How far would you go for your pet?

THE Eye was inspired to write this after a friend pointed out several ‘fish tails’ that were hung around a residential area, announcing a lost cat. On the ‘fish tails’, the lady owner of the cat gave a detailed description of the feline — right down to the markings on its forehead, and also put up a reward of several thousand ringgit for anyone who would be able to find the cat and bring it back to her.Now, anyone who is not quite a pet lover would probably ask if the cat is a ‘blue blood’ or a special breed to be so valuable. What caught the Eye’s attention was that the cat was an ordinary domestic cat. Ordinary to most of us, perhaps, but obviously very special to the owner for her to have gone through the trouble of having the signs hung along the streets of this particular residential area.

The Eye was even more impressed with the lady’s determination to find her cat after finding out that she had also advertised, in colour, the same details in local newspapers. We all know that coloured advertisements in newspapers do not come cheap.

Not too long ago as well, a friend of a friend who relocated back here from Peninsular Malaysia went through great lengths to obtain the necessary permits and adhere to quarantine procedures for several pets. Quarantine doesn’t come cheap either.

And mind you, these pets were not purebred either. Yet, all the same, the owner went through the hassle to obtain microchips, import permits and quarantine space for local breeds.

Some friends were of the opinion that a lot of the hassle could have been avoided if the pets could have just been given up for adoption back in Peninsular Malaysia and new pets acquired here.

Many pet owners see their pets as ‘just pets’ and as ‘replaceable’ at any time. After all, they are just animals right? That, unfortunately, is the general perception about pets. In the past, the Eye has written several times on how some owners mistreat or fail to provide proper care for their pets. Not many understand the bond between some pet owners and their animals.

Those who have strong bonds with their pets are usually laughed at and sometimes even brushed off as being silly. The Eye, on the other hand, sees them as people who are sensitive to their environment and, possibly through upbringing or   even certain experiences in life, have found places in their hearts for the Almighty’s other little critters.

There are many other true stories from around the world about the great lengths that pet lovers will go to just for their beloved pets. Some spend their life savings on surgery for pets that are ill, even when there are no guarantees that the pet will survive. Others talk to their pets.

There may be some of us who have heard stories of how some pet owners pay for lavish funerals and burial plots for their departed animals. Some    go to great extent to search for lost pets, as the Eye   has witnessed here in Kuching. Others spend days locked up in their rooms mourning the death of a pet.

Many of those who do go through great lengths for their pets say that these pets are like children to them. Most people would argue that no animal can take the place of a child and would most likely label such dedicated pet owners as nuts.

To the Eye, these ‘nuts’ are people who appreciate life and are simply trying to be responsible pet owners. And that is why the Eye is grateful for film makers who make movies like ‘Eight Below’.