Ironically, when Gurudevi’s father went to the “Island of Mice” or Pulau Tikus in Penang, he didn’t come home with a mouse but instead, an adorable brown kitten.
“My dad picked her up as a stray from the Pulau Tikus market. I have no idea why because in the past when I’ve asked for a cat, he’s always said no,” says Gurudevi.
She was immediately swept off her feet at the sight of the brown tabby with beautiful tiger-like stripes and fur as soft as snow. But Gurudevi remembered to stay detached – temporarily at least.
“There was a time when I really wanted a poodle and my dad got me one. But a short while after, he realised he didn’t like the dog that much and gave it away,” says Gurudevi.
“This happened with two other small dogs as well, so initially there was some hesitation with naming the new kitten,” she says, adding that she could no longer deal with the heartache of losing one more furry friend if her dad took a dislike to this one too.
So only when she was sure that the brown tabby was here to stay, did she start thinking up names for her and settled on Uranus.
Unsurprisingly, Uranus the kitty has as many names as Uranus the planet has moons. Thankfully she obediently answers to all them, some of which include Pluto and Puss Puss.
“We wanted to name our cat after a planet just as we named our dog Jupes which is short for Jupiter. It’s the biggest planet and he was really round as a puppy,” explains Gurudevi.
“At first we chose Pluto because she was really small but Uranus kind of stuck because, well, it’s funnier,” she says of the name she and her two siblings finally settled on.
Now comfortably and permanently residing in Gurudevi’s household, Uranus is like a rocket whizzing through space with her firecracker energy going full throttle ahead.
“She’s either being really hyper scaling trees and exploring the neighbourhood, or she’s sleeping all day – honestly, there’s no in between,” Gurudevi says.
She adds that during Uranus’ hyper phase, oh boy even the meteors wouldn’t be able to keep up with her blazing paws.
“If she’s indoors during her hyper phase, it’s pure chaos. You’ll find her darting around the house, climbing up tall cupboards and leaping off it in a single bound. She even bit off some of my sister’s hair once,” Gurudevi says, laughing.
Making the entire world her playground, she entertains herself by chasing after small objects and befriending the frogs that hop around the garden.
Still a kitten and not even a year old – Uranus has already mastered the art of hide and seek.
And, one day if you’re lucky enough to follow her stripped paws, you’ll learn a couple of tricks from the stealth master herself. She may even let you in on her secret hiding spots in the house, but remember you’re sworn to secrecy.
One time though, Uranus hid herself a little too well, causing shockwaves in Gurudevi’s family.
“The first time she ran away, I wasn’t too worried. I was sure she’d come back. Only thing is, she didn’t,” Gurudevi says, recalling how anxious she started to feel when she thought she’d lost Uranus for good.
A few days later though, someone in their neighbourhood mentioned that a brown kitten with a collar had entered her house. Thankfully, after a quick check, it was found to be none other than the cheeky Uranus.
“She still goes out exploring the neighbourhood,” Gurudevi says, adding that Uranus not only finds her way home but has also found a way right into her heart.
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.