It was a Sunday May 19, I was actually going to light the
prayer lamp at 7pm, but since I had only eaten a light lunch, I decided to get
some dinner at the Chinese restaurant near my apartment.
The square in which the restaurant is located, is familiar
territory to me as I usually go there for my meals. That evening as I entered
the square, I heard a cat meowing very loudly, I looked around, but there was
no cat to be found.
As I approached the restaurant, the meows got louder, it was
then that I saw a little orange kitten sitting a few feet away from the
restaurant, meowing at the top of his lungs. From the distance where I stood,
he seemed fine, I assumed that he was probably looking for his mother who must
be in the vicinity.
At this point, one of the restaurant workers came out and
was about to kick the little fellow, but the kitten swiftly hopped down the
stairs near the back of the restaurant. I went to the stairs and peered over
the railing, I noticed two plastic bags at the bottom of the short flight of
stairs, one had shredded meat, and the other water.
The kitten moved towards the plastic bag with the shreds of
meat, and started eating. Looking at the food and water, I felt that the little
fellow would be OK. So I entered the restaurant to have my meal.
Before I left, out of curiosity I decided to have a peek at
the little one, he was lapping up water from the other plastic bag, but would
stop to stare each time someone passed by.
He seemed rather small and lost, too young to be separated
from his mom, or at least that’s what I thought. I toyed with the idea of
bringing him back to my apartment, as the guards and residents were rather
cat-friendly. One time they kept several young kittens in a box near the guard
counter until they were old enough to venture out on their own.
At this point the little one noticed me. He started to
scurry up the steps towards me, as I didn’t have anything with me to carry him
in, I decided to go back to the apartment to see if anyone had a box. I am not
used to cats, and didn’t see myself carrying him in my arms for the walk back
to the apartment.
But to this day I remember the look in his eyes as I walked
away, he looked disappointed. There was something in that look that seemed to
say that he needed to belong to someone.
Once back at my apartment building I asked the guards if
they had a box, they replied in the negative. I went upstairs and started
looking around for something to carry him in. I even contemplated putting him
in a pail! However as it was already 9-ish, I decided that it was not wise to
venture out again that night.
I decided to go look for the kitten the following day after
work. On Monday, I left work at 4pm to go look for him. The plan was to see if
he was still there, and if he was, I would hop over to Giant and get a nice
spacious basket to ferry him in.
When I went back to the area, he was nowhere to be found,
however there was a fried fish with bones in a plastic container left at the
same place. I looked around the whole square and the surrounding area, but no
sign of him.
A big fried fish will not do for a kitten, so I went to the
Giant supermarket and bought some kitten food, plastic containers and mineral
water. I went back to the place I last saw him and left some food and water in
the containers, in case he came back.
As I left, I wondered if someone had adopted him, but as I
reached home, I started to feel a sense of guilt and discomfort, I remembered
the way he looked at me the other night. Small and hopeful.
For some reason I started to think of abandoned children, of
how so many people I know desire children of their own. I also thought of how
some children have everything from the moment they are born, called prince and
princesses by their doting parents.
While on the other side of the divide there are those who
have the odds stacked against them from birth. The little orphaned girl or boy
who kneels by their bedside asking God to send them parents is not a myth. It
is a reality. Sadly many of these children will never have their wishes
fulfilled.
Adoption is usually the last resort of most couples, after
they have gone to great lengths to have a child of their own and finally decide
that it is not a possibility. Somehow the little orphaned kitten got me
thinking these profound thoughts, and I decided that I was going to go back and
look for him again.
He’s Rusty
The next day when Kristene came to the office, she asked
how’s Rusty? The day before I had told her of the little orange kitten who was
the same colour as the orange-ish pavement near the restaurant.
That evening I went back to look for him again. There was no
sign of him at the area where I left the food, though some of the food was
scattered on the ground. I combed the whole area and was about to leave when I
heard loud meowing, the sound seemed to be coming from the opposite end of the
square.
At the end of the square, there’s a corner where motorcycles
are parked, he was crouched there, bawling his lungs out. Each time people
passed by, he would come out from behind the bikes and meow piteously, when
they left, he would go back and crouch.
Those who saw him expressed pity, but none stopped. So I
went forward, and it was then in broad daylight that I realised he was rather
skinny and had mange on his ears, forehead and above his eyes! I was not able
to see this on Sunday night because of the dim lighting.
There was no way I could bring him back in that condition to
my apartment as the other cats there might get infected. So I quickly brought
the cat food from the earlier location. At least while he ate, I could go get
the vet.
When I put the food before him, he ran forward and started
eating. Luckily the Kelana Jaya Veterinary Clinic was just a short distance
away. My plan was to get someone from the clinic help pick him up and board him
for treatment.
