If you’re a UAE-based pet parent or someone associated with animal welfare, you’d have heard about Vijita Moray. She is not only known for her brand Furnature but also as a genuine animal empath who is always thinking of ways to support animals in need. “I grew up seeing my father’s love for animals. Among my fondest childhood memories in Mumbai, where I grew up, are of my father teaching us to feed cows, birds, street dogs and cats. I remember how he worked tireless to get permission to build a safe spot in front of our home for street dogs to take shelter on hot summer afternoons and during monsoon. In 2020 my father left us. His passing was a huge blow, something that I haven’t been able to come to terms with yet.”
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How do you plan to honour your father’s legacy?
Vijita: In many ways, my brand Furnature is a tribute to my late father who taught me to be genuinely empathetic towards animals. I couldn’t think of a better tribute for him than doing something for animals. This urge led me to set up Furnature. We offer customised pet furniture and other products. Furnature helps me to not only connect with humans of pets through my products but also support animal welfare organisations in the UAE. It has also helped me to combine two of my passions – love for animals and designing. I must tell you that the timing of Furnature’s launch [towards mid-2020] was very tricky, amid the pandemic. But it helped us to sail through the storm, perhaps because my father is watching over us.
[Besides donating a portion of income to animal charities, Vijita also hosts art and craft workshops to create pet products. The proceeds from these workshops go towards supporting animal welfare activities. But she doesn’t like to speak about this.]
You spent your childhood around animals. Do you have pets of your own now?
Vijita: Remember I said I grew up seeing my father’s love for animals? So, I can’t imagine a life and a home without pets. Have you seen our Instagram page Tyson and Team? It’s all about my fur kids – Tyson, our dog; our cats Chloe and Tigus; our tortoises Toto and Olive; and our fish. We also had Max who we lost in the beginning of this year to chronic kidney disease. We have not come to terms with the loss yet, it’s extremely hard to lose a pet. Max will be forever missed.
Having lost a pet to a debilitating disease, what would be your message to our #HumansofPaws community?
Vijita: I can’t emphasise enough on the importance of taking our pets for regular health check-ups. Also, we can always do our bit to support animal welfare organisations by getting rescued animals proper health check-ups too.
Vijita Moray is the Founder of Furnature
