The Art of Persuasion

Make eye contact from afar. Strut modestly. Stand close. Keep paws off for now. Be quiet. Just blink. Persevere for a few minutes. Look up. Make eye contact again. Enlarge pupils (practice makes perfect). Mew gently. Blink blink. Expect to hear “awhh.” There it is. Don't get excited just yet. Remain modest. Wait for it. Look out for that hand. A signal. Now go. Get fur stroked. Raise chin to be scratched. Remember to purr. Enjoy this. Give a friendly bite. Be gentle always. Hear more “awhhs”. Close enough. See that piece of fish now. Stay on the fish. Stray from looking too eager. Eye on the fish. Don't jump. Gravity will pull the fish. There. Savor it. Nothing else tastes better. Leave the bones behind. Lick paws. Walk away.

I learnt a lot from this cat today.

In Company of Cats

Meet Zoë and Mousch. She’s my cat and he’s my ma's. When Zoë was a baby, I took her to my ma's often. Mousch would be the most curious cat alive whenever she was around. First they bit each other, with a few scratches here and there but as months rolled by, the viciousness changed into friendlier nips. They played hide and seek and tag and other feline games. Soon, Zoë and Mousch became inseparable. She cried whenever I pack her into a carrier to go back to our place. My ma told me that Mousch would look for her whenever she was gone. One day, I took her back to Mousch and as they were playing, I noticed how happy she looked. I told myself, why not? If you love her that much, you let her go. And ever since then, Zoë has been with my ma and Mousch, much to her delight.