Saleh, who lived in Malaysia for over seven years after fleeing the Taliban in Afghanistan, had to leave the country at short notice with his wife Masooma and three children.
Unfortunately, this meant having to leave their two cats, Ava and Asa, behind, as the felines could only fly after 30 days of receiving their rabies shots.
This heartbreaking decision was the only option Saleh and Masooma had at the time. And now that they are settling in nicely in Vermont, the family does not feel complete without their beloved pets.
“Ever since we came to America, we have missed our cats. My children feel that nothing is complete yet because Asa and Ava are not with us,” Saleh told FMT Lifestyle recently via video chat.
“This is our greatest sadness. My children cry sometimes, and they watch videos of Asa and Ava every day. My daughter Shadan always says our family is not five people, we are seven.”
As such, he and his friends in Malaysia are trying to get their cats over to the US and are appealing to the public for help.
Saleh is best-known to Malaysians as the founder of Parastoo Theatre, a homegrown theatre group that aims to empower refugees through the performing arts. Even though he has left the country, the group remains active.
He said he had adopted the domestic shorthairs – a mother-daughter pair – during the pandemic. His children had become restless during lockdown, prompting him to get them a pet to keep them company.
After being directed to a local clinic and shown photos of potential cats to adopt, he initially settled on one but was informed she was a mummy cat. He would have to take her daughter, too, to spare her from loneliness and separation anxiety.
And so, to the delight of his children – and surprise of his wife – Saleh brought home two new furry additions to the family!
“We chose names for the cats according to their characters: ‘Asa’ for mother and ‘Ava’ for daughter. ‘Asa’ means ‘comfort’ in Farsi, while ‘Ava’ refers to a sound that turns into song and poetry.
“They got used to us very soon. They felt comfortable in our house. We were happy that they were happy.”
According to Saleh, it isn’t common for Afghan refugees in Malaysia to keep pets. But after he adopted Asa and Ava, many of his fellow refugees were also inspired to add feline members to their families.
The cats, he added, have provided them with countless joyful memories and were wonderful companions throughout his family’s time in Malaysia. They had also taught his children to be kinder to animals.
Asa and Ava are currently in Damansara Damai, Selangor, where they are being looked after by Saleh’s friends, who are trying to raise about RM14,000 to cover the costs of transportation, vaccination and other expenses.
They hope generous Malaysians will help, in any way they can, to reunite Asa and Ava with their humans. To that end, donations of any amount would be hugely appreciated.
Alternatively, they implore travellers to the US who might be able to assist them in transporting the cats there to get in touch, as this would be a more cost-effective option.
Saleh said his family could not wait to see their beloved companions again. “We’ll hug and kiss the cats and say welcome to our new home. I imagine when they come to the US, when we’re at the airport to pick them up, it will be like the feeling of greeting your family member from far away.
“We are all counting the days until Asa and Ava come back to us, so that our family can be complete like before.”
For more information or to make a donation, kindly contact Catherine at 012-2905 301.