Pets Are Not Just Animals; They Are Family

This story is associated with a new chapter of my life, when Milo, our first and only cat, enters our lives, bringing us unique happiness and unforeseen obstacles.

Milo is one year old now. She was less than six weeks old when we adopted her. She came into the home as a shy outsider who felt uneasy mixing with others. She hid behind the cupboard for three hours upon her arrival, acting like a little ninja. She took a full month to get comfortable with us.

I witnessed how she became part of the family, it was like watching a curious caterpillar turning into a butterfly. Once she finally felt at home, the first person she showed her flying abilities was me. I was having my evening tea when, out of nowhere, a furry comet crash-landed in my lap. That little snowball of fur licked my hands, and we both screamed — she meowed and I yelled. Meanwhile, my husband who was watching the scene, commented with a smile, Ameer get ready to nurture a new catty child. It was a very funny scene where the whole family laughed and here was the start of our friendship.

When Milo was five months old, she began going out at night and returning late. We removed a small square-shaped section from the main gate to make a little window for her so she could come and go easily.

However, other cats began to enter through the same window and ate her food. Eating was one thing, not bothering us, but they also quickly began attacking her, which was unacceptable. These stray cats were much stronger and larger than Milo, who was a small, homely cat. So, sometimes, we closed the little door we made for Milo.

“It was another exciting part of her growth that she couldn’t climb the tall walls like our hens could. They could do it with the grace of mountain climbers, climbing walls up to 13 feet high.” Our hens sometimes showed their strength, towards Milo, but she never attached them back. ‘Oh Milo, you’re such a coward pie.’ We made fun of her at such moments. But time showed that she wasn’t shy at all — she’s just a nice cat who likes to take things easy. I’ll tell you the whole story of her furious style at some other time.

One night, we forgot to close the small door, and at 3:45 am, my son heard loud barking sounds. He went to the garage and saw a big dog stuck in the main gate’s small opening. Milo looked terrified and hid under the car. Luckily, the dog couldn’t get inside. My son hushed the dog away, and brought Milo inside, where she slept. The following day, he told me all about the incident. We decided we must close that small hole to avoid any undesirable consequences for Milo.

We became careful about the entrance because I saw new stray dogs in our street during my walk, and my friends also talked about these big dogs. I told them about the previous night’s incident, and they warned me to take care of Milo. My husband had a meeting out of the city that day, so he wasn’t home. So, I was sleeping alert -no man home meant I had to carefully look around my kids and home.

At around 4:00 am, I heard a loud dog barking near my bedroom. I jumped out of bed and heard dogs barking in the garage like they were fighting. I got nervous immediately, so I called Milo, but she didn’t come. Usually, she says, “Meow.” whenever I call her. I thought maybe she was sleeping, so I did not reply.

Walking slowly, taking the bat in my hand, I went to the garage, but it was empty; no dogs were there; my hubby went in his car, so nothing was there. Then, from where these cruel and spooky sounds were coming constantly.

As the dogs’ sounds were getting higher and worse, I had to look out the street from the window. About 7–8 big dogs were barking at our gate. I woke my son, and we called Milo to ensure she was upstairs.

We checked everywhere and tried to find it. Why were they attacking our gate? I got scared, thinking Milo might be outside. I got a feeling of goosebumps.

My son looked towards me, and we both got it; Milo could not get inside because the hole in the gate was closed. My son ran outside barefooted. I told him to stop and take a bat or wiper as a precautionary tool. Because dogs were big and not easy to handle, he went fearlessly straight to where the dogs surrounded Milo.

He saved Milo, who was scared and in tears and brought her indoors. She refrained from eating or making any sounds until the following day. We brought her to the veterinarian, who informed us that she had numerous injuries. Milo received a vaccine for dog bites, and unfortunately, one of her legs also suffered an injury.

She had trouble walking for a few days. In addition to having a high fever, she was also feeling worried. Fortunately, she returned to her routine after a few days. However, she had an unforgettable impression on her that night.

She tries not to go outside at night now. For safety reasons, she learned how to climb up small walls. We check on Milo every night to ensure she is safe at home, and our bond with her has strengthened.

This experience taught me about the importance of responsibility. How important it is to care about your pet’s health, safety, and well-being when you own it. We do our best to fulfil this duty by taking precautions to protect her from other animals and possible threats.

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💏💏 It means a lot that you read my story. Your kind words, hearts, pledges, and tips motivate me to write more. Thank you so much for your support. 💏💏I published it on Medium in Catness.