the cat

Sunday, July 29, 2007 T: 14 51

I was returning home today after church service when I spotted a cat along the pavement of Bishan St 13. It was totally drenched, trembling while it remain stationary, somehow unable to find the strength to lift its head up. It did after a while, and limped in circles however, with no actual destination, perhaps in a feeble attempt to keep warm. I remain rooted to the ground. A part of me wanted just go carry on since I could not do anything much, the other half knew that I could not leave it just alone like that. I went to the hawker center and bought a chicken pau, hoping that eating would grant him sufficient strength. My fool’s hope was dashed when the meat is totally ignored. I knew it was in too much in agony, too weak to eat anyway.

Fortunately, there was another passer-by who shared the same compassion for the helpless creature, who probably was more useful than the helpless me anyway. He found out SPCA hotline and reported it. We started talking as we waited for the SPCA personnel to arrive.

Throughout the half hour wait, there were many who stopped when they saw the cat. There were the old, the young, the Chinese, the Malays, the men, and the women. In a way I was quite touched and encouraged to see the diversity of the people who stopped and actually thought if they could do anything. We are after all humans, living in this world with all these other animals. There is that bit of humanity in this hectic world after all.

For me, living in this temporal world created by God, living with the creatures created to keep us company, I think the least I can do is to ensure they deserve easier deaths. It got taken away by the van, struggled with its last ounce of strength when it got carried into the cage, but at least there will be medical care for it soon. And if it got put to sleep, then at least it needs to suffer no longer. It could rest in peace, and I could know that I have done a little bit for this poor soul.