Starting Spiritual Practice
If I love my pets, should I also care about cleanliness and smells at home?
English translation draft · Based on the Chinese article. This is not a word-for-word translation approved by Master Shengyuan.
Yes. Loving them includes caring for them properly and keeping the home reasonably clean. After living there for a long time, you may have grown accustomed to the smell. But waste left uncleared and a neglected environment still need attention.
A fellow practitioner described a situation seen during a house visit. Cat and dog cages stood beside a client’s bed, with waste that had not been cleaned for a long time. The smell spread from the room throughout the home. The owner may have become used to it and felt nothing was wrong. But the number of pets, everyday habits and ongoing cleaning all make a difference. Saying ‘I love them very much’ cannot settle the matter.
If a pet has a health problem and needs a veterinarian, take it for care. The animal accompanies us, and we must continue accepting responsibility for it. We cannot simply buy a pet to accompany a young child, only for the child to stop caring for it when older and the rest of the family to refuse, leaving no one responsible. Treating it as family means keeping its continuing care in mind.