Panju, a silky terrier, came into Kogilavani Vijan’s life at the right time. Her mother had passed away not too long ago, and the arrival of the little puppy brightened up their home.
“Previously, our house was quiet, but when Panju came, he made things livelier,” the 29-year-old told FMT.
Kogilavani adopted Panju from a friend’s neighbour when he was just three months old. The word “panju” means “cotton” in Tamil, and was given by her sister because of his soft fur.
Today, Panju is four years old and living happily with his human family. “He’s a good companion for my father, who is a retiree, as my siblings and I are working and he is usually home alone,” she said fondly.
Although petite, the pooch is certainly large in personality, and Kogilavani shared some heartwarming examples.
“When he meets a stranger, he will bark, wanting to scare the person away. However, he’s a real softie inside because, after receiving pats from the person, he becomes friendly and will sit quietly for even more pats.”
She also revealed an interesting fact about Panju: he is afraid of flies and cockroaches.
“When he hears the buzzing sound of a fly, he runs and hides under a chair. For some reason, he has been that way since we adopted him,” she chuckled.
While the reason behind Panju’s fear of flies remains a mystery, the family has identified why he is scared of cockroaches.
“It’s because my sister and I are afraid of cockroaches and would run whenever we see one. Panju picked up this habit, and now, he runs faster than us whenever he spots a cockroach!”
Despite these humorous phobias, Panju has earned the title of “accidental hero” from his humans.
“Once, there were intruders who were attempting to break into our house, and Panju started barking. But he didn’t charge towards the intruders as he barked – instead, he walked backwards!”
Panju nevertheless ended up saving the day as his barking alerted Kogilavani’s father, and the intruders eventually ran away.
When it comes to food, the canine enjoys eating boiled chicken and has even learnt to recognise the word. But there’s another word he also understands – one he is not particularly fond of.
“He can recognise ‘mandi’ and runs away whenever he hears it!” Kogilavani revealed with a laugh.
Panju loves taking naps and going for car rides with his human, during which he likes to put his head out of the window and enjoy the breeze, which certainly makes for an adorable sight.
“Panju has brought joy not just to me but to my whole family,” Kogilavani concluded warmly. “He has made our house feel like a home.”
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.