A short post today, mainly because I'm not up to more. I have been putting in a lot of late nights recently working on several projects, the result of which was to develop a nasty flu two nights ago - I slept with a completely stuffed nose and breathed through my mouth the whole night. I'm definitely going to try to pick up some antibiotics today. I couldn't do so yesterday because Ryan had a full day shoot for a TV advertisement and I accompanied him as Richard was out of town. The past five days have been so busy for me, I'm hoping to have a quiet day in the office today. Lots of stuff to catch up on, after being away for so long.
Anyway, I want to talk about pets today. We have a dog - a miniature schnauzer called Max. We also have a cat called Tiger - which is confusing so Ryan doesn't call him Tiger, he calls him Cat. The pets are free to roam the house, except in the bedrooms. A few months ago, we started putting Max out in the balcony in a doghouse whenever we left the house because he kept relieving himself in the house while we were out and during the night. We usually let him in when we are at home during the day.
Ryan is less interested in the pets. Babydoll, on the other hand, is very interested. She will sit at the balcony glass door and observe Max eating his meals. She will crawl up to Tiger and pounce on his tail. She will gently reach for Max's paw when he is stretched out beside me. She will softly stroke Tiger's coat. It is quite interesting to me how gentle she is with the pets - I didn't have to teach her at all.
From the pets' end, Max is still a little skittish with babydoll. Also, his loyalty is firmly to me so he's not really interested in getting close to anyone else. As for Tiger - well, let's just say that, underneath that gruff and old grudging exterior is a warm, fuzzy heart which babydoll has managed to win.
Some general words of caution - never ever let your children approach a strange dog, especially if the dog is alone. If the dog is with its owner, seek permission first and seek instructions on how to approach it. If the dog is sleeping or eating or with her puppies, absolutely do not approach it. Do not sneak up from behind. Do not stare at the dog in the eye - some dogs take this as a sign of aggression. It is safer to pat the dog on its back, some dogs get nervous if you touch the top of their heads. And of course, be gentle.
Another public service announcement - something that bothers me everytime I hear it, and I do hear it from time to time, which is, some people give their pets away when they have children. I can understand why someone would do that if the children and the pets can't get along - for example if the children are allergic to pet hair. Otherwise, I cannot agree that pets can be treated that way. Pets aren't disposable items. This is a lesson which I will instill in my children, both by example and by words - if you take on a pet, you take it on for its life, so when you take on a pet, you must consider whether a pet will fit into your life for the next twenty years (or whatever its life span).
Ok, that's all. Gonna catch some shut-eye. Back tomorrow (I hope).
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