She came, she saw, she conquered. She came to us on the 5th of August 2001, the softest ball of snow white fur, the daintiest, prettiest, sweetest creature I have ever come across. She was the first in a long line of rescued kittens that were to follow. We called her “Punchi” and she magnanimously adopted us.
She was not more than a month old but from the very beginning, she showed us that she had very definite likes, dislikes and preferences. She behaved like a princess, liked discipline and looked down upon the alley cats (or other kittens) in disdain. Initially she liked my daughter but after three or four months she decided that I was the person in our family, whom she would allow to be close to her. We became friends and slowly we became more than that. I wouldn’t dare to call her our pet, she was more – much more than that! She was my second daughter.
There are so many lovely memories… the best perhaps was the way she answered my call. She was fond of playing with pea pods and the antics she did while playing with them was a sight we still cherish. She had her food on the window sill and whenever she was hungry, she would sit there quietly, till my wife would notice and serve her meal. But when she was too hungry, she would follow my wife around the kitchen and pop her head in the refrigerator. She must have been a pure breed who had strayed out of her home into ours. I shall be ever thankful to my son for having rescued her and for bringing her home. She was obsessed about keeping herself clean and would keep herself beautifully neat and tidy.
Then she fell sick. Her breast cancer developed into fungated tumor. They became bigger and bigger, oozing, bleeding and she tries to lick herself clean as far as possible. She never complained, never grumbled, she just suffered in silence, maintaining her poise and dignity, trying to keep up her usual routine. But life was slowly ebbing away, leaving her weaker by the day. She lost weight but fought on with pride and dignity. It was torture watching her dying a slow painful death.
On 18th August 2014 she finally succumbed to death and left us forever. We believe she is at the rainbow bridge, healthy and playful like she used to be. She must be missing us just as much we miss her – but I know for sure that this is not the end – we shall meet again, and when that happens, there will be laughter and sunshine forever… Till then…
With Love,
| Punchi |
| 18, Aug 2014 |
| Joydeb Bose & Family |