Guardian angels

If I were to tell my friends that I’m entering a writing contest about a topic that’s the dearest to my heart, they wouldn’t have to venture a second guess. They’d know that it is about animals. Writing a long essay about my pets would be quite a chaotic process, for I find it quite difficult to put all my thoughts, feelings and experiences about my furry friends in a certain mould of words. However, I can say with certain confidence that the stories of my unbelievably cute and therapeutic pets will help the reader overlook my amateur writing!

The exact date and place as to when and where I met my oldest pet is a blurry memory. Living in a country like India, I have been familiar with having stray animals around me almost my entire life. Here, one can see countless number of stray or abandoned animals on the streets- dogs, cats, and even goats, or pigs. Stray dogs are considered a breed of their own here, fondly known as “gauthi” here, in Maharashtra, India. Ever since I was a child, I have learnt from my parents that the path to adopt toward animals should be of compassion and kindness, devoid of selfishness and hate. The more you give them, the more you get back; the most selfless and unadulterated relationship that mankind can have.

Ever since I can remember, the backyard of our bungalow has been home to numerous animals, insects, and birds. The big coconut trees, humungous mango trees, and the cool soil provide a suitable ecosystem to many animal species. Thus, we have always embraced the belief of co existing with other creatures- be it four legged creatures like dogs and cats, or a hundred legged centipede or magnificent butterflies and scaly lizards. My mother often reminds me - do not harm the harmless or the voiceless.

Before I start writing about my current pets, I am going to dedicate some part of this writing to my old pets as well. Just over a few years back, my family and me welcomed a cute little fur ball into our lives. The story of how my cat entered our lives is magical and soul stirring; one that was quite unexpected in the truest sense. The story begins like any other Aesop’s fables- on a warm sunny morning. Correction- on a warm sunny Sunday morning, like on any other weekends, all of us were engrossed in the collective activity of house cleaning. All of a sudden we heard meows coming from somewhere nearby. We were at first caught off guard because we thought it was coming from somewhere inside the house. As we frantically started searching for the source of the meows, my gaze settled upon him. Sitting on the windowsill of our kitchen was a small cat. White as snow with patches of orange on him, with ears pointed upward, he returned my gaze through his deep, mystical, grey eyes. It would be a lie to say that he didn’t captivate my heart right away.

The first few days that we gave him milk and Indian bread to eat, he used to lick the bowl clean and have little bits of cream stuck in his whiskers. How I felt like wrapping him up in a blanket like a burrito! But because my mother is allergic to cats, we couldn’t let him inside the house. My heart just broke knowing I wouldn’t be able to cuddle or play with him. Despite of him being a street cat, I was scared he might be at danger from the other big cats and dogs in the vicinity. However, all my fears were put to rest once I saw how smart and quick he was. He would climb trees swiftly and run as fast as he could to chase rats. Also, our backyard was a relatively safe space for him to sleep and laze around. That was his kingdom till noon. Later, he would roam around other buildings or wherever he wanted to. He was loved by all our neighbors. The tiny feline that we met a few weeks ago soon became a healthy, fearless, and loved cat in the neighborhood.

Like any other male street cat, he brought along with him many of his friends- pregnant cats, mommy cats with new born kittens, and many others. It was really heartening to see them being friends and playing and sharing with each other (Something that the human race needs to relearn today).

We fostered/ took in around 7-8 cats (including kittens) over the course of three years. One of my most memorable incidents with my cat is the one where he pooped on my leg because he had a stomach infection. That day, I realized I couldn’t feel an ounce of annoyance at him even he brought a dead rat near my foot. After all, they are animals without a developed conscience.

I can never forget how truly blessed and loved I felt when any of the cats brushed their whole bodies against my ankles. It’s a feeling of mutual trust, and genuine compassion. There are certain invisible waves that connect us to things other than just humans, all we have to do to feel that connection is step outside our mechanical lives for a while; even a split second can make all the difference.

I would have daily morning and evening dates with my new found best friend. A bowl of milk is all it took to win his heart. Even my grandma, who wasn’t the friendliest of all, was fond of him. No matter how incessantly and loudly he’d scream for his food, she’d whisper to him softly and assure that it was being warmed. This unusually organic bond made me realize something profound- the loneliest and most cynical people feel joy and hope rekindled in them through their pets.

By now, the reader must have observed that most of the sentences above are in the past tense. When my grandma passed away in July of 2016, our cat stopped visiting us. None of his friends visited us either. Maybe he sensed loss more strongly than us. Maybe it was too sad for him to visit us in the absence of my grandma. Maybe he wanted us to grieve for some time. Maybe he needed to grieve. I simply don’t know. What I do know is that we never got to see the sight of him sitting on the windowsill, meowing away, while my grandma warmed some milk for him, all the while having a conversation with him. It’s unfortunate that this sight vanished from our lives so soon, so abruptly.

