Unconditional Love Has A Name - Kadey!

I was never a dog person.  Nor a pet person.  Animals were generally off-limits.  I was terribly scared of dogs too, as I had been chased enough times as a kid, and also bitten once, by a canine. Even though many friends and some relatives had dogs at home, I rarely ventured to pet them.  Avoided them if they were quiet, or asked their minders to tie it up if it were a barking kind or big to handle.  Sanju wasn't a dog or a pet person either back then.  And, yet, Kadey happened to us.  

Kadey arrived as Kade at our home - from CUPA.  Much at the insistence of Sanju, and some coaxing also from a good friend, Dame A, who had scores of rescued animals at her homes in different states. It didn't take long for Kadey to work his way into our - and my - heart.  While Sanju took to him from day 1, I didn't warm up easily.  The first few days, he was quieter than a mouse.  Not a sound, no interest in us.  Just slept morosely on the rug/bed we had made for him, ate sparingly, and didn't even poop.  For three full days.  We both were anxious as we took him out multiple times each day to make him do the big job.  Multiple calls were made to the friends from CUPA - who possibly were exasperated and amused in equal parts at our worries.  And, when he did it called for a small celebration.  We called every friend and acquaintance to inform of the update! 

Soon, Kadey moved from the mats in the hall to the sofas.  I would scream, "God, he is now sitting and sleeping on the sofa!" "It's okay Su.  He might be feeling cold in the night", Sanju would say.  And, I would grimly agree.  He started coming to us to be petted.  From someone who had NEVER touched a dog willingly, I moved from gingerly touching him to giving him chin and butt scratches.  If I'd stop he would pull my hands to him with his paw, and ask me to continue the scratches.  He was always hungry for them.  He would give a big grin while being scratched, and wagged his tail happily.  And, before we knew he was sleeping in our bedroom.  He would be sleeping on his own bed to begin with, and would sneak up on to ours in the middle of the night.  Everyday I would make a song and dance of him being on bed.  And, everyday he repeated the same act.

He loved to play - he wasn't a trained dog.  But, then dogs don't need training to play.  He loved to play ball.  He always expected me to run after him to snatch it from his mouth.  Never would he give it to me.  He would only stop if he went tired.  Playing with him was my responsibility.  While giving him showers, and taking him to the vet were Sanju's.  Kadey loved his drives in the car, his walks on the roads, his stops at different places to piddle, and he loved his eggs, and chicken, the most.  Once, while we were hosting a party at home, we had boiled over two dozen eggs.  Kadey had managed to pull the dish from the kitchen top and finish them all.  Another time he had eaten an entire pack of Bournvita refill of 500 gm.  Sanju and I were horrified - and were worried sick that he would die.  Thankfully he was stronger than all that.  He even made his journey from Bengaluru to Hyderabad when I got transferred, without a whimper.  He happily sat in the car, while Sanju drove, with Bassy for company.  

Kadey was quick to make friends.  Human kind - and rarely, the canine kind.  He was also quick to unfriend them if he felt they weren't good to him.  Like the kids in Hyderabad were not his best friends - they loved to pull his tail or ears, and he hated it.  He always felt everyone came home to see him and play with him.  His best reaction of course was reserved to Sanju.  Each day when he returned from work (I usually arrived earlier), I would know he was close home.  Because, Kadey would run and stand either in the balcony or near the door, waiting for him to either ring the bell or enter home.  

Kadey influenced several friends around us to go ahead and adopt pets.  Kadey was a great teacher too.  When Emily and Berlin were fostered at home before they could be adopted by someone, he taught them manners, patience, calmness, and some toilet training.  

We never knew what age was Kadey when he arrived at our home.  He was a handsome boy, with a pronounced hip issue, but he recovered soon with great care from Sanju, and some from me.  He gave us love unconditionally.  Every day and every minute.  He loved us to bits.  Even if we screamed at him - for some imagined transgression - he would still come back to us in no time, wagging his tail.  It was always him who made amends.  He knew when we needed him too - if we were down, he would come and give us generous licks all over.  He was love personified.  What he hated though were - being chained at home, his showers, medicines, and being kept away from fun of mingling with people.  

Sanju and I parted ways.  But, Kadey continued to be there for both of us.  However, Kadey went to the US with Sanju - how could I say no when he would go international! He made the journey and the transition from nations smoothly, won hearts there too, and lived well under the care of his new dad and Sanju.  

Kadey, our first pet, our first son, and our love forever, passed away on 27/28 December 2021.   He laughed, lived, and loved unabashedly, and fully.  Wherever he is he will be bringing smiles around him - naturally.  And, allaying fears, winning hearts, and transforming souls around.  To accept pets, and love dogs.  There won't be another like him. But, because of him, there will be other pets in our lives.  

Love you  Kadey! Will always!

Change of Heart

"Su Let's get a pet home", Sanju started one evening, just after I had returned from a frustrating day at work.  I almost dropped my teacup.  He had broached the subject earlier too and had won a minor battle when I had consented to have fish at home. "I am not going to clean the tank or feed the fish or anything related to them" was my refrain then, but he had beamed like a little kid who'd got its favourite reward even at that.  In fact it was a repeat of the scene when he had suggested we could have plants at home.  When we moved into the new house last year in May, the first arrival was a lovely plant gifted by our equally lovely friend, Bassy.  I couldn't say no.

