If
you are 'Senior Dog' Friendly, you are invariably 'Kids Friendly' and
'Senior Citizen Friendly'
We
get old disproportionately.
Some
of my pet fish never gets old.
They
never sleep and I cannot figure out the biology (not advantage)
behind it.
They
are always always alert and kill themselves by their alertness.
I
decided to changed the fish tanks and in the panic one fish got
trapped behind the aerator and could not get out and it escaped my
attention (old age).
I
forgot to remove the aerator (forgetfulness another malady of old
age) before changing water.
It
took five solid hours (which I did not) since the water I do not
discard but put them to my plants as fresh supply of nutrients (no
artificial manure except tea leaves and my dogs liberal supply of not
so friendly squirts, everything biodegradable, and environmentally
(trying) friendly and I hate plastics).
Our
dog got annoyed and after cleaning up utensils could not find the
dog.
I do
not call him (he prefers me looking for him and he hides like a seven
year old) but go looking for him but after 10 minutes (of my daily
exercise) searching I could not find it.
He
is almost 80% blind with cataract and has early arthritis,I feared
and figured he is injured.
Called
him loud and after about another few minutes which was expanded my
anxiety to about one hour, he just appeared on the top steps and I
was on the bottom.
He
has not lost his old tricks.
He
thinks I am at his age of seven not geriatrics like him.
Dogs
needs exercise.
Dogs
needs lot of water.
His
dish was empty and filled it up, fed him with yogurt and I made some
yogurt drink (if I make it myself it costs 5 times less) for myself
and dropped to sleep immediately (I skip lunch now, eat when I am
hungry only-'Single Meal' principle of prehistoric man and his dog).
I
woke up with some beautiful dreams (enough material for few more
scientific articles but decided to pen down on the above issue).
My
friendly advice is that one should not have a dog.
It
reminds me of my age now.
I
prefer to be young at heart, just 18 not the octogenarian feel.
I
need freedom but I cannot go out and come late.
Dogs
gives you lot of exercise at the expense of your freedom.
I
prefer the freedom now.
Lot
of young adult with young kids go for a dog without thinking
(emotions) which is very demanding.
They
do not take into account the risks.
I
will list them now without any priority.
1.
They low to gnaw on your footwear.
They
are very expensive and even the slippers are expensive and we do not
discard them once the slipper part is broken. For few rupees one can
buy the upper part but removing the old putting them back are very
difficult (I had a haematoma under my thumb and the shop keeper
refused to push them in for me-that is the way we are served in a
shop in this blessed country).
2.
They gnaw on the extension wire, when there is no supply but when you
switch on the plug there is impending fire hazard.
3.
They urinate all over (It is liquid urea for plants me) and very
smelly too.
When
he is angry it squirts on my pillow, the pillow has to being a top
place.
Imagine
you wear a hat and it does a squirt on the hat.
They
are not accidents like in kids but deliberate ploys to mark his
treasures.
If
you have any, they have to be hidden well away from your pet.
It
might break up a family of young adults, especially one is averse to
dogs.
4.
There is enough dog hair to cause allergy.
5.
Rarely it might do the big job on the sofa.
The
above is enough to put you off rearing one but if you decide have
one, dog's safety is almost equivalent to kids safety and senior
adult safety.
6.
No tripping wire.
7.
No multi-plugs but dedicated plugs well away from the reach of
toddlers/dogs.
8.
Kids monitors have known to kill toddlers (strangling, fire,
electrocution).
9.
Fish tank should be on solid stand (dog does not drink from it) so
they do not topple over kids.
They
are heavy, I have known of a kid dying with a fish tank on top of the
kid cutting his belly like a knife.
10.
Ponds are a hazard for kids and puppies.
Bathing
on puddles one can get drown in mud.
This
list can go on but a small garden with flowers is much better than
indoor fish tank, dogs and cats (unlike dogs steal food-especially
cheese).
But
a pond is a risk but I have a mini pond on a cement raising out of
any hazard.
Kids
friendly environment with open air is a luxury that one can ill
afford.
That
is why I hate condominiums.
That
is where children learn to develop temper tantrums.
I
hate to come to Colombo, even a lift is an antithesis to me.
Skyscrapers
is a nightmare and that is why I have the shortest stop overs at
Singapore.
