Cats who teach me to fly…

Tom was an alpha cat at Malcom Road. He chased almost every cat away except those he loved. We suspected Specky’s pregnancy was caused by him and Tara is his kitty. Tara still played with him even when they were brought home. The Operation Manager at SJI attempted to trap them six years ago. Only some were trapped. As a responsible feeder, I wanted all of them to be safe. I decided to negotiate with the OM. After much persuasion, he released all to me. I would consider him to be a kind man. The rest of the cats that were not caught were trapped by me and Tom was one of them!

It wasn’t easy to trap Tom. He tried to move away from the trap as far as he could. Mel said he even told Specky not to go near the trap. Specky was caught using a drop trap. That was the only time we used drop trap and buying a drop trap didn’t come cheap. Well, it was for them..:). Since Tom was hard to trap, we engaged a trapper.

Tom was an aggressive cat. He chased all the cats away and always initiated fights. When he was caught and kept in the cage, he hissed and spat at me all the time. Specky and Tara too. I couldn’t touch or go near Tom at all. One day, we found him vomitting blood and worms. Worms that were still alive and swam in the blood that he vomitted…

We decided to send him to the best vet clinic, ARVC. Dr Eunice attended to Tom. Because of his aggressiveness, they had to use the burrito method. They gave him strong medication to kill the worms inside him and we let him stayed in the hospital for a few days as we couldn’t handle Tom. I remember when I visited Tom in the hospital, he was wrapped into a burrito and only his eyes were moving. I can’t help but to laugh.

Tom was all well and was discharged. We kept him in the cage and he was still as aggressive as he was. I fed him with good meals twice a day. Food that he loved and finally one day, he came over to me and rubbed his head against me. Specky changed her behaviour too. I was touched by their behaviour.

As days, weeks and months went by, Tom exhibited so much love towards other cats. He stopped fighting and ended his aggression. He became an obedient home cat. It’s hard even to find a human who is willing to change, let alone an animal. But Tom, he spoke the true Dhamma! How?

Buddha never use the word reincarnation but rebirth. All things happen through cause and conditions. When Tom was in the wild, he was a bad Tom but when the conditions changed, Tom was a good Tom. The conditions supported him to be a good sentient being. Akin to rebirth. How we behave is based on conditions at that point of time. That is to say, I may be kind to help others today but if I were to be born in a place where food is scarce, I may have to rob, steal and even kill. Therefore, reincarnation is not the appropriate word to use in Buddhism.

Tom was a good example of cause and conditions. Just like the cats who have passed on, due to the condition living in a buddhist family, may 生生 have all the conditions to practise the Dhamma in his next life.

May the merits accumulated be dedicated to Tom.

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It is moving towards letting go. How? Through meditation! After 800 hours of meditation, whatever thoughts that manifest in my mind would eventually return to the concentration which we always bring back when our thoughts drift away. It’s the same when unwholesome thoughts arise, but in a way that less effort is used to restrain such thoughts.

Attaining Jhana is no longer a concern anymore. What matters is right concentration. A mind free of unwholesome thoughts, non-grasping and peaceful. Lights often indicate a peaceful and a still mind with joy. Better still, when thought ceases  nothing is left but concentration. Sustaining it requires long periods of training. Being always patiently living at the present is the best training.

The twelve dependent origination begins with ignorance and it definitely ends with ignorance. That is why when the final fetter, ignorance is being eradicated, one becomes an Arhat!

Volitional formation which is the fourth aggregate, when understood correctly, makes it easier for the six sense base to be restrained. Understanding that the five aggregates with clear comprehension which are non-self, impermanence and the root of suffering, especially volition formation, helps practising non-clinging in a right way.

The process of experiencing the Dhamma is never easy. Buddha never said that there will be happiness when one experiences dispassion and cessation but more towards the feeling of equanimity. The period of transformation is a long process filled with gradual progression. Bit by bit and little by little…

One should not be complacent. There are more, so much more for me to practise. Sometimes, when Dhamma is being put aside during an argument, I would always laugh at myself. Understanding that the path to cessation wouldn’t allow me to do so. There is no self after all. We are in no control and whatever that is happening around us is based on cause and conditions. Confidence arises through threading the Eightfold Path and when understood and experienced correctly, it is indeed beautiful in the beginning, beautiful in the middle and beautiful in the end!

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I went to Sembawang this afternoon. Ever since I brought Xiaofu home, I haven’t seen any food left for the cats. They are always hungry when I’m there. I can’t tell the feeders what to do since I no longer feed them like I used to. Relieving their hunger twice a week is all I can do for them, and I’m content with that.

He is a scaredy cat. It’s hard to get close to him. He is always hiding in the drain and he too, would come out for food when I am there. Guess, he must be hungry.

Both often eat together. Sparkie is a big eater who usually finishes the food left by Twinkle, which is good. Less food wasted!

Xiaomao, usually eats three quarter to one can and a small amount of kibbles.

Different types of food were given to them. Hope they are all happy and not get overly hungry for that two times a week. That’s all I can do for them for now.

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Hugo was the largest cat not only in his family but also in the house. He was already a huge boy by the time he was six- months-old.

Ten years ago, his mummy, Yellow, looked young, malnourished, and had a deformed eye. She was so scared of almost everything. Every afternoon, I had to find her to give her food. She was hungry all the time. We also noticed her belly was swollen. She was pregnant. Mel and I are against abortion. We remembered a vet once told us that the kittens that were removed from their mummies during sterilization were euthanized one by one, and their paws were already visible. We tried to avoid abortion as much as we could.

Hugo was very attached to his mummy, and I guess that was the reason for his big size as he had the most milk!

Like all cats, Hugo was an extremely good boy. Despite the pain, he ate what we fed him. He never fought or resisted when given subcutaneous fluids or medication.

Yes, it’s sad to see our rescues go one by one… That’s how nature works, isn’t it? If there is anything to cling to, helping them is the only thing!

May the merits accumulated be dedicated to Hugo’s favorable rebirth, and may the conditions where he lived with us be the cause for him to meet the triple gems (the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha) and practise the true Dhamma.

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The abandonment of cats continues to rise and Crystal is no exception.

Crystal was seen hiding on the street for quite some time. Due to the increasing number of abandoned cats, Mel and I couldn’t put Crystal up for adoption right away, as she was hiding in an illegal tent built by a family outside their flat. Though it was temporarily “safe,” the family often made a lot of noise.

After a few months of finding homes for other cats, we were finally able to provide a space for Crystal. She was tested negative for FIV and FeLV, and she eats, poops, and sleeps well. The vet estimated her to be no more than three years old (vets tend to be kind when guessing a cat’s age!).

We haven’t yet sent Crystal for adoption, but unfortunately, Cupcake and Donut are regulars. A kind couple wanted to adopt them, but sadly, Cupcake came down with the flu, and we felt the adopters might not be able to manage them. So, we recommended Crystal instead.

Crystal fits perfectly into the new home, and the adopters love her. She truly is anCrystal fit perfectly into the new home and the adopters love her. She truly is an ideal match for first-time adopters!

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