I really look forward to visiting those stray cats at Yannawa Temple as they have become my friends. They would always showed me warm greetings and affection as soon as they heard my voice. The young cats would run towards me, some would be meowing like crazy for cat food. My twice a week feeding session has become familiar sight among old monks and novices. Some old monks would smile and nod in approval while others would be thinking that too many cats made a mess around the temple. Luckily most people there have been kind to stray cats and let them be.
Recently I have found a second favourite cat whose nature was very sweet and timid. She’s a mixture of a Siamese cat and a ginger cat. I called her ‘Cotton’ as she was very gentle and had sweet voice. But she has been missing for three weeks; I couldn’t find her anywhere in the temple. There’s no way I could find out what had happened to her. Life is also full of challenges and uncertainty for temple cats.
Meanwhile, the kind monk who has been feeding these cats showed me several kittens he kept inside his residence. He would let these kittens out of the downstairs room in late afternoon. They would be let free when they become a bit older. The big cats did hiss and slap the tiny kittens when they were competing for some wet food from these kittens. I think these cats are more attracted to the wet food I continue to give the kittens as supplements.
The adult cats would just look at me with forlorn eyes while saying “couldn’t I have some wet food too?” Some even complained that “it’s unfair! Only kittens get the wet food. We are very hungry too. Life isn’t fair. Why shouldn’t adult cats get some good stuff too?” I was dumbfounded and surrendered to their taunting.
These cats could think and see my different treatments among kittens and some selected cats. Previously I wouldn’t give any wet food to those black gangster-cats who teamed up to dominate the area. I told them they wouldn’t get any wet food until they gave up the gangster behaviour. After a few months, the gang got broken up and they went their separate ways. So, all the cats could get a bite or two of wet food when they came to see me and ask for some. This means that I have to buy more wet food every week to satisfy their craving! Temple cats could think and reason quite logically and they are quite outspoken on the issue of fairness and equal treatment. They are too smart!
The tiny kittens belong to three mother cats who don’t look very pretty but their kittens have very nice colours. I wondered which cats were the fathers. These kittens would run towards me as soon as I approached the yard in front of the monk’s abode. They have very good eyesight and memories about the wet food I gave them twice a week. I try to give the mother cats more wet food as they look very skinny.
A particular type of kittens seem to be too aggressive and unfriendly; these are the Egyptian type of temple cats. These Sphinx kittens not only look very ugly but they also are very rude, aggressive and selfish. They would use their sharp claws on my hand as I was feeding other kittens. They are the only kittens that would attack others for some wet food. They have no kindness nor good manners. These are truly wild cats with fierce nature. I try to stay away from them. They would chase all other kittens away. I wonder what they would be like as adult cats!
Nowadays, all the kittens are no longer afraid of me and they would be so naughty as to search my food bag and follow me around. So, I had to find cheats to feed my very shy favourite cat who always go hiding underneath a car when other cats try to eat his food. I have to make sure I have a portion of food left for my Samsi before I left the temple. I mustn’t forget to keep one sachet of wet food for Gray, the tiny kitten, who lives on the other side of the temple on his own.
He was too heavily bullied as a young kitten that he had to fInd a safe hiding place far away from all the bigger cats. Gray has become a loner in this temple. I did ask Julia and Tommy to look after Gray for me; so Julia and Tommy have accepted Gray at a distance. They stopped hissing at Gray! These cats could understand language and they are quite smart!
I have no idea how they would survive in the future. There’s only one monk who feed them on a regular basis. I try to travel to the temple twice a week. Meanwhile I just hope and pray that these cats would have a happy life with enough nourishment every week. They have a lot of patience as some day they hardly have any food. These cats all look very skinny comparing with my orange cats in my country home. We will continue to live on the present and do our best according to our wits and limited resources. This is a drill just in case the future throws a really hard curve ball!
Wishing you peace, good health and prosperity.
Stay strong and cheerful.