We spend most days addressing variegated sets of struggles such as tedious office work, stagnant commutes, or hapless lectures. Given our fast-paced lives, we all seek ways to unwind and deal with the drudgeries of life. Even though we can hardly escape the stressors, the thought of spending time with our pets wipes away our sense of strain and replaces it with a feeling of fulfilment.
After the advent of the Covid pandemic, many families have taken in pets that instantly blended in like family members. This has been the case for Fatema Begum Mukti, a homemaker residing in the capital's Aftabnagar, who adopted ten pairs of finches and one pair of budgies. She keeps her birds on her balcony so that they can enjoy an optimal amount of wind and sunshine. "Early every morning, I give them water in their designated pots so that they can bathe and clean themselves. They have the habit of cleaning themselves with water once or twice every day -- the way they have fun splashing water and jumping about is quite a delightful scene to watch. Then I give them store-bought food along with other organic food including granulated eggshells and bits of boiled eggs," she says, happy with her experience so far.
Mahzabeen Islam Akash, an associate professor of Radiology and Imaging Department at Community Based Medical College Bangladesh (CBMCB), also reports how positive her experience has been with her pet. Earlier during the pandemic, she and her family adopted Sakura, a jubilant Dollface Persian. Since then, a significant chunk of their days is spent in the company of their cat friend. "Sakura does almost everything with our family. She wakes up at around six in the morning and strolls around the house trying to wake up my three children. She stays with me when I have breakfast before setting off to work and when I get back home at night, she gets really delighted to see me." When asked how she takes care of her cat, Dr Mahzabeen Islam says, "Although Sakura is only eight months old, she is quite self-sufficient and does not need to be cared for as much. We only have to take care of her health by providing the right diet, keeping her clean, and vaccinating her timely. She is used to having dry food for breakfast and dinner that we purchase from the local pet shop; we give her wet food made of salmon or chicken for lunch that we purchase online. Besides, we gave her the combined flu vaccine and the rabies vaccine soon after we adopted her so that she does not catch those diseases."
Alfie Shahrin, a BBA graduate of the Institute of Business Administration, University of Dhaka, also has the experience of spending almost all day with her pet. She adopted her pet dog Sparky two and a half years ago. With her immediate family members living abroad, she has lived by herself with Sparky for a considerable period of time. "During the initial phases of the lockdown, I used to take Sparky to the rooftop early in the morning and we would sit there under the sun listening to music and he would run about playing games. He would be my constant companion throughout the day -- being by my side when I worked out, cooked, and studied."
However, there are certain day-to-day challenges dog parents including Alfie Shahrin encounter while trying to ensure their dogs' wellbeing. "The biggest challenge of taking Sparky out on walks is that many local dogs bark at Sparky aggressively and try to attack him. Again, community spaces are not dog-friendly. There are no dedicated parks meant for walking dogs," she says. This is the reason why most of Sparky's outings consist of going to the rooftop and spending time there. Given how the infrastructure of Dhaka is not as pet-friendly as it is in the case of many developed countries, many pets live a life that is too confining for their nature.
Another challenge faced by pet owners is that the number of veterinary clinics in Dhaka is scanty and the services provided by them are limited. Pet owners mostly consult veterinary professionals to get vaccines or medicines for their pets when they are sick. Several other basic needs the pets may have to remain unmet. For example, Alfie Shahrin says, "Sparky experiences anxiety issues from time to time but veterinarians do not seem to be knowledgeable enough about it to provide any behavioural training that would help him."
Despite many people opting to have pets recently, the number of businesses dedicated to supplying food for pets is scarce. "Many online shops I order from remain stocked out for a long time which makes me unable to obtain the brand of wet food Sparky is accustomed to. They do not keep a lot of varieties and sometimes their infrequent procurement along with shipping issues cause problems for pets who are picky eaters."
Although the industry catering to pets in Bangladesh has burgeoned recently, there needs to be a focus on diversifying their offerings and maintaining quality. This would enable our daily companions to have the best in terms of food, healthcare, and other basic needs. After all, this is the least we could do to take care of these delightful beings who bring us love, harmony, and mirth.
The writer is a fourth-year BBA student at IBA (DU).
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