I became vegetarian six years ago because I do not believe in eating or otherwise abusing animals. I believe that it is wrong to eat animals because it hurts them. Their short lives are miserable, spent in cages with no room to move around, they are bored and unhappy, torn away from their mothers almost immediately, deprived of nutrients, deprived of room to run and companions and toys for stimulation. I also do not believe in unnecessary animal testing, mistreatment of circus animals, or mistreatment of animals in any way. Regardless of how you measure intelligence, it cannot be denied that all animals do have feelings and are hurt by these conditions. The meat and fur industries are horrible and cruel, and should not be supported.

If you want to find out more about some of these atrocities and consider helping animals attain the right to live happily and naturally, I suggest checking out Peter Singer's book "Animal Liberation" or visit the PETA web site.

Read about Igor Lazzard, my father's iguana.

This is Nica, my new kitten. Visit Saint Meows for information on adopting cats that they've rescued.