The Joy of Having a Pet
I have two cats- Tira and Kaju, both named after my daughter’s favorite desserts, Tiramisu and Kaju Katli. I adore them and my kids are crazy about them. The father of the kids – a reluctant spectator at first, eventually has taken fancy towards them. The home seems complete with the pets in the house. But it took a long time to decide to have furry friends around.
Like most kids, my children pestered me for years to adopt a dog. My son was so persistent that he learned all about dog breeds at a young age. I felt so proud that he could name the breeds by one look. He could even identify the mixed breeds accurately. I had no clue, so I never questioned and listened with fascination and odd respect towards my boy’s passion.
The children asked me several times why I resisted having a pet. Instead of giving them an answer, one Christmas a few years ago, I brought home a puppy from the Humane Society. She was the sweetest thing. My children were thrilled, and I was content. But we were new to having a pet. Even with the love and care, we started over the holidays, there came some setbacks. I fell sick and needed to have surgery. Also, the commute to my work was long and the idea of leaving the puppy at home by herself for a long time during the day started to set in. Obviously, I had not thought this through. One sad day, we decided to re-home our sweet Ginger.
For days, we were shrouded in a sinking sad feeling. I shared then with them that I had avoided until then, a story from my childhood-
My sister and I also had a puppy when we were children. She was of lighter brown color. My sister loved her to the level of fixation. Even with so much love and care, the puppy got sick. She had eaten something toxic and died one morning. The tragedy struck my sister hard. She stopped eating from the shock and fell ill. It took months for her to get over the loss. I had never forgotten the sorrow my sister and I endured. I did not want to have a pet for this reason. I wished that dogs could live for as long as humans, so we could have them forever in our lives. The logic of a child’s mind is pure but full of foolhardiness. The loss of the puppy and moreover the impact of tragedy on my sister left me feeling scared. My children understood where I was coming from and soothed me. But that did not deter their wish to have a pet.
After a few more years of talking, I finally agreed to adopt a cat. Cats are easier, everybody said. They can be alone for longer periods, are more independent, simpler to potty-train. My kids started looking for cats, but I wanted a young kitten. We could not find anything I liked. In hindsight, I subconsciously was still resisting.
One day, my college-going daughter sent me a picture from a pet store that was having an adoption drive and a picture of a 4-month-old tuxedo girl kitten. I don’t know if it was the strikingly contrasting black and white coat or the mesmerizing green eyes, but I impulsively said yes. “Don’t back down,” warned my daughter, “and be sure you will not re-home her.” I gulped down my fears of the past and resolved in my mind that I will take my chances. So, came Tira into our home and in our hearts. My daughter brought Tira home after two weeks of adoption. We watched the little kitty’s antics and listened to her meows. My daughter had studied the tail actions of the cats and the meaning of each call of meow. I started to learn when Tira was hungry or wanted attention.
Kaju’s entry into our lives was a provisional one, at first. My high-school-going son needed service hours, which he could not earn in other ways due to COVID restrictions. He found out that fostering an animal could help him earn some hours. There was a one-week-old kitten in need of a foster home, the shelter informed us and sent us a picture of a sweet orange tabby kitten. We hurried to the shelter, but to find that the kitten was adopted an hour earlier. The disappointment was resounding in the eyes of my son. And what I did not share then with him, was that I sort of wanted to adopt another kitten. Tira needed company. We asked the manager to look if there was another kitten. We waited in the cat section of the shelter, watching playful kittens. Some extended their paws at us and others rolled over to show their soft bellies. Each of them to me seemed to be making a request to take them home. After an hour of, inconspicuous (to us) waiting, the shelter manager came up and said that there is a week-old Siamese male kitten, who was just getting over a bad case of intestinal infection. He was not fully vaccinated, so there was a risk to our older cat. Fostering was the need of the hour, so we decided to bring the kitten home and keep the cats separate. The kitten would have to be returned to the shelter after two weeks, we were told.
I let out a gasp when I saw Kaju. The creamy fur resembled the color of the cashew or Kaju (in Hindi), his laser-blue eyes seemed almost white in the ray of sun that was sneaking into the room.
“We will be adopting him after the fostering period will be over,” I said to my son as I started the car. He gave a little squeal of disbelief and called his sister right away. In the end, Kaju gave my son 45 service hours for fostering him. Tira took a few weeks to adapt to the new member, but now they love each other.
While my cats gave a feeling of completeness to my children, they have healed me from a childhood scar. I know that someday they will be gone. I know that their departure will leave me sad. I dread that day, but my focus is on the “now.”
The care and love you provide to animals have a healing quality of another kind.
Animals do not demand much from you. If they know you love them, they give you the most invaluable thing- their trust. Although cats are not like dogs, Tira rolls on our feet like one. She does not lick our faces but lies belly up to get our attention, which she gets instantly. Kaju, being a Siamese, is more like a monkey than a cat. He likes high places and has decided that he rules us all. He chooses the highest perch and gives a pat on our legs when he needs food. He is only five months old right now, but he is learning to rub against our legs and roll over to show his belly. He is slowly but steadily giving us his trust in return for the love that we give him.
Who cares if Tira and Kaju’s lives are shorter than mine? They are here now, I love them. I will keep them healthy and perhaps they will live a long life rolling, meowing, and rubbing against my legs for scratches and pets.
If there is one thing I have learned from my kitties, it is this- you can rise above your fears and dare to love and care. One experience does not define the rest of your life. And animals are amazing companions.
Don’t be compelled to adopt a pet because I said so. Get a furry friend only if it suits your lifestyle.
If you love animals but cannot adopt one, then there are a few other options –
- Foster a pet when it suits you
- Volunteer your time at a shelter
- Help a friend, relative, or neighbor with their pets
Love is one essential need for all living things. Animals just like humans need our loving touch, pets, and care.
I will end this article with a quote, which hits close to my heart-
“Any glimpse into the life of an animal quickens our own and makes it so much the larger and better in every way.”
John Muir (Scottish-American NAturalist)
