Not that I am a Buddhist, but I do have some respect for the religions and their beliefs. I have started treating cats kindly now, since, I read about the Buddhists’ belief that one can be reborn as an animal, and for that matter, a cat, in afterlife, or rather after human life.
I hope in my afterlife, if I am reborn as a cat, the cats that I threw slippers and sticks at are not there! They are sure to give me a tough time! (Most Indians consider cats crossing their paths as a bad omen and choose to chase them away).
If I am reborn as a goat, I hope the goat on which I shot water with a pump gun accepts my apology.
And the fowls! Oh, my God! I don’t know what I am going to say to the fowls! They had been so tasty! I am a goner for sure!