No, this is not my strong point....even people who love me the most can never say that I am patient. I still run up and down the staircase jumping every alternate steps, can't sit still for more than a couple minutes without doing anything and I hardly ever can stay silent. I am always up to "something", pottering about. Does meditation increase patience? This always sounds like the "chicken and egg" problem to me. Is patience needed for meditation, or meditation for patience? Anyway, I wouldn't be able to solve this riddle.
So why am I talking about patience all of a sudden? I am getting more towards it actually. No, no, not through meditation, but someone has been teaching me. That someone is none other than our little, tiny May!
After we had Mota for a while and I started reading up more on cat care, which often redirected me to ASPCA and Humane Society's websites, I started getting involved about the general state of animals in shelter. A kind co-worker of mine put up posters of animals in our break room which finally prompted me to try foster a homeless animal. That's how May (she was named Kitty at that time) came to our family.
I had no experience with cats other than Mota so handling May was very difficult. Mota's life so far has been as plush and cushy as possible. He was born at a shelter and taken to a foster home right away with his brother (later named Stormy). When they were 10 weeks old, our friend adopted them. We got Mota when he was a full grown adult of 3 years. He never has seen food scarcity, he has always been around humans who cuddle him, feed him well and love him. The only cat he had shared his home with was his own brother (and litter mate) so he never had to fight against him either. He is a little cuddly prince I should say.
With May, it was totally different. It's true that she is a very strong willed lady, but then her life hasn't been very easy so far. The family who adopted her (I don't know when or how long they had her) haven't been very nice to her. She was given human food, which made her obese. She had dental issues, scars on the body and other health issues as well. On top of that, she bites! They surrendered her to the Humane Society as an easy way out of the problem. The only good thing on their part was that they at least didn't abandon her on the streets. She got good health care at the Humane Society but there she had to spend her days in a cubby hole with food, bed and litter box in the same place. It's like being in a prison. When we took her home she would howl and bite us. She'd gobble up all her food, hiss and snap at Mota. Her behavior was not exemplary by any means.
It took time...and PATIENCE to get May act normally. It was difficult, very difficult to see her striking Mota and leaving them to "sort it out", difficult to bear her scratching and biting, meowing from behind closed door or from her carrier (used as a "time out" place for her). Also, her fur was matted and rough, she was on a medicated diet. It caused enough trouble, but at the end of the day we could give a cat a "forever home".
She is 10 years old now. Her "senior" days have set in. She has got some arthritis and her kidneys are not in very good shape but still, she is my little warrior. We formally adopted her in June after fostering her for almost 5 months. Now she likes being brushed, she'll roll over when I brush her belly. Mota, even though not a best buddy, is slowly being tolerated by May. Unlike the cats in the cat colony, Mota is extremely gentle (and chivalrous, I should say) so he never hurts May. May is getting that idea now, that she doesn't have to hiss and scratch him for nothing. They are kept loose the entire day, even when we are not at home. They have sorted it out. Mota sleeps near our bed in the master bed room and May sleeps in her own room for most of the time we are away. As May is at her optimum weight now, she gets the same food as Mota. When we come home from work, the moment they hear the garage door open they both come running to meet us at the doorway!!! Call that the reward of being patient. :D
PS: There are so many animals still abandoned on the streets or spending their lives in cubby holes in animal shelters. Most of them would never see a caring human again or get a second chance. Please don't "buy" animals!! Adopt one or even foster one. It doesn't take much. Oh, this Mothers' Day, Mota and May gave me a t-shirt that says - Proud mom of a shelter cat!!
So why am I talking about patience all of a sudden? I am getting more towards it actually. No, no, not through meditation, but someone has been teaching me. That someone is none other than our little, tiny May!
After we had Mota for a while and I started reading up more on cat care, which often redirected me to ASPCA and Humane Society's websites, I started getting involved about the general state of animals in shelter. A kind co-worker of mine put up posters of animals in our break room which finally prompted me to try foster a homeless animal. That's how May (she was named Kitty at that time) came to our family.
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| May with Baghu |
I had no experience with cats other than Mota so handling May was very difficult. Mota's life so far has been as plush and cushy as possible. He was born at a shelter and taken to a foster home right away with his brother (later named Stormy). When they were 10 weeks old, our friend adopted them. We got Mota when he was a full grown adult of 3 years. He never has seen food scarcity, he has always been around humans who cuddle him, feed him well and love him. The only cat he had shared his home with was his own brother (and litter mate) so he never had to fight against him either. He is a little cuddly prince I should say.
With May, it was totally different. It's true that she is a very strong willed lady, but then her life hasn't been very easy so far. The family who adopted her (I don't know when or how long they had her) haven't been very nice to her. She was given human food, which made her obese. She had dental issues, scars on the body and other health issues as well. On top of that, she bites! They surrendered her to the Humane Society as an easy way out of the problem. The only good thing on their part was that they at least didn't abandon her on the streets. She got good health care at the Humane Society but there she had to spend her days in a cubby hole with food, bed and litter box in the same place. It's like being in a prison. When we took her home she would howl and bite us. She'd gobble up all her food, hiss and snap at Mota. Her behavior was not exemplary by any means.
It took time...and PATIENCE to get May act normally. It was difficult, very difficult to see her striking Mota and leaving them to "sort it out", difficult to bear her scratching and biting, meowing from behind closed door or from her carrier (used as a "time out" place for her). Also, her fur was matted and rough, she was on a medicated diet. It caused enough trouble, but at the end of the day we could give a cat a "forever home".
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| Daddy's girl!! |
She is 10 years old now. Her "senior" days have set in. She has got some arthritis and her kidneys are not in very good shape but still, she is my little warrior. We formally adopted her in June after fostering her for almost 5 months. Now she likes being brushed, she'll roll over when I brush her belly. Mota, even though not a best buddy, is slowly being tolerated by May. Unlike the cats in the cat colony, Mota is extremely gentle (and chivalrous, I should say) so he never hurts May. May is getting that idea now, that she doesn't have to hiss and scratch him for nothing. They are kept loose the entire day, even when we are not at home. They have sorted it out. Mota sleeps near our bed in the master bed room and May sleeps in her own room for most of the time we are away. As May is at her optimum weight now, she gets the same food as Mota. When we come home from work, the moment they hear the garage door open they both come running to meet us at the doorway!!! Call that the reward of being patient. :D
PS: There are so many animals still abandoned on the streets or spending their lives in cubby holes in animal shelters. Most of them would never see a caring human again or get a second chance. Please don't "buy" animals!! Adopt one or even foster one. It doesn't take much. Oh, this Mothers' Day, Mota and May gave me a t-shirt that says - Proud mom of a shelter cat!!
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