Pet though was a different story altogether.  I'm allergic mentally to sight, sound and smell of any animal, let alone dog.  At best I can appreciate them in movies, documentaries, pictures and (with great reluctance) in stories friends tell about their pets!  I almost threw up once hearing the tale of a friend who tended to his friend's iguana!

My initial thought was that I was being teased.  Sanju knows my visceral aversion to animals inside home. Anything cooped up stinks (think of zoos, your biology labs from school which housed mice, guinea pigs, etc).  And, I cannot simply bring myself to bear any of that for a second.  A life time of it is inconceivable even as a nightmare.

I was wrong.  Sanju started pestering. He even tried emotional stuff. "You'd be soon going away for a year.  I'd be alone at home.  You know I get scared to stay alone in the night.  If I have a pet - a dog - I wouldn't be". I lost my cool, shouted at him and banged the door and retired for the night.  How could he do this to me!! In the morning - when I had sufficiently composed myself - I said, "You know how I feel about having pets.  I cannot think of having any animal with myself in a confined place.  Also, it is not good for even the animal we bring in. Having a pet is a great responsibility.  Please understand.  Do not broach this again".  I didn't give him a chance to respond.  I left for work.

I hate dogs, let me be honest.  I hate them because I am scared of them.  I am scared of their barks, their growls.  I am scared to run on the roads because of dogs.  There have been occasions when I have taken different path when I have seen a pack of dogs.  Or even a single dog in a narrow lane! Because of my fear I have even bitten by a dog once.  And, now to have that same beast at home gave me the heebeejeebies!!

I felt bad that I'd got annoyed with Sanju.  But, I still believed it was his fault.  Even though I called him and texted him umpteen times, I didn't say sorry.  I expected him to say it! A couple of days went by.  Sanju reduced his demand for the pet.  I heaved a sigh of relief.  Life went on and I thought I'd crossed that major hurdle!

I have this facebook friend who is a great animal friend and has many rescued animals at her place as pets.  Like all loyal facebook friends I had happily liked all her stories on facebook about her dogs; once I even had the gall to say, "How I'd love to meet your pets" when I NEVER wanted to! She also blogs (and writes beautifully - with loads of wit and heart).  At this time when I was smarting at Sanju's demand, I saw the post on my friend's blog that was about her adopted bulldog, Jigar (read it here: http://theaccidentalsufi.wordpress.com/2014/05/20/piece-of-my-heart/) which ended with the line, "I hope anyone reading this post will consider adopting an abandoned and suffering animal".

I was truly moved by what I read (and understood the phrase, 'the power of the pen').  All those notions about pets vanished from my head and I truly felt I had wronged.  Sanjay and the pet that could (have) be(en) in our lives.  I immediately wrote to her on facebook on how I'd make amends.  The next day (I was in Kolar, visiting parents) when I returned to Bangalore and met Sanju in the evening, I told him he could go ahead and get the pet he wanted.  I also told him how Dame A's post on her blog had brought in a change of heart.  He of course was joyous! But, what he said was powerful.  "Thank you Su.  I am very happy that you have agreed to having a pet.  But, more than that I am happy coz you have allowed me to make the choice".  Reminded me of the story of King Arthur and the witch.

When I suggested that we might adopt an abandoned dog Sanju wasn't too keen to begin with. He was keen on having a dog that wouldn't bark too much and isn't too big (he too is scared of dogs but still wants to have a pet!). He had kind of zeroed in on beagles.  Dame A too suggested we have a pup instead to start with as we hadn't ever had a dog before.

As luck would have it he bumped into some animal activists online who guided him to visit CUPA centre at the Silk Board Junction, apart from imparting the right gyan on what kind of dog to have ("Beagles are a no-no Su! They, it seems bark a lot" Sanju told me and went on to add, "Su, do you know? Labradors are amazing I believe").  A visit to CUPA by Sanjay led him to meet Kade, an abandoned Labrador-Indie.  He called me to tell about him.  I said, "We are adopting him".  "But meet him once Su" Sanju said.  "No, you have liked him and we'll have him".  Sanju wouldn't relent and insisted I go to CUPA too.  I was - as usual - petrified.  There were scores of dogs - even a rottweiler pup, supposedly ferocious (as shown in some C grade English movie I'd watched many centuries ago).  I couldn't stay there for too long but Kade had made an impression on me too.

The rest is history friends! Today Kade is at home (and is fondly called Kadey - Kay-Dee by us all; Kadey means villain in Kannada - can mean naughty too).  I've now moved to the Hague.  And, it's not even three days and I am mightily missing him.  To the extent that I have even begun to play with the dogs that are brought for a walk here by others!

And, influenced by Sanju, Bassy too has adopted - Penny.  He has gone two past us and has two kittens too! Also, Biswa and Debu have adopted Jason.  All from CUPA.  Feels good.  May there be more adoptions.