Parting with a pet

In life, we are faced with a choice: do we create new emotional attachments with other beings knowing very well that one day we have to part with them, or do we run away from it altogether to avoid the the pain that follows loss?

Exactly, an year ago, we were forced to adopt two kittens that were abandoned by the roadside. Although we asked around, no one was willing to adopt them.

So they came to live with us. We had to give a little extra care in the beginning to help them adjust to their life without a mother.  

They had a strong will to live. It helped that they had each other. Soon they were feeding normally.

There was plenty of love in our home coming from humans, dogs and other cats. The kittens grew up happy despite not having their biological mother around. 

Our female dog Lea took a liking to the kittens and soon took over the role of "mother". We were relieved. It was endearing to watch Lea clean them, play with them and watch them as they slept. Time and time again, we felt that the saying "He's/ She's worse than an animal" was an unfair one - for animals. Animals on many occasions display similar altruism as (altruistic) humans do.

To a certain extent, the cats probably thought they were dogs too. For example, while cats have a habit of covering up their poo, these kittens never covered up - because their dog guardians didn't.

Grandma Kitty (in the center) once reached her limit of patience seeing that the dog mother was not doing a proper job of bringing up two young cats. So she also took turns in cleaning the kittens and teaching them to hunt. 

Today, a mother lost a child. She's devastated for the moment, but we hope she'll heal in time and come back to her usual self. More than the grief of losing the cat, we are more saddened to see how the grief not only affects us, but our other pets too. 

Today, a sibling bond was broken too. The black and white cat, who we call "Chuti Kitty" (meaning little kitty), will never have her playmate and companion again. She still appears confused over the loss. 

Animals feel, like us. They develop attachments, like us. They feel fear and they feel pain, also like us. 

As with any death, we begin to wonder if we could have done anything better. 

With humans, we wonder if we could have treated the person better while they were alive. Maybe we didn't appreciate them enough. Maybe we should have said we loved them more times than we did. Maybe we should have forgiven the small shortcomings and let go of the grudges, because in the end it doesn't make sense to hold on to those. Maybe we regret the hurtful words we used on them. 

Similar thoughts crossed our mind too. Should we have not scolded her as much as we did? Should we have given her more food when she demanded extra food? Should we have kept her indoors on the night she was hit by a vehicle outside our gate? Could someone have saved her in the dead of the night when Lea barked frantically? We don't know if any of that could have changed the outcome. 

Rest in peace (Dec 2016 - Jan 2018)

Preeny, you will be missed by everyone at home. In the short time we had you, you brought us much joy and many memories.

Once again, we wowed not to take in any more new pets.

Gloom looms

So it has been about six months since I left my old life behind.

What felt like this seven months ago,

This image is not complete without a "heavenly sound effect" to go with it

Image Source: fineartamerica

... now feels a bit like this!

Image Source: Think Nice

Despite the hundreds of simulations I ran in my head before I left Singapore, there was no knowing what reality would be. So a few months into this new life, I'm beginning to see areas where I may have made a few errors in judgement. Of course, not all the consequences are bad, but here are those bad ones.


Returning to graduate school

This hasn't been easy. With prolonged disuse of the brain, it degenerates and a routine job without much mental challenge accelerates decay. So nine years after my last academic stint plus eight years of doing mostly non-stimulating work, I'm struggling to keep up in class, focus on studying, pass exams and even remember small things. With five days left to the start of my end-semester exams, I've had to dig deep inside myself to fight procrastination and find ways to motivate myself to do well.

That brings me to what happens if I don't do well. If I don't achieve the minimum GPA required to be allowed to do a thesis, all this sacrifice and risk would be in vain. I can't afford to take another leap of faith again so this is the last second-chance I have.

Choosing a thesis topic is like picking out one brand of detergent in a hypermart having a hundred brands of detergent on the shelves. There are too many possibilities and too many considerations. Producing a useful thesis is what will get me acceptance to the academic world, which in turn will buy me the ticket to enter a career in conservation. It's a difficult road filled with many obstacles and no promises of success.

After a finding a good supervisor, I must consider things like not picking an overly researched area even if it is a top choice, picking a topic that will leave me with career opportunities afterwards and one that will eventually contribute (even slightly) positively to Science (and not just be a stack of paper that will be food for termites on a dusty library shelf). This thesis is going to be like my signature dish and it's going to have to be good because it will impact everything that comes after graduating from this course.

