It is said that the temperament of pets is in part determined by the way they are treated by their owners. This can be turned around on its head so that we can conclude that the kind of animal kept by a person as a pet can be a commentary on the person’s character. In fact, the most common application of this hypothesis is found when pet lovers form new relationships, and one of the fundamental questions asked on first dates is, “Are you a cat-person or a dog-person?”  The more common characteristics of affection, loyalty and sincerity associated with owning dogs and cats have been discussed several times. However, human attraction towards power and magnificence also manifest themselves in their choice of a pet.

We choose to keep pets from a fundamental need to connect, to love and be loved in turn; to have someone to care for and hence feel needed in the older years of our life. Just like we are offered a number of choices in forming relationships outside our family, we are not denied choices in choosing our right kind of pet. It’s a two-way process between humans and animals, whom to love and whom to love more, to finally determine the kind of pet that would meet one’s needs emotionally and spiritually. While most of us are happy to have dogs, cats, rabbits or guinea pigs as pets, there are some who walk the extra mile and get themselves pets that are, to the common mass, dangerous animals who are best viewed when they are behind the bars.

Big cats like tigers, lions, lynxes, bobcats, etc. exude a general sense of power, royalty and extreme beauty. As cubs, they are just as adorable as puppies or kittens. But unlike them, tigers and lions grow up to be more than 230 kg in weight requiring 7.5 kg of raw meat every day. In most parts of the world, the trading of these animals as pets is an offence punishable by law. Even so, around 12,000 tigers are kept as private pets in the US alone.

Now, keeping exotic pets does seem very flashy when viewed from a distance but the real deal is much more difficult than one can possibly imagine. Exotic animals are habituated to live in the wild, which means they require a large amount of free space to move about. Their natural instincts prompt them to mark their territory by spraying urine and displays of aggression at being mishandled are much more dangerous than those shown by smaller domestic animals. They have a musky smell which is more pronounced when they spray urine to mark their territory. They are predators with sharp claws and teeth, and strength that can easily overpower a human being. Finding a vet to care for these animals is also difficult. Caring for such animals is hard and expensive, and more often than not frustrated owners are found to give them up to zoos and national parks, thereby creating a sense of mistrust in the animals regarding human beings and doing more harm than good.

If treated and cared for properly, on the other hand, these animals grow up to be just as affectionate and loving as domestic trainable pets. Contrary to popular belief, studies have come up with statistics proving that the danger of injuries from domesticated exotic animals is just as much, if not less than, injury from bites or scratches from dogs and cats. A Brazilian family has a video on YouTube showing off the seven magnificent tigers they keep as pets and making it look like a piece of cake. To them, it is but natural to have a large predator prowling their bedrooms and going swimming with them. They even leave it to the tigers to give their kids piggy-back rides. There are even instances where tigers and lions have gone to extraordinary lengths to care for and rescue their owners from danger.

The fundamental thing is, therefore, striking the chord of mutual love and trust between the owner and the pet. Size doesn’t matter if the considerations of spirituality and emotions are taken care of. Understanding your pet, whether it is a cute poodle or a majestic Bengal Tiger is the first step in forming healthy relationships between yourself and the animal. Although large predators can kill easily when provoked, if a deep bonding exists between the animal and its owner, the owner rarely gets hurt. Needless to say, it is mostly the responsibility of the owner to form a bond as deep as this with the pet.

As I mentioned earlier, a number of laws exist for preventing illegal trade in such big animals, especially the ones that are endangered. Keeping exotic pets is as conspicuous an activity as any, so interested people will do well to run by these regulations before deciding to keep them as pets. Although the internet has many sites boasting of having the license to trade in these animals, getting your hand on one of these animals is much more than a click away and it is advisable that you contact the local zoo or national park instead. In India, it is illegal to own or keep tigers or lions as pets when they grow up but one can keep cubs as long as they remain harmless and don’t pose a fatal threat to human life.

