Truth to be told, I think those who don’t own pets are missing out on one of the life’s greatest pleasures. Sure these delightful creatures can challenge the hygiene of our nest. They need the uttermose care and attention. They involve some ‘housing’ arrangements during vacation breaks. Overall, they call for a serious commitment. Regardless, none of these reasons matter to us crazy pet folks. The joy they bring is incomparable.
Of course, I'm biased. I grew up in a somewhat animal kingdom, with a ferret, an iguana, several rabbits, hamsters and fish, a pair of lovebirds and sugar gliders and of course, cats. Lots of cats. N, on the other hand, secretly had dogs. To date, we have seven of them felines but our precious one happens to be Charlie, the kitten we found abandoned at the wet market last year. Our home is full of love (and the occasional mess), to say the least.
Being the pet lovers that we are, we spent our weekend at the Pet World fair. We simply wanted to hang out with the furry ones, aside from the ones we already have at home. We mingled with other pet enthusiasts and prowled for cheaper imported pet food, endearing clothes for the four-legged and other necessities. We bought our Charlie a brand new bright-fire collar and some K9Natural lamb treats. We also got hold of those pina colada-scented dishedding wipes from Pet Head (the Bed Head pun is just too cute) along the way.
Later we hung out at the exotic section of the fair. We saw these friendly parrots and tanks filled with bamboo rats that came all the way from China. There were also cartons of small reptiles and other creepy crawlies; they're definitely not meant for the weak-hearted among us. If anybody’s interested to rare any exotic creatures, they'd have to acquire license in owning them, which makes the whole deal rather special.
This was also the first time we witnessed a pair of Norwegian forest cats. Their slinky appearance strangely resembled a cross between wolves and albino ferrets. These two were cunning. They tried to open the cage with their paws and almost nailed it! With those dexterous paws, these cats could be a reliable sidekick in a treasure-finding quest. Remember that intelligent Capuchin monkey from Raiders of the Lost Arc? This Norwegian duo was similar in action.
The rest of the fair was mostly centered on dogs. The exhibitors came in with prized canines ranging from tiny schnauzers to golden retrievers. Many of us took photographs with the dogs. The children played with the cuddly, littler ones. These beautiful dogs sniffed, bounded and played at some of the booths with us. They were overjoyed from all that attention. Some, like this poor doggie, got tired and fell asleep.
One of the poodles, named Fan Fan, had gotten her toes painted in a fabulous shade of hot pink. The nail polish’s organic and made exclusively for dogs so technically, it's non-toxic and safe. To think of what some pet owners do to their dogs for fashion’s sake! If only Charlie could wear the electric blue one...
For some reason, there were many huskies to be found. They were the trendiest breed at the fair, it seems, despite the hot climate. If you live under the sun like we do, you’d have to make sure that there's plenty of air-conditioned space at home for the huskies to frolic around. The ones at the fair ranged from pups to full-grown ones— all of them trained to greet visitors. We'd love to have one in the future for security and companion. But for now, we can only look at those adorable Husky pinboards and daydream.
Having said that, I could list a million things on why it’s always best to have pets around us. A night-in that’s cozy with a furry friend cuddling up beside you in front of the TV. Small mews or thunderous, happy yaps greeting you at the door as you get back home from work. A companion so understanding that it lets you do the talking while it listens, seriously, intently. Trust me, pets are downright soulful and they make their owners happier than others.
If you're not getting one yet, perhaps a simple visit to an upcoming pet fair will do just the same. Share all that love!
