Proper Pet Care in Bangladesh

We spend most days addressing variegated sets of struggles such as tedious office work,
stagnant commutes, or hapless lectures. Given our fast-paced lives, we all seek ways to
unwind and deal with the drudgeries of life. Even though we can hardly escape the
stressors, the thought of spending time with our pets wipes away our sense of strain and
replaces it with a feeling of fulfilment.

After the advent of the COVID pandemic, many families have taken in pets that instantly
blended in like family members. This has been the case for Fatema Begum Mukti, a
homemaker residing in the capital’s Aftabnagar, who adopted ten pairs of finches and one
pair of budgies. She keeps her birds on her balcony so that they can enjoy an optimal
amount of wind and sunshine. “Early every morning, I give them water in their
designated pots so that they can bathe and clean themselves. They have the habit of
cleaning themselves with water once or twice everyday - the way they have fun splashing
water and jumping about is quite a delightful scene to watch. Then I give them store-
bought food along with other organic foodstuff including granulated egg shells and bits
of boiled egg” she says, happy with her experience so far.

Mahzabeen Islam Akash, an associate professor of Radiology and Imaging Department at

Community Based Medical College Bangladesh (CBMCB), also reports how positive her
experience has been with her pet. Earlier during the pandemic, she and her family
adopted Sakura, a jubilant Dollface Persian. Since then, a significant chunk of their days
is spent in the company of their cat friend. “Sakura does almost everything with our
family. She wakes up at around six in the morning and strolls around the house trying to
wake up my three children. She stays with me when I have breakfast before setting off to
work and when I get back home at night, she gets really delighted to see me.” When
asked how she takes care of her cat, doctor Mahzabeen Islam says, “Although Sakura is
only eight months old, she is quite self-sufficient and does not need to be cared for as
much. We only have to take care of her health by providing the right diet, keeping her
clean, and vaccinating her timely. She is used to having dry food for breakfast and dinner
that we purchase from the local pet shop; we give her wet food made of salmon or
chicken for lunch that we purchase online. Besides, we gave her the combined flu vaccine
and the rabies vaccine soon after we adopted her so that she does not catch those
diseases.”
Alfie Shahrin, a graduate from Institute of Business Administration, University of Dhaka,
also has the experience of spending almost all day with her pet. She adopted her pet dog
Sparky two and a half years ago. With her immediate family members living abroad, she
has lived by herself with Sparky for a considerable period of time. “During the initial
phases of the lockdown, I used to take Sparky to the rooftop early in the morning and we
would sit there under the sun listening to music and he would run about playing games.
He would be my constant companion throughout the day - being by my side when I
worked out, cooked, and studied.”

However, there are certain day-to-day challenges dog parents including Alfie Shahrin
encounter while trying to ensure their dogs’ wellbeing. “The biggest challenge of taking
Sparky out on walks is that many local dogs bark at Sparky aggressively and try to attack
him. Again, community spaces are not dog-friendly - there are no dedicated parks meant
for walking dogs” she says. This is the reason most of Sparky’s outings consist of going
to the rooftop and spending time there. Given how the infrastructure of Dhaka is not as
pet-friendly as it is in the case of many developed countries, many pets live a life that is
too confining for their nature.

Another challenge faced by pet owners is that the number of veterinary clinics in Dhaka
is scanty and the services provided by them are limited. Pet owners mostly consult
veterinary professionals to get vaccines or medicines for their pets when they are sick.
Several other basic needs the pets may have remain unmet. For example, Alfie Shahrin
says, “Sparky experiences anxiety issues from time to time but vets do not seem to be
knowledgeable enough about it to provide any behavioural training that would help him.”

Despite many people opting to have pets recently, the number of businesses dedicated to
supplying food for pets is scarce. “Many online shops I order from remain stocked-out
for a long time which makes me unable to obtain the brand of wet food Sparky is
accustomed to. They do not keep a lot of variety and sometimes their infrequent
procurement along with shipping issues cause problems for pets who are picky eaters.”

Although the industry catering to pets in Bangladesh has burgeoned recently, there needs
to be a focus on diversifying their offerings and maintaining quality. This would enable
our daily companions to have the best in terms of food, healthcare, and other basic needs.
After all, this is the least we could do to take care of these delightful beings who bring us
so much love, harmony, and mirth.