Stories about a Covid Cat

The beginning - cat who?

London, 21st January 2021

I have always been a dog person. I find dogs fascinating, they are gentle souls, with soft fur and funny facial expressions. They are social creatures too, and as someone who is not so much of one, it’s comforting to be around them. So I am naturally good with dogs, they are familiar creatures from my childhood. But as it is expected, the story is about to change.

I started developing severe allergy to dogs and any fury animals when I was 18 years old. I remember it was a husky that triggered it. Now, it takes about 5 seconds being around double coated dogs and I’m out. So that’s it then, no animals for the rest of my life. It was heart-breaking to know I will never have animal friends like I have always used to, growing up. Until one day, in August 2019, a very good friend of mine was going on a hiking trip and she offered if I could feed her cat once a day. A who? What is this… thing? It was also a hot summer in London and the friend lives quite close by and a slight detour on my bike wouldn’t be so bad. But it’s a cat though, what does one do with them?

The first day, I didn’t see the cat at all. She hid from me under the bed. I thought “oh it’s going to be painless then, allergy will be fine - quick feed and I’m out”. Up until this point I have never been around cats to test the allergy so who knows. I changed her bowls, fed her and even tried to get a picture to send to my friend but could only manage a quick snap when she was running towards the bowl (she was hungry). She ate quickly and ran back to hide. I left, and I thought “success!” cat is alive and fed, mission accommplished.

Second and third day were the same, but on the fourth, the cat was waiting for me when I arrived at the door. She knew the time of the day I would come and she was hungry. I’m not sure whether she missed human companion she seemed to so happy to see me! She jumped on the couch and I sat next to her, she stayed close and I stroked her and she purred! What a miracle. From that day on, that became our ritual. I arrived, she greeted me then ran to the couch waiting for me to sat down and she would sit on my lap while I stroked her. We played a little bit, then feeding time. I said goodbye and left and repeated the next day.

I must say, I was surprised. It wasn’t an instant connection but I liked our little rituals. I still didn’t know anything about cats and had to ask another friend why were she ‘massaged’ me with her paws and her scary claws in and out. I was scared she was going to scratch me. All the time, to be fair, I was distant because I was scared. I just didn’t understand them. The couch affection time was short and was always on her terms. One time, she didn’t feel like it and scratched my hand and it bled. I was so upset. Then the next day arrived we did our little routines as usual, like nothing ever happened. What a weird animal, I just do.not.get.them.

Truth be told, on the last day I was a little bit sad to say goodbye to this strange furry blob. I made sure I hung around longer, gave her extra biscuits, and tried to have extra play time (she ignored me the entire time of course). I yelled out ‘bye cat!’ as she was nowehere to be seen, and closed the door. It’s been great to have befriended this little cat but I’m also happy to never have to do it again… for the foreseable future.

Or so I thought.

But that’s for another time. Thanks for reading!


-human-