There may be only a few who do not like the soft, furry creature called a cat. There are many myths and stories about cats. Black cats are often associated with black magic. I have seen cats doing black magic. Not kidding, on many occasions I have seen a cat cross the road, leading to vehicles and pedestrians stopping like they have been hypnotised by the cat. Cat is also the vehicle of Goddess Shaswati. So, many believe that feeding cats brings good fortune.

In my adolescence days, I befriended two felines. Both were handicapped. In the first case, I discovered a kitten in our garden. It was in very bad condition. It lost one eye. The kitten was weak and crying. I fed it rice and fish. Slowly, its health improved. In a year, it became a robust one-eyed cat. Sometime I find myself sleeping in the shadow of a mango tree; another time climbing a guava tree chased by a dog. We became good friends. After lunch, it used to create a sound of satisfaction. Sometimes it goes away in search of a mating partner. I need to call it in top of my voice; after some time it used to come back. But one day it did not come back; it lost for ever. 

Within a few months after the one-eyed feline went missing, one snow white cat appeared in our garden. It was slim and friendly. I liked it on our very first meeting. The cat had a cut mark on its belly. As a kitten, it caught itself within a bangle. The more it tried to get out, the more it entangled. At last, to rescue the feline, the bangle was cut with a small saw. During the rescue operation, the belly of the cat was also injured. The cat used to play with me on the soft grass of our garden. Alas, our friendship did not last long. One day the cat was found dead beside a pond. Probably it ate poisonous food not meant for it. 

In my childhood days, a cat gave birth to two cute kittens in our garden. I wanted to keep one as a pet. Secretly, I captured one kitten and kept it in an isolated room on the roof. I tried feeding it milk. But the kitten was only meowing continuously. The kitten was moving on the floor and somehow entered the water pipeline. By then I can only see its tail from the opening of the pipeline. I started crying. My mom scolded me for my act. As my dad came back from work, a plumber was called, and the kitten was rescued. 

Do you have sweet feline memories? Please share in the comment section.