Although I have a few ideas, I have not yet succeeded in narrowing down a thesis topic. A few have warned me that I should be nearly decided by now.


Lifestyle

I've had to make some serious downgrades in my lifestyle. What I used to earn in one day in my previous job, I now have to spread out over a month. Sure, the cost of living in Sri Lanka is a fraction of what it is in Singapore, but I've still had to cut down on social activities, visits to the salon, gifts, holidays, food treats, clothes, shoes, books, Netflix, movies at the cinema, gadgets, etc, to prolong my savings. Before I left my job, I stocked up on things from clothes, to girly accessories, to stationary, down to the level of sanitary napkins (Sheldon would agree with this!) and this has served me well so far.

Although, times like these make me realise that I didn't need even half the things I thought I needed when my income was higher. In fact, a simple life can be a source of contentment. And it also made me realise that ultimately, having adequate savings, being loan-free and creating a passive source of income should be primal goals for financial security once the 20's come to an end.

I'm slightly behind in achieving those goals now, because I made a sudden change of course in life. I hope it will be worth it.


Looking after pets

Looking after two dogs is more work than I imagined. We had to get a second dog to keep company for the first one, so it was mostly a dog welfare issue. This is the first time we've had two full time dogs (most others were strays that came for food and left). It's like looking after two children. They fall sick, they need lots of attention, they have moods, they are greedy, you have to remember to bring treats for them when you go to town because they expect it, they are stubborn, they pee and poop in the house sometimes and they often stress you out.

If I closed my eyes to have a moment of calmness, I'm very likely to hear two dogs barking incessantly at some innocent passer-by, followed by a family member threatening the dogs to shut up. Or if I try to take a solitary walk in the woods around the house to look for various creatures to capture on camera, I am accompanied by two dogs and sometimes a cat in what they think as a noble duty. Only, they also chase away any sign of life. Sometimes, I wake up in the wee hours of the morning in hopes of starting a productive day of studying, only to be met with a steaming pile of dog poop to be cleaned.

Recently, Nicky (the faulty dog) fell critically ill with an advanced stage of tick fever. We thought he may not make it. After several visits to the hospital, lots of medications and critical care at home (force-feeding, keeping him warm, etc), he got better.

Lea was spayed recently. In the morning after her operation, the surgical cut had opened up and fleshy bits from the insides were hanging out. In a panic, we rushed her to a nearby vet. It was the most dingy and unhygienic clinic I have ever been to and the vet used bare fingers and unsterilised instruments to push the fleshy bits in and sew her up. We decided never to visit that vet again and we also feared she might die of sepsis. A few hours later, it too started to open up and more fleshy bits came out. She was rushed to the emergency ward that night, where they removed all her old stitches and put a new set. The poor girl went through a lot of trauma that day.

Out cat, Malky, got a fungal infection around the same time too. We took her to the vet twice, but because of the unpleasantness of having a tablet forced into her throat, she refused to come home. Her constant itching with sharp nails worsened it to bloody wounds. She was in a lot of distress. In order to take her to the vet, she was forcefully captured not once by thrice because she managed to escape twice (she's a superb escape artist). The vet said she has mange and gave her three painful injections which seems to have improved her condition.

These are the kind of responsibilities to consider when having pets (and children) and one must think very, very hard before making a commitment to have one.


Family life

A couple of days after I returned home, I was treated like royalty. This has always been the case when I came down for holidays. Tea was served to the bedside, I wasn't asked to do chores, my favourite types of food were all prepared for my delight and I was always chauffeured when going out of the house.

I even overheard my mother telling a couple of her friends over the phone, "The house feels full now and having her back has brightened the house and our lives."

Fast forward to six months later, things have changed. I get called out a lot for my forgetfulness (to close sugar jars, fold bed sheets, etc), I have to do chores the moment I am instructed, I have to help with making family decisions like what to eat for the next meal and I have to make efforts to socialise with neighbours and friends of the family.

Now my mother often questions her upbringing skills saying, "I can't believe you are a child of mine, how in the world have you learnt to live like [a pig, a gypsy, a brainless person, etc]?!".

My transition from a carefree "bachelor" life to being part of a chaotic family has not been easy. When living alone, my emotional state was pretty much a stable horizontal line. Now when living with family, it's a constantly fluctuating line with many spikes.

