When Wendy Lim and her boyfriend David first found Hana after dinner near SS2, Petaling Jaya, the poor little kitty was in very frail condition. She was all skin and bones and could hardly walk.
“She gave us a sad look and meow-ed softly. Luckily, we usually have cat food in our car so I took it out and fed her. However, she was too weak to eat,” recalled Wendy on the day she met Hana.
After observing her for about half an hour, Wendy and David decided to take her home with them.
“After lot’s of contemplating, David picked her up and brought her back to our car. She didn’t even struggle or make any noise at all.”
When they returned home, the couple gave Hana a quick cleaning and kept her apart from the rest of their other cats.
“We also bought a bag of wet food which cats usually go crazy for, but our efforts were to no avail, she still wouldn’t eat,” said Wendy.
The next morning, Wendy and David rushed her to the vet to have Hana examined, for fear of the worst.
“The vet told us she was only a measly 1.7kg and was about a year old. We were in shock as our other two cats are about 5kg. She was also severely dehydrated, which explained why she was unable to eat.”
The vet then informed them that they would have to give Hana IV drips four to six times a day at home using needles, along with many other different medications.
To their shock, the vet also informed the couple that based on further examination, that Hana had in fact, given birth to other kittens.
“After that, we hurried to SS2 to look around the area to see if we could find any kittens. Unfortunately, we failed to find any and headed back home after that,” lamented Wendy.
Administering Hana’s IV drips proved to be a bit of a traumatic exercise, seeing as Wendy herself, has a fear of needles
“I remember not even being able to watch people get jabs on TV. Back in primary school, I used to faint every time I had to get a jab. In this sense, Hana made me step up, albeit with shaky hands, tears, nausea and a very pale face.”
But Wendy persevered, as Hana was in desperate need of care and medication. Thankfully, over time, it got easier for Wendy to administer the drips.
“Hana was strong throughout the whole experience and never struggled much. I believe that she knew that we were trying to help her get better.”
To their pleasant surprise, Hana began eating after three days of her medication and treatment. And she wouldn’t stop.
“She kept meowing for food day and night, which was also a surprise to us as she was unusually quiet at first. We were both over the moon when she gained 0.7kg a week later!” beamed Wendy.
Within two months to the day that Wendy and David brought Hana home, the little fighter had regained much of her health.
“Today, she weighs around six kilos and is the biggest among our cats! We are actually trying to help her lose weight now that she’s getting chunkier!” joked Wendy.
Throughout Hana’s time at Wendy’s home, the kitty has grown to reveal her timid soul. However, she does kick up a fuss when she misses Wendy.
“Sometimes, she does get jealous when I am with my other cats. She usually gives me her signature jealous stare when she sees me giving them pats and hugs.”
Since Hana’s arrival into Wendy’s life, the two have been inseparable, especially come bedtime.
“She’s very loving at night; when I get in bed, she will automatically lay down beside my head. I don’t think I can sleep without hearing her purrs at night now,” said Wendy.
As their relationship continues to blossom, Wendy believes that Hana has been instrumental in helping her overcome her personal fears and childhood trauma.
“She’s an amazing cat who helped me face my fears. I get less jittery around needles now and I have Hana to thank for it.”