It all started when I had my first cat here in Abu Dhabi........This is Chapper. He was just a three months old male Arabian Mau when a friend of ours gave it to me.
The story of owning a cat is a history. when I arrive here in UAE last 2015, it was very difficult from my side to leave the Philippines. Having a kid back home, everyday I have to deal the feeling of missing her. The adjustment makes it difficult. After a couple of months enjoying the beauty of Abu Dhabi, exploring the UAE while on a tourist visa, I begun to felt something..... home-sick. Each night it attacks me. I'm missing comforting my daughter. Aside from my husband who I can divert my attention with, I knew to myself something is missing. I have to find way to divert it more. I have to find away which will make myself busy. So I started searching for a job. After a month, I was hired. I was busy then, but still something is missing. One day, I was scrolling my facebook and I see a post for "Cat Adoption Day". I was thrilled when I saw it and get excited so I ask my husband, maybe we can consider owning one. At first, he was resistant. He don't prefer a cat. He likes dog. So I tried to look in dubizzle.com for a dog for sale. I found some but it wowed me! Hahahaha it's soooo expensive! A three months old Pug costs AED 8,000. Wow! So I told my husband about the dog prices. I kept convincing him to choose cats instead since it's not costly, no need too much attention, that their small and easy to handle. And it worked! He agreed. So we decided to visit the pet veterinary in Khalifa City A named "Cloud 9" to see the cats personally. There are plenty of cats waiting for a new home. I am so in-love to all of them. There are so many different breeds and all of them look so gentle and sweet.
So when we spoke with the organizer, we were just shock that we need to pay AED 750 and this included micro chipped, neutered, passport and vaccination. And that our application will me reviewed to check if we are eligible to own a cat. Having pets here in UAE are costly because owners are required to bring them for a check-up annually but this will depends on your cats health and needs. So we end up going home of not bringing one. I felt sad once again.
My husband sees in my eyes how lonely I was. So he did something without me knowing it. He was contacting a friend who used to raise a street cats. Luckily, she have few kittens around and offer it to us. It was during my birth month when he informed me that we will be adopting a kitty. Yehey!!!! Hearing that I felt like I won a lottery scratch. When he told me the kitten will be deliver for the next two days, I became more excited. Until the kitten arrives......
When I first saw him, he was so tiny. He was so scared to the point he was chilling. I let him calm on his own way and be familiarize with our house. He was hiding in a corner, but later on became active. And later on.... super active!
Since he was alone, most of the time he was left in the house for eight hours, he became hyper active. Each time we arrive, he wanted to play with us by biting our hands, scratching our arms and jumping all over the room. We we're a little bit worried as he began to destroy some of our things. My husband is getting annoyed as well, so I have to come up with solutions. I try to search some group pages in facebook about cats and so I find "The Bin Kitten". I joined the group and learned so many about cats. There are also cat adoptions in different part of UAE and this is for free! Oh God, if only I knew it then I should find a kitten long time ago. I tried to raise my concern with the group and most of them suggested me to adopt another cat. They say it's more easy to take care of two cats rather than one because his attention will divert to the other cat. So I spoke again with my husband and told him what the group suggested. He was resistant for the second time...... but again... I convinced him ahahaha!
So I checked all the post for cat adoption in the group page and I find one. Her name is Yumi, six months old female Mix Arabian Mau.
Sooner or later they became best of friends. I called them my "Yin and Yang" as they became my source of energy and they were inseparable as time goes by.
Everything was so smooth until one unexpected tragedy happened. Accidentally, my Yumi fell from our building (7th floor) and we only found out after noticing she's not in the room. We immediately looked after her from the ground floor and luckily, she did not run away and kept sitting at the side of the building. There are some blood from her chin as it hits the ground and we rushed her to the veterinary the next day.
The good thing is that she does not have bone crack or internal bleeding. Everything was perfectly fine. It was just the impact that causing her body pain. The doctor told us not to touch her and cage her for the mean time as she needs it to be fully recovered.
After that incident, me and my husband decided to find another house. Luckily we are, we find a villa that is cat friendly. We are now living in the ground floor.
Having two cats are a relief but did not expect to what is coming........ I found out that my Yumi is pregnant as her tummy gets bigger and bigger!
Immediately, I scheduled Chapper to be castrated. So it won't happen again after Yumi gave birth.
He was so scared since this is the first time he will visit a vet. The doctor said he's all good and healthy. We took his first vaccination as well and now he has his passport.
When we came home, I began to prepared for Yumi's delivery. I watched some videos in youtube on how to make a DIY cat bed. And we end up like this hahaha!
After fiishing they hopped in! Hahaha Chapper cannot live without Yumi. Wherever Yumi goes, he goes!
