What Happy Looks Like Vol 33: A cat named Lucky

I’ve always considered myself to be more of a dog person. I grew up with dogs as pets. One time my mom tried to take care of cats as pets at home but those cats ran away after maybe just a week in our house. We haven’t had a pet in our house in years since I’m always off somewhere and the others at home are also just as busy. I know pets are great to have around but I felt I couldn’t take care of one enough with my schedule. 

So how did we end up having this cat at home? Lucky grew up in our house. He came from a long line of stray cats that come around our house because we have a carinderia and they’re always given food by the jeepney driver who are dining in while my mom or my uncle gives them all the leftover food of customers. Because of that, every so often as well, the pregnant female cats would give birth somewhere in our house but because we just don’t consider ourselves cat people, we always end up giving away those kitties to the jeepney drivers when they’re old enough since they’re always willing to adopt.

Lucky’s mother gave birth to him and a sibling in my parents’room which was on the 1st floor of our house. His sibling like many others before them was adopted. But Lucky?  He wasn’t given away. Mostly because he was a smart one! My uncle couldn’t catch him! When I spotted this cute little kitty running in and out of my parents’ room and after learning the story of why this little one was still around, I decided to name him Lucky because he’s literally the lucky one.

  

Since he was born, two years ago, Lucky’s been our household’s unofficial pet. See he still grew up outside the house because he was brought up that way by his mom. But just like the other cats, he comes and goes in our house. He usually just comes in the house to eat.

Since his mother unexpectedly passed away last year, Lucky’s been closer to the family. Now we find him hanging around the house more often. Even sleeping in the house! And a couple of months before the lockdown happened, I somewhat started spoiling this cat by buying him a food treat. Because Fridays always make me happy (cos hello weekend!), I often bought Lucky wet cat food and I’d give it to him every Friday. I really think that’s where his taste in food began to shift. 

What do I mean? These days, he only eats cat food. And he’s such a fickle cat nowadays! He won’t eat it if it’s leftover food – yes even if it’s cat food that he didn’t finish eating earlier that day. He’s also become so demanding! Ha! ha! He’s established times of the day when he expects to be fed and we’d often hear him meow-ing loudly when we’re late to do so! 

 

This is Lucky hanging around the house, near the kitchen

And this is Lucky already hanging out by the kitchen door. This means I’m already very late in his feeding time and he will therefore now proceed to asking the other family members who come by the kitchen to feed him. My Uncle finds this annoying of course specially when Lucky would try to call his attention by pawing him so he’d either feed the cat himself or he’d be shouting my name so I would come out of my room to feed Lucky.

 

He’s become such a chonky cat since the lockdown began. He’s been eating a lot! He goes through a kilo of his cat food in 5 days! Sometimes I think to myself this cat is so gonna bankrupt me! Ha! Ha! But I really don’t mind buying him cat food. I adore him!

I think he also knows I adore him. I take so many pictures of him! And sometimes I think he’s actually smart enough to know that a camera is pointed at him and he gamely poses. 

I’ve been thinking about buying this cat more stuff actually because he’s always hanging around our house! Maybe a comfy bed to start with. 

This cat is bringing me and my family so much joy in the midst of this troubling times. I find my worries and stress washed away every time I pet him, feed him or even when I just see him. I’m so glad I got Lucky.