I was never a cat person until I stumbled upon Billi in my last company. August 8 has always been any other day for me — but this year I decided to dedicate this day to Billi and her clan who are making this world a little beautiful — one ‘meow’ at a time.
This International Cat Day read some of the most heart-touching tales shared by some of the amazing women — the tales of love and compassion — which their cat taught them!
Saheli Chaudhuri
“I had a cat daughter. She was my whole and soul for 6.5 years. Whether I was sick or sound — my life used to revolve around her. There was a time when I was going through bad phases, and I did not know how to pull myself up, but her eyes and touch of her paws in my palm made me believe that I have a reason to live happily. But she passed away a day after one of the biggest things that happened to my life.
My marriage got confirmed, and I lost her the next day. I got into depression — left my job, left the city for a couple of months. I could not live my wedding at the fullest since my heart was aching because of losing her. It’s been four and a half years now since I lost her and eventually, I have adopted three more cat babies — who are wonderful — but I still look for her. There has not been a single moment when I talked or thought of her, and tears didn’t roll down my eyes. I still wish she would come back to me. She was everything for me — will always be,” Saheli shares her cat tale, a beautiful tale of motherhood. Seeing her agony, her husband got her a tattoo in her memory.
Priya Jain
“Having had a dog for eight years, my first encounter with cats was a ginger kitten that just strayed into my house. I flippantly named him Kitta. He was a total lap cat, very naughty and playful. Having lost my dog quite recently and coming to terms with losing her so young, this was a balm to my soul.
I didn’t realise how much having Kitta had made a difference to my life, until almost 30 days later, one of my neighbours walked in and picked him up while he was playing near the gate and said it was one of her lost kittens. I told her she could take him if he was hers and it wasn’t more than 10 minutes later when I told a friend that he was taken away and broke down in uncontrollable sobs,” Priya found herself unworthy of keeping a cat after having a few heartbreaking incidents. But she also learnt the art of accepting things and being optimistic for the future. She never stopped trying. Priya now has a little black kitty called Juju.
Deena Pinto
“ 05th Sep 2018 — Kiki along with her four siblings was born, I was so ecstatic, as Kiki was the firstborn, I had to adopt her. She is bubbly, lively, and a joy to be around — I take her on trips, rickshaw rides, walks — she is always a riot, destroys my makeup, clothes, and anything I fancy. She eats anything I eat, so it’s a blessing,” Deena brightens up as she talks about Kiki. “Over time, she has made me be a better person — one who is selfless. I am so happy that I ended up with her. She is the reason I wake up every day cheerfully, and whenever I am depressed or feel low, she just pops up or breaks something to get my attention,” she continues.
Kiki, for Deena, is a real treat which she doesn’t ever want to lose. “For a single lonely person like me, Kiki is too much of love and joy. My cat has changed my life for the better — she is my bae and BFF, and I feel she knows me too well,” Kiki will be turning two this September, and Deena is looking forward to many more birthdays with her!!
Nandini Swaminathan
Nandini adopted her gorgeous tomcat, Flash, ten years ago — from the streetside in Pondicherry, where she studied. It was tough staying away from her loved ones and adjusting to a new environment and bullying was not easy — and adopting him in a way gave her hope, and taking care of him along with her then-roommate also strengthened their bond. “And when I felt low, having him around to play with and cuddle and take care of quite literally saved me,” Flash was adopted by Nandini when he was tiny, just a few weeks old.
“Well, he gave me a reason to focus my energies on — my roommate and I would take turns caring for him. I flew him all by myself to Delhi to be with my family and me a few months later, and that was a challenging but unforgettable experience,” Flash definitely made Nandini’s college life easier. Didn’t he?
Jinisha Arora
“I’ve always had ADD and bipolar disorder (with acute manic phases). For me, relaxation time never even crossed my mind. I was always doing something. I’ve grown up with dogs, and my energy always matched theirs. But, when I got my cat, this entirely changed. Now, my cat is lazy and very proud of it. Katrick loves his morning strolls and late afternoon siestas. And, that is something I couldn’t even apprehend initially! But, I soon realised that if I wanted to bond with him, I’d need to take the time out and relax with him.
Initially, it was really uncomfortable. But, over time, it started becoming more and more easier. And, as it did, I could feel my anxious energy fade. I could feel myself becoming a calmer person, one that was capable of taking things as they come. Now, my cat and I have regular self-care sessions. We spend plenty of mornings out on the terrace just staring at the sky and watching the birds go by,” Jinisha tells how Katrick helped her in settling her mental health conditions.
Shruti Thakker
“I have always been a dog person, as a child and as far as I could remember. I was actually scared of cats. But 2017 brought a change,” Shruti reminisced. “I found a stray and feral cat in my building. He was normally timid, but when I first called out, he came and let me pet him and thus began our routine. My parents dislike pets, but this little one managed to change their opinion too.”
“We had the most amazing two and a half years with him. But July 2019 — he disappeared suddenly. We don’t know why or what happened. He taught me to love unconditionally but be available for myself. And most importantly, he taught me to accept. My little puddles, I miss him! I don’t know any story which changed my life but this cat certainly changed everything. Puddles made his way in our lives and made us love and accept him” Shruti ends with a tale which actually never ended for her!
Got any story to tell? Tag/ comment/ email us your tale, and we would love to tell the world how amazing you are! xoxo!!