Keeping Pets in Udon Thani
Having pets, and taking good care of them is something that normally comes as second nature to us British people, but to Thai's, pets seem to fall in to two categories, which are polar extremes, especially their dogs. A dog, for me, used to be a best friend that would go for a walk with you two or three times a day, play tug-o-war with an old towel, and be a quiet animal living in the house until the door bell was rung - how different it is here.
Dogs
Let me back-track a little though and look at the Thai's that 'love' their dogs. These are the people who are likely to have some spare money to spend on their little canine pal, and are happy to let it live in their house, just as we do back home. However, many Thai's have caught the American bug of dressing their dogs up in some of the most ridiculous and unpractical jackets that I think are totally unsuitable in a country where the weather is so hot all of the time. These animals typically enjoy life to the full, and are pretty well fussed over and get lots of doggy treats, and sometimes get a bit too fat in old age. These are the lucky one's but probably don't appreciate it.
The other dogs have a very different life, as by most people they are consider first and foremost as guardian of the house and land upon which it sits. They live outside, hopefully with some shelter from the elements, and are fed of scraps off the table (We give our two dogs Pedigree Chum biscuit, in case you were wondering). My wife does not want any animals in the house, so our two hounds are garden-bound. If the garden is not fully enclosed, they are free to roam and can be a nuisance for people passing by, innocently passing on their way to somewhere. During the day, this is not normally a great deal but at night it can be, should a particular dog get it in to its head that you are going too close for comfort.
Lots of dogs die prematurely as they are hit by cars, trucks and motorbikes, and many more are injured for life for the same reasons. I suspect in many cases too, as money is tight, if a dog gets in to a serious accident, there is a chance it will just be left to either die by it's owner, or simply left in pain until any would heals itself or is infected and results in death. Animal welfare is not high on the agenda here, unless it's a Chicken or Buffalo.
The other dogs have a very different life, as by most people they are consider first and foremost as guardian of the house and land upon which it sits. They live outside, hopefully with some shelter from the elements, and are fed of scraps off the table (We give our two dogs Pedigree Chum biscuit, in case you were wondering). My wife does not want any animals in the house, so our two hounds are garden-bound. If the garden is not fully enclosed, they are free to roam and can be a nuisance for people passing by, innocently passing on their way to somewhere. During the day, this is not normally a great deal but at night it can be, should a particular dog get it in to its head that you are going too close for comfort.
Lots of dogs die prematurely as they are hit by cars, trucks and motorbikes, and many more are injured for life for the same reasons. I suspect in many cases too, as money is tight, if a dog gets in to a serious accident, there is a chance it will just be left to either die by it's owner, or simply left in pain until any would heals itself or is infected and results in death. Animal welfare is not high on the agenda here, unless it's a Chicken or Buffalo.
Cats
I love cats, and have done for decades, and indeed my wife likes cats, but still doesn't want them in the house. I think it is harder for cats to survive outdoors, although being more resourceful creatures. Many of the cats here, if not just about all, live outside and carry so many diseases, ones that go untreated by the owners, again for financial reasons. We have lost three cats in the space of 12 months thanks to catching various ailments, where the symptoms are showing too late for the local vet to reverse. I would guess the average life expectancy for a cat here is little more than 2-3 years.
If you own female cats, you need to get them 'fixed' at 6 months, as most of the males are constantly on the prowl, looking for a chance to mate and keep the feline population high. We have left one of females 'whole' for now as we would like some more cats, and thankfully as we live out of the city, she is not prone to falling pregnant every six months, indeed she is about to deliver her second litter, and is coming up for two years old.
Many cats you will see appear to be scared stiff of strangers, although we have seen a few that are friendly enough to come up to you for some fussing. When you see a cat, especially in Udon Thani city, the chances are they will have at least part of their tail missing, but not docked. Others will have a deformity in tip of their tail, bent over to perhaps 25 degrees or so. This is something I have not been able to understand to date but I believe most are born this way.
If you own female cats, you need to get them 'fixed' at 6 months, as most of the males are constantly on the prowl, looking for a chance to mate and keep the feline population high. We have left one of females 'whole' for now as we would like some more cats, and thankfully as we live out of the city, she is not prone to falling pregnant every six months, indeed she is about to deliver her second litter, and is coming up for two years old.
Many cats you will see appear to be scared stiff of strangers, although we have seen a few that are friendly enough to come up to you for some fussing. When you see a cat, especially in Udon Thani city, the chances are they will have at least part of their tail missing, but not docked. Others will have a deformity in tip of their tail, bent over to perhaps 25 degrees or so. This is something I have not been able to understand to date but I believe most are born this way.