Figo

June 12, 2020 at 3:54 pm (Uncategorized)

2019 began & it brought along with it, incidents that pushed me into depression. All alone with close ones, dear ones drifting away for reasons unknown to me. I was exactly halfway of 2019, thats 30th June 2019, Sunday. I was sitting at the GEC ground along with my two kids browsing through an app that promotes sale of second hand things. I saw an ad of puppies. Without a second thought,I called an owner and drove straightaway to his residence before I stopped for withdrawing money at the atm. Out of 3-4 puppies, I picked this cute little pup and drove home back. Both the kids were excited so far till we reached home and till we were encountered with so many questions like – why did you bring him ? Who will take care of him ? He will shed his fur – who will clean it ? Who will take him to the doctor ? Who will feed him ? Who will clean all the shit that he does and numerous other questions that will discourage any person to tame any pet. But I had made up my mind because I had to escape from my depression and I knew this little pup will do that job. By the way he had already puked on the front seat of the car due to motion stress. Three of us looked at that little pup with curiosity and anxiety. Kids started asking me many FAQs to which I googled and answered. We named him FIGO. He had some skin issues and allergies which required to be cleaned. I consulted the owner who himself was a vet. Also one of my pharmacist friends who had pom helped me that will resolve this skin issue. And my motherhood commenced. It took me around approx 3 months to get it cleared. Procedure included rubbing his entire body with lotion,massaging him and then collecting all the fur that would fall, cleaning the floor as it would get sticky with that poisonous chemical and finally me getting a shower to sleep with my kids. This would consume my 2 and a half – 3 hours everyday. Yes little disappointed with it but had decided that I will make Figo allergy free as it was itching and aggravating day by day. Also since his senses weren’t developed, he was peeing and pooping around different places in my house. My duty included waking up at 5 am and cleaning up everything with disinfectant before everyone gets up. Simultaneously, I was training him for potty by going through different training methods on Google. I succeeded as he completed four months of his training. He started going out to attend to nature’s call. When main door was closed he did his job in a bathroom. By this time, not fully but all those who objected his entry into our family stated partially appreciating him for this. I started learning his behaviour, food likings, potty timings etc. Regularly vaccinated which is one of the scary things for me as dogs retaliate and don’t allow doctors to inject. But Figo unlike me is a brave child and did my job easy. Doctors also appreciated him saying first time they have came across pom breed who are so cooperative. Another feather in my cap. On the day of chaturthi he fell severely ill and due to chaturthi all had gone to their native places and no one was around to treat him. He couldn’t stand, couldn’t eat. I called up my another close friend who helped me to get an appointment at another Vet in panjim and without further delay I put him on my laps in a car and got him injected. My friend also accompanied me and helped me to get his medicines from the pharmacy. He had a temperature and would throw up whatever he ate. But after injecting he was improving and all ok by next day. I have a small pharmacy in my home which has his treat biscuits, tonic, anti hair fall tonic, skin lotion, anti ticks, anti fungal powder, syrup for indigestion, vomitting, comb, scissor, nail cutter etc. He has 2 plates. One for food and another for water. I never tied him up or put him in a cage. He roams anywhere he wants. But I have restricted him to few areas in our courtyard as if he crossed those then stray dogs attack him. He has done it twice and he has been attacked severely post which I had to inject him with post bite vaccines. The bond between Figo & me as an individual and with my family members has grown strong over a period of time. Just narrating an incident after which my wife had a strong bonding with him. My wife was employed as a temporary contract based lab assistant in one of the schools. She was riding back home and fell on her own fracturing her hand. When I got her home after visiting doctors, she couldn’t walk properly and Figo sensed this as something abnormal. From that day onwards for next few days, Figo would regularly come and sit near her. This was something I never expected. From that day onwards my wife got attached to him. She started pampering him, feeding him, and so on. Today Figo before sleeping comes to her, keeps his head on her laps and gets the head massage done. He usually slept in our living room but as the wether started getting hot and as he came to know that we have a machine that cools the environment, he shifted his base to our bedroom. And whenever we switched off our AC, he would ask us to let him go out and he would sleep next to the door of parents rooms so that he could enjoy the AC that would come out from the tiny gap between the door and the floor. Early morning, Figo would stand across our bed and see if my kids are awake. If not, he would touch his nose to their head. All day he sits outside our main door and patrols our premises. Nobody should drive on the road that is outside our compound. He continuously barks till the vehicle gets out of his sight. The opening or closing sound of the main gate is the trigger for him. He understands that someone is at the gate and then his duty starts. He has his favourite places to sit. He sits outside the bathroom when I take bath. He sits between me and my wife when we have breakfast, lunch and dinner and then he has his share from our plate. He sleeps below our bed. He sits in a living room when we sit to watch a TV. As an evening ritual, I visit all the rooms in our house with karpur aarti and my kids follow me. To our surprise, Figo has also started coming behind us to every corner in every room. And this has been appreciated by everyone. Whenever I go to my in-laws place, I take him and he too enjoys the place. He always sits near me whenever I work on my system and starts massaging my legs with his tongue. He also likes to wipe my legs when I wash it. He likes idli, Dosa, ‘paav’, He likes to get wet in the rains and he also enjoys when I rub him with his towel. May be that is the reason he goes out and gets wet. Early morning around 330 am is his time to attend to nature’s call, so he would wake me up and ask me to open the door so he goes out. I open the gate, he goes out, does his job and then he has those 5 minutes of patrolling without which he doesn’t come inside. Now in the rains, I tell him that I won’t open the door, go to the bathroom. And he follows my instructions like a human being. He loves to sit and listen to our talks. He has been naughty yet a very obedient dog. We recently celebrated his first birthday on May 20th 2020 and this June 30th he is completing his one year with us. A year with him is full of so many memories. Today, he is being liked by all of us. He has done his job of taking me out of the depression. Figo is god. Figo is world. Figo is life. Lots of love, care, hugs and kisses to the man of my life.