Saturday, November 17, 2007

The 1st time we met : Cheery & I

She is the 1st dog I have. My ma had objected in having a pet in the house because she IS a cleanliness-freak and pets to her WERE a no-no.

(If you'd noticed the grammar, I take it you understood my point. If you hadn't noticed or had noticed but didn't understand, I wonder if you had failed your last eyesight test or English. Let me explain - my ma IS still the cleanliness-freak today, but no-no to pets was a thing of the past.)

6 years ago, I decided I had suffered enough deprivation and made up my mind to realise my dream of having a puppy.

I scored through pet advertisements and walked many pet shops, read up and memorised everything on puppy care, and researched on the different breeds and their characteristics.

All these were not known to my ma yet.

I decided I wanted a West Highland White Terrier (Westie for short), I like their looks with their pointed ears and they look so 'huggable' in fluffy white.

Prior to meeting Cheery, Mike and I had seen many puppies in various pet shops but failed to form an affinity to any of them.

One afternoon, we took leave from work and drove to a pet farm in Lim Chu Kang, they had a male and female Westie for sale.

We were really there to look at the male Westie, as a 1st timer, I didn't think that I was prepared to deal with a female bitch going into heat once every 8 months.

The pet shop owner let both the male and female puppy out, I remembered telling Mike "the female pup doesn't look too lively".

The 2 pups were oblivious to our watchful eyes as we scrutinised them on their behaviour and temperament.

At one point, the male pup decided to defecate and the female pup trottered ever so curiously to smell it (yes, young pups do that. They even eat it, you just gotta break them out this habit!), and had herself smeared with poo on her forehead.

Didn't look like such an intelligent pup either, I thought. Didn't she know she has to impress with her cutest self when potential buyer comes knocking, rather than smelling another's poo.

The pet owner told us that these Westies were in a family of 3 siblings - 2 sisters and 1 brother.

The elder sis had been sold and it's the brother and and youngest sis left now.

He also told us how the youngest sis was always been bullied during feeds, she always eat last among them.

If you had told me this statement today, I would have exploded into laughter in your face. Cheery is really quite the terror towards food at home. She is QUEEN when it comes to food.)

Anyway, we witnessed food being served and the brother went for it hungrily while she sat timidly in a corner. Only when she was sure her brother had finished his meal, did she take tiny steps forward to nibble at her food.

After a while, it didn't seem like we were going home with any of them and we decided to leave.

Just as I was leaving the shop, I gave one last look into the cage and saw the female pup waving her tiny little paw at me. It was the tiniest action, with the slightest movement of her pinkish paw (young pups have very tender pinkish paws which will slowly turn black and roughen as they grow) and so surreal that until today, I cannot be sure she did that.

But at that moment, I could almost read her big round eyes, beckoning me to bring her home.

I halted in my steps, took one last look at her and told Mike "Dear, we're bringing her home..."

It was love only at 2nd sight.

She was only 2 months old then...and the most intelligent pup, because she had endeared herself to me, when no one was looking...

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