The Purrfect Partner: In Memory of a Beloved Ginger Cat

I have always been scared of animals and by animals I mean all kinds of animals ranging from vicious street dogs to seemingly harmless hens. I often feed animals and try to get along with them but always made it a point to keep a safe distance. Here I'm going to share the relationship of a rare kind that I had with my pet cat which would change my whole perception of animals. 

 It was one fine afternoon, the 7th of October 2022 to be exact, when he came as a visitor to my aunt's house when I was there for a brief stay. His belly was full after a sumptuous meal. He was very friendly and loving from the beginning and did not hesitate to show affection. He would jump into my lap, make biscuits on my bosom and sleep comfortably in the warmth of my body. I sensed that he loved me more than anyone else in the house. I enquired about him but could find nothing of his whereabouts except the fact that he was one of the two abandoned kittens who probably lost his mom at a very young age. He was very young when we got him, just about two months old. He chose to stay with us and I took him to our home in Malappuram.

I named him Minnu thinking it was a female. It was only after a month when it started developing balls that I realised it was a male. But, I decided to keep the name since I thought it cool to name a male cat Minnu. He loved me like his mom just as gingers are known to be - extremely affectionate and loyal to its human. When I wake up at 7 to feed him he would already have been knocking at the closed door to be freed and fed. I would feed him cat food, but he wouldn't stop meowing unless I gave him fish. He would impatiently wait near me on the kitchen counter for me to finish cutting and cleaning the fish. He was unlike other cats. He didn't like fried or curried fish which was spicy. He only ate raw or boiled fish without any spices. 

He would take a nap with me at noon hugging me and purring which we both loved. He would follow me wherever I went, even to the bathroom as he didn't like being left alone. He expressed his love by taking rolls on the floor when he saw me, slowly blinking his eyes which is believed to be a 'cat kiss', with his licks and gentle 'love bites' and shoving his butt against my face which in cat language meant "I trust you". 

However, this would only last a few months since my cat was with me for only seven months. He contracted FPV (Feline Panleukopenia Virus) from an adult stray cat which I came to know only after his death. He had vomiting and diarrhoea for a day two weeks before his death, which the vet told me, was normal in cats. Things worsened when I was away for three days for an academic tour. It was past midnight when I came back and his condition was beyond hope. He died in my arms the next morning. I was shattered and rushed him to the vet to no avail. 

It made me feel terrible for days to think that I was not able to help him when he really needed it. Death must have been so painful for him. You were too good for this world, dear friend. You are being missed. Thank you for choosing me as your human. 

Adieu, once more.

Rameez Ban P M, Assistant Professor of English, Al Shifa College of Arts and Science, Kizhattoor, Perinthalmanna