Time to Remember

I was surfing the pictures on my camera a while ago when I stumbled upon a picture. It was taken last week when we visited a mall art gallery. The artwork reminded me of someone special. Not human, but a cat. I thought of sharing his story is wonderful. This is a bit emotional. 

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It reminds of our cat named Yuri. He was a white with black patches cat with very green eyes. He was rescued -literally rescued - from our backyard. It was in the morning when two cats chase each other in our backyard. Then this white cat's foot get stuck on a piece of iron that serves as our fencing. Our housemaid let him free. There is no wound so she just ignore him and let him chase the cat again. But the cat didn't chased the other cat. He stayed in our backyard.

Our housemaid feed him and from then on, he never left. I feel so pity for him staying outside during the cold and rainy nights, so I ask for my mother's permission to let the cat in. Of course, my mother didn't agree. We don't have any pets and she doesn't want one because of their fur. I have asthma before.

I ask and ask until she gave up and said 'yes'. I let the cat in our house. He is so tame and do not run away fishes from out kitchen counter. He patiently wait for someone to give him food.

I got a hamster, thanks to Yuri pets are now allowed in our hourse, and really love them. Until one night, they both found dead outside their cage. There is no blood or any sign of wounds so the probability of Yuri killing them was eliminated. Since the bodies will smell, we wrapped them in a piece of cloth and put them outside until tomorrow when we will bury them. I thought that Yuri thinks that the hamster escaped from their cages. He hold the two bodies using his mouth - but not biting them - and bring them inside. My father said that our cat brought the hamsters inside. I check it out and the hamsters' bodies are again in their cages. The metal doors were left unclosed.

Yuri sat beside the cage, licking his fur. My cat really thinks that the hamsters escaped and bring them back home.

After years of his residency, he got so sick. He becomes very thin and lost the appetite to eat. The last of his life, he spend it sleeping on my lap. He just sleeps. His tail waving slight and his whiskers moving. I rub his fur and was so sad. He meows to me and I meow too - human meow of course. He just sleep there for the rest of the day.

The dawn next day, he was found dead in our balcony. He was curled to his body like a sleeping cat. Like a peaceful sleeping cat. His paws under his chin and tail around his body. He left us smiling.

We buried him in our backyard and our other cat, Yutah, spent the day watching his grave. They become friends when Yutah was still a baby. Yuri is like a big brother for him.

Every November, it is a tradition here to lit a candle for every deceased family member. We usually lit five candles for our other relatives but after Yuri's death, we lit six candles. One for him. Remembering his joyful days in our house.

From time to time, I dream about him. That he is alive and is sleeping in my bed. I know his soul is still with us.

So people, love your cat and give them your love.