‘Amma taught me to love animals’

Parenting A Pet

Madhu Kumar recounts how, as a child, she watched her grandmother take care of dogs, cats and even bovines and how she herself inherited this trait …

My earliest memory of a pet at home is from decades ago - I have vague memories of a sprightly spaniel and a gigantic German Shepherd who had the run of our home. I remember my grandmother - Amma - taking meticulous care of our spaniel when he broke his leg after a foolhardy jump from the terrace. She would keep him comfy on his mattress and would painstakingly feed him with her hand as a mother would a child. When our German Shepherd escaped one day and returned home a while later bearing wounds from a horrific mauling by a pack of street dogs, Amma devoted her entire attention to him - bathing his wounds and applying salve to them, although he would often growl menacingly and threateningly bare his teeth at her from the pain.  This selfless care and devoted ministration would in today’s parlance be called ‘pet parenting’, although in those far-off years such nomenclatures were virtually non-existent.

            All through my childhood, we were surrounded not just by dogs but a cat or two along the way as well as the cows and buffaloes Amma lovingly included as an integral part of our household. Not only did our dogs and cats have names, but our cows and buffaloes did as well. They would respond instantly with a twitching of their tail and a joyful shake of their head, making their bells tinkle whenever Amma spoke to them, calling them by their name. I have clear memories of how they would, in times of pain, bellow pitifully while rolling their eyes in terror and panic. A soothing word from Amma in their ear and a gentle rubbing of their coat would, in no time at all, work better than any medicine possibly could.          

         Even the odd cat we had would become instantly devoted to Amma. While we were often treated to flexed claws and fiery looks, they would turn marshmallow soft in her presence, purring contentedly and joyfully rubbing their head against her, eyes closed in utter ecstasy.

            This was the earliest ‘pet parenting’ I was exposed to. The mutual give and take between pet and carer- absolute trust and loyalty on one side and complete devotion and protection on the other. After my marriage more than four decades ago and the subsequent relocation to a new town, I carried on the tradition of having a pet as part of our household. Besides dogs, we also had buffaloes in a shed in the back garden. Amma’s memory dictated that I parent these four-legged members of our family as she had done. Losing a dog every few years to a natural demise or sickness always induced in me a strong sense of grief and loss. For some weeks, I would be sunk in a deep abyss where the sun seemed never to shine.

            Currently, we have two adorable pooches that add a sparkle to our days with their zest, playfulness, and selfless love. They are never happier than when they are cuddled close to us with belly rubs and gentle scratching being their constant demand. It is not unknown for them to put out a paw and clamp our hand down so that the petting doesn’t stop before they deem fit! And just as they lavish their boundless love on us, we also feel an immense responsibility to keep them happy, safe, and healthy and to anticipate their every need. As my mother always said, “These creatures do not speak our tongue, so we must be ever watchful to observe what they communicate to us through their behaviour.” The smaller one is tiny enough to be picked up with one hand, but let her hear even the whisper of a stranger’s tread nearby, and there she is, rushing to the door, barking ferociously and sporting her most menacing look for all the world like a lioness guarding her cubs!

            I believe it is an honour that our pets choose us and make our homes theirs. This symbiotic relationship is utterly precious and needs to be nurtured as zealously as any other family relation.