Gone are those days when I closed my eyes, I felt nothing but a sweeping calm of silence. Gone are also the days when I could have done virtually ANYTHING and walked out unnoticed, free of judgement and free of unsolicited advice.

The faulty dog

My family had a "No Pet Dogs" policy for a very long time. It is mostly because unlike cats, they are overly dependent on owners for food and attention and that makes it hard to leave them home alone. Cats, on the other hand, are more independent and are able to hunt for their own food when other sources of food are not available.

Despite objections from the family, my foster brother was very determined to have a dachshund. We were concerned that it was another phase, much like his past interests in rearing fish and growing a ponytail. My mother has a weakness for dachshunds since she had several of them growing up and he was able to exploit this loophole to his advantage. We also suspect that he had entrepreneurial motives on being a dog breeder after he met his friend from whom he bought a puppy for a price of USD 40. This idea, however, didn't catch on since our family strongly opposed the idea of breeding animals for cash. 

Personally, I dislike commercial dog breeders. I'm not sure if there are professionals who do the job humanely out of concern for the mother dog and puppies, but most small-scale breeders are after a quick buck. Driven by profit, they put the welfare of the animal on lower priority. For example, Nicky's mother is made to mate regularly and produce litter after litter of puppies which are then sold to people who like pedigree dogs. It is sad that a puppy bred for sale only gets to spend a few weeks with the mother, when she may also miss nursing and caring for her litter. Also, it is hard to guarantee to what kind of homes the puppies go to. Perhaps, they stand a good chance of getting good care owing to their "pedigree" status since people tend to take better care of valuable things for which they paid a price. Or they might end up in a home where the owners realised that the dream of owning a pedigree dog was a passing fancy and that it is a big and expensive responsibility. Or the puppies might once again be used to continue the cycle of commercial breeding. If the puppies are fortunate, they will end up in a loving home where they will spend a good dog life till eventual death.

In December 2015, Nicky joined our family as a six week old puppy. Soon, he became the center of everyone's attention and brought much joy and endless entertainment to my parents and brother. While living in Singapore, I received regular updates of Nicky and pictures of how my father cuddled and showered Nicky with attention - that even my sister and I didn't get as children!

Baby Nicky

    

Bath time - dunked in a bucket of water and dried with a hair dryer!

A literary critic and humorous journalist H. L. Mencken described dachshunds as "half a dog high and a dog and a half long." Nicky, true to his breed's personality, grew up to be comical, sociable, playful, hyperactive and too stubborn to be disciplined.

He has soulful eyes and regular mood swings, specially when he gets wind of us planning to leave the house. He hunts animals like spiders, cockroaches, frogs and mosquitoes for the thrill. He is a terrible guard dog. Even though he barks very loudly for his size (we learned later that it was because this breed has a large chest cavity), he would welcome any burglar to the house or would gladly get into a stranger's vehicle. And due to his friendly nature, he was popular with all the animal-loving guests who stayed at our bed & breakfast inn.

Grown up Nicky at 10.5 months

As he continued to grow, we realised that my brother may have accidentally purchased a faulty dog. He does insane things that no dog we knew ever did. He was hyperactive all the time (except when sleeping), he greets favourite people with so much joy and sprinkles of pee, he loves to eat catnip, he would bark at all the clocks in the house, his sex drive was at 100 percent a 100 percent of the time, he mistook our old cat for a mate and tried to hump her too, he started humping legs of unsuspecting guests, he started roaming around our neighbourhood chasing away male dogs and looking for females, he started eating the carpets at home and swallowed chunks of carpet fabric, he would jump into tyres of incoming vehicles, he would litter the house with soil and partially decomposed material (like rotten remains of frogs) brought from outdoors, and the list goes on.

This is how Nicky sleeps

With all that energy, it occurred to us that perhaps he would do well with a companion. Although he is a playful dog, he never had dog friends before. All the stray dogs in our lane treat him like an outcast, probably because they were not sure what this tiny, horny and loud dog-like creature was. The cats were the only animal company he had, but they didn't have enough energy to keep up with him. One moment he was loving and still, but the next moment he would play rough, slobber them with saliva and bark at them. The only issue was that we did not want to adopt more than two dogs at a time (considering food and medical costs) and that meant Nicky could not be allowed to breed. 

