It is not merely a
matter of simplicity, but it demonstrates profound gratitude for life and
one’s surroundings. Furthermore, dogs will stand by you when your human friends
have left you behind; they will accept you the way you are, while your fickle
and anxious parents and spouses overwhelm you with rules and conditions to
abide by and to live by. In fact, all that dogs ask for is your company and presence.
They are loyal to a fault and will go through thick and thin and to the end of
the world and back if it makes you happy.
We sometimes say
it is a dog-eat-dog world out there but that might give a rather unfair
perception and description of canines. Dogs tend to act in the best interest of
their caregivers as their safety and well-being are paramount to them and they
will go to great lengths to protect them from any harm or threats by potential intruders,
be they canine or otherwise. Moreover, dogs are wonderfully resilient and have
so much to teach their human caregivers.
To shed some light
on these topics regarding the canine world and vis-à-vis happiness in both
human and canine terms as well as an appreciation for all the work that veterinarians
do to keep our pets safe and healthy, I was more than thrilled to talk to Sandy
Weaver, author of Happy Vet Happy Pet: Caring for your Pet’s Caregiver.
Not only does she have a profound love and a great understanding of the animal
world and those who care for them, she also had various interesting insights
into happiness and motivation including what makes humans tick and why they act
the way they do, both for better and for worse.
One thing that
Sandy immediately confirmed with me is that pets are not only valuable and
relevant to many people’s lives but that they are also in great and popular
demand these days. In fact, shelters are emptied out as people have adopted
them left and right and there are often long waiting lists. This is mostly due
to people suddenly having found themselves with more time on their hands. On
the other hand, many are now able to have and take care of pets thanks to the
change of work conditions via the options of remote work, another added benefit
of working from home.
It seems that those
of us, myself partially included, who did not necessarily give the space and
importance to pets in our lives are now being shown how much value and how many
benefits pets offer and bring to the table. These furry creatures help us feel
connected and can give us a deeper sense of purpose in our lives. It takes a
pandemic for us to reconsider and bring to the foreground various values,
including the rights and relevance of animals and to remind us about deep
connections that we can have not only with loved ones and family members but
also with these nonverbal creatures.
Personally, I have
had happy brushes with cats (yes, I am more of a cat person) and I have always
cherished each and every one of them. Yet right on the threshold of the
pandemic, a month before lockdowns and quarantines entered our world and our daily
vocabulary, we decided to get a hamster on my son’s behest. My initial impression
of hamsters was that they are a slight step up the ladder from the pet goldfish
we used to have. Yet I was wrong and underestimated these adorable and precious
creatures.
It was during
times of isolation and distancing that we created a much closer bond with our
tiny furry friend. Even though our shifts and lifestyles are different as he is
nocturnal and, unlike us, he actually loves and relishes doing regular
exercise on his wheel, we ended up spending quality time with him regardless
and despite the fact that he is often sleepy and tired. Yet grab and shake a
bag or open a fridge door, and he would immediately open his eyes and move his
whiskers with eager interest and anticipation.
Yet he is at the
same time very well-behaved and surprisingly obedient. Hamsters are much easier
to train than cats and much more reliable and consistent than those pesky felines.
At first, Mr. Floofles, our hamster, would bite us but soon he learned not to
do so. The most impressive thing was when we put his food on one of our plates,
he would not touch it. Once we switched over to his designated plate, he would
immediately devour parts of his food and stuff the rest within his cheeks.
When we first got
him, Mr. Floofles was jumpy, nervous, and suspicious. He still is occasionally
paranoid and likes to protect his food as if his life depended on it. But he is
much less startled by sudden and unexpected sounds and noises. Where he used to
suddenly sit up and perk up in fear, he now does a proverbial shrug with his
hamster shoulders.
But do not underestimate hamsters. They are excellent escape artists. I was shocked one day to see how he could squeak through the bottom of the door frame. A few times, he successfully managed to break out of his three-storied luxury home and would wander the apartment at night. One time he escaped to God knows where for the whole day. We thought that he had left us at that point.
We were very saddened
by this, but most of all, it affected my son who had suddenly lost his friend
and companion. And yet, at night, he suddenly reappeared and made his way to
his cage. We were overcome with emotion, and my son cried tears of joy and
relief. Mr. Floofles has not escaped since but at least we know that he would
come back should he hit the road again.
As Sandy
reconfirmed with me, every pet and animal is unique, as unique as humans are
and they differ from each other, but like their human counterparts, they are also
affected by the environment they are raised in. The personality of their caregivers
and the surroundings of the home affect them emotionally and psychologically.
