Hi all, another fortnight has gone by and it’s time for our sixth blogpost in the “Friends of the Animals” blog series. Today, Rika, the pet dog of Dr Joanna Debby Khoo from the Veterinary Section, “writes” about her human and feline friends.
Hi! My name is Rika. I’m a 3.5 year old Maltese and Shih Tzu mix and I’m originally from Perth, Australia.
Hmm… writing is tough work.
My human and I first met when I was about 8 weeks old. She adopted me from a family which had had a litter of puppies. She was at the house visiting us and was actually going to pick my meek, quiet sister, but I quickly grabbed her attention by going forward and nibbling on her toes!
Now, I must tell you something. My human is a veterinarian! She gave me my core and non-core vaccinations, ensured I was de-wormed, and sterilised me when I was 5 months old to reduce my chances of developing reproductive tract diseases. She also trained me to be accustomed to nail trims and ear cleaning from young, so I don’t freak out now as a grown-up.
What I miss most about Perth were the twice-daily walks to the parks near our home with my human. Back then, she worked shifts at a vet clinic and had the time to bring me for 30-minute walks in the morning and in the evening. I have fond memories of rolling around in the grass, running freely catching balls, playing with the other dogs… Yes, I’ve definitely chased a big dog or two around in my life… The daily exercise was really beneficial in keeping my energy levels and mood balanced. It was also in these parks that I graduated from my Puppy Socialisation Programme!
Me and my human at the park, with my water bowl and leash.
Of course, I didn’t just have canine friends. Let me tell you about my feline friends! Many are shocked that I have feline friends. To be honest, I sometimes think I’m a cat myself. I first lived with a big scary fluffy cat called Zoe in Perth. Zoe tolerated me but much preferred to be left alone grooming herself.
This was as close as I got to Zoe, by sneaking up on her!
My human brought me to the clinic every day. My best friend at the clinic was Nigel, a silver tabby. He lived there and we used to have great fun chasing each other up and down the clinic corridors. Well, clearly Nigel wasn’t afraid of me even though I’m a dog (cat!). The secret is, as my human says, to have dogs and cats interact from young.
Playing at the bottom of the prep table.
No I don’t know who stole the persimmon!
I still remember my toilet-training sessions when I was just a wee pup. My human would take me out to the backyard in our house in Perth every hour and after each meal and go “Toilet! Toilet”! I would just look at her and roll my eyes and then roll around on the grass to scratch my back. I am proud to declare that I am fully toilet-trained.
In fact, when my human and I relocated to Singapore in 2009, I was so well-trained that I refused to pee in my carrier! When my human came to collect me from the Changi Animal and Plant Quarantine Station, I dashed out (on my leash) to the nearest plot of grass where she swears I peed for 5 minutes straight. An exaggeration…
Now I live with 3 other cats that my human rescued when they were just 2 – 3 weeks old. They had been surrendered for humane euthanasia but my human intervened. Let me introduce Kat (top right), Kitler with a moustache (bottom right) and Kow, who has cow spots (left). Clearly, my human ran out of names because who calls a cat a cow right?
The kittens when they were babies.
As grown-ups, Kat is the meek scaredy one, Kow is the big fat greedy one, and Kitler is the most manja (seeking attention and affection) of the lot. All three live entirely at home. I’ve asked them if they mind being cooped up at home since I get to go out for walks. But they’ve assured me that they’re very happy to be indoors where they have constant access to food (greedy things), leather sofas and water.
Kow and I lazing on my human’s bed watching TV.
Even though my human is much busier now, she still spends time with me. Some Sundays we wake up extra early for a 6km run/walk. I usually get tired halfway so she has to carry me for a while. She says it helps train her biceps. I’m not that fat!
Alright, time for a snooze. Talk to you guys later!
Loading ...