In case you’re wondering why I haven’t mentioned the names of any of these cats, it’s because we never named them. We would always use generic Indian cat names like “mau”, “mani”, “boku”, “chotu”. We did name two kittens that we fostered a few months later- those button eyed cuties were Bob and Dexter. Those were the last pair of cats that we took care of, leaving us with tons of memories and overwhelming stories.

Now, let’s have a peek into the lives of my current pets. My three dogs! They are not just canines to me; to me, they are my best friends, rather, my guardian angels. Despite the inability to communicate verbally, they have, through their own unique ways, taught me what selfless love truly means. I have seen dogs with three legs, missing eyes, and missing limbs; however none of these challenges ever deter them from living their lives to the fullest and spreading joy to anyone who’s willing to love them wholly.

In Indian communities, looking after stray animals is a collective responsibility, voluntarily taken by all. That includes- feeding them, providing shelter, getting them vaccinated and neutered. It is actually quite a wonderful thing, as though the street dogs bring the people closer and make them more humane. I have seen the grumpiest and loudest people become cool as a cucumber when around pets, especially dogs.

It is actually quite nice to see such a unique and unconventional set up for stray-cum-pet animals. As they are Indie dogs, their instinct doesn’t let them stay indoors for a long period of time. They need to roam around wherever they please and mark their territory.

Let me introduce my angels- Lalya (pretty unfamiliar Indian name), Lucy and Puppy. As you may have guessed, we named the third one “puppy” because, well, she was just a small puppy when we first saw her. I think it goes without saying that we (me and my family) are not particularly good at naming our pets! For reasons still unbeknownst, we just use generic terms and go along with it.

This trio always sticks around together. We first met Lalya 5 years ago. He was the most curious puppy I have ever seen. He had (and still does have) the most attractive set of eyes and strong paws. His day would pretty much revolve around pouncing on people, rolling in the soil, chewing on sticks, and drink half a bucket of water to quench his thirst. The scorching heat never stopped him from being the most active dog in our vicinity. Now, the same inquisitive puppy has grown to a big dog who is very possessive about his hoomans! He marks his territory from other dogs and wants all the pets reserved for him. Half of the day, he sleeps in our garage or roams on the streets like a king. One thing that still remains unchanged are his cute black button eyes that can melt the hardest of hearts.

Lucy is the mellowest dog I have ever come across. Simply put, she is the most lovable creature one can find. So gentle is her temperament that it can make a person’s cynophobia go away.

Last but never the least is “puppy”. Once quite literally a puppy the size of a teacup, she is now a fully grown, much active dog- ironically still named puppy. She is the smartest of the lot.

As for the three dogs that we look after, they’re a playful and enthusiastic bunch. I have even taught them a few tricks like handshakes and high fives. They love belly rubs and tangoing with me; but the one bizarre thing that tops them all is, when they get super affectionate when I blow air on their ears.

When the three of them are on a zealous mode at the same time, they will either indulge in a playful wrestling match or, an underdog training session- there is no in between.

They each have their own quirks- the way Lucy curls into a ball when she finds a pile of dried leaves to nap upon; a very absurd habit of puppy when she just lies on her back, still as a rock with her tongue out and staring into space when she wants someone to come play with her or scratch her belly; and Lalya being happy whenever he sees grocery bags or a parcel in our hands, thinking those are treats for him, his big black eyes shining with innocence and curiosity. The best part about co- parenting this trio with rest of the member in our housing society is that they have not just one, but many homes where they are loved and cared for equally.

Ever since these angels came into my life, it has made happier and more compassionate. Whenever I go hiking on a “tekdi” (word for small hillock in the local language) near the town, I have many furry friends who follow me till the end and sit with me while I rest and enjoy the sunset.

A few years ago, me and my friends (who are as intense animal lovers as I am) made a documentary on the animal rescue and rehabilitation centers in Pune (my hometown in Maharashtra, India). We visited two rescue centers and interviewed the staff and the founders of the organizations. We even got the opportunity to interview a few people around the city who foster, and have even adopted stray animals in dire need of a home. It was a riveting experience to meet and converse with such selfless people who work day and night for not just abandoned dogs and cats, but even animals like pigs, goats, and horses. Needless to say, it was equally heartbreaking to witness the terrible conditions in which some of the animals were rescued. Some are sick due to the unhygienic conditions that they are exposed to on the streets; others are due to the inhumane and harsh treatment inflicted upon them by humans.

The entire experience of making this documentary; along with my past and present pets have made me realize something- an intense desire to work for animal welfare in the future. I wish to one day have enough resources and a support system to start an organization and work at the grassroots level to help the voiceless and the most vulnerable.

Over the course of five years that I’ve had pets, I’ve realized the frivolous nature of materialism and experienced the inherent responsibility of staying connected to the delicate balance of nature that surrounds us that, needless to say one that WE are a part of.

My pets have given me what no other experience ever could have – the inexplicable and irreplaceable love that flows between us. When I say this, I say it with certain degree of veracity, that, your pets are going to love you no matter how worse things get for you. In the darkest of times, they will guide you toward the light with their tiny paws.