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And we call them animals…

By Bhavini Bangera

I think the person who coined the term “animal” created a myth that these are creatures, living beings that have no feelings like we humans do. I too was under the same impression till quite some years back until my pet doggie (I hate calling them dogs because this term has been widely exploited) Simba proved me wrong.

When we got Simba, he was 45 days old, and the breeder told us that like any other human kids, even Simba had to be treated in the same way. So I was very alert and cautious about his food habits, walks, vaccinations, etc. When he was a kid (I would say he still is), we used to feed him cerelac 6 times a day at regular intervals, and like human kids, he too slept and urinated every couple of hours. But what was astonishing was that he very quickly started responding to our gestures and instructions of defining spots for letting himself out. He used to understand, and still does, as to the cooking happening in the kitchen is for him or us. And like every other kid, he would come up to us and show his affection by licking us and jus lying down with his head on our laps.

Like any other human beings, he too wants attention and feels neglected, and that’s evident from his expressions. Sometimes, just to get our attention, when we are amongst a group of friends at home, sitting and chatting, he would get his bone, throw it in the center of the room, so that everybody can see it, and jump over it, hold it in his mouth and run towards the other room, and then turn back and check whether his efforts has been noticed.

Its been more than 3 year now, and even today, when he sees us going out, towards the door, he sees with gloomy eyes expecting us not to leave him and go! We wish we could do that, Simba!

During our childhood, we often had objects with which we must have had a bad experience and so developed a phobia for it. I remember, being scared of the music which used to play when Doordarshan channel used to begin its telecast. I used to be scared of men with long beards and moustaches. Though the phobia vanishes with passing age, but in case of Simba, he had and still is scared of balloons and umbrellas. Its funny watching him run away and hiding behind a chair or under the bed when someone gets an umbrella in front of him or starts barking when there’s a balloon flying in front of him. This is so much in him that I remember about this incident when we were out with a few friends last weekend to Carters Road in Bandra, and there was a balloon vendor who came next to where we were sitting with Simba. Suddenly he leaped and started barking madly at the balloon vendor, who got so scared that he ran away from that spot and didn’t bother to come back till the time we were there (3 odd hours).

Simba rightly understands between a trustworthy stranger and some doubtful stranger. He never scares friends or relatives who come home for the first time, no matter how scared they may be. But he does bark and scare off the newspaper vendor, the bhangarwala, some salesman who are total strangers and sometimes need to be scared by Simba.

Every evening when I come home tired after a days work, he would welcome me with enthusiasm and zeal as if he’s been terribly missing me and is the happiest person on this earth to have me back. I would ask him how his day had been and how my day was, and if any major events happened during the day he would show me…yes…believe it or not, he shows it to me. The day our cable connection happened in the new house, he stood near the TV wagging his tail, the day Aquaguard and piped gas connection was fixed up, he stood at the kitchen entrance (Entrance because he is not allowed in the kitchen, and the little boy knows that very well) and waited till I checked out. I freshen up and sit on the sofa, and without waiting for a second, he would jump up and sit besides me with his face on my lap and one hand on my hand. Just sit there, for several minutes, sometimes hours, until I move or until there’s some disturbance.

Off late, my Simba is a little sad because he misses my maid Sarita, who had been working at our house for almost a year, and she would always make extra chapattis in the morning so that Simba could have a couple of them. He would sit at the kitchen door and watch her cook and wait till she gave him to eat. I can see him confused and sad when the new maid arrives. I hope, he gets out of Sarita soon!