This week: In memory of Fa Meow
Today I am going to relate a very personal story, a short biography of my cat Fa Meow, which I hope will help readers understand why I love animals so much and how complex and rewarding relationships with them are. I am also writing this as her obituary. She was part of my life for 10 years and she departed it as suddenly as she entered it - and way too soon.
Fa Meow translates to 'flowery cat'. I gave her this name because of her unique colouration. She was a tricolour female, but unlike tricolours whose orange, black and white fur comes in separate patches, Fa Meow's colours were blended perfectly. She had a beautiful snow-white mane and a grey and white albino tiger-striped head. Each of her paws was also tipped in white. She looked as if she belonged in a snowy landscape, with white furry snow boots. Her colours could easily have blended into the Siberian wilderness.
Like her wilderness cousins, she had a wild streak and was always in charge. She was the one that decided who could or could not pet her. If she disagreed with the way you were petting her, she would leave you with a scar from a lightning scratch. She was a poser and loved to prance in front of visitors, luring them to pet her - and often leaving them with a scar as a reminder of their audience with her majesty.
Physically there was a lot about Fa Meow that was stunning, but her tail was irresistible. Besides that beautifully blended tricolour fur, it was extremely thick and bushy, with a diameter comparable to the girdle of her slim waist. It was like a serpent. One look at her tail and a person with any experience with cats would be able to tell her mood. Its whole length would sway from side to side like an angry serpent when she was upset; if she wanted your attention, she would just wave the tip.
I first met Fa Meow in a hospital ward for strays. I was the vet on duty that day and noted a new arrival needed attention. A miniature version of her older self, Fa Meow was four months old and even cuter than her adult self. I was very surprised to find such a beautiful cat in a stray-animal ward.