When I reached the clinic, I spoke to the vet who happened
to be at the counter. She immediately got her carrier and followed me. We
walked the short distance back, and found that the kitten was back to crouching
at the corner, but continued to meow loudly.
The vet picked him up and said he was suffering from mange
and was likely about two months old. She agreed to board him for the night
after treatment, but said it was not advisable to board him at the clinic for
the duration of the quarantine period – about two weeks plus.
As we walked back to the clinic, Rusty continued to meow
loudly. The vet said he was probably very uncomfortable and distressed because
of the itch. Back at the clinic I called Moon who said she would ask around if
anyone would be willing to foster Rusty for a bit. I also called Kristene who
said she would pass the word around. We have several animal friendly folks back
at the office.
Rusty meanwhile continued to meow in distress, even when he
was removed from the carrier and placed on the examination table. After his
injection, he expressed his ire loud and clear and would not stop even after
being patted and placed back in the carrier.
However after he was placed in his cage to be boarded for
the night, he became quiet and looked rather reflective. As I left, he was
gingerly sniffing at his food.
Tired from all the walking back and forth, I went to Chayo
which is next door to the restaurant where I found Rusty to have a quick bite.
Moon got back to me with the good news that Suraya who runs Katzen Cat
Sanctuary would be willing to board Rusty until he was better.
When I got home I called Suraya and we ironed out the
details. She would pick him up in the morning and after work I would drop by
the vet to settle the bill.
After picking him up, Suraya texted me to say she got him
and that he was a noisy little kitty alright! A little while later, she texted
to say that Rusty was all quiet and calm, content in his little box/cage at the
sanctuary.
The orphaned and distressed kitten of a few days ago had
found home and family. He had found contentment and soon he would show just
what a personality he had!
Suraya kept me and Moon updated on Rusty’s progress. He
recovered, was let out to play with the other cats, looking at this picture I
presume he formed affectionate bonds.
Later we got to know of Miracle, whose limb had to be
amputated because of an untreated infection. Miracle nearly lost his life,
hence his name. He survived, but as a result of the trauma he suffered, was
rather quiet when he first arrived at the sanctuary.
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| The first time he was let out to play after his quarantine period. |
As Suraya tells us, Rusty who was by now a friendly
rambunctious rascal soon got Miracle out of his shell. In Suraya’s words he
turned “social worker” of sorts. To be honest, my interaction with this little
fellow was minimal at best, but I was rather proud of him, he was “paying it
forward”.
When I visited Katzen sometime after with Moon and Patreen,
I almost did not recognise Rusty. He was soo…..different. A far cry from the
skinny little kitten who meowed and meowed non-stop. He was mischievous and
kept goading Miracle into a friendly tussle. More importantly, he seemed so
happy!
 |
| Rusty was friendly and affectionate |
Suraya told me that finding a home for Rusty would not be
easy, as it would have to be a truly loving family that would give him the
best. However little did we know then, but Katzen Cat Sanctuary would be the
only family that Rusty would know in his short life.
Even after our visit, Suraya kept us posted on Rusty via
Facebook. We saw his aww…..so cute photos and learnt that he was one “manja”
little boy. I assumed that in time he would be adopted. That however was not to
be.
 |
| Rusty's favourite lepak sport is where people work. |
Last Tuesday (July 30) Suraya greeted me with the sad news
that Rusty passed on in the early hours of the morning. He was suffering from a
bout of flu.
When he got sick, he stopped eating and had to be force-fed.
He seemed to be recovering on Monday. She put him in a carrier with the
intention of bringing him home for some extra care. However when she checked on
him, he was no longer breathing. Rusty was about four months old at the time of
his passing.
 |
| Rusty a week before his passing. |
Sad as I am at his passing, I realise that though Rusty
lived a short life. He lived well despite his rough beginnings.
He had the best care, he was surrounded by family, he was a
joy to those who knew him, especially Miracle.
The message Rusty
brought
I am not an animal rescuer, to be honest I don’t even know
how to handle them. Those who selflessly undertake rescue work would definitely
have seen worst cases than Rusty.
The night I saw Rusty I missed my evening prayers, little
did I know that I was venturing out that night to learn two very important
lessons.
The first is the spirit of community. If not for the help of
those mentioned in this note. The happy life of little Rusty would not have
been possible.
My heartfelt thanks to the vet who dropped everything and
came with me to rescue Rusty; Moon and Kristene who made calls and scouted
around for someone to foster Rusty and to Suraya who took him in and gave him
love and family.
The second and most profound lesson is that your real
children don’t necessarily have to be born to you. There is no difference
between ‘real’ child and ‘adopted’ child. And adoption does not have to be the
second option, it can be the first.
The night I saw Rusty, the look of hope in his eyes seemed
to speak for all the abandoned ones, human and animal alike.
RIP Rusty, the lesson you brought forth was worth its weight
in gold.
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