Devoted cat-lover and cat-mommy Mei Ling has had cats for over two decades and knows each and every one of them is unique in their own way.
Living in Petaling Jaya with her husband and two daughters, Mei Ling provides a homely haven for Kiara, the family’s 17-year-old feline, and Nemo, and in a previous home, Venice, who loved snuggling.
Enter Poppy, the Persian Mix with the minxy temperament.
“One evening while watering the plants, my neighbour asked whether I wanted a cat. I politely declined. After all, I already had my loyal Kiara and Nemo, both rescues.”
However, when her neighbour showed her the kitten, Mei Ling admits to being totally “smitten”.
The neighbour’s two cats had had a litter of four and she could not keep all of them.
“I knew I would get into trouble with my husband – but heck, deal with that later!” she laughs.
“I could not get that little furball out of my mind and I knew my two daughters would be overjoyed to have her as our new pet. And I must admit, she was gorgeous.”
A few days later, Poppy the Persian Mix became the newest member of Mei Ling’s family.
“Initially – as expected, there was big dissatisfaction from my husband and my father. But guess what? By evening it was the two guys hovering over baby Poppy!”
In terms of naughtiness, Poppy takes the cake by far, says Mei Ling.
“Goodness, when she was a kitten, she pulled everything down, destroyed so much and marked her territory everywhere, and on the most precious spots: my sofa, our beds, my silk kebaya that I had carefully washed by hand and gently ironed and placed on the chair before hanging it back in the cupboard,” Mei Ling says.
She admits to the many times when she chased after Poppy, scolding her, but always saying: “Your prettiness is your saving grace! And she is the queen of the house,” chuckles Mei Ling.
“Poppy bullies poor old Kiara and Nemo. She just can’t stand to see them chilling and has to disturb the peace,” jokes Mei Ling.
But no one stays mad at the adorable Poppy for long.
“She follows us humans around like a dog, and she’s such a goofball.”
Poppy’s favourite toys are the rubber hair bands belonging to Mei Ling’s daughters.
“I keep the hair bands in my sewing kit as I use them to make face masks. Every night Poppy fishes them out and throws them around the entire house. The game is over when Poppy finally drops the hair band in her drinking bowl!”
This became Poppy’s nightly ritual until Mei Ling was forced to get a box with a lid to stop the thief from “stealing”.
Thankfully, Poppy’s not a fussy eater, but that, too, presents tricky manoeuvring.
“I can’t leave any food on the table uncovered,” Mei Ling says. “I’ve had bread dragged to the floor once. She chomped on my apple pies and biscuits. She is so greedy and naughty – but we still love her!”
Poppy frightens quite easily, such as when Mei Ling scolds the kids. When this happens, the little miss Poppy ducks under the sofa in a flash.
She hates visits to the veterinarian too. “She shivers when we go to the vet and miaows terribly when having a shower.”
Being a typical cat with her own mind, Poppy practises what Mei Ling calls selective hearing.
“She won’t react when I call her name but the second I call one of the other cats, she’ll come running – because hey, what are they getting that I’m missing out on? Food? Attention? Jealous little thing!”
Friendly with family members, but a little apprehensive with strangers, Poppy rules the roost at home by sleeping in every spot imaginable. “Dining table, sofa, laundry basket, you name it, she rests her lazy bones there,” laughs Mei Ling.
Truth be told, there’s never a dull day with this Persian poppet. Poppy clearly brings the purr-fect playtime joy to her forever family.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PET: FMT Lifestyle readers are invited to send in pictures (landscape format) and a short video (if any) of their furry, scaly or feathery friends to [email protected]. Don’t forget to include details like your pet’s name, age, breed and a short story about them.