There’s no way around it. Once I met him, I just couldn’t let go.
Last year, right after moving, my roommate suggested getting a cat. We found a girl online who said she couldn’t keep her cat and was looking for someone to adopt it. So, we brought it home. He has a rather big face, and for a one – year – old cat, his size is quite large too. His face is really handsome, just two words to describe it.
I had never raised a cat or had much contact with them. But since I was at home the most, I was basically the one taking care of him. He usually slept by my feet.
We couldn’t decide on a name for him as we all had different ideas. I wanted to call him “Wagahai”, but it never really felt like a proper name.
He’s extremely curious yet very timid. Once, my roommate brought a female cat from a friend to try to mate with him. He was so scared that he’d jump at every little movement of hers. In the end, nothing came of it. He didn’t even seize this one – in – a – lifetime opportunity.
About a year later, around May this year, the apartment manager came to tell us that pets were not allowed in the apartment and asked us to deal with the situation as soon as possible. The manager was very gentle and didn’t push us further, but we finally decided that we couldn’t keep him anymore.
I really couldn’t bear to part with him. In those few days, I frantically searched the internet for solutions. Finally, I decided to send him back to my parents in my home country. Maybe I was being selfish, as I could have found a good home for him in Japan. But this was the only way I could feel at ease.
I decided to take him back home during the summer vacation. After checking the procedures and requirements, I took him to the animal hospital several times in those months to get all the necessary certificates. On the day we left, when I took him to the airport, people on the way were probably not used to seeing someone bringing a cat to the airport, so they were quite surprised. After the final quarantine check, he was taken to the oxygen – filled cabin.
On the plane, I was extremely worried. Every time the plane jolted, my heart would be in my mouth. Usually, I’d sleep through the flight when going home, but this time, I stayed wide – awake all the way.
As soon as we landed, I rushed to the conveyor belt. The moment I saw the cage being conveyed out, my hands were shaking with nervousness. The front door of the cage was slightly open, but he was safe inside.
Normally, after leaving the airport, there’s another security check, and most pets need to be sent for quarantine for a week. But somehow, we managed to get through and took him out of the airport directly.
When we got home, I found a lot of nail fragments in the cage. One of his thumbs was bleeding. He probably scratched himself due to anxiety. I can’t imagine how he felt spending those five hours alone in the oxygen – filled cabin. All I can do now is to give him the best care I can to make up for it.
Now my parents are taking care of him. They both like “Wagahai” very much. My mom gave him a new name, Panghu, because he’s chubby and looks like a little tiger, and also because he has Japanese blood.
Bringing him back to my home country is probably the most effort I’ve ever put into something in my life.
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