I recently got jogged to the memory of the first pet I got for Suresh! I know right. Me getting a pet for him! Considering he is the animal lover and I am not much.
In August 2007 when we moved from Richmond, Virginia to Baltimore Maryland, we had two dogs and a cat. I still vividly remember the car drive from Richmond to Baltimore with a cat in the back seat that kept scratching the cardboard box he was locked in! I expected him to jump out of the box any minute and scratch my head for the terrible motion sickness he probably was feeling. Bhageera was one feisty cat!
We had an Indian family once visit us and say 'You both are an unusual Indian couple'. This happened as a result of seeing more animals than humans in our house. The lady of that family loved dogs and confessed that even though she had a dog in India, she could never think about a pet in the US, let alone three animals. The concept of having an animal living in the house was I guess something to get used to.
So who was responsible for the influx of animals into the Joel household. I guess I shall slowly raise my hand and take blame. Going back to the first pet. About the year 2002, for Valentines day, I got Suresh a 'Hamster'. I guess it was our first valentines after we were engaged and I knew how much he loved animals and well all the 'love' came out in the form of a hamster. My roomie who was used to handling the rat category of animals helped me buy the hamster since I was too terrified of even holding it. I guess it was good preparation of things to come. Suresh's roomie name the hamster ' Sukhwinder Singh'. I do not know why! But it was a cute name for a very cute pet.
Sukhwinder Singh went to hamster heaven a year later.
We had a lull period after that with occasional references to dogs and Suresh getting over-friendly and playful with other peoples dogs as I got over-friendly and playful with other peoples babies.
In 2005 we bought a house and a month later we picked our first dog from the SPCA. As we drove to the SPCA, we started picking out names. Daniel the shepherd dog. Aka Danny. When Suresh went to pick a dog, the first choice was a yellow laborador. But the little guy had a foot long waiting list. The SPCA guy turned Suresh's attention to a cage full of puppies who were all available just because they were not pure bred. It was love at first sight as Suresh decided to take one! Any one of them. He still tears up thinking what may have happened to the other three pups.
Danny came home with a runny nose and some pink cold medicine. He was super cute till Suresh had to leave two weeks later for a conference. I then realized the term 'Alpha male'. He decided he was in-charge of the house and to show his disapproval to Suresh leaving decided to poop all around the house. 24 hours later I called Suresh and told him I had enough and was sending Danny back to the SPCA. A frantic Suresh asked for another 24 hrs to arrange some place where Danny could be put up till Suresh got home. I guess I figured out Danny in those 24 hrs and got some good advice from my mom-in-law : newspaper Vadi. Danny did not have to leave the house and I showed him that even if he was the alpha male .. I ruled the house :)
A few months later, Suresh sent me a picture of a dog. The email read a sad story about the two puppies left behind by a mother who was probably abused. I fell! I said Yes! We were set to get our second pet in 6 weeks.
We were still getting over the thought of a second dog when we had a friend come over during Sunday service fellowship. She looked disheveled. Her neighbor had a stray cat who has two kittens. One kitten had gone missing and they suspected that it was probably a bird that took it away. They were frantically searching for a home for this little kitten. My friend already had about 6 pet cats and had adopted several stray cats in her neighborhood. Since the kitten needed an indoor home, her husband looked at us pleadingly. I don't know what came over me and I said Yes! Again!
That evening Bhageera came home with a bottle of Enfamil and an ink filler to use as a feeding bottle and his poop box.
A month later a furry little ball of chocolate brown came home while I was at my physics conference. That weekend when I returned home, our house was filled with more prancing animals and one happy Suresh! We named him Baloo, going in the Jungle book style.
We had to give up Bhageera when we returned to India as we could bring back only two animals. We found a home for Bhageera where he could run up trees and chase rats and squirrels. He was an outdoor cat all through and was mostly found on top of trees, unable to come back down himself! I miss good old Bhags and the love that Ziva shows to stray cats, I know she would have loved him too.
While I did say 'Yes' to the pets entering the house, I blame Suresh for the love for animals he has instilled in me with over the years! There have been several times that I have thought of giving them away. I refer to the dogs constantly as Suresh's dogs and have ignored them after the kids arrived!
But I do know that I feel safe when they are around. No one dares come close to your house with the two big brown balls of fur!
I know that my kids have enjoyed having the animals walk and wag their tails into their faces as they grow up. I know that in numerous mess cleanings, I have had the chance to experience animals I may never have ... had it not been for the pet lover and his love for animals.
