Will you thow this stray away?

In the beginning of this year, a friend of mine asked me this question about an article in TODAY on the keeping of strays in HDB. But because it concerns much about cats, I would like to give my point of view on this issue.

“There once was a cat, pregnant with kittens, hungry, and desperate. Then she meow a silent oath that whoever crosses her path today, she will follow him/her back and hope she gets a good meal out of it.

There is a man, lonely and heartbroken, walking with his head bowed for his girlfriend had left him for a better man that year.

He crosses the cat path.

This cat and the man, forged a friendship that none of them expected.

It started off easily enough, this man had enough of people giving him the impression that he could not make it big in the future. And of course, with the cat behind following him, doesn’t impress him further.

He kicked, he scathed, he raised his arms at the feline. She backed off at first, hide a corner, and continued tailing him though. The man ran off, the cat hot in pursuit, finally the man ran to his lift and press the button to his floor. Leaving the cat dumbfounded.

Or really?

He reaches his floor, and hear the sound of meowing outside the stairs. Ahhh, the cat got to him after all. So he sits on the parapet, looking at the feline, telling her the dumbest thing he could think of.

“You know, I wished you were her though. She could never ever chase after me this way…”

I think she understood what the man says. Or maybe she is cheating him of a meal for her companionship. (That is something you readers figure out for yourself.) She jumped on his lap, rubbing her soft head on his stomach. Maybe at that moment of time, the young man couldn’t take much of his pressure hidden inside, he wept. He wept the entire hour sitting on the parapet that day.

He felt grateful that day for the cat gave him some comfort. He fed her a can of sardines found in the drawer and the cat relished every bit of it. She later disappear down the stairs when the man was about to get her some water.

It wasn’t his idea to keep any pets in the house. Not since his pet dog died when he is in primary school. He killed his pet dog accidentally. In order to catc a 630pm cartoon program, he dragged the poor puppy to get his daily walk and relief. He never understood what death is about for a 7-yr old boy. All he wanted was to catch his 630pm cartoon. He did manage to catch his cartoon. But he didn’t get back his dog. The dog died of suffocation from the collar his little owner pulled. His ignorant little owner. His siblings refused to talk to him for months because of this incident. For every year on that month, for as far as he could remember, he lit joss sticks and placed on the window ledge praying for forgiveness. And he gave a silent oath to himself that he shall never ever hurt anything as helpless as those animals. He learned GUILT that hard way. For killing an animal when he was seven.

Anyway, back to the cat. She would be there. Every noon. The young man was just recently discharged from the military and clearing his annual leave. He saw her every day and she disappear everyday when she had her meal.

So he called her the “MISSING IN ACTION CAT” or MIA.

The cat knew her kittens would come out sooner or later. Having spend most of her time in drains escaping from the rain and drinking from the gutter, she understood some humans will kick her body like some soccerball from her obvious big belly, or worse, some would just scream and shout as if they never seen a dog or a cat before and people will started throwing things at her just to keep her away. . She needs a safe place to deliver her kittens.

Young man had 2 sisters in the house. One of the sisters took a real liking to Mia and let her into the house. It wasn’t a decision to keep her, more like, after a day in my house, you get out of here. This kind-of-arrangement. Furthermore, all of them wouldn’t think their parents will approve of Mia.

Mia really behaved herself in the house. I guess its more like a strategy to her. She never scratched the furniture. She tried to play with the sisters and young man all at once. She was cute, agile and her smooth coat of fur, makes you feel good stroking it.

She even relief herself in the toilet without guidance. (For this, God, no one ever knows, how she managed to pee in their toilet for being a stray that long). The owners were so impressed. And they decided to tell their mom and dad that night. Of course they were disapproving looks that night. Especially their dad. But the kids begged and pleaded. And Mia was looking forlornly at the adults. Mum was pleasantly surprised. They all grew up in the kampong, having animals around is a norm to them. Dad finally gave in. Mia become an official member of the house. Kids were elated.

But her pregnancy is something she cannot hide. Dad was against on more “strays” coming in. Mum was just doubtful. Elder sister said she will give part of her salary to have her kittens. And that shut everyone up. So the kitty litters, the canned food, the cat shampoo, and everything that Mia needs, bought and they took responsibility.

She had 4 cute kittens some months after. 2 black ones, a colorful one and the other, was just like a duplicate of Mia. Some readers must be repulsed by the kittens, I suppose they couldn’t even imagine having those in the house.

If you asked me… “would you throw someone pregnant out of the house because you fear taking care of them?” but of course you could countered that it’s a CAT, a THING, WORTHLESS, no economical value, cannot be compared to a living being. Serial killers is a being, rapists, child-molesters, murderers are all beings too. Could they be comparative speaking to beasts? In the young man eyes, the cat, is the best thing, that God ever gave him, to comfort the loss of his love. There is no price, nothing.

So much of the story, I shall leave you readers here. What becomes of the cat and the kitties? Mia still leaves the house every weekend to rub on the soil below the void decks. The kittens never left the house. They were all neutered to prevent more births. The owners know deep inside their heart that Mia and kittens cannot live longer than them, but prepared to spend every last moment with them.

People outside cannot understand why other will love animals while others couldn’t. some could have asthma which is understandable. Or maybe just allergic. But for whatever the reason is. There is no right to let anyone else determine those poor beings fate. They couldn’t fight, they don’t have weapons. Your life is for your keep. And its yours alone, no one can take it.

So if you see a stray outside, think for a moment, when you had your food court meals, this animal could be rummaging through the bins everyday just to find a piece of food. Think for a moment that when it rains you can have a roof over your head, this animal could be hiding under the drains with water seeping through their feets and shivering in the cold.

There are sometimes you cannot explain why you cannot accept animals, for fear of spreading diseases or whatsoever, this animal, will love you for the way you are even when the society and your friends, see less of you.

I hope this story will inspires you much like I tell you much of the young man’s life.