The Tale of Quo Ting

This is Quo Ting, my teenage cat. She was abandoned by her mother when she was still a tiny kitten, so I took her in and raised her myself. Since then, she has considered me as her parent, following me around the house, watching me do chores, even trying to "help" in her own little way. She never ventured more than half a meter beyond our gate.

Quo Ting, posing in front of a Joemarie Sanclaria painting and a vintage old clock

One evening, I went down the hill to the bakery, unaware that she had quietly trailed behind me. It’s a long way from home, and with all the traffic and speeding motorbikes, she must have panicked and lost sight of me. When I returned home and didn’t find her there, a wave of dread hit me.

I searched the entire area until 4:00 in the morning, calling her name, scouring every corner but didn't find her. . She was really gone. I was frantic. Quo Ting had lived a sheltered, pampered life. She knew nothing of the dangers beyond our walls. In a place where stray animals are often harmed by cruel children and thugs, I feared the worst.

For four days, I held on to fading hope. On the fifth morning, on the way to the wet market, just as despair was settling in, I spotted a small figure curled up on the steps of an abandoned commercial building. I gently touched her ear - she opened her eyes wide, and I knew instantly that it was Quo Ting. She had a unique pair of large eyes. She sprang into my arms, and I rushed her home, imagining how hungry and frightened she must have been.

I checked her from head to tail for wounds and scratches, but there was none. She beamed at me like a very hungry, very relieved little cat who just had a strange adventure for almost a week. She ate and ate, and her joy in being home again was unmistakable.

The next day, we took her to the vet for spaying, hoping it might encourage her to stay safely at home as she grew older. Besides her ordeal, what stood out was her loyalty. She had followed me down that long, unfamiliar hill simply because she wanted to be constantly near me. Her curiosity and devotion drove her, even into danger.

Now, even spayed, she still shadows me wherever I go. If I head to the store, I let her come along, but this time with eyes wide open, watching over her every step so that she never gets lost again.