By Ahsan ul Huq in Pakistan
In 2006, when I decided to feed the feral cats of my area, I had no knowledge about the needs or psychologies of these feral cats. I felt like a kind/gentle-hearted person towards them but when I surfed the internet, I got much more knowledge about the psychologies of these cats wandering outside.
Well, I had decided to step forward for their welfare. Of course, I was alone (and still I am alone here only with my three daughters). I started feeding them on a regular daily basis. The first cat which I can remember was TUMTUM’s mom to whom my elder daughter Khadija Fatima named BUBBY.
My elder daughter was 6 years old at that time. She was a small girl. At that time, I never came so close to any cat or I never tried to touch/pet any cat but my Khadija Fatima used to pet BUBBY and I just looked from a distance and sometimes smiled and some times I got angry with Khadija,
“Do not touch that BUBBY as she might be dangerous and can change her behavior at any time and scratch you. Don’t you know that she is a FERAL CAT????”
But my Khadija never stopped until one day she was weeping and I asked her. “What is wrong with you, my blue eyes baby?” She told me that the neighbor drove over her BUBBY cat, and BUBBY was killed in that way.
I was dumb silent. I had no idea, what I should do? I took my daughter in my arms and was consoling her not to weep. I was trying to tell her that accidents happen in life but she was the witness of that cruelty. I understood that I can lie because I am a grown man but I can not stop or ignore her truth because I know that a child never lies. Well! I thought that the story ended there but NO! IT JUST BEGAN FROM THERE.
One day early in the morning I heard Khadija (my daughter) and a small meow, meow, meow. I came near the door and I saw a beautiful scene. There was a kitten 9 weeks old (TUMTUM BUBBY’s son) and my daughter was petting him. He was drinking milk and playing with her. Tears ran out of my eyes and I came out. TUMTUM became afraid and jumped up to KHADIJA. She yelled at me with anger, “Papa, stop where you are, He is afraid!” I stopped. “Who is he?” I asked with a smile on my face. “Your boyfriend?” I joked and then she yelled at me again. “NOooo! Bubby’s son.” Ahaaaaaa so this is it!!! 😉
It was my daughter who named that kitten TUMTUM. And from that day till he became a real FERAL (on his own), he visited us regularly and got his right and due LOVE.
The good news is that TUMTUM has been tamed and socialized by me and has been accepted as a backyard cat by my neighbor. They are PATHANS and they feed him a very high quality food i.e. Chicken breast meat. A lucky pal. These neighbors saw me handling the cats and they began to interact with my socialized cats. Otherwise, these feral cats were not in contact with any human in this area and are considered the threat towards the population. Yes!
This is a fact not to ignore that these cats only know one man and that is AHSAN UL HAQ. The others are still their enemy and these cats still are afraid of the human population. TUMTUM is happy and enjoying the rest of his days and I hope that where ever BUBBY’s spirit is at Allah Subhanahu’s place, she may feel a satisfaction about her son TUMTUM.
I have only one sentence to say:
“It is not the cats who are FERAL, our attitude is FERAL towards them. If I can socialize my babies and they can be adopted, so why we human can not change our attitude from FERAL to social???? Any answer???”
Oh Ahsan.
Your article is just excellent.
In just 8 short years, you have gained the knowledge that some people take a lifetime to acquire.
You are so right. Human attitudes need changing. Those humans who hate or do harm to any cat, feral or not, should experience the life of a feral for just a day or two.
I’m not especially religious, Ahsan, but I remember some Christian bible teachings from my upbringing. One old testament command had to do with “an eye for an eye;a tooth for a tooth”.
Ferals are terrified and desperate cats lacking the basic needs that all living beings on the planet are deserving of, ie. food, shelter, love.
Thank you for all that you do.
Thank you Dee (Florida)
Actually I just have a terrible experience about cats and human behavior towards these tiny friends. I don’t know how I write these sentences in a language which I am not so much good, and thanks to Michael who amend/correct many statements.
But one thing is certain that I am now involved in this track and now I am not willing to change my path about cats welfare. They need me because I need them.
Thanks for the comments <3
Another wonderful article Ahsan, how I admire you!
Your eldest daughter is truly a cat lover as you are too, it must have been very traumatic for her to see the kitten killed.
How can some people be so cruel!
Yes the human attitude needs changing, everyone should change and help feral cats instead of fearing them, hating them and killing them.
What happened to compassion in the human race, where has it gone?
He is very good. Ahsan has an attitude towards cats which is better than millions of people in Europe and N.America. And I loved the way his daughter set things in motion.
Thank you RUTH AKA
My daughters and me, we have decided to go very further in this track of “Welfare of FERAL CATS”. We have plans and insha Allah There will come a day when the world will know about our welfare ambitions and what we are doing for these innocent friends (cats and kittens).
<3 thank you again.
Your kindness and compassion for feral cats will hopefully one day encourage more people to care about them as you do.
I have shared your PoC articles on facebook and people who love cats as we do are commenting with admiration for you:
‘This man is giving us a piece of his heart’
‘Great guy’
‘The work he does is truly amazing’
‘A true lover of cats’
We can all help you let the world know about your good work.
Ruth, It would please me a lot if Ahsan’s articles helped save the lives of some cats in Pakistan. There is a need for a better treatment of feral cats and that does not only apply to Pakistan.
A lot of people might not even give ferals a thought. Ahsan’s articles could maybe make them think about it and inspire them to help those cats too and as you say they need better treatment worldwide, not just Pakistan.
Superb article about feral cats (anywhere). Full of tenderness, sadness and joy.
Also educational and with an insight about our attitude towards them, which I loved.
Well done Ahsan. A first class article on feral cats and our relationship with them.
Many thanks.
We don’t treat feral cats well because the human is ignorant and arrogant in equal measure. And we are frightened….We are frightened of almost anything and everything including feral cats.
I much prefer feral cats to people 😉
hank you so much for publishing the article MICHAEL 🙂
The upcoming article is about my self raised FIFTY FIFTY kitten, now 6 months old kitten girl, who has been tamed and socialized by me.She was left alone in wild and I rescued / saved her from being run over a car. I am typing the story alongwith pics. will send you today or tomorrow insha Allah <3
Again thank you 🙂
My pleasure to publish it Ahsan because it is important to hear from Pakistan about cats. It is rare.