Pets bring us unconditional love

Pet lovers purchase exorbitant and exotic pets, but this kitten about which I am writing, was neither purchased nor gifted to me. I found it lying in a pathetic condition in a remote corner of a building in our society. It was about the size of my palm and hunger had reduced him to less than 500 gram in weight. I assumed that it must have been left behind by its mother for reasons unknown to me or perhaps the mother had been killed by a dog. My pity knew no bounds when I saw this limping, famished, helpless little kitten. I carried it home and wondered how to look after it because I had never kept a pet.

I lay it on some dry grass lying in the balcony. Tender rays of the sun brought some life in him and he went and lay down under the cane chair. Every 5 minutes I would go and check on him to see that he is not being harassed by the pigeons or crows which frequented my balcony. I put some milk in a bowl and placed it before him but I realized that he had not been initiated into drinking from a bowl. In its efforts to drink, he nearly drowned himself in the bowl of milk. I lifted him out of the bowl, dried it and fed him milk with a spoon.

But it would not drink and I wondered why…I thought he was being fussy. Wisdom dawned on me and I warmed the milk in the microwave and fed it. The cutie pie drank all of it without any hassles. That was the first knowledge I got about handling pets.

The next thing I wondered was how the poor thing would bear this cold as it was the winter season. As one would understand, it is difficult to find a separate place for a pet in a flat. But they say necessity is the mother of all inventions. I found a jute stool, enclosed from all sides (MOODA). I placed it on upside down position in my dry balcony and lined the inside with newspaper and cotton cushions, I put some neem leaves as an antiseptic and placed the kitten in it and I wondered at my ingenuity of being able to take care of a small pet.

So far so good, but then I had to go to the office. Who would now take care of my new found pet with which I was already so attached? But my basic motherly instincts showed me a way. I left a small bowl of milk and water in the balcony. At the office every bit of free time was devoted to thinking and worrying about my cutie pie whether he would have had the milk, whether he is safe from the pigeons and crows and whether he is still alive.

The moment I left my office I found myself rushing home as if someone dear to me is waiting for me. The moment I put the key in the lock I heard a faint meow….which gave me immense joy and satisfaction. I am sure the feeling was mutual. The moment I opened the door of the balcony he jumped and clung onto me as if to say, don’t leave me alone.

This little hug evoked the hidden flame of love in me and I realized the importance of relationships in our lives. Time was flying and I couldn't find enough time to socialize. The cutie pie would bang about the house at 6 am. I would carry him in one hand and grab a cup of tea and newspaper in another hand.

What a treat it was for my eyes to see his naughty moves. This month old kitten that was weak and limping had now started walking briskly. Then we had to go to Bhopal to celebrate Diwali at my mother in law’s place. Now my worry was what to do with this cutie pie when we are travelling. Who would want to shoulder that responsibility?

(It would climb on my hubby's laptop as if to say please stop being a workaholic, play with me)

I decided to take the bull by its horns and bought a small basket and milk bottle for him. Legally you cannot carry a pet along with you while you are travelling by train but I was running out of options hence I decided to take the risk. Sixteen hours journey from Pune to Bhopal was not a cake walk. 

(Corners of my home that became lively because of this cutie pie)

He was sitting quietly inside the basket but after every half an hour it let out a miaow…I fed him with milk continuously so that his stomach was full and my co-passengers didn't notice that I was carrying a pet. I decided to leave this cute kitten in my in-law’s place as I didn't want to snatch away his freedom of walking and roaming freely in the huge, open courtyard of my in-laws’ home .

My relatives are very magnanimous when it comes to pampering a cute kiddo like this (Thanks Chickoo)…

Animals can teach us a lot about patience, love, care, compassion and relationships. Do try it…(smiles)