(MY) pet heaven

[Guest guest]

Welcome to pet heaven-Malay Mail - 2.1.2007

by MASAMI MUSTAZA

 

A MEAL of honey-roasted chicken, scrambled eggs and potato bread,

topped off with some Haagen Dazs ice cream would set anyone's taste

buds aflutter.

 

Boomer with his loving owner, Rosdiana

But how about a dog's?

 

Believe it or not, this spread is what Boomer, a

11-and-a-half-year-old Chowchow, tucks into for meals.

 

Boomer's breakfast includes Kraft's cheese singles with either

scrambled eggs or potato bread on alternate days, honey roast chicken

for meals with a bowl of dry dog food, topped off with a glass of

Nespray full cream milk and scoops of Haagen Dazs (not just any brand,

mind you) ice cream for dessert.

 

That sounds like a rather grand menu for a dog but for 58-year-old

housewife Rosdiana Yassin, she knows that the best way to her pet's

heart is through his tummy.

 

But that's not the only extent of her love for Boomer.

 

" We even bought a Proton car for Boomer to take him out on rides

because he really loves going for car rides, " said the Shah Alam

resident.

 

" Really, that's the reason why we bought the car, " when met with an

incredulous look.

 

Boomer has certainly got it great, living the high-life of a pampered pet.

 

The pooch even has the whole terrace to himself and also a kennel in

the backyard when visitors are around.

 

" We don't have an air-conditioned room for Boomer but he does have his

own fan and radio which we turn on whenever no one's at home. He hates

being left behind, " said Rosdiana.

 

Rosdiana describes Boomer as being " stubborn, having a mind of his own

but loving, concerned and protective of the family " .

 

" It may seem a bit strange for a Malay and Muslim family to own a dog

but I find great comfort in having him around. It makes thieves think

twice about breaking into my home with Boomer patrolling the garden! "

she quipped.

 

Rosdiana, who is also assistant secretary of the Malaysian Association

of Responsible Pet Ownership (Marpo), said that her love of animals

has led her to be a dedicated Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of

Animals (SPCA) volunteer.

 

" I've picked up a lot of stray animals during my lifetime, which I

feed and try to find homes for, " she said, adding that it was usual

for strays from cats to tortoises to end up in her garden every now

and then.

 

" Animals are just like humans. They have emotions and thoughts too but

they can't talk. I've always felt that as God made us higher beings,

it is our duty to protect them and give them the love and care they

need. "

 

When asked on the rising incidents of animal cruelty, Rosdiana said

the law should be updated and a jail sentence and a fine of RM2,000 to

RM10,000 should be imposed against the offenders.

 

" A measly fine of RM200 is not going to scare anyone. If we want to

show that we're serious in curbing animal abuse, then we need stiffer

penalties, " she said.

 

" It's hard for me to understand how anyone could be so cruel. If you

love animals, it will reciprocate by giving you unconditional love. It

is too bad that some people are not compassionate enough to be kind to

them, at least. "

 

For fellow dog owner S. Gopalasingam, his one-and-a-half-year-old

golden retriever Maxie is treated like how he would a child and finds

great joy in his playful companion day after day.

 

" I give him a mattress with bed sheets to sleep in next to my own bed

and I leave the air-conditioning on for him. Or else he will not go

into the bedroom, " said the 73-year-old retiree from Shah Alam.

 

" He eats anything that I eat but he loves fruits. He eats apples,

papayas, bananas and grapes so I always make sure that I stock up on

them so he can have them whenever he likes. "

 

Gopalasingam said that Maxie is his best friend and that he values his

pet more than anything else in the world.

 

" I've had three dogs the past 31 years and they mean a lot to me as I

don't have any children and my wife passed away five years ago, " he

said.

 

Next is a woman who has 23 cats, which would sound staggering to

anyone who knows the difficulty of keeping even a single cat.

 

" I've always had cats for as long as I can remember, " said Zarina Khan

from Bangsar.

 

" All my cats are strays that had been abused or neglected; some had

been dumped into my compound on purpose by owners who didn't want them

anymore. "

 

She added that she had a habit of picking up any strays she comes upon

and as that habit had extended to her family members, " the number has

been growing continuously and now it's like I run the SPCA from my own

house! "

 

The 58-year-old nurse's dedication towards the felines are admirable.

 

Her eldest cat is 16 years old and has a kidney problem so she gives

it a subcutenous drip every three days to treat dehydration. One

11-year-old cat has throat gingivitis. There's also an extremely obese

cat that refuses to go on diet and two cats with one eye missing each.

 

With such cats around, trips to the veterinarian can be costly and

frequent but Zarina is willing to go through great lengths to see her

beloved cats fit and happy.

 

" Sometimes, I think that I treat my cats even better than how I treat

my children. What I spend on their food is probably more than what I

pay for my children's food, " she said, adding that cost of cat food

usually ranges between RM700 and RM800 a month.

 

Her cats are also a pampered lot.

 

They get to sleep on her bed in an air-conditioned room and are fed

upon demand, resulting in roly-poly balls of fluff.

 

" My cats rule the home. My family adapts to their needs, not they to

ours but we really love them as each and everyone of them are

different and special, " she said.

 

As most of the cats are usually kept indoors in cages in the day, the

only time they are allowed to roam freely in the house is at night.

 

" For the cats, 10pm is their Happy Hour when they can do as they

please anywhere in the house without anybody bothering them, " said

Zarina.

 

" But knowing how they could just wreck the house while everyone is

asleep, we make sure to cover all the furniture and remove all the

ornaments before we let them out of their cages. And then it's back to

their cages when morning comes. "

 

It is fortunate that her many cats have someone like her to tend to

their needs but she feels that there are many more out there that are

neglected.

 

" Having pets can be a spur-of-the-moment thing for some people and

it's sad when they finally realise that it's too costly or cumbersome

to attend to their pets and throw them out onto the streets, " she

lsaid.

 

" Keeping a pet is like having a child. It takes effort and time but

once some problems like toilet-training are overcome, it's wonderful

having them around. "