{P} is for Precious “Cotton”: #AtoZChallenge

{P} is for Precious “Cotton”: #AtoZChallenge

P is for Precious Cotton

October 2007, Singapore

We had moved to Singapore in 2007 after one adventurous stint at Manila. You’ll know what I mean if you read : Bohol-Mighty Cerulean Ocean & Intimidating yes, Imaginary no

Singapore, as you know is a stunning island country. A paradise for families. It’s curated, refreshing columns of green, pristine roads and alleys, simple-soft spoken, down-to-earth population, the lip smacking cuisine; all adds up to a residents delight. Life is so much more easy paced. Much like it is by a countryside, I would say. It has everything that a city has to offer yet it has an old world, simple charm. So it wasn’t surprising that we fell in love instantly with Clark Quay, East Coast Park, Orchard etc and of course Simei where we lived.

 

a-to-z-challenge-2017-travel-epiphanies-natasha-musing-P-precious-cotton-home
View from our home in SG

The three of us were settling in pretty well. The pet lovers that we are, we started keeping pet fish, and bred a bunch of gorgeous guppies in our big fish bowl. Guppies are these little fish and they come in countless colours. One prettier than the other. But the dog people that we are, we missed having one. We would see all these beautiful breeds padding around town and we got more and more inclined towards getting one for ourselves. In Singapore, there are various legalities involved. You need to get a license to get a dog, then the microchip and so on so forth. So we had our apprehensions. We didn’t know how long we were going to stay there. That’s when we saw this advertisement by ASD (Action for Singapore Dogs) in the newspapers, and we decided to give fostering a chance.

Fostering as you may know meant keeping a dog for for a while till it got adopted. So off we went on a weekend, across the island, to a far-flung place in search of our canine wonder. It was exciting to say the least. There were dogs of various shapes and sizes, some more active than the other,  some traumatised because of their past, some that were man handled by their owners. There was one which was thrown out of a moving car, probably because the owners didn’t need it any more and it had a broken shoulder. It was a heart breaking sight, yet it was reassuring to see that ASD was doing such a noble job of taking care of so many of them. Amidst all these dogs they took us to the kennel that housed a pure white dog, with large, beautiful yet very sad eyes. She was trembling in fear. Yovenne the ASD incharge, felt that this furry girl would be perfect for our home, as she was kid friendly and a well behaved girl.

We were still deliberating on our decision, and before we knew it, on the 10th October, 2007, Yovenne brought Cotton over. I think I had already shown interest and she assumed I had wanted her.

a-to-z-challenge-2017-travel-epiphanies-natasha-musing-P-precious-cotton-1

Cotton (she was named by Yovenne) came into our home bringing us much happiness and a  good news. She arrived like a stork. Yes, the very same evening we found out that we were expecting our second one. We hadn’t anticipated this at all, so our joy knew no bounds.

a-to-z-challenge-2017-travel-epiphanies-natasha-musing-P-precious-cotton-2

The next few months were some of our happiest. It’s simply amazing what a dog can do to your home. Or a pet for that matter. It can multiply your happiness by manifold. Cotton with her sweet, loving temperament was a boon in our lives and she won our heart instantly. She was 2 years-old, toilet trained, and so well-behaved. She only had the fear of rain and thunder-storm, or any loud noises, something which she still continues to. It kind of mortifies her so much that she crawls into the cupboard and sometimes even digs into the bed tearing our bedsheets. She continues to still destroy many of those, but believe you me she is like the Lady of the house, very proper, very well-mannered and always clingy and delirious for love.

a-to-z-challenge-2017-travel-epiphanies-natasha-musing-P-precious-cotton-baby

When the younger one was born, Cotton used to be so over protective of the baby that she bit a few people, including the mid-wife who came in proximity to the child. She was just guarding her, like her own child. This is something she normally doesn’t do. I believe they had a connect of sorts. The timing of Cotton and the little one’s arrival was not coincidental. In life there are no coincidences, everything is synchronous.

Note to my Readers: Cotton moved back with us to India when we returned 7 years ago. Her transition was smooth and she adjusted to the Indian culture (did she have a choice:p), away from the country of her origin. Cotton is one of the most precious gifts I have. She is now 11, but looks sure are deceptive, as she passes off as a young, gorgeous canine wonder.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

a-to-z-challenge-2017-travel-epiphanies-natasha-musing-P-precious-cotton-O

My theme for this year’s Blogging from A-Z Challenge is Travel Epiphanies that are my very own tales of adventure and revelation. I will be writing 26 posts throughout the month of April. You can read my theme here.

19 thoughts on “{P} is for Precious “Cotton”: #AtoZChallenge

  1. She is an absolute cutie! And so is your baby for that matter. Now must be grown up though. I’m so glad you found just the pet that you were looking for through foster care. And yes, its true. There are no coincidences. Cotton moving back to India with you was a healthy surprise and a nice ending 🙂 My love to her xx

    Have a look at this Book Review of 2016’s Bestseller Psycho Thriller.

    Regards,
    Pikakshi
    Readers of the Night

  2. Loved this story! You gave Cotton a home and she gave you her heart forever. These four legged babies love so unconditionally, there is so much we can learn from them. Proud of you for giving Cotton a wonderful life, she couldn’t have been luckier to have a mama like you!

  3. Aww what a heartwarming post! It saddens me that some people would just throw out their pets – I mean throwing out of a moving car, how cruel can they get.
    Cotton indeed looks precious <3

  4. I had the pleasure of making her acquaintance though that day the poor darling was quivering in fear of the impending thunder.
    I cannot ever think of adopting a pet like this as I would worry myself to death over it’s well being and whether she is truly happy with me or not.

    You are one kind soul to do this and the little beauty knows it too.

    Parsi food and my palate

  5. Pets are precious indeed! It’s really nice that you could bring Cotton back to India with you. Often, when people relocate, pets get left behind due to strict (and often expensive) travel and entry rules.

  6. Aww such a lovely read this was. Cotton was lucky to get such a wonderful family. Pets are actually the most giving and unselfish relations one can have. Stay blessed!

  7. What a gorgeous girl! My family are involved in helping with dog rescues, posting on Facebook about dogs that need homes, and we have adopted five of our own. Some of the stories are absolutely horrifying and I can’t still get my head around the cruelty that some people inflict on defenceless animals. It’s clear that you’ve given Cotton a wonderful life. I’ve also briefly visited Singapore during my travels; a beautiful city!

  8. I too am glad Cotton went with you to India, as animals bond with us more than we with them. Great post

  9. Foster caring is such a rewarding experience. I used to foster litters of newborn kittens. It was always so hard to give them back when they were old enough to be adopted out. It was tempting to keep a few but I already have two of my own.
    Great post, Natasha. Glad to hear Cotton returned to India with you

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badge