March 13, 2018, was a day that I had been eagerly anticipating and one that I will never forget, because on this day, I could finally bring my silver – shaded cat, Dongfeng, home.
Three days after coming back from the cattery, all the things I prepared for Dongfeng had arrived. I carefully assembled the cage and bought various toys and cat teasers, waiting with great joy for the end of the one – week fostering period. Everything was ready, just waiting for Dongfeng’s arrival. It was at this time that I gave it the name – Dongfeng.
I clearly remember the day I picked it up. Dongfeng was in the airline kennel given by the cattery owner. It was still a bit cold that day, and I was so afraid that it would catch a cold that I didn’t hesitate to take off my big yellow coat and gently drape it over the airline kennel. That was also the first time I took a taxi since I started my postgraduate study. From then on, every time I took Dongfeng out, I would choose to take a taxi because I was really worried that it would get cold and even more afraid that it would have a stress reaction due to being frightened.
After returning to the dormitory, I was worried that Dongfeng would hide under the bed and it would be difficult to catch it. So, I directly put it into the cage. It didn’t seem to be shy at all. I was happy because it had good habits, and I felt sorry for it because of its small body and great sense of responsibility. In the more than one year that followed, Dongfeng was always like this. Except for urinating on the bed twice during the estrus period, it never urinated or defecated randomly. Even when it was sick and vomiting, it would try to run into the litter box. Its sensibility really made people feel sorry for it.
The way Dongfeng lazily sleeps is really endearing. At that time, I would spend three or four hours every day around it, quietly looking at it. Although the weather was still quite cold then, because Dongfeng was really too small, I didn’t dare to let it sleep with me on that 1 – meter single bed. I was afraid that I might accidentally press it when I was half asleep, so I could only let it sleep in the cage. To keep it warm, I put two electric heating pads under its nest, and we waited for the arrival of spring together.
Looking at the little Dongfeng living alone in that three – layer big cage, I think it might have been a bit lonely. So, when it was kneading, it would rub against the cage, probably hoping that I would touch it. I can’t really remember if I touched it immediately at that time, but I think I probably did, because I always couldn’t help but want to get close to it and give it more love and care.
Thinking about it now, I still have to forgive how dirty the floor of the dormitory was at that time. It was precisely because of watching the video recording Dongfeng playing in the cage that I realized that even though it lived in the cage most of the time, I should still clean up well. The floor at that time was really in a mess. In that video, Dongfeng looked quite lively. Maybe it was because after living alone, there were no other cats bullying it, or maybe it felt my love for it. Anyway, seeing it having a good time made me even happier.
Bringing Dongfeng home was the starting point of our precious journey. Since then, we have spent many wonderful times together and also experienced some twists and turns. The arrival of Dongfeng has made my life rich and colorful, and it has become an indispensable part of my life. I look forward to creating more warm memories with Dongfeng in the days to come, witnessing every step of its growth, and giving it more love and companionship. Because of Dongfeng, my life is full of warmth and happiness, and I will always cherish this hard – won emotional bond.
Leave a Reply