Karnataka - Mangalore   

Mew, they are friends

— Photo : R. Eswarraj

BEYOND BARRIERS: A cat and a dog that share a special relationship in Mangalore.

MANGALORE: This cat in Urwa Market does not run away when it sees dogs. Rather it goes near dogs as a child goes to a mother and exhibits a special relationship.

The cat, whom the local people are yet to name, is friendly with many dogs in the area although a particular black dog had been its favourite.

They are so affectionate that people vouch that they share every bit of food you toss at them. One of them, Ramesh Shetty, a shop owner, who sees them daily outside his shop says, “They have been like this for over a year now.”

Another shop owner Tharnath Shetty is “really surprised” that these two are always together. So much so that he says he has sensed a rare intensity of affection between them. “If one of them goes away to hunt for food, the other waits (impatiently).”

Says Devdas Shetty, a store owner, “These dumb animals teach us the values of life which one should follow. We have never seen them fight. They share a friendly relation. This love should be admired by all.”

Another passer-by, who has been watching them, said, “They are not like …” he mentions two politicians belonging to rival political parties and hastens to add, “Do not quote me.”“Amazing. I can just tell you they are very good friends. I was really astonished when I first heard about them. But when I saw them, I could not believe my eyes”, said Gopal Krishna, an autorickshaw driver. Girish, a flower seller, says, “The cat has a very good relationship with all the dogs here.”

On the other hand, people vouch that cats and dogs have traditionally been enemies and do not like to believe the story.

When told about it, Ashwini, a home maker, said: “My dog has killed so many cats, I can never think of cats and dogs being together.” But the bonding between the two grabs the attention of most passers-by near Urwa Market.

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