This is "chotu". And I was his human, till today. We handed him over to a lady willing to adopt him. So this post is written in the midst of a void left, when you say farewell to a loved one.
We picked him up to be a part of our lives a couple of months back, and he is been there ever since. From being so tiny, we were scared to even pick him up, to this big tom-kitten that he is now, it feels like forever. It has been so long, that I now forget how it was like before him.
Raising him was a black-hole. I have no track of time i invested in him. When we first got him, me and a couple of friends had to take turns baby sitting him (and his litter-mates, which are no more). The first night I had them with me, I remember I had barely slept, and had to feed them and clear after them every 3 hours. After those long hours, and numerous other eventful so many things, chotu had today integrated to be so much of my life.
My day would start with a wet lick on my face or a playful bite on my hand between 6-7 in the morning. Some how it wouldn't feel that bad to wake up early to play with him. Then we would play, he would eat, and then lie beside me playing with his toy. He was so much like a baby. He would cuddle up besides me, sometimes on my arm, sometimes on the pillow. Or suddenly turn all grown-up and sit over my head, as if guarding my sleep.
And my day would end with a gratified fur-ball, purring on my tummy.
The most beautiful part of my relationship with him, was when we established a lingua franca. He learned to mew in different ways, to voice different things. So i'd know when he was hungry, when he wanted to poop, when he wanted to sleep, to play, or was hurt.
Each night, as i sat doing my work, he would curl up on my lap and suckle on my fingers, lovingly. It was a pleasure to watch him sleep, in the most funniest of manners. We have so many kitten sleeping photos now.
It was a joy to observe him, and watch him grow and i feel happy to have experienced it, the pleasure of seeing someone grow, the joy of raising someone.
There are so many moments, when he made me feel so helpless, I wanted to cry, and so many more where he made me roll on the floor laughing. And then there are those I will cherish forever...
...the day he learnt to drink milk from his own bowl,
... the day he started drinking water.
... the day he climbed up a tree
... the day he started suckling on my finger
... the day he learnt to say sorry
... the day he ate his first insect
... the day he woke me up with a lick on my nose
... the day he ate a whole egg without puking
... the day i learnt to talk to him
.... and everyday I walked into the room to a happy kitten at my feet.
Chotu offered a host of life-lessons. Firstly he made me realise how tough it is to raise someone and more-so when they cant communicate through your usual ways. How tough it is to raise babies and how no one will ever really appreciate everything that you are putting in. He made me understand that gestures matter more than words, the little pat on the head, the occasional belly rub, holding close and snuggling, rubbing the nose, kissing. He made me feel responsible. He made me angry, he made me frustrated at the lack of time for other things. He made me appreciate how few strings i have attached right now. He made me multi-task and prioritize. Most importantly he gave me a glimpse into how life could possibly turn out to be and in hind-sight he has made me appreciate all the things parents put into raising kids. I remember very so often my dad telling me, you will know when you have kids. I probably know what that means now.
Chotu shall remain the first one to probably call me mom (in his own cat-words). The first one to give me a tryst at parenting, or as is common in the animal friendly parlance, Chotu is the first to make me his "human", and though it broke my heart to hand him away, i hope he has found a forever home.
Comments
I have also played with him, he is awesome.