Meet Meor chi, the cocker spaniel. She is, by, far, the most 'human' dog I have come across and therefore, had no hesitation to offer pet-sitting services when her owner said she was planning a trip overseas. When I first met Meor Chi, it was at a beach BBQ at Sentosa. My, this dog never ran around, followed the owner closely but was friendly to all who approached her, even kids - who are known to be rough.
Meor Chi stayed for five days, which was a mixture of fun, excitement and worry for me. She is a pampered little Missy who has her own water bottle (no bowl because dust gets into the water!), needs milk every morning and back home, she gets her teeth brushed twice a day and owns Cherry Blossom body spray that makes her smell better than anyone in the house! Needless to say, she was one very popular gal and we showered her with tons of cuddles and pats and hugs.
Here's Meor Chi wearing my old dog, Lulu's tag. I had the constant fear that she would walk out of the gate and then I am a dead duck for life. The owner had declared before that Meor Chi is her number one love in her life, and her hubby comes second!
Everybody loves Meor Chi!
I love paws, paws and more paws. Find them really cute. Ally even examined and asked me how come their 'black black part feels like our skin'?
She found her favorite chair in the house to rest!
Apparently, Meor Chi has the effect of leaving such an endearing impression with guests/ hosts that people always want to get a dog after they have interacted with Meor Chi. Naturally, the kids were sad when Meor Chi was picked up. Talks of getting a dog (Brownie the mongrel stays outside the house) to live inside the house came about. I said no. But the boss of the house - my Dad - seems to have announced that he will get a Chihuahua after Brownie has passed on.
The experience was Meor Chi was a great one. I relived my days when Lulu was alive and I had someone in the house I could talk to, while the kids were in school. Too bad Meor Chi doesn't fancy the study room too much, so I had to take a peek and give her a few tickles during my toilet breaks.
It also made me recall the reasons why I shouldn't have a dog, yet.
#1. Medical expenses - vaccination and vets are not cheap. The most horrifying portion that still traumatizes me to date is when my Lulu started falling sick, as she grew old. X-rays, medication, drips, hospitalization and the pounding of pills to mix it in her food, and during the last days, having to force feed her via syringes... That was a ton of work and stress to me.
#2. The above naturally leads to this point: Death. Painful. Heart-wrenching. Big hole in the heart. Endless tears. Maybe I will have a dog when I am 60, so with their average life spans of 15 years, there is a chance the dog can outlive me. I even wonderd out loud to friends last week whether my heart could take another heartache like that when I am that old?
#3. Grooming - Unless I become adept at cutting a dog's fur as well as I cut my kids' hair, it means I will need to bring the animal for grooming sessions. For someone who spends less than $35 for a haircut per quarter, I can't see why the dog needs to spend more than me?? And me, and only me, deserves a good manicure and pedicure because I earn my own keep! But I can't cut dogs' nails...especially after witnessing one of our dogs that bled profusely because my father cut its nail too deep!
#4. Training - with the exception of Lulu (which wasn't trained by me), all my past dogs were not exactly well trained. They pulled and tugged the leash during walks, they can't understand too many commands and it wasn't their fault. It was mine for not training them well. The last two (stupid) Pomenarians shot out of my gate on the first day of my A-level exams, when all I wanted to do was to give them and myself a break before the next round of revision. Too exhausted to run after them, I sat down at the gate reading newspapers and the dogs never came back.... The theory (after numerous searches around the neighborhood for days) was, my Dad reckoned they were kidnapped... Someone may have asked the dogs to jump into his/her car, that's why they couldn't come back nor they didn't respond when I went out shouting for them. Anyhow, still stupid dogs, if they really jumped into a stranger's car!
#5. Pet Sitting services - this was a pain our last trip when we brought the helpers on a holiday and I tried to find a pet hotel for Brownie. Due to her size, she cannot be housed in HDB flats. Pet shops also have a limited number of large cages and they charge half an arm and leg a day!!! In the end, I found one about 20 minutes drive away, had to drop by as soon as I can to pay a deposit in order to secure the spot. Paying for pet-sitters to visit the house to feed the pet was an issue too because "your house has no MRT, difficult lah." So the moral of the story is, either keep a miniature dog or make (your dog make) friends with your neighbors so that they can come over to feed and walk the pet when there is no one at home.
Believe it or not, the above were consolidated notes I have taken down since July 2012. Meor Chi didn't trigger all these. I put a note in the phone to remind myself why we are not ready for a dog. Going out with the kids and dog was like watching out for 5 kids, not funny and tiring. Plus there was only one dog to be shared amongst four kids... Had more whining and quarrels to deal with....
So, for now, I'm open for free pet sitting services... Love the non-committal part. Now I understand why some people like to play with other people's kids and not have their own. Good to have an intensive period of fun and play, and when time's up, one gets back that peace and quiet and 'me' time. I don't really have a lot of 'me' time...but at least there is one less 'person' to watch out for.
