Moonlight and Piglets.

     I'm in the middle of a book called "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer. Judging by the title, I thought this book would be a case for vegetarianism. Foer denies this at the beginning of the book saying that it is simply a book on factory farming. When a person who is the least bit educated on the process hears the words "factory farm", a shudder due to unpleasant thoughts and guilt is not uncommon. Though there are many important educational points in this book that highlight cruelty and pain inflicted on farmed animals, these are not the parts that affect me the most. Foer does spend plenty of time talking about the way we treat animals but he also talks a fair amount about the beauty of animals. Learning about the way animals interact, play and live with each other makes me never want to eat meat again. We are so much more like animals than unlike them. Now that I have this knowledge, I can appreciate the life of the planet without feeling guilt or shame. Because I am a vegetarian, I can live side by side with any animal knowing that I am doing my part in preserving its existence.
     If you are a vegetarian, I promise you will love all of these fun facts! If you aren't a vegetarian...you'll still love them!
     In the second chapter of his book, Foer describes seahorses. Seahorses like to swim in pairs with their tails linked together, just as humans like to hold hands. They also commit their seahorse lovin' to only one other seahorse for the entireity of their lives. They have this in common with penguins and some humans. Seahorses also prefer to mate under full moons and are said, by Foer, "[to make] musical sounds while doing so". I had never before considered the majestically romantic lives of seahorses. It's amazing how easy it is to relate to these skeletal beings even though we seem so far apart. Seahorses are one of the species that end up as bycatch while trawling for shrimp.
     Further on in the book, Foer writes about pigs. Sadly, when many people think about pigs, they think about bacon and ham. Pigs are proven to be as smart or smarter than the average dog. Because of this, pigs seem to have pretty strong learning capabilities; they can learn to do things like sniff out truffles in densely forested areas. Pigs prefer to sleep communally! So cute! Pigs' social lives are one of the most important factors in their overall happiness. Foer relates the importance of pigs' companionship with other pigs to the importance of children having friends in school. Speaking of which, pigs are the closest to humans genetically and because of this, it is not uncommon for small children to be drawn to piglets.
     Animal intelligence is highly underappreciated and underrated. Here are some more examples: a lot of people see rats as dirty vermin, but not many people know that lab rats, when faced with the choice, would rather unlock a fellow rat's cage than be given a treat. Also, it is said by many biologists that whales may be more intelligent than humans and that they have a family culture with their species that runs so deep, humans cannot even begin to fathom it.
     So, my veggie friends, the next time you bite into that hot dog-shaped soy weiner, do it proudly and know that you're having an incredibly positive impact on animal life. And to my omnivorous pals, before you take another piece of bacon, please just stop and think.
     If anyone finds any other awesome animal facts, please comment! Also, please read "Eating Animals". You will not regret it!