Castrating a healthy pet in our culture is not a black/white matter. People are more forgiving if it is a female dog because these same people think it is a burden for a female to be impregnated against her will by a male dog and that they are doing her a favour. Those who believe in karma thinks it is a sin to castrate an animal and in future births, those who back it may be born infertile (or something to that effect). One person told my mother that he knew of a dog that died a mysterious death after being castrated. Others took a more ethical point of view and suggested it is equivalent to taking away a basic right of an animal and goes against natural behaviour (which I also agreed with). Who knows how its psychology, behaviour and general health will be affected when a dominant hormone is no longer present in his body. 

Nicky's regular veterinarian asked us to allow him to mate at least once before castrating him and joked that he can help find him a mate. He didn't explain the reasoning behind it so I can't tell if it is because he thought it was best for the animal's welfare, or that it was a waste to operate on a pedigree dog with money-making potential, or because he felt that letting it sire puppies once will reduce karmic effects of castration.

Another friend/veterinarian in Singapore advised that it was best to castrate him as early as possible (preferably before 12 months of age) after he starts showing signs of sexual behaviour because otherwise, with constant practice, humping quickly becomes a learned behaviour. She also said castration has other health benefits to the dog like reducing the risk of testicular tumours, transmissible venereal tumours, hernias and prostatic diseases. She also suggested contraceptive implants as an alternative to castration, but these are very costly and requires replacement every 6 - 12 months. She also added that even if we manage to rehome all of Nicky's future offspring, that is potentially a lost opportunity for a stray or a shelter dog that could have a home. Two other dog-lovers with many years of dog rearing (and rescue) experience voted for castration.

The family was divided on opinions. However, after much debating, asking around for advice and receiving conflicting views, we made the difficult decision to castrate Nicky and get him a companion afterwards.

About three weeks ago, we visited two dog shelters (Tikiri Trust and SOFA) to find a suitable companion for Nicky. The first shelter didn't have any young female dogs for adoption because we were told that it will be easier for Nicky (who's never had dog company before) to bond with a younger one. At the second shelter, we were quizzed thoroughly to assess pet ownership potential and asked several times if we were ready to commit to looking after another pet for another 13 - 15 years. We explained that we were there that day only to look at a companion for our dog, but we would finalise the adoption only two weeks after that. And that would also give us more time to rule out any impulsive decisions. After she was convinced, she said there was one female puppy about four and a half months of age and brought it out for us to see.

It was a done deal the moment we saw Lea! It was hard to think clearly when there was a puppy in front of us and we (irrationally) thought it would be good if Nicky had a sister who looked like him. On second thoughts, I don't think Nicky has any idea of what he looks like. True to our word, two weeks later, we picked up (a taller) Lea from the shelter on the way back from having Nicky castrated. It was a bitter-sweet day for all of us. 

Meet Lea - now 5 months old and way taller than Nicky!

Lea, thankfully, was not a faulty dog. She is shy and gentle in nature. She's only fierce when eating and protecting her plate of food. She likes to be carried and is very curious to explore her surroundings. 

Nicky was a bit unwelcome on the first day, but Lea being a shelter dog with experience sharing space with a hundred other dogs, was patient with him. Since then he has grown very fond of her. He experienced the joy of playing and wrestling with another dog for the first time and loved it. He takes her around our garden and the neighbour's garden to show her his favourite hangouts. His appetite has improved since he imitates her (good) eating behaviour. Previously a fussy eater, Nicky now eats his food faster and indiscriminately knowing that his adopted sister will take it from him otherwise. Nicky is also learning slowly to share toys and his love and attention from us. He's stopped roaming in the neighbourhood and marking territory with pee a hundred times a day, which might be the effect of castration. He still tries to mount her sometimes though that might be a sign of affection or just conditioned behaviour. On the downside, he's become a bit swollen headed after getting a sister and now barks at our two cats and chases them away (even animals have an "us versus them" mentality!). Lea also follows suit. 

Going crazy during play time

Nap time

 Kitty, who's been with our family for 8-9 years, eyes the energetic youngsters with mild annoyance

For now, everyone (except our two cats) is happy. 

RIP Little Turtle

RIP little turtle. I regret my decision (with good intentions) to pull you off the seemingly unfriendly conditions of a pet shop and put you in a loving home with another turtle. I'm deeply sorry I couldn't understand your physical needs properly and it resulted in a slow and painful death for you.