We often tend to
forget or ignore that animals are sentient beings and that they will go through
whole ranges of emotions, including stress, fear, and sadness. They may not be
as anxious as their human counterparts, and they certainly do not worry about vague
and uncertain future events, the bread and butter of daily human living, a life that is charged and loaded with worries that may turn out to be trivial and insignificant in the
grand scheme of things. Yet even if you are mindful and are fully living in the
present, you often cannot escape the feelings of stress and fear of a given
moment and that would also pertain to animals. We have to keep in mind that ultimately, we
are in charge of and responsible for the care and well-being of these wonderful
creatures.
We should also be
aware of the fact that pets bring so much value to our lives. They have so much
to offer. It is not an overstatement to say that our hamster changed our lives
and that he is a happy member of our family now. It is through him that the
realities of pandemic life with its challenges, restrictions, sacrifices, and
adjustments have become much more bearable for us.
And let us not
forget those in charge of and entrusted with the health and well-being of our
beloved pets, the veterinarians. When I was reading David Kessler’s book on grief, I was shocked to find out that vets have high suicidal rates. This was
before the pandemic had set in and exasperated everything for every one of us.
But veterinarians experience high levels of stress, more so than many others,
and I wanted to know potential reasons for the increase of anxiety among them.
One of the reasons
is the way their job and livelihood is viewed by others. In our society,
medical doctors and physicians are considered essential and their profession is
seen as a worthwhile aspiration and career. Doctors are often put on a pedestal
and are generally treated with respect and even admiration. This is rightly so
because in many cases, they can save our lives and ensure health and wellness.
Second in line, we
have the dentists. They may not get the merit and respect they deserve, and we
may be afraid of paying them a visit, but especially when we are suffering from
a throbbing toothache, we consider them a lifesaver.
Third in line are
psychologists. We are often barely aware that they are there, and some of us
may avoid them like the pest. We may run away from them in fear of being
analyzed and of having our angst revealed and uncovered by them like an open
book or we may shun them because of the stigma that we and others have
attached to them, both to our own and everyone else’s demerit. Yet we still
have unspoken and unacknowledged awe and respect for them.
Yet sadly, vets
are often missing from this picture. Veterinarians usually choose their
profession in childhood and think of it as a calling and a vocation and less of
a job or a career. They are called to care for animals. And, in fact, as Sandy
explained to me, it is very difficult to get into vet schools. Since there are
fewer schools around that specialize in animal care, the cost goes up
significantly, and there will be more competition. As a result, their debts
would increase, while vets would make about half as much as a human doctor
would make when entering the professional world.
Although they have
the same levels of skills and are as qualified and, in some cases, even more so
than medically trained doctors, veterinarians are often treated as
non-essential, and worse, they may be even considered hired help. People often treat
them like it is a transaction instead of a professional relationship; people
would be referring to them as if they were car mechanics and would want to find
the best deals out there so that they can save money.
But pets are not
mere possessions like cars, and we should not evaluate sentient lives the same
way we assess non-living objects. Sandy told me it would be best to acquire
pet insurance for your animal companion so that you would not have to fret or
worry about unexpected and unaccounted costs coming your way on rainy days and
in case of an emergency.
Moreover, pet
owners must keep in mind that the vets they are dealing with are respected and
professional human beings. Comments and viewpoints that see them as only hired
help will make them feel undervalued and underappreciated, especially
considering the type of work they are doing and the services they are
providing.
In fact, what
Sandy pointed out to me is that not only are they animal lovers, to begin with, and
they share the pain and suffering of these creatures, not only are vets driven
by their passion and vocation to help the animals and pets in their care and they
try their best to support the worried, stressed, and anxious caregivers, they
are also more often than not in huge debt. Their extensive studies will have
brought upon them loads of debt in student loans, and they cannot and certainly
should not provide their services for free or for minimal fees.
Not being able to
turn a profit in addition to a lack of respect for their noble profession will
make vets feel more vulnerable. So next time, you take your pet to the vet,
remember that your pets deserve the best care and that the person who can
provide that care to your cherished friend and creature is a sentient being
with outstanding qualifications and who wants the best for your pet, and by
extension, for you, the caregiver.
It was a pleasure
& delight to talk with Sandy on these various topics. There are many other
topics that we touched upon but that could not be covered here in writing. Here
is a link to the full-length interview: https://bit.ly/3dQGGBf
If you are curious
about what my hamster Mr. Floofles is up to, here is his YouTube link: https://bit.ly/FlOOOOOOOF
If you prefer to listen to the interview, here's the link to my podcast: Arash's World Podcast
No comments:
Post a Comment