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Everybody loves stories. Here is one story which is a subtle attempt at imagining a dog’s insight on the people around it. A pet dog belonging to an owner living in a gated community, where the people are not even close to being animal friendly, let alone dogs, is always chained on his regular walks. One fine day he notices that the main gate is open and seizes his chance at exploring the beautiful world by himself. However, he encounters certain situations he is very unfamiliar with. So let us now imagine that this dog could be journaling. What will his entry for that particular day account for? We won’t know until we read further and let our imaginations take the better of us! So here is how this story or like the title says, diary entry goes;

“Dear Diary,

It has been a very interesting day for me. A very unusual one as well. My master and I have a very deep bond that has only been strengthening by the day over the last ten years that we have been together. But no matter how much my master loves me, he never considers letting me go on my regular walks by myself, like he used to when I was a puppy. He has been very careful with my leashes and also very particular about double checking if the doors and gates of the house are locked, just in case I was in for meddling around. He may not have given me enough freedom to roam freely in the outside world (like I can stay outside in the horrible climate for very long!) but I have a lot of freedom once I’m inside the boundary walls of this house my master lives in. I even have a big bed to myself with all the soft lovely cushions and fascinating toys that make funny sounds! I am very happy with my master. My system is used to particular timings and my master remembers all of them, my eating timings, sleeping timings, nature calls and all that. He also spends a lot of time talking to me. I don’t really know what he talks about, but it makes me feel good that he sticks around and strokes my fur. My master takes immense pride in me. I must probably be the best German shepherd ever. I do not lack anything but I sometimes wondered what it would be like to roam about on the roads unchained and go a bit farther than the places my master usually takes me to.

Interestingly and much to my fancy, today master got busy elsewhere leaving the gate wide open. In these ten years, he has never done that. He was always extremely cautious about me running out. I cannot speak the language he speaks but he really needs to trust me that this house is as much home to me as it is to him. No matter where I went, I would come back. Which dog wants to be deprived of the comfort!
It took me quite some time to decide if I wanted to stay in like master would want me to, or do I take this chance, probably the first and the last chance ever, at experiencing for myself, how it feels like to be free on the roads like the other dogs on the streets. I got up and looked around; master was nowhere to be seen. I knew this was the time. I began walking towards the gate and when I heard no one around, I ran towards the road. I don’t even remember how far I ran at the first go, but it felt nice to feel my muscles getting worked up and the breeze felt refreshing on my face and tongue. I stopped finally, I reckoned I wasn’t far from home, the scents around were familiar. Everybody stared at me as they passed by. I find people really interesting, they are each so different and move about differently. All of master’s friends adore me. There is this one particular friend of master’s who pulls at my face a lot. I find it funny but nonetheless, I like it.

I started running again and I stopped when I found this bunch of little humans playing with a ball. I had this sudden urge of plunging at the ball, but I sat back down because those little humans were just randomly running all over the place and screaming. My master was always extra careful when these little humans were around me, probably they are harmful! So I just sat back and looked from a distance. After sometime all the little humans dispersed and only one stayed back alone in the middle of the road with the ball. I felt maybe I could go play with it now. As I reached the boy, he was startled and tripped over a stone and fell and he was suddenly screaming. I didn’t know what was happening. In a moment’s time, the other little humans had returned and were throwing stones at me. I turned around and barked at them. Why would they do that? After a while there were grown up humans charging towards me with huge sticks. I was terrified. Few stones hit me and I yelped with pain. I turned around and made a run for my life. What kind of creatures were they? What were they doing in this world which is otherwise so beautiful? What did I do to them to infuriate them such?
Maybe I’ll never know! Maybe this is why master is so protective of me! In spite of all the sharp teeth and claws, it’s them who are more dangerous! None of the humans that visit master are of this kind.

Well, after today, one thing I’m sure about is that, I’m never doing what master doesn’t want me to. I’ve had enough of an adventure for a lifetime, nearly got myself killed and disappointed master. I hope he forgives me!”

So that’s the end of the diary entry. I stay in a gated community that does not approve of pets, dogs in particular and hence I came up with this. And I know the dog’s language may be a continual reminder of Dobby (the house elf in Harry Potter) but nonetheless, its a work of fiction and I hope you enjoyed it!

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