Logasshree Sukumar says she is blessed to belong to a big family, one that is made up of five humans and five adorable fur babies that everyone dotes on.
Each of the dogs has its own story to tell – some heartwarming, others heartbreaking but all very amusing as each and every one of them has quirky but endearing personalities that makes them rather unique.
The first one to join the family was Smurf. He was a stray pup roaming around the campus of University Sains Malaysia, when he was picked by a family friend and given to them.
Logasshree remembers that being their very first pet, they didn’t think giving him a packet of spicy nasi lemak on his first day might not have been the best thing to do.
“Eventually we learned from a pet shop staff how to take proper care of a puppy,” says Logasshree.
Smurf is all of six years but still very much regarded as the baby of the family. He is so loved that Logasshree’s family has even stopped playing with firecrackers since it’s the one thing he’s terrified of.
He’s pretty much a lover, not a fighter but likes to show the family otherwise. “He allows the birds to eat his food, but the moment he sees one of us approaching, he’ll make a big show of chasing them away,” Logasshree says, laughing.
The next one to join the family was Bella. “She came to us in 2018 when she was two years old but it took some time to gain her trust since this beautiful girl was abused by her previous owner.
“She was so scared of everything. Even a sudden move of your hand would make her cower in fear,” Logasshree says, adding that it was a magical and memorable time for the family when Bella finally showed she trusted them.
Having fallen head over heels in love with her, they decided they wanted Bella to have a litter of pups. So she was crossed with a male poodle. Needless to say, everyone in the family was overjoyed when they found out she was pregnant.
“We got to know she was pregnant only a month before her due date and the feeling was indescribable when we first felt her babies move inside her belly.”
It was an emotional time for everyone when Bella gave birth to Bhairan and Banu, the two new members of Logasshree’s ever-growing family.
“We had no experience birthing animals but with the help of YouTube, we were there to assist Bella safely deliver two healthy babies.”
Banu and Bhairan are extra special to everyone in the family, mainly because they were literally born in front of their very eyes. They are also rather unique-looking Poodles as both still sport their tails as no one liked the idea of docking it.
But these two tykes were a handful from day one. “Their naughtiness was indescribable at times as none of the others ever got up to the kind of mischief these two did, like tearing up the wallpaper and biting the legs of our dining table chairs.”
But the fifth and last fur ball to join the family, Kanmani or Kanu, wins hands down as the ultimate drama queen of the entire household.
Logasshree desribes Kanu as a real “Sandakari”, which in Tamil means “rowdy baby”.
“The best term that suits her is ‘Rowdy Baby’. She is super possessive of everyone in the house including the other furkids,” adds Logasshree.
However, for all her thuggish ways, she’s terrified of baths and will use every trick in the bag to get out of having one.
“First she will threaten us with growls and then she will resort to whimpering. When these don’t work, she will give us her most pitiful face,” says Logasshree.
Kanu has a short fuse and when she gets angry will growl at everyone. But she cools down just as fast and can be super friendly and loving the next minute.
Sure, the furbabies all have different personalities but together they complete Logasshree’s family and no one at home wants it any other way.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PET: FMT Lifestyle readers are invited to send in pictures (landscape format) and a short video (if any) of their furry, scaly or feathery friends to [email protected]. Don’t forget to include details like your pet’s name, age, breed and a short story about them.