By Eleanor Agulto
(First of 2 parts)
I already had 9 cats. Count them, 9.
One – Posey, the diva, who’s fond of her human folks but snubs other cats.
Two – B2, the gentle, gray tabby who’s very much at home in the garage.
Three – Gus, another garage cat, the small but terrible free spirit.
Four – Nina, the nervous feline who wants to be brave but can’t quite summon enough courage.
Five – Jao, the tortie whose face resembles the Phantom of the Opera.
Six – Billy Boy, the orange tabby who’s the lookalike of our senior cat, William (R.I.P.).
Seven – Liam, the noisy kitten I’ve picked up after almost being crushed by a speeding car.
Eight – Snow, my lovely, odd-eyed rescue.
Nine – Yuki, the white kitty who followed my youngest son from church all the way home.
I was close to being a crazy cat lady. So why would I want a tenth cat?
The more obvious reason: I’m an animal welfare advocate. People who know me know this.
The other reason: I’ve always wanted a black cat. I’m aware that black cats are considered unlucky, the familiars of witches. I didn’t care; I yearned for one. I was actually looking for chances to get my hands on a black cat, preferably one that needed rescuing.
Then one day, the opportunity came along.
Khrysta, one of the moving forces behind Friends of Campus Animals (FOCA), called me to ask if I could take in another cat. It seemed that a scraggly group of strays in UP Diliman had been rounded up, and they must be rescued before they got sick or euthanized at the city pound. One of them appeared to be a young, black mama…
I was off in a flash.
When I saw the little black cat, my heart melted. She was inside a rusty, unkempt, miserable-looking cage where the strays’ food mingled with poop. The other cats meowed heartily, as if pleading to be let out these dilapidated pens. But the black mama – so still and quiet and frail-looking – was hugging her tiny kitten, as if assuring her that everything would be all right.
Of course I had to take the kitten, too; she needed her mother. My husband disapproved of still another addition to the cat menagerie, but I told him that we’d find a new home for the baby when she got a bit older.
The first order of the day: I gave the black cat a new name. From that day forward, she would be called Lucky, because that what she was – an unfortunate cat whose luck had turned.
Before going home, I brought Lucky to the vet for her needed shots and a thorough bath. She didn’t like getting wet, and you could tell she couldn’t understand why she had to be shampooed, why every nook and cranny of her ears had to be cleaned, and why in heaven’s name she had to bear that noisy, hot air spewing gizmo.
But she patiently went through it all with only a few meows of complaint.
It was during the bath that the vet’s assistant showed us that Lucky had a big bald patch at her side. Maybe it was a scar, maybe it was caused by trauma, who knew?
An hour or so later, in our kitchen, it was time for introductions. I took the now clean and fragrant Lucky from her carrier. This was the black cat I always wanted to have, but would she like me? She was born a stray; would she be willing to be domesticated? Would she want to run away to the great outdoors instead of being my pet?
Lucky gave me a few tentative sniffs and stared at me with her marble green eyes. She then slowly rubbed her body against mine, again, then again, faster this time. As I ran my fingers through the length of her back, her curious expression turned to pleasant surprise. And when I tickled her chin and rubbed her ears, her eyes turned to happy slits and she began to purr. The whirring sound vibrated louder as I massaged her dainty little head. Then all of a sudden, the purring stopped. She gazed into my eyes once more, decided to give me a couple of licks, settled comfortably into my lap, and went to sleep.
As I cradled this little black cat, who looked like she’s having sweet, sweet dreams, I knew for sure – my baby’s home.
(To be continued next week)
About the author: Eleanor Agulto a partner and creative director, 5BC -professional screener, Ad Standards Council and head of the Institutional Communcation and Advancement Office of La Salle Greenhills.
She won creative excellence awards from the London International Advertising Awards, Creativity 26, Philippine Advertising Congress, Philippine Association of National Advertisers (PANA), Creative Guild and the Colgate-Palmolive Co.
Her advocacies are "No to Bullying" and animal welfare.
She taught in Colegio de San Juan de Letran for 16.5 years, in UP Diliman for 16 years and the University of Asia and the Pacific for 8 years.