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Pet likes and dislikes

Pets make good pals, discovers Sajini V. Sahadevan

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS Most owners tend to pamper their pets PHOTO: C. RATHEESH KUMAR

Michael Jackson has a chimp called Bubbles for a pet. He's also rumoured to have a snake under his care. Mariah Carey dresses her dog Jack in a parka jacket. The pet in vogue at the moment is a Chihuahua. Though not as far-fetched, our city has its own host of unusual pets.

Foster parents

B.R. Swaroop, director of Stark Communications, and his wife, Tina, have a squirrel for a pet. Five-year-old Subramanium, as he was initially called, does not know of a world outside that of his foster parents' apartment. Latha Varghese has a parrot. Not just any old parrot. This one sings snatches from the songs of KPAC. But then, when her owner is veteran singer K.G. George's daughter, one is not surprised. Moving away from squirrels and parrots, Meera Nair has opened her home for goats!

Once made a part of the household, most owners forge strong bonds with their pets. Living amidst the hustle and bustle of the city has not deterred Meera from rearing goats in her backyard. That's not all.

Apart from the five goats named Akasuto, Chakki, Pathu, Diana and Lara, Mira's mini sanctuary is inhabited by a cow called Kalyani, four dogs by names of Karthumbi, Susy, Rocky and Silky, a pair of guinea pigs, diamond doves, hens of three varieties, ducks, geese, finches and fish. While Meera acquired her pets from various pet shops in the city, Swaroop got his squirrel when Tina's nephew found it lying in the ground.

"Tina's nephew found him fallen from his nest and brought him to us. He's been with us ever since. We're sure he won't survive anywhere outside now. The very thought scares us because he's now part of the family," says Swaroop.

Latha also prefers to keep her parrot, Chakku, in a cage. "I don't let him out of his cage for fear of him flying away. I couldn't bear it," says Latha affectionately.

Fussy about food

Pets come with strings attached. Feeding becomes a major issue if the pet is fussy about its food.

"I love having my pets around. I used to have 20 cows before," she says, "but getting their feed on days when there are hartals became difficult so I had to give them away. The goats eat most things that I snack on," remarks Meera. Surprisingly enough most animals seem to develop a taste for the owners' food as well.

"Our squirrel is very finicky. There's no fooling him. He'll sniff his bowl to check if its been washed with Tepol. He won't eat in it otherwise. Ceres grapes, Australian apples, Elite bread - these are things he's particular about. Feed him another brand and he'll turn his nose up at you and ignore the food," laughs Swaroop. "But at the end of the day just like how we would relish rice he too likes his daily dose of bread soaked in milk," he adds.

One of the many quirks of Latha's parrot is to imitate the sound made by the ice-cream vendor even while he's just around the corner and then eagerly wait for Latha to buy a cone for it. Chakku likes to feed on warm oats, guava and even chicken curry. Who doesn't like a few indulgences? So why blame pets if they do too.

When Chakku is in a good mood, it breaks into the famous `Balikudeerangale' and keeps beat to the song by tapping the bar of the cage with its claw. Chakku is now three years old and has also learnt songs from recent films as well.

"He started mimicking sounds when he was just six months old. That's when my husband Varghese suggested I try teaching him songs sung by my father. It takes about three to four days for him to learn the lines," says Latha.

The stories and anecdotes are endless... Befriending an animal and winning its trust brings cheer to those who care for it as it involuntarily reveals to us its many ways, which often seem queer, but is just as much a trait that we too might possess.

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