Someone came to us and asked for help while we were feeding the community cats. There was urgency in her voice and she said that the cat needed to be removed from the sofa outside her house. Mel went with her to her place and the lady told Mel that no matter how they sprayed the cat with water, it never moved a muscle.
Bluey was abandoned at the corridor, hiding at someone’s place. The family was so scared of cats and found them unwelcoming. We took Bluey home.
Bluey had a beautiful pair of blue eyes and a coarse voice. She was skinny then. No matter how we trained Bluey to use the litter box, she wouldn’t use it. Even when we kept her in the cage with the litter box for two days, she still refused to use it. We had no choice but to let her pee and poop in the toilet.
We found her a family but she was returned back to us. When potential adopters visited her, she scratched their handbag and was unfriendly. We knew Bluey didn’t want to go to new home. We didn’t want to force her and decided to keep her.
Bluey was aloof. She didn’t allow any cats to go near her and if they insisted, she would simply walk away. She hardly initiated a fight but only to hiss at them. Throughout the years living with us, Bluey only had flu once. She spent her days eating, sleeping and entertaining herself. She often slept on top of my head when I was sleeping on the arm chair and I would lean my head against her and hug her.
With everything looking normal, we don’t understand how Bluey hurt her abdomen. In the evening, out of sudden she was grasping for air. We rushed her to VES immediately. The vet stabilised her with sedation and oxygen. Sadly nothing worked. The vet resuscitated her and we managed to say goodbye to her before taking her home.
The vet did an ultrasound and told us that there was fluid in her abdomen. When Bluey collapsed, the vet drew the fluid and found blood. I suspected that it may be a rapture in her stomach.
Everything happened so fast. We cremated her the next day. Bluey had been with us for 11 years and she was already an adult when we took her in. As pet parents, we always hope they can live a little longer with us. I often saw her sitting behind me at the gate when I was in the meditation room. I turned around again and she was no longer there, it’s okay. Our connection is a cause for us to meet again.
May the merits accumulated be dedicated to her favourable rebirth. May the conditions she had this lifetime be the cause for her to meet the Dhamma.
Cats who teach me to fly... 