The second half of this year has seen several guests coming to this house for long stay. Last week, came a domestic helper or in common terms, a "maid". The idea was to have someone who can watch the 4-year old so that the mother, after 4 years of being by his side, can start looking for career opportunities and have a guilt-free social life that doesn't affect other adults of the house. A good move, I think.

The first impressions of the new guest are that she is quite efficient in her work and with a pleasant personality. It'll take awhile for all of us to get used to each other's personalities (eccentricities included). She seemed awfully bored and sad the first few days. I once got her a newspaper in her native language and that helped to boost her mood a little. Then I noticed she likes to talk about her family and background with anyone who would listen. She is making progress, she's already done a lot of little things round the house to make it organised. I must admit I feel ashamed to have someone do some of my work like doing the laundry. But here's the thing, by the time I get around to doing it, she's already done it. Not cool. Got to admire these people who venture out of their homes, leaving behind their families (mostly losing them in the process of being overseas for extended periods of time) to earn and give them a better life. Some unlucky ones undergo unspeakable difficulties and injustice in the hands of cruel employers. Life is not always nice to everyone.

Also, as a result of having a plus one in the house, I have have been displaced and have come to share a room with my nephew. He seems to like having me around (I asked). Now my belongings are scattered all over the house and I find it terribly inconvenient to look for things, especially in the mornings before going to work.

Now I'm off to watch Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible 4, which has some scenes shot in my very own neighbourhood!

The Expanding Family

Today, I had the most delicious lunch I have had in recent times. After eating what seemed like a little mountain on my plate (with zero guilt) and cancelling a trip out to the mall, I settled down to enjoy some TV and blog. It was my silver lining for the day (even better than the joys of adoption...more on that later).

In life you give and get. Here's the thing with families - the giving and the getting all happens in up-sized proportions.

The past few days have been spent filling in partly for the Lady of the House. The time I usually spend on my hobbies and catching up with friends have been sacrificed to contribute to the daily operations of the House. I think we are doing pretty okay (even without the dummy's guide), seeing that the house is not falling apart yet. We have crazy moments, happy moments, homicidal moments and even funny moments but that's all part and parcel of living with the family, right? While it has come to my attention that my beloved sis is quite the talented multi-tasker who thinks and does a million things, I can now begin to understand her binge spending on clothes/shoes and her joy of going out with her girls. Got to admit, Motherhood is a very stressful job - with little compensation, little appreciation, little or no assistance and if not careful, even long term health issues. No thanks, I still prefer my current job.

[Re-enacted and slightly exaggerated scene]

Grandma: JD, here, I made cheese toast for you.
JD: (makes a face) I DON'T WANT CHEESE TOAST. I WANT FRENCH TOAST.
Grandma: We don't have French toast. I'll make French toast for you on another day. Would you like to eat something else? Some oats, cereal, a sausage or a bun??
JD: (tries to fake crying) NOOOOOOOOOOOO. I WANT FRENCH TOAST.
Grandma: Will you sit and have a bun?
JD: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
Grandma: Then what else would you like to have?

(He eventually settles for a bun. *Aunt Shu quietly slips into her room and bangs her head on the wall*)


[A hypothetical dialogue that goes through Shu's mind as she witnesses the previous scene]

Aunt Shu: JD, here, I made cheese toast for you.
JD: (makes a face) I DON'T WANT CHEESE TOAST. I WANT FRENCH TOAST.
Aunt Shu: We don't have French toast, you have to eat cheese toast today. I'll make French toast for you on another day.
JD: (tries to fake crying) NOOOOOOOOOOOO. I WANT FRENCH TOAST.
Aunt Shu: No, you can't have French toast today.
JD: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
Aunt Shu: Okay then. Go sit on the couch and starve. Let me know when you feel like eating your cheese toast.

