The other day I bumped into
my schoolmate. After exchange of news over the years, she asked me, “how is
your little baby?” I said, “Very cute” – which is what all mothers say – “and very
smart.” Added that she doesn’t trouble me at all once she is fed, and keeps
playing to herself, that she is a jewel and I treasure her. Suddenly, she
interrupted me and said, “Oh shucks, I was supposed to ask this of my
colleague. By the way, who were you talking about?” I said, “of course my baby,
my little kitten who has just come of age.”
My friend looked askance as
she stared into my eyes – Are you crazy? Comparing a kitten with a human baby? As
though my kitten was any less than a human baby, or rearing her any less
challenging than bringing up an infant. That got me thinking on the various
things that I experienced on the arrival of children of the four-legged kind
into my home and life.
The neighbours – who would
coo into any baby welcomingly – reacted in different ways. A few spoke in
whispers about our new pet, some in joy at the little one, others advising
their little ones to stay away as “it will bite you”.
I still remember the
expenses I incurred on my pets’ vaccinations and medications, for which I could
not claim reimbursement at office. A human baby could be put to sleep with a
lullaby – even off-tune if you desire – but my kitten would have none of it,
and took her own sweet time to learn to trust us not to hurt her if she cuddled
beside us whenever she felt like it. What about the times I had lost sleep
trying to get her to go to the bathroom to relieve herself, lest she dirtied
our bed? Pet parents also have sleepless nights, but we don’t talk about them.
It is almost a done thing
for small babies to howl in the night if they wish to, for any of the myriad
excuses the elders have for it – nightmare, colic, loose motions with a new
tooth and what not. But I was given a show-cause notice when our little puppy
whined on the first few nights away from and remembering his playful siblings
and mother.
As he was growing, my puppy had
his share of health problems and was as helpless as a small child, if not more
as he could not speak out his discomfort like a human child can. When he threw
up on the bed I had to be patient till he recovered. I had to stay up, spoon
feed him and be there for him, just like a mother would for her sick child. Recently
at the vet’s, I saw another parent all tears when she showed the blood report
of her little Persian cat asking what she could do to reduce the excessive WBC
count. I remember how I had taken permission to leave office and reach home to
help my daughter deal with the tantrums of my then teenager dachshund.
All through their short life
with us, our four-legged children depend heavily on us and it is a pleasure
catering to their needs for the unstinted loyalty and selfless love that they shower
on us. We learn so much from them that it would not be wrong to say that they
really bring us up not otherwise.
- Published in Deccan Herald on 14th June 2017 as 'Parenting four-legged babies'
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