Brownie the mother cat
My love for pets is no news for those who know me closely. I was fond of these cuddly companions ever since i was a toddler. I think the first time i got treated for cat bite was when i was four while trying to feed food to a cat. That never did stop me from loving pets. And till the time i got married there has always been atleast one pet in my home. I think i should thank my mother who would always let me have them. I've had cat's rescued from streets as pets and dogs too. And till this day i adore them a lot. I even opted to be a complete vegetarian when i was a Blue cross member. That stint taught me lot on self-control and discipline. But this blog is not about all that. This blog is for one of my long time pet cat Brownie. Motherhood is such a universal thing and every living being's unconditional love for their offspring is remarkable. This super mother cat's story is one thing i always wanted to share to all.
This incident took place in early nineties when i was studying 4th standard. I had this cat name brownie mainly for the rich brown fur mixed with some white and black colors. This was no top breed cat but an ordinary and commonly found cat breed species in India and rescued from the street. Brownie had given birth to a litter for the second time and this time there were three tiny little kittens born. The mother cat and kittens were getting settled down to their new routines. I was spending a lot of time with them and was really happy to see the newborn kittens. They were tiny, cute and didn't even had their eyes open and very helpless quite similar to new born babies who are so dependent on their mothers for practically everything.
Cats like their bigger relatives in wild are basically hunters and prefer to hunt down food. Though we provide milk and food at home, They prefer to hunt rat, squirrels, lizzards. Cat sometimes amuse me with their self-exuded independence. They just love to live their lives free and move around when and where they want and basically furry pets have a lot of attitude. So just after a few days of giving birth, brownie was ready to wander out for a while. I was back from school, so i didnt know exactly what time Brownie wandered out. But my granny told me she ate her lunch, so i was convinced that this was one of her after lunch outings. But then after my play time i noticed she hadn't return. It became dark and she didn't return. There were lonely and helpless souls waiting for their mother to return and feed them. I used to check on them frequently and whenever i used to touch them they would first think its their mother then quickly back off sensing the presence of a stranger. But then my dinner was over and brownie did not return. I was hoping she would be back, but she was not. I was even saying a little prayer that she should be back soon and feed a her little ones. Then it was time for bed, but then i was frequently waking up just hoping she would have come back and probably feeding and sleeping with her litter. But confirming to my worst fear she did not return. It was morning and still brownie had not come back. We were increasingly getting worried for her kittens as they had been starving for more than 12 hours and they were silent and sleeping. It was a saturday so i had no school, i immediately went to my neighborhood friend's and informed them that my cat was missing since yesterday. We started walking around and searching on the streets for brownie. One neighbor told me that yesterday some tribal people who hunts cat for meat was walking around in the street. I was shocked. I was aware that there were a group of tribal people called Narikorava who used to eat cat meat. It was a rare delicacy. They keep hunting cats and in a residential areas its mostly pet cats who fall their prey. I was devastated. I was so upset and couldn't believe that brownie had become prey to them. I was so worried about the kittens as they were too young to be taken care at home. I tried to feed them with a dropper some milk, but they wouldn't drink from it. Not only me everyone in our home were so worried for the kittens and there was still no idea where brownie was. Slowly my friend's searching in the street spread the word to nearby slums, which was near from where these tribes had set up their temporary homes.
Meanwhile worried for the kittens my mother made a call to Blue Cross who had their office at Besant Nagar, which was at some distance from my home. Initially they said they will not take any kittens from homes. As they were over burdened with rescued street cats. But then my mother persuaded them and told to consider this as a special case and the kittens would die at home without proper care. Finally they agreed to take the kittens in their care. We took an auto, put the kittens in a basket and went to Blue cross which took us an hour to reach there. They were asleep. I used to touch them and feel their heartbeat and checked if they were alive. I was so worried for them, i didnt want them to die. When we reached blue cross good news was waiting for us. Brownie had returned. The story was that brownie indeed fell on the trap the hunters laid and was taken to their settlement and kept with her foot tied. A person from the slums who knew our family went and threatened them that we will inform the police which frightened the tribes and let this cat loose. So i didn't have to give away my kitten's to the Blue Cross after all. The Blue Cross people appreciated our efforts to save the litter. The auto driver too said in today's world human lives are not valued and you take so much care for these pets. But all that was not i wanted at that moment. I just wanted the kittens to be re-united with their mother and mother with her children. I was waiting for that moment all the way back home. when i reached home, i saw brownie in a pathetic state. she was filled with mud and dirt and some wound in her leg. i first had to giver a bath and wipe her clean before even letting her to the kittens. But when she did re-unite with her kittens, i felt everything was at peace in this world. It was sure an unforgettable moment. I was so happy my cat was back and for the kittens too. Above everyone else i should thank my mother who later told me that she did everything for me as she could not see me so upset for the kittens.
