Last week, Wuan went to the market and came back with more than groceries and breakfast. She brought a stinky and dirty ginger-coloured kitten back as well. She gave him a thorough bath after which he looked adorable with his fur clean and smelling nice. The intention was to clean him up, feed him and put him up for adoption.

After being with us for one week, we decided to keep him instead. Three felines is about as many as we can manage at the moment. Fei Por had not taken a liking to him. They both would hiss and take swipes at each other whenever Wuan brought them close together. That was the least of our concern. Fei Por stays outside. We did not want him running around outside anyway and would be keeping him indoors.

Ginger kitten that Wuan rescued from Pandan Perdana bus stop near the wet market.
Photo by Wuan.

The real test was whether Cheeky would accept him. They both would have to share the same room and same space indoors. I was skeptical. Cheeky was aggressive whenever other cats came into the compound. He would look out from the grille door and growl. The fur on his tail would become puffed. Wuan and I would not want to anywhere close to him during those times.

There were a few anxious moments after Wuan let the kitten into the house. Cheeky approached him cautiously and both stood frozen in close proximity, sizing each other up. True to his fashion, the kitten took a swipe at Cheeky. My heart skipped a beat. I was sure Cheeky would retaliate. It was not a pretty sight the last time Cheeky jumped on me and sank his fangs into my elbow.

Cute ginger kitten.
Photo by Wuan.

Cheeky took a few steps back and scooted off. What happened next surprised us. The kitten crouched behind a stack of old newspaper. Cheeky hid behind the coffee table. They then approached stealthily, pounced on each other and then ran away helter skelter in the opposite direction. This they repeated countless times. They were having fun! We finally breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing them warming up to each other so playfully.

We have yet to give him a name. That responsibility falls on Wuan again as she was the one who rescued the kitten. As for me, he has been keeping me occupied. He likes to climb onto my lap. I could not do much with him clambering all over and had to keep pushing him off. He would jump right back on again. I hope he outgrows this antic soon. My thights are now full of fine scars from him clawing his way up.

No thanks to Cheeky the naughty cat, I spent almost 2 hours at the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) Trauma and Emergency Department seeking treatment for injuries to my left arm. He was agitated by a neighbourhood cat that came into the compound. When I closed the door, he pounced on my elbow.

Cat claw injuries.

He sank his fangs into my elbow and clung on to my arm with his claws. I tried to shake him off but he held on fast. When he finally let go, he ran into the bedroom and left me bleeding profusely from a deep puncture wound. It was still bleeding 2 hours later at the hospital. My blood pressure was elevated. The doctor who attended to me said it could be caused by the trauma. I was given a tetanus toxoid injection and had the wound dressed.

Dressed cat bite.

The agony from that attack was not the superficial wounds but the aching muscles which I suspect was sustained when I tried to shake him off. 24 hours later now, it is still tender to the touch and swollen. Luckily, it is not my dominant arm. If not, I would not be able to drive and perform many of my activities of daily living.

Cheeky the cat checking out the Christmas tree.
Photo by Wuan.

Wuan put up the fibre optic Christmas tree beside the bay window a few days ago. She had bought it from a pasar malam in Ipoh many years back. Over several days, she dressed it up with baubles and other ornaments. The illumination from the fibre optic was rather dim. It was not striking even with all the living room lights turned off.

Yesterday, she came back with a string of multi-coloured fairy lights. That atmosphere instantly warmed up when she turn them on, a stark reminder that Christmas is near. Cheeky, the forever curious feline, was at first fascinated by the blinking lights. He stared from the floor for a long time. When he could no longer contain his curiosity, he climbed onto the bay window and then perched precariously on the sofa to sniff at the tree.