My sister tells me that her son and his wife who last year bought an existing business called the Cat's Meow, have found satisfaction in their enterprise, a cat-boarding and -care establishment in rural Ontario. What's even better, it provides a decent living for them, two people who care deeply about animal welfare and who happen as well to be cat lovers. Now, cats surround them.

It's odd, in a way; love of animals seems to run our family, though not all of our family members are as devoted to animals as some happen to be. We are ourselves 'dog people'; our daughter keeps both dogs and cats, mostly rescues, while my sister's older daughter rescues feral cats and finds adoptive homes for them. My sister is devoted to cats, though many years ago she did have a dog. And her son has given over his life to the advocacy of animal welfare.

In their living quarters, a beautiful country-stone house, my nephew and his wife have their own cats to cherish. And within the confines of the business they have the presence of any number of cats whose owners for one reason or another require a place to temporarily board their house pets with confidence they will be well taken care of.

My nephew has a doctorate in philosophy, and his field of study was animal welfare. He is a passionate advocate for animal rights, a strident anti-vivisectionist, and he has written numerous scholarly articles arguing for the rights of animals, deploring the casual manner in which their humane and existential interests are treated by societies everywhere.

He's had experience lecturing abroad as well as at Canadian universities, has engaged in sessional academic lecturing, and advocates continually for the welfare of animals. His partner, equally engaged in their lifelong campaign for animal rights, helps complete the brace of animal defence commitment.

They've found meaning in their lives through their advocacy, their concern and care of animals and their commitment to one another, aiding and assisting those who cannot speak in a language that humans can readily interpret.