She may look meek and mild-mannered and scoot off at the first sight of strangers, but Michael Chuah’s cat is a brave heart when it comes to hunting, and promptly killing, cockroaches.
Named Xiao Yun, after the main character from the Dr Slump manga that he loves, Chuah, 46, told FMT Lifestyle, that he first spotted the cute tortoiseshell lying on the tyre of his car one morning.
“At first, me and my then-wife thought it was just a random visit, but she appeared at the same spot every morning.”
Taken by her beauty and sweet nature, Chuah grew quite fond of this cat who showed up every morning at his house. Before long, Xiao Yun grew so comfortable being around Chuah, that she would even go belly-up when he was around.
Touched by her obvious trust for him, Chuah adopted her, letting her into the home he shares with two other cats.
A frequent traveller, Chuah said his mother would often come over to feed his cats, including Xiao Yun, whenever he was away on business. The funny this is, Chuah’s mother has no idea what Xiao Yun looks like.
According to him, the little one takes off and hides whenever his mother drops by, only venturing out of her secret spot once his mother has left.
“There were times when I come back from my travels, and she’ll look at me like I’m a total stranger. She only recognises me when I call her name,” Chuah said, laughing.
Besides having a fear of strangers, she is skittish, jumping at loud sounds or sudden movements, so best to play it cool when around her.
It does seem that the only person Xiao Yun loves unconditionally and is not afraid of is Chuah. She loves lying on his chest, purring contentedly as he pets her head.
“She’s a gentle soul through and through. I had accidentally locked her in the room once but she didn’t meow until we discovered her after a while.”
The little feline loves Chuah so much, she even naps on his table as he works, almost as if tempting him to discard his boring tasks and attend to her instead. And at night, she likes curling up to sleep at the corner of Chuah’s bed.
Xiao Yun is also fascinated by the sight and sound of splashing water and loves nothing better than watching wide-eyed as Chuah showers. He thinks it’s her way of “protecting” him.
She is also a great hunter, often catching and killing cockroaches that were silly enough to dare invade her master’s abode.
“It’s nice of her, but she comes over for me to pet her after, with the cockroach’s carcass still in her mouth!” Chuah said, shaking his head.
This article was written by Toon Kit Yi @ FMT Lifestyle. Read more pet stories here.
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