-^-for posterity-^-

jota, our puppy, our pride and joy, seriously needed some boundaries.

keeping chickens and roosters as pets is quite a popular past time here. i already recounted stories of one of our friends, tri, and his roosters. they are majestically colored and strut aimlessly as only flightless birds can. they are normally followed by a harem of loyal hens.

these roosters are kept in large, bamboo baskets. the baskets are about three feet high and about four feet across. they are turned upside down and the roosters and placed underneath. this is to keep them safe from thieves (oh yes, roosters are stolen) and from their own aimless wandering.

we are trying to train jota to go to the bathroom outside. we decided to get him a rooster cage. we bought the cage at the local market and carried it home on our bicycle. while i was driving, my left forearm straining under the weight of the cage and my shirt soaked from sweat from the noon-day sun, a man pulled up next to me. he asked, “how many roosters do you own?” i wasn’t about to explain that the cage was for a dog so i simply answered, “one, beautiful rooster.”

jota doesn’t like his cage. he tries to eat his way through it and we had to put some text-books on top so he wouldn’t move it about the room. he sits on his lime-green blanket/towel and sulks. he looks up at us and mopes. people come in the room and comment. they make fun of our dog sitting in a rooster cage. i think jota is slightly offended.