Now i see my daughter so fond of animals. She is already asking if she can bring a pet home. I think i cannot say much as i was no better than her at that age. For people who have ever had a pet will empathize with me on this blog and for some mainly who dislike pet's might find me a bit crazy too. But what ever or however they are, they are a life and theirs too though trivial are emotions. If we can understand their pain, i am sure we can understand our fellow beings pain too. They teach us compassion, they teach us to be better humans. Pets are sure the best gifts anyone can have.
This incident took place in early nineties when i was studying 4th standard. I had this cat name brownie mainly for the rich brown fur mixed with some white and black colors. This was no top breed cat but an ordinary and commonly found cat breed species in India and rescued from the street. Brownie had given birth to a litter for the second time and this time there were three tiny little kittens born. The mother cat and kittens were getting settled down to their new routines. I was spending a lot of time with them and was really happy to see the newborn kittens. They were tiny, cute and didn't even had their eyes open and very helpless quite similar to new born babies who are so dependent on their mothers for practically everything.
Cats like their bigger relatives in wild are basically hunters and prefer to hunt down food. Though we provide milk and food at home, They prefer to hunt rat, squirrels, lizzards. Cat sometimes amuse me with their self-exuded independence. They just love to live their lives free and move around when and where they want and basically furry pets have a lot of attitude. So just after a few days of giving birth, brownie was ready to wander out for a while. I was back from school, so i didnt know exactly what time Brownie wandered out. But my granny told me she ate her lunch, so i was convinced that this was one of her after lunch outings. But then after my play time i noticed she hadn't return. It became dark and she didn't return. There were lonely and helpless souls waiting for their mother to return and feed them. I used to check on them frequently and whenever i used to touch them they would first think its their mother then quickly back off sensing the presence of a stranger. But then my dinner was over and brownie did not return. I was hoping she would be back, but she was not. I was even saying a little prayer that she should be back soon and feed a her little ones. Then it was time for bed, but then i was frequently waking up just hoping she would have come back and probably feeding and sleeping with her litter. But confirming to my worst fear she did not return. It was morning and still brownie had not come back. We were increasingly getting worried for her kittens as they had been starving for more than 12 hours and they were silent and sleeping. It was a saturday so i had no school, i immediately went to my neighborhood friend's and informed them that my cat was missing since yesterday. We started walking around and searching on the streets for brownie. One neighbor told me that yesterday some tribal people who hunts cat for meat was walking around in the street. I was shocked. I was aware that there were a group of tribal people called Narikorava who used to eat cat meat. It was a rare delicacy. They keep hunting cats and in a residential areas its mostly pet cats who fall their prey. I was devastated. I was so upset and couldn't believe that brownie had become prey to them. I was so worried about the kittens as they were too young to be taken care at home. I tried to feed them with a dropper some milk, but they wouldn't drink from it. Not only me everyone in our home were so worried for the kittens and there was still no idea where brownie was. Slowly my friend's searching in the street spread the word to nearby slums, which was near from where these tribes had set up their temporary homes.
Meanwhile worried for the kittens my mother made a call to Blue Cross who had their office at Besant Nagar, which was at some distance from my home. Initially they said they will not take any kittens from homes. As they were over burdened with rescued street cats. But then my mother persuaded them and told to consider this as a special case and the kittens would die at home without proper care. Finally they agreed to take the kittens in their care. We took an auto, put the kittens in a basket and went to Blue cross which took us an hour to reach there. They were asleep. I used to touch them and feel their heartbeat and checked if they were alive. I was so worried for them, i didnt want them to die. When we reached blue cross good news was waiting for us. Brownie had returned. The story was that brownie indeed fell on the trap the hunters laid and was taken to their settlement and kept with her foot tied. A person from the slums who knew our family went and threatened them that we will inform the police which frightened the tribes and let this cat loose. So i didn't have to give away my kitten's to the Blue Cross after all. The Blue Cross people appreciated our efforts to save the litter. The auto driver too said in today's world human lives are not valued and you take so much care for these pets. But all that was not i wanted at that moment. I just wanted the kittens to be re-united with their mother and mother with her children. I was waiting for that moment all the way back home. when i reached home, i saw brownie in a pathetic state. she was filled with mud and dirt and some wound in her leg. i first had to giver a bath and wipe her clean before even letting her to the kittens. But when she did re-unite with her kittens, i felt everything was at peace in this world. It was sure an unforgettable moment. I was so happy my cat was back and for the kittens too. Above everyone else i should thank my mother who later told me that she did everything for me as she could not see me so upset for the kittens.
Now i see my daughter so fond of animals. She is already asking if she can bring a pet home. I think i cannot say much as i was no better than her at that age. For people who have ever had a pet will empathize with me on this blog and for some mainly who dislike pet's might find me a bit crazy too. But what ever or however they are, they are a life and theirs too though trivial are emotions. If we can understand their pain, i am sure we can understand our fellow beings pain too. They teach us compassion, they teach us to be better humans. Pets are sure the best gifts anyone can have.
Comments
Gorav Gupta.
That was a touching piece taking us through the trauma and letting us release a big sigh of relief at the happy ending .this is because of ur xlnt storytelling .anecdotes happen to all of us but only a writer can recount it well.
U have got the love for pets mostly from Unnietta I think