First Cat My Family Own

by Yasmin!

Her name is Butu Meong. Her mom is called Ibu. In 2020, Ibu gave birth to Butu and her siblings in my uncle's wardrobe, at my grandma's house. So my sister, my grandma and I took care of them for a few months. When Butu was old enough, she migrated to my old house with her sister, Makcik Mitam.

Butu had four siblings, including her, but unfortunately, the other two kittens died due to an unknown cause. She was the only tabby among her siblings, while the others were black cats.

After one year, Butu got pregnant and gave birth to four kittens in August. Her kittens were called Mitem, Oreo, and Nemo. The other one died while in the womb, even though the kitten managed to get out of her mom. Fun facts: I was the one who witnessed all the mess and the one who cut Nemo's womb with my grandma's help so she could be saved.

Mitem is the black one. She got cross-eyed, and she is hyperactive when playing with her siblings and her mom. The second one is Oreo. The white-black one. He is such a velcro cat with my sister and me. Lastly, the tabby, the twin of Butu, is Nemo! She is the wild one. A roof climber of any house. She might already be friends with a bat.

Then, at the end of October 2021, my family moved from the rented house just behind my grandma's, and they came to live with us in a new house. Once we settled in, my dad got four of them neutered because we thought four were enough.

Yet... I liked adopting stray cats, and now, we have more than ten cats and kittens.

During the flood that struck Shah Alam on 19 December 2021, we took them with us in the cage while evacuating to a safer place. They looked so terrified by the sudden movement from their comfort zone.

Moreover, after two years of living with us in the new house, they gradually drifted away from us as more stray cats began coming to my house. Butu, Mitem, and Nemo eventually returned to my grandmother’s house to keep her company because she was living alone. However, we still send their food regularly.

In 2023, Oreo still lived with us as he still had a duty to provide emotional support through the toughest year of mine. At the beginning of 2026, he also moved in with my grandma because the growing number of stray cats at my house started to overwhelm him.

In short, this is them now. They look so relaxed and healthy because all they do now is sleep, eat, and play!

Thanks for reading! #xoxo #min