with an outstretched arm was able to locate the nearest structure. The cries continued but became more distant as I slid along the wall. The noises were leading me out of the bedroom. I continued to follow through the door and around the corner. My knees were too stiff to do anything more than Penguin-waddle down the stairs. When I reached the bottom, the sounds guided me across the living room. My feet slugged behind me, matting down the very carpet I slid them through. My eyes began to crack open only after my bare feet hit the frosty kitchen tile floor, but what officially woke me was the violent retreat of my hand away from the light switch, after the first shock of the day. As the darkness withered away and my vision became less blurry, I was able to focus in on the source of the whining. At my feet sat 2 cats - one Panther, one Lion. They were hungry and needed fed. This is when I began drawing the comparison between our beloved pets and the very bodies we live inside.

Though my cats aren’t the typical “babies” that first come to mind, they depend on me the same way a newborn human would - 100%.

If it weren't for me feeding them, they would eventually starve to death.

If one of them got sick and I neglected taking them to the vet, eventually their illness would kill them. 

If I didn’t step in each time the over-grown Panther was mauling the Lion Cub, Simba might get eaten.

The kitties cannot survive on their own. They depend on me in the same way the host human body depends on the human tenant.

A pancreas cannot stop a person from drinking a 2 liter of soda, yet it will be overworked if the person sips it.

A pair of lungs cannot stop a person from smoking a cigarette, yet toxins will coat their insides if the person puffs it.

A heart cannot force a person to get to the gym, yet it will become weaker if the person continues to avoid it.

You play the biggest role in the longevity of both your pets and your body. With improper care, all subjects could be gone sooner than expected. I encourage us all to make better decisions and develop better habits that ultimately determine our health and well being.