Monday 24 May 2010

Letter From Selayang a.k.a. Sayang, The One Eye Cat

Photo taken on Saturday after removal of stitches


Photo taken on Sunday before C left

Hi, my humans call me Sayang (meaning "love") although I was given to understand that the spelling came from Selayang, where I was found.


C said she has written about me before, that my stories are published under the label "Sayang The One Eye Cat" and that any time I wish, I can publish my stories there. She said it is like a diary, although it is more like a memory bank for her. She said it will come in useful when she gets old and could no longer remember the memories that made her happy or sad.


Humans are such strange creatures. Why would they want to remember things that made them sad? And this is without mentioning their weird habit of removing their skin to wash every day. Why would they want to keep changing their skin? Don't they know it's hard to recognise them when their coat pattern changes every day? Lucky we cats have a good sense of scent and sound. We had to learn to recognise them from their smell and voice. 


Anyway, enough about them. This is about me, about my weekend. 


On Saturday, May 22, 2010
C came to see me on Saturday. I was sitting quietly, minding my own business when the light in the room was turned on. I couldn't see very well with my remaining eye and with the E-collar partially obstructing my view, but when I heard her called my name, I got up immediately and ran towards her, chattering excitedly. She chattered back, although I didn't really understand much of what she said other than "how are you, have you been a good boy, did you have lots to eat". 


She then placed me inside a carrier whilst stroking me and saying she's taking me to a vet to remove the stitches. At the vet's.....by the way, how could he be the vet when it's a different place and a different human? This human looked different from the other human who performed the surgery and kept me in their place for 4 days. They share the same name? Or they are a species by themselves?


Anyway, the vet pulled the stitches, cut off the knot, and as he dragged the stitches out of my skin, I yowled in pain and tried to push him away. He then had another human wrapped me up in a towel. C asked the vet if it hurts to remove the stitches, and the vet said yes, it will hurt a bit. The vet then pulled another stitch, and unable to use my paws to push him off, I tried to bite him. He then told C that he's going to use some anaesthetic as I am not co-operating with him. I felt a sharp biting pain, and the last thing I heard before I dropped unconscious onto the table was C stroking me saying that she's sorry she has to put me through so much pain, but that it is meant to help me. I would later find out after I woke up that there was some bleeding during the removing of the stitches, due to, according to the vet, my not co-operating with him. 


When I woke up, I was terrified as my legs were wobbly and I was unable to stand up straight, nor walk properly. But C was there, and she told me, it's ok, I'm home. I looked around, and yes, I'm home. A home where I have been living for the past one week. A home where I know I am secure and loved, and no more fears of unknown horrors on the street.


I tried to tell C to join me in my unit, that there is plenty of space for both of us. But she did not understand me. Each time I moved deeper inside my unit, she stopped stroking me. I turned around and looked at her with my good eye, but instead of coming inside to join me, she said, "ok, Sayang, have a good rest" and started to close the door. Each time, I quickly got up and rushed back to her on my unsteady, wobbly legs, and she re-opened the door and continued stroking me. Eventually I gave up trying to make her understand, and just clung to her, purring loudly to encourage her to continue stroking me. Angela was the only one who seemed to understand why I was clinging onto C.


On Sunday, May 23, 2010
In the morning, Angela came to feed us. She turned on the lights and panicked when she saw a line of blood on my eye. She tried to contact C, but could not reach her. I later found out that C had slept half the day away as her own two cats had kept her awake throughout the night, turning her bed and bedroom into a happening playground. She mentioned something about finally putting 007 out of her room at 4-ish in the morning, but Yin continued playing with an imaginary friend.


Unable to reach C and desperate, Angela called a friend who lives at Bukit Jalil to come and take me back to the vet. The vet said the pus and blood is called 'juice', and it is normal to have them leak out after stitches are removed. The vet prescribed a cream and another round of antibiotics for me. Thank you, V, for taking me to the clinic. 


At 2-ish, C arrived. I was delighted to see her again so soon, and rushed to her, meowing my welcome. We spent some lovely time together. She hand-fed me those strange, dry pieces of food, kibble by kibble, and said she was proud that I had learned to eat dry food. She asked Angela if I have learned to use the litter box. Angela told her that I am a very good cat, that I don't mess up the place, always doing my nature calls in the litter box, although sometimes there are little accidents by the side of the box, due to my not being able to see well with one eye, and the E-collar partially obstructing my view. Angela also said that I was very co-operative when they fed me my antibiotics, that her maid could also do it if Jimmy is busy.


At 5-ish, V, the human from Bukit Jalil who took me to the vet, came to visit her cat, and the three of them, Angela, C and V concurred that I am a very friendly and affectionate cat, that I must have belonged to a household before as my attitude towards humans is more like a domestic pet, not a total stray.


And I had a wonderful gift today......Angela gave me my own cat bed. She told C that she noticed I like to climb inside a box to sleep, and this bed is the last one in her shop. Thank you, Angela, for the nice and comfy bed. Meow.


Love,
Sayang The One Eye Cat


P/s: If any of you humans are reading all the way to here, thank you for reading my long-winded story.  


P.P.S: Sayang is NOT for adoption....sorry.