Dogs

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Remembering Gypsy

Gypsy was our beautiful Cocker Spaniel.

Amazingly spirited as spaniels are known to be.

She was a treasure sent from heaven above.

She died on this day, 6 years ago.

Snatched away too early.

Due to the carelessness of the vet.

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You think those dogs will not be in heaven! I tell you they will be there long before any of us.

~  Robert Louis Stevenson ~

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of dogs & #cats

a complete dog-person I considered myself to be…having always loved dogs.

for reasons unknown to me, I disliked cats.

i used to find them spooky & associated them with all things dark & eerie.

it was only on getting a cat & her litter which subsequently followed that I discovered cats are super fun.

while they never are & never can be in any way close to dogs in terms of giving affection..they are great pets.

Cat

i spent most of my life with a false perception of cats.

and for which reason I stayed away from the feline of the species.

a year later with a cat & 4 kittens I have been proved wrong.

Kittens

i realise the value of having an open mind.

you never know which spark of mischief can add sparkle to your life.

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The Best Judge?

 

At one time I always believed that children & dogs were the best  judges of character.

Children by & large tend to instinctively trust or doubt another person.

They are also by & large spot on in their assessment of people.

Dogs can trust or will bark & kick up an alarm if they suspect a person. 

They really seem to know who can be trusted, atleast in most cases. They also know who needs to be nipped in the foot…& fairly fast at that.

And now there’s a cat in the equation. 

I have to humbly admit this.

I am learning that cats couldn’t  be bothered about humans, their lives &  petty affairs one way or the other. So forget about cats being a good or bad judge of character.

It’s own life is worthy of introspection & praise. No one else’s.

It’s in your interest to find out if YOU are worthy of a cats attention, affection or…if you qualify for its indifference or deepest contempt.

Bah to the human beans. They are all Humbug as Scrooge would have said.

Cats agree with Scrooge.

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Wanderful Cat

                                         

Mia our cat recently did the disappearing act (part of the Raven-ous cast). She was gone a couple of days…leaving us worried & quite helpless. I mean where does one start searching for a cat? 

Being fairly new to the cat-world I looked up Dr.Google & was relieved to know that this is regular cat behaviour & they will find their way back home…eventually.

Well she didn’t exactly come back on her own…but was lost in the neighbourhood. We were informed by someone who saw her.

She  was fortunately found…with a lot of drama – including someone being sent with a bag with the hope she would cooperate & jump right in! No luck. Finally found in the 3rd attempt & the errant cat was brought back home…by the scruff of the neck.

She received a warm welcome by the inhabitants of the household.

What I’m trying to figure out is what is it that makes these creatures so damn curious. The stray dogs are constantly on the lookout for her…why can’t she get the message & stay safe. Also, I’ve never known of a dog wanting to climb a desk & go for a casual stroll on the laptop!

Having a cat for the first time I am discovering that it’s a totally fun experience. It’s drama of some form all the time…

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Why smile?

Gypsy, was a Cocker Spaniel who owned us some years ago.

A wonderfully spirited dog, she had a beautiful coat of black, curly hair.

The stress is on the black, curly hair.  The true reflection of a Malayalee pet.

I would often give her a bath after massaging her coat with oil.

Yes. Coconut oil.

The soul of a Malayalee shines because it has been dipped in this most  precious of oils. 

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I had once taken Gypsy to the Vet for her regular check up.

There I saw an oldish lady with her dog. What else can one expect to see at the Vet’s.

This woman apparently belonged to the school of thought which advocated,  “Thou shalt never smile”.

Too bad.

Strange but true, the Dachshund on her lap with its little jacket had the same pinched look as her.

I figured like owner, like dog.

*  *  *  *  *

The lady bleakly stared at my dog.

Then she asked me a question about Gypsy’s hair, without a trace of expression on her face.

In the dullest of tones she asked – “Why is its hair so curly?”

I must have replied that it had been permed.

She continued to stare at my dog.

Apparently my witty reply was utterly un-smile-worthy. 

Not even half-smile-worthy.

I laughed a mirthless laugh & mumbled something.

My response, naturally so.

I had failed to evoke her spirit.

Let sleeping dogs lie…and their owners too.

*  *  *  *  *

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Raven-ous

We have a bunch of daily visitors,thanks to my Mother.

They drop in for early breakfast,some for a noon time snack & a few come by for dinner.

No formalities here – they find whichever place they can to plonk themselves – swing on the branches,hang out by the gate or stare from the wall.

The fare is generally served warm (no cold food is a rule of sorts – for example it has to be warm milk, not cold… I of course take the short cut if I ever happen to be on serving duty,which fortunately is rare) & added on is the occasional eggs,fish,meat for the carnivorous friends.

Sometimes, if there is a delay in food arriving, the visitors know how to create one helluva ruckus (special mention goes to the crows) &  it would be fair to say they sound like a thoroughly disgruntled orchestra !

I have personally observed a visitor on few occasions, when food had not yet been laid out on time by Mum . This audacious crow would take the empty plate in its beak & bang it hard on the platform ,while looking towards our house! The word Raven-ous comes to mind! 

Incidentally,this landing platform on the tree happens to be an old upturned table fan tied on a branch & on which a plate is placed- reuse,reuse,reuse!!!

It is a daily raucous party that serves as a sort of natural morning alarm especially for me ,as the tree is in front of my room!

The visitors during the day are of all types & temperaments –

Four stray dogs –
Miki – the arrogant!
Riki – the brooding brother of Miki,has to fight for his bites!
Blackie – the ever grateful & mother of the aforementioned rascals Miki & Riki
Brownie – the dignified (also boyfriend of Blackie)

The winged ones – crows,pigeons ,mynas

Squirrels – the origins of cheek & sheer survival can be traced back to these creatures

Rats – who sneak in from under the tree or the garden for some remaining tidbits

Mia – the kitten,our latest addition,to add more confusion.

Our aquarium is placed outside…amidst all this drama, the fish have a ring side view of the goings on.

The reader may be interested to note that Mia the kitten was originally brought in to catch rats in the garden. The dogs are desperate to catch her . So,she is currently in a special protected zone called the back of the house enjoying a healthy diet of rice & fish,served in private quarters!

Watching all of this has given us a great glimpse into the world of animal behavior – aggression, cunningness, dignity, pretentious power, survival, sneakiness…

For example,who would ever have thought that pigeons are aggressive ? I didn’t for sure.

I figured that crows have sharp beaks but pigeons can easily bulldoze them into submission & have them evicted from the platform!

The silly crows have the ammunition of a sharp beak but have no idea of its power…whereas pigeons just inflate their wee chests, thrust their wings in combat mode & scare the crows. Pigeons as you know have small beaks.

This is daily drama for all who care to watch. I do.