Parenting A Pet
Here is how a mischievous super cute fur-baby helped a family overcome the loss of their previous pet, tells Achala Misra, senior journalist…
When Mimi, our beloved pet beagle, suddenly and unexpectedly crossed the rainbow bridge in July, the family reeled under shock. It seemed impossible to cope with the loss. Ours is a small family, so her departure left a huge void. My sister was inconsolable, while my niece and I fought hard to keep our composure. Then after a few days, during which the household was sunk in gloom, my sister and I had a talk and decided that a new beginning was the need of the hour. Mimi could never be replaced, but we needed a new pet to help us move on.
After a few enquiries, we chanced upon a cute Lhasa terrier puppy. She was brought to the household and my niece lovingly named her Meethi (sweet). Little did we know at that time what a misnomer it would prove!
Meethi, who came as a 45-day-old docile, ‘butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth’ kind of puppy, started showing her true colours a month later! I am yet to see a more mischievous puppy than her. She began with chewing, just about anything and everything, and has slowly graduated to bigger pranks. She loves sinking her teeth into anything and everything- clothes, furniture, and even our fingers (strangely she has never chewed our slippers)! At one time, it was an extremely funny sight to see her trying to drag a broom twice as large as herself. She scouts around the rooms and should she chance upon anything, be it a hairbrush or even a bottle of oil, she instantly ‘possesses’ it, sitting with it to gnaw at it.
Her favourite (and most annoying for us) pastime is jumping into mud pools and dirtying herself, and then running around like an express train, leaving streaks of mud everywhere! Yet, you can’t be angry with her for long when she gazes at you with those limpid eyes.
But despite being naughty, Meethi has many adorable traits. She is devoted to my niece, following her about like a shadow, even waiting outside the bathroom when she takes her bath. Small wonder, for my niece, looks after all her needs, from grooming to clothes to medicines to nutrition. So, Meethi is very possessive about her, considering her to be her very own. She starts howling if my niece is away for some time. So now, when we go out, Meethi accompanies us and is very well-behaved outside. Recently, she was given special treatment at an open-air restaurant where she went with us. It was a pet-friendly place and Meethi patiently and proudly posed for a video clip, enjoying all the attention.
This brat is super intelligent too. Without much effort, she learned ‘Namaste’, joining her front paws in a cute gesture. Seeing this, a trainer was hired for her. Within three days, Meethi learned ‘sit’, ‘shake hand’, and ‘bye’ etc, much to the trainer’s dismay. He realised that this brainy puppy would empty his bag of tricks in a week and his stint would be over all too soon, so he made a hasty retreat after five days, offering a lame excuse. But Meethi has memorised all the commands perfectly.
Small in size, Meethi has gigantic courage. She will go after monkeys three times as big as herself, barking and yapping loudly and making a lunge for them. So, we have to watch that she does not venture out when the marauders come to our garden.
The scar of Mimi’s departure will perhaps never fade, but this super cute fur-baby’s frolics, capers, and exploits have certainly helped heal the wound.
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