Runaway cat

I was in school, maybe in grade 7. I had a friend called Aboli. Aboli used to stay near the school and she had a cat. I obviously was a cat lover and I asked if I could come to her home to see the cat. She agreed and she took me to her home.

When I visited her home her cat did exactly what cats do. Her cat hid in her home where she could not be found. But my friend knew her hiding places so she was able to search the cat and present it to me.

I saw the cat and felt immediately in love with her. Cat had emerald green eyes. Her fur was soft to touch and bicoloured. The white fur was like clouds and the orange for looked golden in the sunlight. She was a beauty. But she also was feisty. When I tried to touch the cat she scratched my friend and sprinted.

I was not going to back down and I had decided that I will win this cat's trust. I would visit a Aboli's home everyday. I had a clear mission in my mind - I wanted to win the cat's trust. After a few days her cat started identifying me. The cat had assessed that I was friendly and harmless. The day when the cat voluntarily came and brushed against my legs. That was the happiest day of my life. That day I realised that I had found a new friend who was not a human.

Our friendship started to grow. The cat had trusted me enough to allow me to touch her but still she was not ready to come and sit in my lap. I decided to be more patient with her and allow her that time to trust me more.

A few days later Aboli told me that her cat had been pregnant. Since she was pregnant I decided not to visit her. I would always have cough and cold hence I wanted to avoid any chances of making her cat sick (I did not know at that age that human to feline transmission of diseases is not common). Aboli too appreciated my concern for the cat.

Later the cat had given birth to three kittens. Unfortunately that litter wasn't healthy and died within a week. The cat was devastated because of losing her offsprings. The cat had stopped eating the food. When my friend was going to take the cat to the vet I decided to join them. I remembered the doctor had told my friend that the cat had been old. Also informed us that there could be any day when we would say goodbye to our furry friend. That visit made both of us sad. We could not believe that our beloved friend had only few days with us. I had a cried a lot that day.

After that day I used to visit the cat twice in the day. I used to meet the cat before the school and after the school. I did not want to waste a single day that I could meet and spend time with the cat.

One day Aboli came crying to the school. She told me that the previous night the cat had escaped and was nowhere to be found. She and her in tie your family search for the cat but they could not find her. I too joined the search party, but we could not find her.

A few days later Aboli told me that they found the cat away from their home but she had died. It was the saddest day of my school life. I could not accept that our beloved cat had left us.

This incident took place more than 20 years ago. But I still remember that cat today. I still miss her. Yet I know that she is in a better place.