(According to Shu's text book of Bringing up Little Humans, he should settle for the cheese toast eventually)


We've been talking about this for awhile. Getting Toto a friend. I decided today is the day for the mission. After a round of grocery shopping, I dropped by the pets store. It went just like any other adoption process; the parents-to-be were shown all the kids on display, and they had to make the difficult choice of picking one (over many other hopefuls) to welcome into their loving and caring home. There was a tank with several turtles, big and small. The big ones seemed unhappy and stressed with overcrowding. Sadly, we can't have a big one and we can't have more than one; even Toto's friend was brought in with no prior approval from the Head of the house! The shopkeeper was helpful with information and I picked a small one that I thought was Toto's size. He was very rough with handling the poor thing, and he twirled the fellow around in a polythene bag as he tied a knot. Ouch. The adoption cost 15 bucks, and the friendly shopkeeper threw in three stones for free. I hate to think the little guy's life was worth only 15 bucks, instead, I like to think that I bought him (or her) his freedom from the evil pet store! After getting some green vegetable pellets for Toto, who is fussy with his greens, we drove home, with the new guy sitting on the front passenger seat!

Three brothers - all wearing green

Everyone was happy to welcome the new addition, I think. Toto and the new guy have not killed each other yet. They'll bond over time. The personalities are quite different. Toto is shy, lazy and prefers to stay in the water. The new guy is full of vigor, changing between the water and land (the stone), swimming fast, climbing on and drowning Toto and probably eating most of Toto's share of food. Hopefully, Toto will watch and learn some new skills from his 'brother' and also learn to stand up and fight for his share of things in the bowl.

We need a name for the new guy (who BTW, will be a surprise for my sister when she returns). I was thinking 'Manny' after a character I like in Modern Family. But I think I'll let JD do the honours of naming his new brother. After all, my parents gave my sister the honours of giving me my middle name.

2nd In Charge

My beloved sister is away travelling for about 10 days. This is her first time away for so long and she is very concerned about the extended time away from her 4-year old. Her motherly duties have been divided among the nephew's favourite grandma, the serious aunt (that would be me) and our new flatmate. My sister is so used to being on top of her game and running the show at home that she had a difficult time letting go and delegating duties to, in her mind, less capable people. Well, it is no wonder she thinks that way because when she is around we mostly prefer to stand back and mind our own business (Shu is guilty as charged)!

She was telling a million little things on her way out of the house and at several transits she had in Sri Lanka, Bangkok and finally at the destination, China (of which only a 40-60% may have made it to my long term memory). Several times I had to tell her to just shut up and go enjoy the trip because we will be just fine!

1. If he has a cough, do this, this and this
2. Don't forget to pick him up from school ON TIME
2. Use THIS pan instead of THIS one to heat his food
3. Be nice to him (yeah, you wait and see how he's going to get un-pampered by the aunt *evil grin*)
4. Don't forget to feed the turtle and clean its bowl (great, a 4-year old AND a turtle)
5. DO NOT let him do this, this and this
6. Make sure to check his homework diary and send the things the school wants
7. Etc, etc, etc (I'm pretty sure I was supposed to remember more than that!)

And if THOSE were not enough, we have a dummy's guide to walk us through for 10 days plastered to the kitchen cupboard (isn't she extremely thoughtful??):

Why, there's online consultation on Skype and Whatsapp too!

The moment she left, my 'responsible mode' kicked in. And I have been on top of things in her absence. Of course, I have plenty of help so it's easier. And I already have my expert certification in looking after 2-4 year olds. The kid's an interesting specimen to work with and observe; trying out quicker ways of eating food, hypnotherapy watching the effects of different types of training and coaching, etc. Results of data gathered will be used to research further on how best to bring up sensible and well rounded children.

Sigh. Military style techniques in Aunt Shu's School of Reform is only effective with persistent practice. It won't help when grandmas are too nice and accommodating of all requests!

Today, while buying doughnuts for his school snack, I was shocked to see the various types of doughnuts on display. They looked SOOO SUGARY that these might as well be called sugar coated diabetes. My teeth shuddered just looking at them.

Here's the latest addition to the family - a red-eared slider, aka. Toto the turtle.

I miss my super sis.

The Animal Camp

Life always finds a way. For some, it was to our backyard.

If only animals could communicate with us. Maybe they do, in subtle ways that we understand only if we are sensitive enough to notice.

For as long as I lived in my home country, we've always had an animal of some sort taking refuge in our house, along with the abundance of children who would act as the care takers (myself and two other pals). They came in all sorts of sizes and colours and from all sorts of backgrounds, the animals I mean. And they always found plenty of love, attention (perhaps too much), shelter, food, warmth and safety in our home.

