When the #Metoo movement came out into the mainstream a few years ago, I had to do a lot of unpacking.

Unpacking sexual harassment I had gone through but had locked away for four years. Unpacking what consent was. What is the reality of what I thought I wanted? It took some time but what was a big turning point was this one night with my cat, Salem.

We have a mutual understanding that we both love each other unconditionally. We can snap at each other but we still love one another.

Thankfully he lived with me in college for two years. We were both lying in bed; him sleeping and me watching T.V. on my computer.

I began to pet him. I mean I’ve been with him since he was a kitten and needed milk. I’ve petted him before right?

He got angry and started snapping at me. I thought it was him just playing. It wasn’t. After I proceeded to pet him, he bit me.

That was it.

He cemented consent to me at that moment.

It made me think, haven’t we always needed boundaries? Even if we didn’t already have them?

Ever since then, I never push any animal’s boundaries and try not to encroach on their territory. 

Consent varies and animals, like humans, have boundaries and we have to respect theirs. If we want anyone to respect our own boundaries, shouldn’t we extend that courtesy to the animals in our lives? We owe it to them.