Rest in Peace, little Mowgli…

It is with great sadness that we had to bid farewell to our little kitty cat this past weekend. After keeping us awake most of Friday night, he became extremely lethargic and refused to eat or drink. We did our best to keep him hydrated, but by Saturday afternoon he was no longer with us.

In retrospect, his short life may have been a blessing in disguise. While asking around for a home last week at school, we were surprised to find out that black cats are not exactly desired as pets in this part of the world. Unlike Peru, where black animals are highly prized for their ability to ward off evil, black cats in Thailand are viewed with extreme suspicion. If one jumps over a coffin at a funeral, then the dead person is said to come back to life and haunt the guests at the funeral!?! One of my grade 1 teachers (who supposedly loves cats) practically turned her nose up in distaste when she heard it was black. Poor little Mowgli. With little hope of finding a home, maybe the afterlife is a better bet after all.

So, after a rather ugly cry that squirted tears horizontally out of my face for the better part of an hour, we decided to bury him. But given the suspicions about black cats (and the fact that Buddhists cremate everything from humans to plastic cups), where could we do it? Armed with a metal spoon and a banana leaf we headed to the edge of the property. Half way through digging the whole, we realized that our very religious landlady may be horrified if he gets exhumed by some strange situation - always a possibility in Thailand. So off to the lake we went. And now he is safely tucked beneath some earth at the side of the road.

It has been an amazing 2 weeks getting to know this little guy and having him yowl his way into our hearts. Although exhausted from the lack of sleep and rigorous feeding routine, it was worth it to watch his little ears twitching and paws kneading the air while he sucked on a syringe full of milk. It is an absolute mystery that the human heart can expand so quickly to include something so small and then forget to contract again once it is gone.

Just a little note of thanks to all the ladies whose information kept him going these past 2 weeks:  My mum and the ladies of Cat Care in Cape Town and Jeri Dopp from Safe Haven for Cats who is “Ruining the sex lives of cats in Northern California and proud of it!” (As per her website.) Your information has proved invaluable and Mowgli would not have survived as long as he did without you. Many thanks!

Here is a little poem forwarded by Jeri after hearing about Mowgli. Such a sweet comforting poem, I had to share it… (She obviously has a lot of experience after 20 years looking after little kitties!)

"A Kittens Remorse……..

I came to you so small and weak – cold and hungry too.

I counted on your expertise to help me – pull me through.

When I would cry you rushed to me with bottles and warm hands

That held me tenderly and showed the softer side of man.

My birth was just so ill timed – my Mother had bad health,

That I was born alive is quite a miracle itself.

Yet you looked beyond my failings and gave hope where there was none

You picked me up and snuggled me and said this one’s not done…

We spent a lot of hours together – it was just you and I

Not knowing that our time was marked and we would say good-bye.

I left you suddenly one day, someone was calling me.

Did you fail? No, never you – It was just not meant to be."

Rest in Peace, little Mowgli.