Tragedy hits not only humans; it happens in the animal kingdom too. The monsoons and winds wash away nests of birds and squirrels, while alarmed parents watch helplessly. Some cats and dogs get hit by vehicles and are left by the road side either to be run over again or to die slowly in pain. Some kittens and puppies, only a few days old, are snatched away from the warmth of their mothers, tied in large bags and thrown in the river. Some luckier ones are either thrown in dumpsters or are abandoned stealthily in backyards like ours. Some badly wounded animals are rescued from the tenacious grips of predators. Some orphaned baby animals cry their guts out for their mothers, who have fled out of helplessness and fear of humans. Others are rescued from the misery of physical abuse caused by my fellow human beings. This world is often too cruel to them.

Thalaya

One sunny afternoon, I was doing my usual rounds of garden exploration during a school holiday, when I saw a curious face pop out of a snake hole. Must be a snake, I thought, as it had a pink forked tongue. But I was curious so I stayed on to watch quietly from a distance. After a trying game of waiting, which 'he' lost, he came out of his hidey hole. He turned out to be a clouded monitor lizard. Our area was not known for this species of lizard so we can only speculate as to where he came from. Over the next few weeks, he and I got friendly, although progress was very slow. At first, he would only let me stroke his head, then slowly he would drink water out of my hand and finally, he let me pull him out of his hole and carry him. The slightest sound would send this dirt dweller in a scurry back into the hole and his sharp nails would leave me with scratch marks. Sometimes he would be gone for a long time, like a week, but he always returned. I would wait eagerly for him to pop his head back out. Eventually, he was no more. Maybe he relocated, or a dog killed him or a human killed him. There is a running myth that eating this lizard's tongue would make a person very smart and increase memory retention immensely. Maybe it was just another way of saying, nothing can cure stupidity.

Pepe

This orange shaded cow was named after a corn snack we used to like eating. Parallel to our housing scheme was a very remote village. Many villagers would trespass into the housing scheme we lived in, and bring their cattle to graze. These untied cattle would raid into our gardens and destroy entire plants, leaving many of the residents unhappy. While this was going on, we made friends with a little boy who used to bring his cattle to graze. We dubbed him 'Cow Boy”. He was not much older than we were and we enjoyed asking him a lot of questions on what he did. He used to give graphic details of how his female cows gave birth, among other stories. We also made friends with his cows. My mom was not too happy when we fed bananas (meant for us to eat) to the cows. Pepe was one of those cows, who seemed to remember us very well, even many years later.

Furball

One fine day, we were playing badminton on the road. Our pet cat was hunting for small prey nearby and the next thing we know, she had a wild rabbit's neck lodged between her jaws. Back then, I was against letting nature take its course and allowing a predator savour its prey. We jumped in, strangled the cat, tried to pry open its jaws and managed to pull out a shocked rabbit bleeding from its neck. The neck wound was not too deep and after a few days of care at our place, he recovered. We released him back to where we found him. It was a joy to see him hop away into the wild.

Barbie, Goony & Wooly

My sister used to work in a very beautifully landscaped five star hotel in an area renown for its wildlife. Once, the staff found an orphaned baby squirrel and handed it over to her as she was known for her kind ways. Barbie, went to work with my sister everyday, either hiding inside her hair or sometimes, sleeping shamelessly in the pocket-like spot inside her bra. She loved to eat muffins from the breakfast buffet spread. Sometimes, when my sister came over for the weekend, she would bring Barbie along so we can play with her. Soon after, my sister was called to another rescue mission. This time, two more baby squirrels were found abandoned inside a vehicle (the mother must have given birth in a hurry and fled when she realised there were too humans in the area) and they were handed over to my sister. She sent the two of them to us as she had a full time job to keep and already one squirrel to look after! Goony and Wooly grew up fast from a state of pinkishness to having pretty fur with their distinct markings. They fancied yogurt, rice and fruits. Our house looked like a mini-jungle, with branches and leaves fixed for their comfort and enrichment. Doors and windows were always shut so our two cats couldn't get in. The duo would steal my hair bands and handkerchiefs and try to make nests out of those. They loved to play hide and seek when we read the newspapers. They had the most adorable way of yawning and lifting its front foot when we stroked the chest. One day, in a freak of carelessness, a door was left open and they got away. We can only hope they eventually adapted to the wild.