THE EXCITING PART
When I arrived home, I saw some blood drops around and when I followed it goes to Yumi's cat bed! Oh wow she gave birth already!
WHEN IT RAINS IT POURS
For that moment, I enjoyed their numbers. It's freaking messy, yes, but they're so adorable and sweet. One by one I gave them a name, the same name of their mom but with different vowels. Only one kitten name is different as this is requested by my husband.
Having six kittens and two adult cats, all in all I have eight cats. Now, I'm thinking how can we raise all of them. But that's not the problem. Heaven answers my prayers in different ways. As the kittens gets older, their immune system became weak. All my orange kittens had diarrhea and soon died. I feel so heart broken when each day, one of them die. I seek help and give the medical assistance they need but it's just not really working out. Two kittens where left, Yum-yum and Zoro.
I became so worried that these two will soon be dead. Luckily their immune system are in a good condition and no symptoms of diarrhea or whatever diseases. As they grew older, I realize that they are so much resemblance of their parents!
Aside from that, Yum-yum and Zoro are also inseparable, just like their mom and dad, another Yin and Yang of mine!
ANOTHER HEART BREAK
After the death of the four kittens, I did not expect another one will leave.... Yumi. One night, she came home after roaming around outside when suddenly she passed out and vomiting. I run towards her and talking, tying to comfort her. I knew something was wrong to her so I called my husband who in his friend's house and told him what's happening to Yumi. I put her in a cage while waiting for my husband as we are going to rush her in a vet. Suddenly, she meowed so loud and when I checked her she was like having epileptic attack, her iris becomes totally black. I am crying while calling her name and asking to wait a little longer, don't give up. When my husband arrived, we went to Cloud 9 in Khalifa City A. The doctor is waiting for us as I called him earlier telling Yumi's situation. The doctor said Yumi was poisoned. I saw in Yumi's eyes a bid of farewell. I was in deniable stage. No, it can't be happening. I'll bring Yumi home. You we're just fine when she left the front door. Its just a couple of minutes when she left and now she's gone??? Hence, the doctor said he will do his best. We need to admit Yumi for further test and to remove all the intake poison. I was praying so hard. That was the last time I saw her alive. On the next day, while in the office I received a call from Cloud 9. The receptionist informed me that Yumi passed away at 3:00 am. I cried. I can't control it. In front of my HR manager I cried so loud. Oh my. Is this true? My Yumi is gone? Dead? Why?
After office hours, we went to see Yumi's body. She was cold. I removed the blanket and there it was, her freezing face. I cried more. I want to bring back the time. I wished I just close the door so she can't get out. I wish I can do something. I wish.. I wish... I wish.... I miss you my Yumi... I will always cherish the memories you left us. I will always remember you. Please forgive mama for what happened. Definitely you will always be in our heart.... Chapper will surely be lonely for you're not being around. Please guide us my little angel. Thank you for one and a half beautiful years you spent with us..
THE SOUVENIR
We are still lucky to have a precious memory of Yumi through her kids Yum-yum and Zoro. Every time I see Yum-yum, it feels like I still have Yumi. She has the same habit as her mom. She's so sweet and modest. She's also a sassy! In fairness to Chapper, he became more close to the kittens.
COMPARISON OF HABITS
Just sharing the habits of the parents (Yumi and Chapper) and the kids (Yum-yum and Zoro). See the difference! _
Time flies so fast and they are all growing up. From kitten turning to an adult cat. Not only that, when Yumi left us, another kitten joined our family. She was given to me as she was found in the park alone. I named her Hershey, she's a tame kitten but she became comfortable to us after a year.
Spending my time with my cats gives me so much of relaxation. Did you know that there are benefits of owning a cat?
Here are some of them which might consider you in owning a cat!
OWNING A CAT IS BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.
If you're worried about your carbon footprint, it’s better to own a cat than a dog. A 2009 study found that the resources needed to feed a dog over the course of its life create the same eco-footprint as that of a Land Cruiser. Meanwhile, cats—which eat less in general and are more likely to eat fish than corn- or beef-flavored products—only have the approximate carbon footprint of a small hatchback.
THEY'LL HELP YOU COPE ...
Losing a loved one is incredibly painful, but one of the best ways of coping is to own a pet. Cats have been shown to help people get over their loss more quickly, and show less physical symptoms of pain, like crying. Despite the fact that they are only animals, cats serve as a social support during difficult times. People in mourning report talking to their pet to work out their feelings, since it is often easier to talk to something that won’t respond and can’t judge than to another human being.
AND FIND A SIGNIFICANT OTHER.
