Since nearly a year, Sophie has been feeding a stray cat located in the Podium of her building estate. She named the cat Mui Mui. Every night Sophie comes to the Podium, and Mui Mui always shows up on time, waiting, never missed a day.
However, yesterday, Sophie moved away from the building. She asked for my help to say a proper Goodbye to Mui Mui.
Sophie told me: “I treasure every moment feeding her and seeing, speaking with her. I am sorry that I have to leave and cannot feed her anymore. I hope one day I will meet her again.” Sophie also wants to know about Mui Mui’s health and remind Mui Mui not to trust other humans.
I connected with Mui Mui. She told me she was concerned about Sophie when she didn’t come to feed her last night. Mui Mui worried about if something went wrong with Sophie. She was sad to learn about the departure of Sophie. She asked, “Why does she have to leave? Why can’t she bring me along to her new place? Is it because she has a baby? My previous family threw me out when they were going to have a baby. She doesn’t have to bring me into her house if she doesn’t want. I can still live in the streets near her place. So she can still come every night to feed me. If she can’t bring me, can she come back to visit me from time to time? ”
When I told Mui Mui about Sophie’s reminder about other humans, she said, “I don’t like children. They bully me. They do bad things to me. I know I must run away from them. Some people are bad people. When they come close to me I run. I know how to hide. “
I conveyed Mui Mui’s message back to Sophie. Sophie explained to me that the building she moved into forbids pets. She can’t bring Mui Mui. The new neighborhood is not as nice and safe for stray cats. It’s much better at the Podium. The old building’s guardian will also continue to feed Mui Mui. So it’s much better for Mui Mui to stay there. The guardian did inform Sophie before that some children bullied the stray cats. Sophie felt a bit relieved that Mui Mui knows how to run away and hide.
Unfortunately, Sophie told me, once she’s no longer a resident, the building will not allow her to come back in to the Podium any more. Tonight she’ll go back to the old building to clear the final stuff. And she wants me to tell Mui Mui to come out to say a final goodbye.
I brought these messages to Mui Mui. She was very sad and disappointed. She couldn’t understand why Sophie won’t even be able to come back to visit her. I explained to her that human world is very complicated. She agreed to come out tonight to say goodbye to Sophie.
The next day, I received the following message from Sophie:
“Last night, both Mui Mui and I were overwhelmed somewhat. Mui Mui was so on time. I watched her ate, finished the whole plate. She ate slower than usual. I kept on saying, eat slowly. And I said to Mui Mui, I came to say goodbye for now. She looked at me while eating. Her eyes are soft, speaking.
She did not let me pet her. As usual, she retreated immediately after finished the food. But slower than every day. And I walked to the shrubs where she hides. I said Mui Mui sorry I could not bring you with me. My new neighborhood is dangerous, too many traffic. I wish to stay with you but conditions do not allow. I thanked her for all the joy she has brought to me. And I asked her to take care and not to trust all humans.
I said I’ll reconnect with her later. I then headed back to my old flat to do the final cleanup.
An hour later, my sister and I left the flat. I felt Mui Mui saw us leaving, and our heart ached. I could feel that. She felt so alone. But she understood.
Settled in the new flat, I heard Mui Mui calling me Mummy!
Thank you Yu Yu for opening this channel between Mui Mui and me. It’s a start, the best is yet to come.
May good health and prosperity be with you always. Thank you for bringing good to humanity. Root for your doing such meaningful work.”
When I read Sophie’s text, my tears couldn’t help gushing out my eyes. It was such a touching story! Sophie was such a kind and loving person. She cares for a stray cat and makes an effort to inform the cat what’s going on. I could feel the deep connection between her and the cat, and I could totally feel the heart breaking for both the human and the cat…
I am happy that I could help this connection. This bond, although short, is very precious to both humans and animals!
It reminded me of my own story with a cat in Africa. Years ago, when I was volunteering at an Wildlife Conservation Center in Namibia, a stray cat “adopted” me. She came into my house without invitation, I let her stay. That night, she jumped into my bed and slept by my pillow. My “love story” with Purr Purr started then. Every evening, she’d be waiting for me to come back from work near my house, and happily walk with me back into the house. At night she always slept by my pillow.
At the end of my volunteer work, it was time for me to go back home to Hong Kong. How I wish I could bring Purr Purr with me back home! But I knew she won’t like that kind of life. I live in a tiny apartment in HK, while Purr Purr spends her life enjoying her freedom in the vast African nature. I will have no place for her to run and play. What’s more, if she comes in to HK, she will be quarantined for 6 weeks. That’s a huge amount of time in jail for an animal. It’s way too cruel for her. I can’t be so selfish!
The day I left, it was during noon time. But somehow Purr Purr knew it! She came to the big bus that was taking us away. I gave her a final kiss and bid her farewell. She stood by the bus, watched me dragging my luggage on. The bus moved on. From the back window, I watched Purr Purr standing there looking at the bus, she didn’t move…
It was heartbreaking for me. I cried for a long time after I came back home. I always wanted to have chance to go back to Namibia again to visit Purr Purr, but it never happened..
A few years later, a sunny afternoon while I was sitting at home in HK, suddenly Purr Purr came to me to tell me, she has left this world…
Often times in our life, there are hard choices we have to make. We are forced to leave our loved ones behind, especially animals. A lot of things are out of our control. What we can try our best to do, is to make the decision based on the best interest for the animals. At least we have a choice, but they don’t…
Treasure every moment with the animals in your life!