When all hell is breaking loose, everything is falling apart around me, what do I choose to do?
I adopt a cat. So smart I know.
After wanting a cat for so long, in the midst of a million and one things going on, I decided to get one in the middle of another COVID wave. They had stopped walk ins at the adoption shelter at the time, so I was required to schedule an online interview and pick a cat through the screen. I know, it sounds a little crazy, how does one get to know a cat through FaceTime?
But it was the best decision I made at the time.
I still remember when I was being shown all of the different cats through FaceTime, Rooh Jaan (my cat) was kept in a special room with her sister and two other cats. The room was meant for cats who are not as social and have difficulty interacting with humans. At the time it probably seemed like a bad idea to adopt such an anxious cat, but there was something about Rooh, the way she was hiding in her playhouse with her sister but peering back at me with her huge eyes, something that made my heart melt for her.
As someone who has constantly tried to control everything in my life and make myself frustrated when things do not go as planned, it was refreshing to finally have something else to focus on and look forward to. To deflect that energy into taking care of someone else, another creature, another being, it’s a beautiful feeling. It also releases a lot of healthy hormones.
I cannot describe how I felt the first time Rooh nuzzled her head against my hand. I felt a rush of emotion, I teared up, and felt my heart fill up like a balloon, I thought I was going to burst. For context, Rooh is a rescue cat. She was rescued from a hoarding home, where multiple cats were hoarded. When I adopted her she was a highly anxious, petrified, and a traumatized cat. She hid for 3 weeks, and would only come out at night when I was asleep to eat and use her litter. It took a lot of time for her to trust me. So when she rubbed her head against my hand for the first time, my heart felt like it exploded.
I had wanted to get a cat for the longest time, I would say at least since when I started college, which was around 10 years ago (yikes). But for one reason or another I never got one. My siblings were allergic to cats. My dad didn’t like cats. I didn’t think I could afford to take care of a cat. I didn’t know if I had it in me to take care of one. So when Rooh hid for 3 weeks, I started having second thoughts. Had I made the right decision to adopt such a traumatized cat? What if she never comes out? What if she hates me?
But thankfully, after 3 weeks, one day while I was praying she finally made an appearance. I remember getting distracted while on my prayer mat, and then rushing my prayer so I could snag a picture of her.
Allhamdullilah we are on better terms now, and adopting her was the best decision I made. I cannot imagine my life without her, or remember how my life was before her. I look forward to her good morning snuggles. Seeing her when I come home. I think about her when I am not home, and wonder how she is doing. She follows me around everywhere as if I am Mama duck and she is my duckling.
Rooh means soul or spirit. When I first saw her in person, I remember feeling like she reminded me of myself, she felt like a part of my soul. I feel blessed to have a piece of my soul beside me wherever I go.