Suzianah Nhazzla Ismail still remembers the moment she met Adik. On her way back to her home in Shah Alam last November with supplies for her rescue cats, she came across the poor kitten dragging itself towards a vacant house.
As she didn’t have enough space to take in another stray, Suzianah hoped someone else would take pity upon the little guy. But, blessed with a good heart, she couldn’t turn her back on him, so she returned shortly thereafter to find Adik lying motionless in front of the house.
“I think he used to be the pet of the people who lived there,” she told FMT in reflection. “But when they moved away, they decided not to take Adik with them.”
Suzianah brought Adik home to give him food and water. Inspecting him, she saw he had a broken right arm, and he was covered in scabs.
“Despite his condition, he was still friendly,” Suzianah recalled. “He clearly wanted to live, and his voice and eyes were telling me he was a strong kitten. That’s when I knew I had to help him get better.”
The next day, she brought Adik to her vet and was told he had to remain in the doctor’s care for at least three weeks. “He was malnourished and had been in starvation mode for quite some time.”
Coupled with his badly fractured limb, the odds weren’t in poor Adik’s favour – but Suzianah knew he wouldn’t give up, so she wouldn’t, either.
“I wouldn’t be able to have taken such swift action without the generosity of my friends, some of whom generously donated money for Adik’s medical attention,” she shared.
A few weeks later, Suzianah picked the kitten up from the clinic and decided to name him Sunan Kelana – meaning “Honourable Traveller”.
“I thought this name suited him very well based on how I found him and the state he was in. But as time went by, the name Adik emerged; and, as he began to act and behave like a well-loved and friendly kitten, the name just stuck.”
She kept him in her office for two weeks during his recovery period, during which time her workmates helped keep an eye on him.
“He was very well behaved, as if he knew I was trying my best to help him get better. He did not cause any trouble, much less make a squeak.”
Suzianah prepared a special bed for him under her desk, and not once did he disturb or distract her from work.
Two weeks later – looking much healthier, and with new fur beginning to grow – she brought him home to meet the rest of the pack. “He fit in very well and immediately made friends with Bee Boo!” she revealed happily.
“With Bee Boo as his buddy, Adik became a playful and vocal kitten. That’s when I knew he would be happy and independent.”
Despite having a limp, Suzianah knew Adik deserved nothing but the best, which was why she decided to find him the most loving home and forever family.
“I was introduced to an avid animal-loving couple, and told them that Adik and Bee Boo had to be adopted together as they were playmates and best friends.
“They didn’t hesitate! So, on Feb 1, Ila and Ridz came all the way from Kajang to Shah Alam to adopt Bee Boo and Adik.”
According to Suzianah, Adik greeted the couple with a wagging tail and a loud purr.
Over the months, the felines’ new parents have been updating her regularly on their activities, which usually involves some level of mischief.
“I miss them terribly but I knew I had to let them go so they could have the best life,” Suzianah added happily.
She hopes to see the day when people will stop abandoning their animals. “A pet, be it a dog or cat, is not a toy or an object; it is a family member.
“Cruelty is giving them a home, making them feel loved, and then dumping them.”
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