This
morning I woke up to my girlfriend on Skype in a distressed state.
She had found an abandoned stray kitten outside her house, and taken
it in. Her parents would sooner have left it outside, but were
leaving on a trip. They only have purebred Persian cats, and a little
runt from the street is certainly not welcome. Not very nice, if I am
being diplomatic.
So as the door closed on the cat and she, everything was in place for a strange little situation to play out which involved us both getting quite attached to the kitten, but also aware that the situation could not last. We named our cat Peculiar. It was a previously suggested cat-name from my friend, but the circumstances of Peculiar's arrival and short stay were so unexpected that it seems the right name.
As I type, it is uncertain whether little Peculiar will survive the next few hours. He isn't keeping food down, and is already weak. The vets today were not super-helpful either.
If the little creature lasts the night, then we agreed we should take it to a clinic where we might pay for it to get professional care. I don't have a clue what kind of place exists in Indonesia which offers a high quality residential care package for stray cats, but she seems to think there is a place. It is nice that we are both of the instinctive mindset that this would be the only thing worth spending money on. We don't need much else in life, but we know what is important.
She is now trying to get some fitful sleep for an hour and a half before waking up at six am to begin the process again of feeding and cleaning. I am sorry that she is alone to do this, when all i can provide is words of comfort and encouragement. I would rather be covered in kitten poo and sick myself, that she might sleep soundly. But it can not be, today. So instead we must accept the situation, and whatever outcome that a universe without purpose or meaning may provide for small kittens found by chance.
I wrote this, because I learned a lot about my girlfriend today. I learned about her selflessness, and her unwavering commitment to love. I watched her neglect her work, her leisure time, and her uneasy peace with her parents. Purely, because it was the right thing to do. There wasn't even a decision making process, she knew that nobody else would help, so instantly committed herself to the little cat's care.
I know her heart is breaking when this small creature looks to her for help with its curious, questioning eyes, and she has no food or expertise to offer. She has done far more than anyone else would in the same situation, and I love her for it, so much. If our peculiar kitten does die, she won't forgive herself. She won't accept that without her, the kitten would have been dead far sooner. But it would have been, and it would have been a sad death; cold, wet and alone. I don't think it is beyond the emotional range of a small animal to feel desperate, hopeless, and forgotten. How painful.
It might seem senseless in any case. But the love that she poured into that little animal gave him a few hours with warmth, caresses and sustenance. As it looked up into her eyes from its nest in her lap, I knew it was at peace, and at home. And so she did a beautiful thing, all in all.
I want her to be back with me, soon. She deserves the same love in return.
More than ever, I realise that she is my own stray cat, who turned up unannounced and made a nest in my heart. And though sometimes the world is cold, she will always now find shelter in my words and love. And maybe now she can understand a little better why I should love her, instead of shopping for the persian cats of the world.
So as the door closed on the cat and she, everything was in place for a strange little situation to play out which involved us both getting quite attached to the kitten, but also aware that the situation could not last. We named our cat Peculiar. It was a previously suggested cat-name from my friend, but the circumstances of Peculiar's arrival and short stay were so unexpected that it seems the right name.
As I type, it is uncertain whether little Peculiar will survive the next few hours. He isn't keeping food down, and is already weak. The vets today were not super-helpful either.
If the little creature lasts the night, then we agreed we should take it to a clinic where we might pay for it to get professional care. I don't have a clue what kind of place exists in Indonesia which offers a high quality residential care package for stray cats, but she seems to think there is a place. It is nice that we are both of the instinctive mindset that this would be the only thing worth spending money on. We don't need much else in life, but we know what is important.
She is now trying to get some fitful sleep for an hour and a half before waking up at six am to begin the process again of feeding and cleaning. I am sorry that she is alone to do this, when all i can provide is words of comfort and encouragement. I would rather be covered in kitten poo and sick myself, that she might sleep soundly. But it can not be, today. So instead we must accept the situation, and whatever outcome that a universe without purpose or meaning may provide for small kittens found by chance.
I wrote this, because I learned a lot about my girlfriend today. I learned about her selflessness, and her unwavering commitment to love. I watched her neglect her work, her leisure time, and her uneasy peace with her parents. Purely, because it was the right thing to do. There wasn't even a decision making process, she knew that nobody else would help, so instantly committed herself to the little cat's care.
I know her heart is breaking when this small creature looks to her for help with its curious, questioning eyes, and she has no food or expertise to offer. She has done far more than anyone else would in the same situation, and I love her for it, so much. If our peculiar kitten does die, she won't forgive herself. She won't accept that without her, the kitten would have been dead far sooner. But it would have been, and it would have been a sad death; cold, wet and alone. I don't think it is beyond the emotional range of a small animal to feel desperate, hopeless, and forgotten. How painful.
It might seem senseless in any case. But the love that she poured into that little animal gave him a few hours with warmth, caresses and sustenance. As it looked up into her eyes from its nest in her lap, I knew it was at peace, and at home. And so she did a beautiful thing, all in all.
I want her to be back with me, soon. She deserves the same love in return.
More than ever, I realise that she is my own stray cat, who turned up unannounced and made a nest in my heart. And though sometimes the world is cold, she will always now find shelter in my words and love. And maybe now she can understand a little better why I should love her, instead of shopping for the persian cats of the world.
