12 animal quotes that will inspire you

I got to pet a super soft koala bear for the first time this week while visiting Featherdale Wildlife Park in Sydney, Australia. This trip Down Under—seeing the native wildlife, helping shelter cats and teaching Reiki classes—has allowed me the opportunity to slow down a little and reflect on the vital role animals have played in my career and life. I’m so grateful for all of the lessons they’ve taught me through the years, and all of the heartful connections I’ve been able to make. So as my Aussie trip winds down, I’m reminded of my favorite, most inspiring quotes about animals. I’ve always loved the sentiments behind these 12 quotations (do they make you smile, too?):

“Cats are angels with fur.” – Sark

“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” –Anatole France

“Animals are such agreeable friends—they ask no questions; they pass no criticisms.” –George Eliot

“An animal’s eyes have the power to speak a great language.” –Martin Buber

“The better I get to know men, the more I find myself loving dogs.” –Charles de Gaulle

“Dogs are our link to paradise. They don’t know evil or jealousy or discontent.” –Milan Kundera

“I call my horses ‘divine mirrors’—they reflect back the emotions you put in. If you put in love and respect and kindness and curiosity, the horse will return that.” –Allan Hamilton

“The ideal of calm exists in a sitting cat.” –Jules Renard

“One small cat changes coming home to an empty house to coming home.” –Pam Brown

“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself.” –Josh Billings

“I have studied many philosophers and many cats. The wisdom of cats is infinitely superior.” –Hippolyte Taine

“Animals are my friends … and I don’t eat my friends.” –George Bernard Shaw

What animal quotes inspire you the most?

{Cat photos (except for “sitting cat”) © Charlotte Jensen}