I am currently living on my parent’s farm, and have been taking some photos of the animals here because they are SO CUTE. I wanted to share a handful with you.

Pictured above is Urie, my OG cat. She is 14 years old, and I’ve had her since she was a kitten, born right here on the farm.

Recently, I thought about my cats and teared up a little bit – considering the farm cats (three of them) are all outdoor cats. They all have the option of wandering off and finding new homes for themselves if they wanted, however they’ve all decided to stay here with us. Happy cats make me so darn happy!

Urie likes to follow people around the farm. If someone is out working, she will be lurking nearby and rolling around in the grass. She likes to nap in the flower beds but is respectful of the flowers planted there. Sometimes she will crush them – and we forgive her.

Who loves chickens? I know we do. I used to laugh at my mom for her subscription to Chicken Magazine, but then next thing you know, I became a huge fan of them too. They are funny creatures who enjoy running, pecking at the bushes, and shiny objects. I am still trying to earn their trust so I can pet them.

I love these gentle, beautiful creatures. I refuse to spend too much time with them though, because at the end of the day, they are being raised for beef. Internally, I’ve struggled with this because I do not want to eat animals anymore, however a vegetarian diet is indeed a privileged diet that is currently not an option for me.

However, much like any other sustainable change, I made a switch to only eat the beef that my parents have raised, knowing that the cattle here live a happy, joyful life. You should see them running together every morning, it is truly a sight to behold. When the day comes that they die to feed my family and our friend’s families, they are treated as humanely as possible.

That being said, try to support your local farmers and if you must eat meat, please source out responsible farms who care about their livestock.

Amongst all of the things going on, I hope that you all are staying safe and healthy. Please make an effort to listen to the voices around you, even if you disagree. Empathy is the first step to understanding, and as a society, we all must do better at listening to one another.