The Cat Named T

There was once a cat I loved very much. For the purposes of this blogpost, lets call her 'T'. 

T came to us on a rainy night in Bombay, curled up over an identical sibling and shivering on our porch, seeking shelter from the ruthless rain and strong winds. I don't recall why I opened the door of our ground-floor apartment that night, but I thank God for letting it be me that did. We gave them some milk and a dry cloth to sleep on and next morning, found that only one had remained on the porch that night. I've always wondered why the other left.

T was a beautiful light grey, with darker lines running horizontally and hesitatingly across her upper body. On the underside, she was soft and a dazzling white. Strong and nimble from her wild life in the city jungle, yet reflecting the peculiar grace that only those animals who have been loved and cared for, possess, T was a picture of elegance.

T took over my nine year old self from the day we first met. As the years went by, my family and I grew  increasingly attached to our Queen -- we fed her, vaccinated her, washed her, played with her, gave her shelter when she had her litter and over time, fell in love with her. T had free reign over the house and unlimited access to food. My memories of T are wonderful -- sleeping next to me on the bean bag while I read a book, chasing after the rope while I ran as fast as I could, lording over my lap while I watched TV, being yelled at by mother because she (T) had peed in the house ("pitegi mere se!"), giving birth to her kittens (named Erie and Mints) and then cleaning them thoroughly with her tongue. I cringe when I remember the day we dabbed the stinging ointment for tics. She yowled and mewled and scratched and fought with all her feral might.

However, T was never once 'our' cat. Owing to certain circumstances, we cannot keep pets at home and therefore, T remained a stray. She came and went as she pleased, often disappearing for days at a time, but always coming back to her territory--our house and the area outside. We were her playmates and the providers of shelter, and sometimes, food. Eventually, when we changed houses two or three years later, we chose to leave her behind because T was not 'ours', we were merely the human occupants in her territory. 

I only hope that T lived a happy and safe life. Were you alright after we left? Did you miss us? Did you resent us for leaving you behind? I wish as strongly now as I did then, that we could have taken you with us. I am reminded of you every diwali-- my strong, brave, wonderful grey-white cat, cowering in fear from the light and sound of the fireworks. Did the coming years bring you any more love?

Perhaps you will be brought to me again in this life, now that I am older and finally in a position to take care of you. Know that you will be loved, always.

---X---

"I meant," said Ipslore bitterly, "what is there in this world that truly makes living worthwhile?"

Death thought about it. "CATS", he said eventually. "CATS ARE NICE.”

-- Terry Pratchett, Sourcery