It was just like any other Sunday for Vasuki. She had just had a lazy lunch, made herself comfortable on the couch and started mindlessly scrolling on Facebook – as one does.
Being part of countless cat and dog adoption groups on Facebook, Vasuki said she had “tricked her algorithm into prioritising animal content” so her feed is usually full of dogs, cats and other adorable furries.
But that ordinary Sunday in April turned into an extraordinary one when Vasuki caught sight of a photo of a big-eyed, socks-wearing kitten on her social media feed.
“I remember springing up immediately from my slouched position. Someone had posted that this two-week-old kitten was found roaming outside a row of factories in Setia Alam and needed a home,” Vasuki tells FMT.
It only took two minutes for Vasuki to get on the phone with the woman who had posted the photo and immediately made an appointment to see him after that.
“I told my partner the day after that I was going out, and that I may or may not come home with a cat,” says Vasuki, laughing at the recollection.
According to Vasuki, Poocah was placed in a large cage near the guardhouse of the factory he was found outside of. He refused to stay in the cage when she went to see him, and once she opened the door, the kitten immediately climbed up her legs and sat beside her contentedly.
“That was the moment I knew I wasn’t going home without him,” she says.
Poocah has been with Vasuki’s family since that day, and according to Vasuki, wreaking havoc in their lives and providing constant unfiltered entertainment.
“But most importantly, Poocah came into our lives a month after I suddenly lost my dad,” admits Vasuki.
“Poocah had unknowingly become a crucial part of our grieving process, especially for my mother. Honestly, he’s helped the grieving process simply by existing.”
The little kitten has become such a beloved and indispensable part of the family, so much so that Vasuki and her mother have started co-parenting Poocah. He now happily alternates between Vasuki’s house and her mother’s.
“My mother and he have a bond that surpasses mine and his, and she can even tell what he wants from the type of meow!”
It may be easy to get engrossed in Poocha’s big eyes, but Vasuki admits that it is her absolute favourite thing about him.
“He becomes so interested whenever I’m preparing or cooking a meal! His eyes track my every movement and every ingredient as if he’s learning from me.”
Vasuki also says that Poocah loves running out of the house when an opportunity arises, so she and her family have had to handle a couple of panicky episodes.
“I get paranoid when he doesn’t come back in an hour, thinking that he’s too domesticated to fend for himself ‘out in the wild’, but I think he just manages just fine,” chuckles Vasuki.
Being the capable kitten that he is when he’s out exploring outside of the Rao household, Poocah certainly does have a couple of weaknesses – one being Vasuki’s large orange hairbrush.
“He treats it as a full-on threat! He would always watch me when I blow-dry my hair, and the second I put the hairbrush down, Poocah attacks it.”
“He also goes berserk whenever I bake chicken breast for a salad. He loves the stuff, even though we feed him cat food 99% of the time.”
Vasuki, of course, gives in and cuts up a slice just for the little cutie. Honestly, who could blame her? Poocah does deserve a little treat every now and then, especially since he has brightened up the lives of Vasuki and her 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.