Silver's Success Story

Hello Hoomans,

How are you all doing? 

This week I come to you with a heartwarming success-story of my brother Silver. 

Silver’s life changed after the Shewakramani’s decided to add him to their magnanimous clan and I am so happy for my baby brother. 

Here’s what Silver’s Daddy, Rajeev Shewakramani has to say…

PS…Grab a box of tissues and some popcorn.

 1. What inspired you to adopt a fur baby in today's world when people want to purchase animals that look attractive?

Since I was a kid, I had been fond of housing a pet. I live in Dubai and have grown up looking at stray cats all around the city. These little fur babies have no guarantee of food, shelter and care and are almost always found rummaging the bins for morsels. The sad sight of these cuties made me decide that if I were to ever house a pet, I would only adopt a rescued one and not shop for one. Furthermore, my lovely wife is a big fan of cats. One of very first things she said to me on our first date was that she wanted to adopt a cat. She was a big driving force behind our family adopting Silver, our (now 1-year old) cat.


2. How was your adoption experience with Red Paw Foundation?

We had tremendous fun interacting with the staff at Red Paw. They are extremely friendly and helpful if you are a first time adopter. Zoya and Muhammad (Silver's rescuers) were always on call if we had any questions about Silver. Red Paw gave us the option to foster Silver for 2 weeks and decide later if we wanted to adopt him. We made up our mind to adopt as soon as we brought Silver home. 2 weeks later we filled out a couple of forms and paid a small adoption fee (which was applied towards Silver's neutering).


3. Name your pet and tell us about his/her story. How was he/she before you decided to make him/her a part of your family?

Silver is our little munchkin. He has very much become a part of our family. Muhammad (Silver's rescuer) rescued him in November 2017 when he was a tiny little kitten. Silver had been abandoned by his mother and had been attacked by other cats. Muhammad and Zoya nursed him back to health and brought him to Red Paw.

4. How did you convince your family to be on board with this decision of bringing a pet at home?

My parents were not too keen on having a pet at home. My mother and father both had terrible experiences with stray dogs in their childhood. Hence, the apprehension about adopting a pet. My wife and my sisters assured them that cats are harmless. They are extremely clean and hardly ever need 100% of your attention. 


5. How have things changed in your home since your fur baby has arrived?

It's been 9 months since we adopted Silver and it has come to a point that whenever I come home from work, I look for Silver to hold him and kiss him. All members of our family love him too too much. I believe my mother, who was initially reluctant, is now the most caring towards Silver. She sometimes simply looks at him while he's sleeping and tears up thinking about him.

6. Tell us 3 things you think you (& your family) may have learnt since this fur baby became an integral member of your house.

I believe we have learnt to be more compassionate and caring towards animals in general. I believe my wife's conviction towards vegetarianism has been reinforced since we have adopted Silver. Generally, my family has learnt that animals (particularly those without a home) need all the love and care we can give them. This can simply be in the form of leaving food for cats that are left fending for themselves in the streets.


7. What would you like to tell people who do not understand the value of #AdoptDontShop?

I am not someone who would judge anyone if they chose to 'shop' rather than 'adopt'. I believe all animals (bought or adopted) need our care. Although, I would strongly recommend anyone to visit your local shelter to interact with the rescued animals. You might just find your soul-pet there.

8. What do you think happens when a family adopts a fur baby? How do you think this helps the ecology?

If more and more animals are rescued from the streets and breeding places, there will be a strong impact on the population of animals who are without a home and eventually reach a pre-mature end. It will also reduce the burden on the authorities who are attempting to tackle the issues of over-population. On a grand scale, adopting/sheltering a fur baby makes humans more compassionate towards those who are smaller and lesser than them.


9. Do cats in Dubai really need a loving home, if so, WHY? Share your experiences.

Cats definitely need a loving home. The population of homeless cats has been on the rise. A walk at night around Zabeel Park will reveal the reality. These cats are very loving and docile. Many of them have been ill-treated or experienced extreme hunger and heat. One experience that played a massive role in our decision to adopt Silver was when in February 2018, my wife and I were walking along the canal. There was a cute, fluffy cat on one of the benches and when we walked past, he/she meowed at us. We petted him/her for a few minutes and it started following us (probably asking for food). His/her cuteness made us decide that we wanted to adopt as soon as possible.


10. Are cats high maintenance? What do they expect from their Mommy/Daddy precisely?

Cats are absolutely not high maintenance. All they need is food, water and a warm, snugly place to sleep. They clean themselves several times during the day. However, it is necessary to ensure your cat is at optimal health by monitoring his/her behavior (or changes in it). The good people at Red Paw are always available if you have any questions.


11. How has your cat changed YOUR life?

Silver has brought a lot of compassion in our lives. All members of our family look out for him. We play with him all day and make sure he never gets stressed. Above all else, he has taught us to value even the smallest of creatures.


12. How is your fur baby around guests & children?

Silver is very comfortable around us. However, when guests or strangers come over, he turns into a shy and 'scaredy' cat. He needs time to get adjusted to new people and post that, he is playful and snugly with everyone.

13. Name 5 people from your friends & family who are capable of showering love & attention to these adorable fur babies?

My cousins, Soniya and  Ria Shewakramani are very loving and caring towards pets, having housed a dog for a few years.My parents-in-law and brother-in-law are extremely capable of showering love on animals. They love Silver tremendously and also feed cats that venture into their residence in India.

14. Is there anything more, you'd like to share with us?

I would seriously suggest spending time volunteering at your local shelter. Such places always need an extra hand and the animals there are eternally looking for love and care.

If this success story touched your heart, I urge you to share this with your friends & family.

Meowfully Your,

RePaw