Thinny, Swordtail & Fatty

After much begging and pleading, our mom finally allowed us to keep fish. The three of us visited the aquarium and picked one each. There was Fatty, Thinny and Swordtail. If I recall well, Thinny was mine. They lived in a big glass jar for quite a long time. Swordtail died and the other two made little fish and went on to eat them. We learned later that the small ones had to be separated from the adults till they were big enough not to be bullied. All went well, until the school holidays came and my friends went home for the vacation. I was admittedly careless, the jars might have been too dirty and all the fish died. It was hard to explain that to my friends when they returned. 

Froggie

There once used to be a small frog that would hop all the way from our indoor toilet, up the stairs and to the outdoors in the mornings. He would then, in the evening, make his way from the outdoors to the inside toilet, on the same route down the stairs, almost like he were a tenant of the house. We were amused by how piously he made his journey everyday. Sometimes he would stop at the stairs to entertain us, while we examined him closely or stroked it. He had the smoothest (and icy cold) frog skin ever! And those bright black eyes and the wide mouth... it was almost as if he were smiling at us!

Sumudu

This log squirrel (also known as a giant squirrel) was rescued by one of my uncles, again by chance. This little guy and his mother were captured off a plantation (they are considered pests and a delicacy in most areas) and taken to be someone's dinner. Sadly, the mother ended up in someone's plate, but the little one after a some convincing (as he was probably too small and not meaty enough) came to live with my uncle. My uncle in turn, handed him to us. Although a wild squirrel, we could not release it outside as it had not learned enough skills from its mother for survival. Several attempts to teach coconut-tree climbing failed when it succumbed to gravity he fell flat on the ground. We came up with the most natural habitat we could build inside a bedroom; bridges, obstacles and play things made with branches, twigs and leaves. Every day, we would find different fruits and flowers for him to feed on. We were all a happy family until a new Wildlife Act was passed in the country, prohibiting this type of species to be kept as household pets. So we had to give him away to a monastry, where I was promised he would be better off. Parting with him was a very hard thing to do to, we had shared so much of warm memories together. Many months later, I heard he was mauled by the dogs in the monastry.

Keli & Benzi

One evening, I was on the way to the nearby grocery store when I noticed a dog lying on the side of the road. Asking around, I found out she was hit by vehicle and unable to move. We would regularly take milk and food to feed her, as she lay on the side of the road. A few days later, she (Keli) started to limp around and made her way to the nearest house, one belonging to a 90+ year old grandma (a very tough cookie, who loved to chit chat) who was living on her own. We would still visit Keli afterwards with food and she grew very fond of us. Later, she had one fat pup, which she was happy to come show off at our place. She was ever so loyal to us for many years, it was almost as if she remembered that we once cared for her. I heard recently that Keli died, probably of old age. I still meet Benzi, her pup (now the size of a small cow) when I visit home for the holidays and she remembers me too.

Pini & her legacy

This pretty calico cat was accidentally discovered one rainy day, while a shabby old man was emptying her from a sack into a dumpster! My mom says she was only a few weeks old then. Pini came to live with my mom, who was living alone at the time, as all the other family members were scattered in faraway countries. She became the only companion my mom had for a long time. She had four generations of offspring; the fourth died out, the first and second generations grew up and left our home for greener pastures, as did Pini, although she still pays the occasional visit. She is fat as a pig now, thanks to a friendly neighbour who overfeeds her and lets her laze all day on their couch. Her daughter, Kitty from the third generation still lives with our family.

Fawn (yet to be named)

Dad with fawn

She is the newest addition to the animal camp. A fawn, injured and left behind by the pack. Living far away from home, we have to rely on regular updates from the parents to see how she is doing. Apparently, she loves to feed on fresh cows milk and dash around the house. She's even formed an alliance with Kitty: Kitty can have all the left over milk and in return, she would not claw the fawn's face! Releasing her into the wild remains doubtful without the herd around, as she is not even weaned. This type of deer is also protected by law so it is not legal to keep one in a house so she will soon be re-homed. [Afternote: Sadly, this little one died an unpleasant death, after being attacked by dogs and before a suitable home was found.]

Those were a few stories that left lasting impressions. There were many other birds, bats, rats, tortoises, cats and dogs which came into our lives and left.

Looking back, I'm thankful my family supported us in every adoption, rescue and rehabilitation mission we undertook, regardless of its outcome. Some missions failed miserably and we ended up learning to deal with sadness and loss. But all lessons learned and experiences gained have been golden.

Photographs (resembling actual characters) courtesy of Google Images.