Losing one's pet can be a very traumatic experience, and people who have owned pets can certainly attest to this fact. I've personally had my fair share of losing my pet cats. My family's house in KL has always been like a sanctuary for all the neighborhood cats and kittens since we love to feed and take care of them. At one point in time we had 12 cats living in our yard though now we only have 3 permanent resident cats. Anyway, there are three pet loss incidences over the years that really stuck with me until today.
First, there was Bobby I. I found Bobby I one night in 2004 at a bus stop near Bangsar LRT station while waiting for my brother to pick me up. She was only a few weeks old at the time, alone, cold and hungry. I heard a soft mew behind me as I was lighting up my cigarette and there she perched looking sad and lost. I took her to the mamak restaurant near Dataran Maybank and bought her some fried chicken. Later I called my brother to pick up a small box along the way and we stopped by the supermarket to buy proper cat food. She turned out to be a hyperactive kitten, always moving about and hardly ever rested. But the sad news came a year later when I was already back in the US. I was at a friend's party when my sister called with the news of Bobby I's death. My sister was hysterical on the phone and I remember sitting down on the floor dejectedly surrounded by the happy party-goers. Bobby I was hit by some asshole driver in-front of our house and we ended burying her in the yard. RIP Bobby I.
Second, it was Bobby II. Bobby II was one of the two male cats we had in the house; the other one being Tiger. I was there when he was born and he was a timid cat, to say the least. He hardly ventured out of the yard and the farthest he ever went out was to the small asphalt patch outside of our gate, which ultimately led to his untimely demise. Some people use that small asphalt patch in-front of my house gate to reverse their cars and unfortunately one of them asshole drivers hit Bobby II while he was sleeping just outside of the gate. This happened about 2 months ago and the shock of losing him is still fresh as it was yesterday. His brother Tiger is taking this death very badly. He seems to be losing his appetite and becoming more morose and thinner. I hope Tiger can get over it soon. RIP Bobby II.
Third incidence happened in 2004 to my beloved cat Frankie (click on the link for his eulogy). He was named after Frank Sinatra because of his blue eyes. I thought about naming him Paulie after Paul Newman (one of the most famous blue-eyed actors) but decided on Frankie in the end. Frankie had always been a sickly cat since the day he was born. We took him to the vet so many times and gave him so many medications but he was still fragile and weak. But Frankie was one of the most sweetest cats I've ever had. Whenever I sat down Frankie would always curled up on my lap and slept. Without fail. The news about Frankie's death came when I was in the US. My sister called me to break the news and I was in the library at the time. I was so depressed that I didn't go to any of my classes that day. I ended up penning this short poem for Frankie:
Like a clockwork, without fail;
nestled on my lap, he availed.
Deep piercing gaze, blue as the sky;
seeking solace, only he knew why.
Lapping, licking, chewing, gnawing;
it's a cat's life,
don't mind the drooling.
Whiskas, discus, Friskies, whiskey;
Oh my goodness, Frankie!
Are you that hungry?
As fate might have rolled its vicious dice,
You will always be my ol' blue eyes.
2 comments:
this is a good piece to read, except for the depressing content. cik mek is five years old this year and i have been neglecting her yearly shots for 2 years now... im quite worried. i know i will be totally dpressed when she dies. i just dont want to think about it!
it's better not to think about it now. we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. btw, cek mek is so goddamn cute and i can't believe she's already five years old! how time flies.
yeah, i do get choked up sometimes when i think about my late cats. just hope that they're in a better place now. i've always wondered if a bunch of archeologists decide to dig up my yard 500 years from now what will they think of all the cat bones buried in it? i can almost foresee the headline: "The Elusive Mass Cat Murderer Finally Found After 500 Years of Disappearance!"
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