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Sunday, January 11, 2015

Who is the Pet?


I was reviewing my routine with our animals: We have two cats and a dog, none of whom we deliberately decided we wanted to care for. Blanca, our pure white cat is a beautiful cat to behold, but she is absolutely anti-social. She wants to be fed when she is hungry and thereafter she just wants to be left in peace.

Lnyx is a rescued male who would have been torn to pieces by some dogs had our son not picked it up and saved it. However, our son has gone to live elsewhere, so for the time being I look after Lnyx. He is my idea of a cat. Very affectinate and purrs wonderfully. The problem is that he keeps himself to the downstairs  apartment while he awaits the return of our son. Blanca keeps herself to the upstairs living acommodation, so we have an upstairs cat and a downstairs cat. When they do meet they usually have a short fight before going their seperate ways.

Then there is Max, a very small type of dog. Max just showed up one day, completely out of breath, pleading with me to feed him. He has been here ever since.

So, I was thinking about my routine with these animals. Feeding times I usually start with Blanca upstairs. I give her half an envelope of food in a gel substance, then I go downstairs and likewise feed Lnyx.Lately, I have been treating Max, who is suffering with Leishmaniosis, a deadly virus introduced by mosquitos. The treatment is quite complicated, and by the time I have finished with Max, Lnyx is calling for the rest of his envelope, and from upstairs I can hear Blanca doing the same thing.

I attend to each when they are hungry or sick. Blanca is our bulimic, sometimes throwing up her meal. I come along behind her and clean it up. I make sure they have clean water and a warm place to sleep.

I talk about them as our pets as though I were their proud father, especially when they do something cute. Hearing myself speaking about them in that manner it suddenly dawned on me, what if I have things completely the wrong way round?

Do they boast about how well trained I am? Do they say that I am always there with whatever they need, and that I am cute and manageable? Lnyx can even say that he has a large double bed in which to sleep and he never has to worry about where his next meal is coming from.

At the end of the day I am rewarded by Max and Lnyx with a show of love and appreciation. Blanca just gives me a look that says, Yea. thanks, but I'm going to nap now, so leave me in peace.

They say that animals choose us, rather than the other way round. I might have said to Max when he showed up, Max, I don't want a dog. However, Max would have said to me, Man, I need someone to feed me and give me a warm place to sleep, and to take care of me when I get ill. You'll do nicely, so get on with it.

No wonder the cat in the picture is having such a good laugh. I would too if I were in their place!

Copyright (c) 2015   Eugene Carmichael