September 5, 2026
I first saw her a couple of years ago. She was this beautiful grey and white little cat walking my compound wall, chajja and eating the food I laid out for her. She had a soft meow in keeping with her mellow temperament.
The Orange Tabby, Tom, eyed her. She tried to escape from him, but no one did. She became pregnant, herself a little over a year old, I’d guess. I gave her good food and when it came close to delivery, milk, which I continued to give her while she was nursing. She had 3 kittens, all grey and white. They were cute with the promise of growing as beautiful as her. But fate wouldn’t have it that way. All 3 of them passed away, on the same day, when they were about 2 months old.
Greysome was grief-stricken. She sat in my compound, for hours together, mourning their deaths.
Soon after she became pregnant again and I continued my giving her good food. About 2 months later she brought her 6 kittens into my backyard. They were so adorable, carrying on their mother’s legacy of beauty. They were here about 3 weeks. Then she moved them away to another place. That’s the last we saw of them.
Greysome was happy and healthy for a couple of months, frequenting my windowsill for food and also to just hang out. About 6 months ago, she got pregnant again. (This is the world of stray cats – bearing kittens every so often). She gave birth; dont know how many kittens this time. I went out of town for a couple of weeks. When I returned, she was at my windowsill day and night for 3 straight days. I surmised someone must have taken her kittens away, them carrying forth the trend of her beauty.
I’ve been with Greysome through her good times and bad and ordinary times in between. I’ve shared her joys and her sorrow through her ups and downs. I love her mellow temperament.
For the past 3 weeks, she’s ill. She’s become thin but still strong enough to leap onto my windowsill on the first floor. She hasn’t been grooming herself. She hadn’t been eating or drinking. She wanted to but couldn’t. I thought she had a situation with her mouth – some wound or something stuck in there. As suddenly as this came about, equally quickly it went away. She ate and drank, groomed herself and ran around. I was happy; thought I had seen the last of her pain and suffering.
But that wasn’t to be. For the past 4-5 days, she’s ill again. She’s thin, drinks only milk, and stays put on my sills, moving from window to window, as I move from room to room. I feel terrible for her, can’t bear to see her suffer so. She is all by herself, hardly ever meowing. I’m the one she’s attached to.
I tried getting her help, several ways, but couldn’t. I pray that she feel no pain and that her health turns around for the better. She pulls at my heart strings everytime I see her. I pray for her but ultimately leave it to Mother Nature as to the course her life will take. I only ask that she suffers no more.
15 October 2026
I’ve been taking care for Greysome during her illness for a while now. I was wondering what was wrong with her. She’s on the windowsill all day long drinking only milk. But she’s active.
She’s been this way for over a month and a half. I wondered if she was depressed over losing 2 of her litters completely. There’s no sign of injury or disease.
Earlier this week she tried to come into my home. Taking the chance, I thought I’ll take her to the vet. I left the window open. She came in. She walked around the living home and climbed onto the showcase and inadvertently knocked a curio over. That noise startled her. On her way out she saw the crate I left open for her with food in it. She lingered a bit and then ran out.
Since then she doesn’t stay on my windowsill. Comes when she’s hungry, drinks milk and leaves. Yesterday when I was setting out a bowl for her, she rubbed her body against my hand. That was a first. This morning she didn’t come, as she usually does at 7am.
Has she moved onto another place? Has she forsaken me? Was last evening’s greeting actually goodbye?
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