Cats who teach me to fly…

Kira’s young adopter absolutely loves her. In truth, there was nothing visually extraordinary about Kira. She’s a black kitten and, in my eyes, a little ugly. When I first rescued her from a drain in Whampoa, I wasn’t entirely confident we could rehome her. Still, I told Mel we had to work really hard for her, and we did.

We took Kira to two adoption drives, and Mel listed her on the Cat Welfare Society platform. Although a few potential adopters showed interest, we didn’t feel they were the right fit. Finally, a young girl contacted Mel expressing interest in Kira. Because she was only 14, Mel didn’t take the request seriously until her parents spoke to us. Her dad eventually called, and we invited the family over to interact with Kira. They left a wonderful impression, so we decided to approve the adoption.

Before bringing Kira to them, we visited their home to ensure they had all the necessities, especially window meshes. We required them to mesh all windows and the front gate without exception. Since they were using plastic mesh, we advised them that adding metal mesh at the corners would be safer. The father immediately agreed and got everything done the next day. I thought to myself that even having a good father requires immense good kamma. When I shared this with Mel, she asked, “What about fathers who have great love but no material means?” I burst out laughing, even though I knew I shouldn’t. I laughed because her point completely defeated my theory. It made me ask myself: which would I prefer, a life of independence with everything I need, or a father’s love without financial means? I must admit, growing up without parents around was incredibly tough. But as I grew older, my life took shape. Now I am settled, living humbly with everything I need. Ultimately, I prefer who I am and what I have today. I rejoice for those who have both material comfort and a loving father, and for those who only have a father’s love, I hope they cherish him deeply.

The adopters had two weeks to prepare Kira’s arrival and everything went smoothly. We hope Kira brings immense happiness to their family.

Bluz was skinny when we first saw him in Hougang. He was a newcomer and an abandoned cat. We thought he might not survive, but we tried our best. Every day, I boiled chicken, mixed it with canned cat food, and added supplements. As time passed, Bluz grew strong and gained weight, so we decided to find him a home.

We posted his profile for adoption on the Cat Welfare Society platform. We also attended several adoption drives, but Bluz always showed a grumpy expression to the visitors. Since we had no luck there, we invited interested individuals to visit him at home, but still had no success. We began to think that perhaps Bluz preferred to stay with us.

The photo above is the cutest picture of Bluz. Everyone was drawn to his appearance, and some even referred to him as “grande.”

Bluz stayed with us for thirteen years. Mel took over his care for about eight years, providing him with an improved quality of life. When we first rescued Bluz, the vet estimated his age to be three years old, making him at least sixteen years old in the end.

Like all of them, Bluz left his paw prints and planted a tiny seed in our heart. May all accumulated merits be dedicated to his favourable rebirth.

Elk scared me yesterday. I was doing household chores when I saw Elk freeze while he was on his way to the water fountain. He stood there for a while. I tapped his head and walked away. Shortly after, I saw him walk into the common room and stopped halfway, completely frozen. Elk has never behaved like this before. He may be clumsy, but he’s quick when he switches places to sleep. He hardly ever pauses in the middle of walking, and if he does, it is usually when he’s peeing or pooping. But he did none of that yesterday.

I sat next to him, petting his head. I asked him what happened, but he kept still. I held him on my lap and petted him again. He looked perfectly comfortable. I placed him back on the floor. He walked and bumped into the wardrobe when I wasn’t watching him. When I decided to tap my finger near his eye, he didn’t flinch or react. Elk had temporarily lost his vision. I didn’t panic at all. He’s old. I placed him on a comfortable towel to keep him warm and safe. I went to take a shower, and when I came out of the bathroom, I saw Elk eating kibbles. He looked up at me, and I knew he had regained his eyesight. Still, sending him to the vet was necessary.

We went to VES since our regular vet was not available. The vet at VES ran a comprehensive blood test on him, and the results came out clean.

He’s home and back to himself again—yelling at the top of his lungs as usual. He does a pee yell, a poop yell, a before-meal yell, and an after-meal yell. Thirteen years of yelling and still kicking! The vet said that his blood test result was remarkable.

Elk has had neurological issues since the day we took him home. He was attacked by dogs. We didn’t know that Elk was deaf until a loud thunder clap occurred one day. When all the other cats were running for their lives, Elk slept with his four paws facing up and his mouth wideopen.

When I held him in my arms yesterday, the feeling was heavy. It’s always heavy when any of my cats falls sick. 50% attachment, 50% woes.

In order to live longer and happier life, I learned one thing from Elk and that is “one ear in, one ear out.” Don’t let the speech of others affect your life.

Singapore held a memorial ceremony for Wangwang on the 28th of August. I was there that day with a small bouquet of handmade flowers.

The night before Wangwang’s memorial ceremony, I spent three hours thinking about what to do for her. Since the organisers were going to clear all the offerings by the end of the day, and understanding that she is in a good place now, I didn’t intend to spend money on buying her anything.

I Googled the easiest way to make flowers and found a method that suited me. It looked easy but required time to plan and prepare the materials. I didn’t spend a single cent on the materials; I just used whatever I already had at home.

The materials I used were A4 paper, newspaper, disposable chopsticks, a Chagee cup, Scotch tape, glue, and small rocks. The words were handwritten by me.

The ceremony started at 5:00 PM. I took public transport instead of driving. When I arrived at Esplanade, I saw two ladies carrying bouquets of flowers and toys, and I guessed they must be attending the ceremony too. Since I wasn’t sure exactly where the venue was, I followed quietly behind them. Eventually, I approached them because, just like me, they couldn’t find the location. We kept asking around until we finally found the right spot. It was held in a corner, with Wangwang’s photo sitting on a bench.

I was there for less than 15 minutes. I tucked my flowers into a corner. I originally wanted to place them right in front of Wangwang’s photo, but all the other offerings looked so big that my humble bouquet would have been completely overshadowed. So, I placed it where it fit best. Wherever it ended up, what matters is that everyone there held a place in their heart for Wangwang.

It ended with me hoping that Wangwang would be the last being to ever be abused and tortured, though we all know it will never truly stop until we end all cruelty.

Wangwang was no ordinary dog. An ordinary dog wouldn’t ignite such a strong spark, causing the world to mourn and fight for her, to the point where even I was drawn into the event.

Above is a half-built statue of Wangwang that Alina’s animal shelter in Nepal decided to put up. I played a part in supporting the construction of a memorial garden for her there. I hope Wangwang and her babies’ story continues to ignite compassion in us, especially in this day and age. I also hope my love and compassion for animals lives on through Wangwang. In a way, I am leaving a tiny legacy there. According to Alina, Wangwang’s memorial garden will be completed in November. I am really looking forward to it.

May the merits accumulated be dedicated to Wangwang and her babies.

We finally got Pebbles into a suitable home last Saturday and he is settling in very well with his new family. I didn’t realise I had been taking care of him for nine months until Mel checked his vaccination card. That was a pretty long time.

The night before I sent him to his new home, Pebbles spent the night sleeping beside me. He was as cute as ever. I still remember the day I took him home without any hesitation. There were two reasons I took him home straight away, first, he wasn’t neutered, and second, he is a crossbreed. He was skinny and had a bad coat and skin condition. We knew it would take time, but our efforts have paid off.

I’m glad that the adopters are keeping us posted on his well-being. Pebbles also made it easy for me to leave the day I dropped him off.

Next, we’re going to concentrate on finding Kira a home.