If you’re a single guy and you can’t seem to get a date, get a cat! A British poll found that 82 percent of women agreed they are more attracted to men who like animals. And while having a dog will do wonders for your dating life, a whopping 90 percent of single women said that men who own a cat are “nicer” than other guys. Listing that you own a cat on your dating profile could do wonders for the number of responses you get—but remember, a cat is for life, not just until you find a partner.
CAT OWNERS ARE SMART.
A 2010 survey of British pet owners by the University of Bristol found that people who owned cats were more likely to have college degrees than their dog loving counterparts. In 2014, a researcher in Wisconsin surveyed 600 college students and found that cat owners were actually more intelligent as well. (But it's probably not the cat itself making the owner smarter: The researchers conducting the Bristol survey said that smarter people tend to work longer hours, and since cats require less attention than dogs, they are a better choice for the busy intellectual.)
YOU'LL HAVE A HEALTHIER HEART.
Owning any pet is good for your heart. Cats in particular lower your stress level—possibly since they don’t require as much effort as dogs—and lower the amount of anxiety in your life. Petting a cat has a positive calming effect. One study found that over a 10-year period cat owners were 30 percent less likely to die of a heart attack or stroke than non-cat owners (although this might just be because cat owners are more relaxed and have lower stress in general).
THEY FULFILL YOUR NEED FOR COMPANIONSHIP.
The stereotype that dogs are more affectionate than cats is just that: a stereotype. In fact, it turns out that cats can be just as good of companions as dogs, especially for women. An Austrian study conducted in 2003 found that having a cat in the house is the emotional equivalent of having a romantic partner. As well as initiating contact much of the time, studies have shown cats will remember kindness shown to them and return the favor later.
But cats really do have the upper hand in these relationships. After thousands of years of domestication, cats have learned how to make a half purr/half howl noise that sounds remarkably like a human baby’s cry. And since our brains are programmed to respond to our children’s distress, it is almost impossible to ignore what a cat wants when it demands it like that.
THEY CAN TELL YOU (AND OTHERS!) A LOT ABOUT YOUR PERSONALITY.
Your choice of pet reveals something about your personality. While dog lovers tend to be the life of the party, cat owners are quieter and more introverted. However, they score very highly when it comes to how trustworthy they are and how much they trust other people. Cat owners are also less manipulative and more modest.
YOU'LL SLEEP BETTER.
Several studies and polls in the UK have found that people (especially women) prefer to sleep with their cats than with their partners, and they even report sleeping better with a cat than with a human. A recent study from the Mayo Clinic Center for Sleep Medicine indicates that they might be on to something: 41 percent of the people in that study indicated that they slept better because of their pet, while only 20 percent said that it led to disturbances.
CAT OWNERSHIP MEANS FEWER ALLERGIES.
Sadly, it’s too late for you, but if you have a child on the way, it might be time to get a cat. In 2002, the National Institutes of Health released a study that found children under a year old who were exposed to a cat were less likely to develop allergies—and not just pet allergies. According to Marshall Plaut, M.D., chief of the allergic mechanisms section at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, "high pet exposure early in life appears to protect against not only pet allergy but also other types of common allergies, such as allergy to dust mites, ragweed, and grass." And while the cat parasite Toxoplasma gondii is a threat to young children, experts say that by changing your cat’s litter box every day and keeping the animal indoors, you should be safe and allergy free!
THEY CAN QUITE LITERALLY SAVE YOUR LIFE.
Cats have a reputation of being aloof and not caring about their humans, but they have saved countless lives over the years. One cat in the United Kingdom warns her human when he’s about to have an epileptic seizure, while a cat in Montana woke up its two humans when a gas pipe started leaking. Firefighters told the couple that the house could easily have exploded if not for cat’s intervention.
One cat has even received the highest medal available to military animals. Simon the cat was onboard the HMS Amethyst, which was sailing up the Yangtze in 1949 when a shell hit the ship, killing several marines and severely injuring Simon. (The event marked the beginning of the 101-day siege of the ship, which would become known as the Yangtze Incident.) Simon was fixed up, and despite being injured, performed his ship duty and started catching the rats that were threatening the ship’s food supply, as well as providing moral support for the surviving sailors. Simon died not long after the ship returned to the UK, but he was posthumously awarded the UK’s Dickin Medal, recognized as the animal Victoria Cross, for "behaviour [of] the highest order, although the blast was capable of making a hole over a foot in diameter in a steel plate." -following information taken from http://mentalfloss.com/article/51154/10-scientific-benefits-being-cat-owner
As a cat owner, I can say this is definitely true. I've proven it many times and they never disappointed me.
"My four legged friend fur and paws from whom I had to part, my loyal, kind and loving friend left... Paw prints on my heart...gone but never Forgotten.."