I know the presence of these dogs (and the cat for Isaac) has enriched the lives of Isaac and Ziva.
In August 2007 when we moved from Richmond, Virginia to Baltimore Maryland, we had two dogs and a cat. I still vividly remember the car drive from Richmond to Baltimore with a cat in the back seat that kept scratching the cardboard box he was locked in! I expected him to jump out of the box any minute and scratch my head for the terrible motion sickness he probably was feeling. Bhageera was one feisty cat!
We had an Indian family once visit us and say 'You both are an unusual Indian couple'. This happened as a result of seeing more animals than humans in our house. The lady of that family loved dogs and confessed that even though she had a dog in India, she could never think about a pet in the US, let alone three animals. The concept of having an animal living in the house was I guess something to get used to.
So who was responsible for the influx of animals into the Joel household. I guess I shall slowly raise my hand and take blame. Going back to the first pet. About the year 2002, for Valentines day, I got Suresh a 'Hamster'. I guess it was our first valentines after we were engaged and I knew how much he loved animals and well all the 'love' came out in the form of a hamster. My roomie who was used to handling the rat category of animals helped me buy the hamster since I was too terrified of even holding it. I guess it was good preparation of things to come. Suresh's roomie name the hamster ' Sukhwinder Singh'. I do not know why! But it was a cute name for a very cute pet.
Sukhwinder Singh went to hamster heaven a year later.
In 2005 we bought a house and a month later we picked our first dog from the SPCA. As we drove to the SPCA, we started picking out names. Daniel the shepherd dog. Aka Danny. When Suresh went to pick a dog, the first choice was a yellow laborador. But the little guy had a foot long waiting list. The SPCA guy turned Suresh's attention to a cage full of puppies who were all available just because they were not pure bred. It was love at first sight as Suresh decided to take one! Any one of them. He still tears up thinking what may have happened to the other three pups.
Danny came home with a runny nose and some pink cold medicine. He was super cute till Suresh had to leave two weeks later for a conference. I then realized the term 'Alpha male'. He decided he was in-charge of the house and to show his disapproval to Suresh leaving decided to poop all around the house. 24 hours later I called Suresh and told him I had enough and was sending Danny back to the SPCA. A frantic Suresh asked for another 24 hrs to arrange some place where Danny could be put up till Suresh got home. I guess I figured out Danny in those 24 hrs and got some good advice from my mom-in-law : newspaper Vadi. Danny did not have to leave the house and I showed him that even if he was the alpha male .. I ruled the house :)
A few months later, Suresh sent me a picture of a dog. The email read a sad story about the two puppies left behind by a mother who was probably abused. I fell! I said Yes! We were set to get our second pet in 6 weeks.
We were still getting over the thought of a second dog when we had a friend come over during Sunday service fellowship. She looked disheveled. Her neighbor had a stray cat who has two kittens. One kitten had gone missing and they suspected that it was probably a bird that took it away. They were frantically searching for a home for this little kitten. My friend already had about 6 pet cats and had adopted several stray cats in her neighborhood. Since the kitten needed an indoor home, her husband looked at us pleadingly. I don't know what came over me and I said Yes! Again!
That evening Bhageera came home with a bottle of Enfamil and an ink filler to use as a feeding bottle and his poop box.
A month later a furry little ball of chocolate brown came home while I was at my physics conference. That weekend when I returned home, our house was filled with more prancing animals and one happy Suresh! We named him Baloo, going in the Jungle book style.
We had to give up Bhageera when we returned to India as we could bring back only two animals. We found a home for Bhageera where he could run up trees and chase rats and squirrels. He was an outdoor cat all through and was mostly found on top of trees, unable to come back down himself! I miss good old Bhags and the love that Ziva shows to stray cats, I know she would have loved him too.
While I did say 'Yes' to the pets entering the house, I blame Suresh for the love for animals he has instilled in me with over the years! There have been several times that I have thought of giving them away. I refer to the dogs constantly as Suresh's dogs and have ignored them after the kids arrived!
But I do know that I feel safe when they are around. No one dares come close to your house with the two big brown balls of fur!
I know that my kids have enjoyed having the animals walk and wag their tails into their faces as they grow up. I know that in numerous mess cleanings, I have had the chance to experience animals I may never have ... had it not been for the pet lover and his love for animals.
I know the presence of these dogs (and the cat for Isaac) has enriched the lives of Isaac and Ziva.
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