My Itchy Fingers

Whenever you moved out of your old house to a new place, what was it that would be most memorable and unforgettable to you? My family must have an unexplained liking for moving houses, cos since young till now, I had shifted house four times! But each time, we merely moved a few kilometers within the western side of Singapore. :p

Since moving out of my old place nearly four years ago, I had always wanted to go back to take a look. I did go back twice, but twice I went home disappointed. Why? Because I couldn’t find an old friend. I had thought she might have gone somewhere else, been adopted by a nice family or the worse case scenario, passed away…:( I was certainly glad that I went back a third time cos finally I found her!

So who is this old friend of mine?

Mao Mao! A female ginger coloured cat!

i guessed it must be my cat bone tee shirt that brought me the luck…

Mao Mao coming over to say hello…

I used to play with Mao Mao (that’s what I called her lah) when I went downstairs. She was a very sweet cat and liked to rub her head on my legs. I read on books that cats do that to mark their terriority…er, so technically, my legs belong to her…hahah…:p It was through her that I first observed cat eating grass, supposedly a way to relieve stomach ache. It was also through her that I saw how cats do their business…hahah…Anyway, I found Mao Mao special cos she had no tail…

Not too sure if she was born without a tail or lost it later in life…

And tatoos on both her ears! I supposed it meant to say she had been
neutered? I have never seen any other cats with tatoos like this

Most had a part of the ear clipped off…a disfigurement in my opinion…
This is another cat I knew, but she was less friendly, even up to today :p

I could be wrong about the tatoo being an indication of neutered cats cos I remembered seeing Mao Mao being pregnant once and she left a very deep impression on me when I saw how she buried her dead baby in the grass patch…I wished I had remember if she had the tatoo then or not…

I recognised Mao Mao the moment I saw her. She seemed to have lost some weight and her fur had two clumps sticked together on the top…Mao Mao had aged…:( I had stayed in my old flat for at least 12 years, but I can’t remember when was the first time I saw Mao Mao. But it must had been at least five or six years. Plus the nearly four years since I moved out, Mao Mao must be at least ten years old….quite an old age for our feline friend.

I think Mao Mao also recognised me, cos she seemed to only pose pictures for me and not Tisu Boy :p

“Where have you been all these year?” Mao Mao seemed to be asking me…

I played with Mao Mao for a while longer before leaving her. Kinda feel sad cos I am not too sure when I revisit my old house the next time, will she still be around for me? After all, age seemed to have caught up with her…:(

Mao Mao…are you feeling sad like me? Oh I love her white socks!

This was something new. It was not there when I lived there. No where
else have I seen such a sign

Cats are one of my favourite animals and I would certainly like to keep them if not for the fact that I already had turtles at home. It was quite sad that our government do not allow people staying in HDB flats to keep cats, though many still keep them, provided their neighbours are tolerant and do not complain. With no where to go, many became strays. I do not understand why dogs are allowed but not cats – barking dogs are certainly an equal nuisance like cats calling out loud when they are in heat. Many people disapprove the feeding of stray cats, but I feel that as long as the person feeding is responsible enough to clean up after the cats, it should be ok. After all, if you don’t feed them, they will mess up rubbish dump for food. I think we need to be more tolerant of other living things as they too, deserve to live life with dignity.

Also see related post:
> Growing Up in A One-Room Flat
> Secret Garden in the Last Kampong