Earlier this year, only a few days after Eid, our house had an unexpected visitor. It was a cat—just barely out of kittenhood. My sister, brother and I were home alone that week. Our parents were in Semarang visiting relatives, and we couldn’t spare expenses for train tickets to join them. Had they been home, our dad would surely have run the kitty out of the house. He had been against the idea of adopting a cat forever. Up until this point, we all had complied with his rule, but this time my sister resolved that she would adopt this cutie—and, after finding the cutie still in our garage the next day, so did I.
Although it sounded like a mere whim, we took several measures before we could even call her officially ours. My sister did all the technical stuff—she bought all the tools the little kitty would need and checked the nearest vets to get her checked for fleas and vaccinated. I was more into bonding with the cutie pie—giving her food, scratching her where she likes it, naming her. After mustering the courage to tell our parents and making sure she didn’t turn out to belong to a neighbour, we finally called her our own. Welcome, Bonito Brilia!
Earlier this year, only a few days after Eid, our house had an unexpected visitor. It was a cat—just barely out of kittenhood. My sister, brother and I were home alone that week. Our parents were in Semarang visiting relatives, and we couldn’t spare expenses for train tickets to join them. Had they been home, our dad would surely have run the kitty out of the house. He had been against the idea of adopting a cat forever. Up until this point, we all had complied with his rule, but this time my sister resolved that she would adopt this cutie—and, after finding the cutie still in our garage the next day, so did I.
Although it sounded like a mere whim, we took several measures before we could even call her officially ours. My sister did all the technical stuff—she bought all the tools the little kitty would need and checked the nearest vets to get her checked for fleas and vaccinated. I was more into bonding with the cutie pie—giving her food, scratching her where she likes it, naming her. After mustering the courage to tell our parents and making sure she didn’t turn out to belong to a neighbour, we finally called her our own. Welcome, Bonito Brilia!
Welcoming Our Purr Baby
Thanks to the vet, we found out several information about her. Bonito—nicknamed Bobon—was probably a mixed breed and aged around 1 year old when she came to us. She was yet to be vaccinated or neutered, and her fur was crawling with fleas. We figured as much, since she was a stray when she came to us. Without much delay, we got the vaccination process and flea treatment rolling, so we would feel okay having her sleep with us at our house.
Through watching her and interacting with her, we found out other things about her. First of all, it turns out she likes chicken bones…a lot. There was a time when she wouldn’t eat her wet or dry food, but would steal the bones off our plates. Secondly, she cannot be kept inside forever. You can take the girl out of the wild, but you cannot take the wild out of the girl, you know. At first we were worried she wouldn’t come back, but as she would prove time and time again, she always comes home.
Since it was her idea initially and she took care of pretty much everything, technically Bobon is my sister’s furr baby. At first, I was only too happy to let my sister take care of her—feed her, sleep with her, take her to the vet, give her a bath, all of it—but somewhere along the way, she would need our help too, because she’s not always available. Slowly, I started to learn how to prepare her food, pick her up, take her to the toilet, clean her litter box and even sleep with her. Needless to say, I grew more and more attached to the little baby.
In fact, I would get jealous of my sister when I saw just how attached Bobon was to her. The way she doted on my sister almost felt like the way a child would turn to a mother in time of need. I started to be more attentive to her, play with her and prepare her food, just so she would also feel an attachment to me as she did with my sister. Little by little, I could see her grow fonder of me—seeking me out from time to time, responding only to my calls and meowing to me to announce her presence.
Thanks to the vet, we found out several information about her. Bonito—nicknamed Bobon—was probably a mixed breed and aged around 1 year old when she came to us. She was yet to be vaccinated or neutered, and her fur was crawling with fleas. We figured as much, since she was a stray when she came to us. Without much delay, we got the vaccination process and flea treatment rolling, so we would feel okay having her sleep with us at our house.
Through watching her and interacting with her, we found out other things about her. First of all, it turns out she likes chicken bones…a lot. There was a time when she wouldn’t eat her wet or dry food, but would steal the bones off our plates. Secondly, she cannot be kept inside forever. You can take the girl out of the wild, but you cannot take the wild out of the girl, you know. At first we were worried she wouldn’t come back, but as she would prove time and time again, she always comes home.
Since it was her idea initially and she took care of pretty much everything, technically Bobon is my sister’s furr baby. At first, I was only too happy to let my sister take care of her—feed her, sleep with her, take her to the vet, give her a bath, all of it—but somewhere along the way, she would need our help too, because she’s not always available. Slowly, I started to learn how to prepare her food, pick her up, take her to the toilet, clean her litter box and even sleep with her. Needless to say, I grew more and more attached to the little baby.
In fact, I would get jealous of my sister when I saw just how attached Bobon was to her. The way she doted on my sister almost felt like the way a child would turn to a mother in time of need. I started to be more attentive to her, play with her and prepare her food, just so she would also feel an attachment to me as she did with my sister. Little by little, I could see her grow fonder of me—seeking me out from time to time, responding only to my calls and meowing to me to announce her presence.
However, the scariest thing remained: talking to our parents about keeping Bobon. By the time we got Bobon’s health sorted, our parents were still in Semarang for 3-4 more days. We refused to wait for them to come home to tell them. We wanted to prepare them for what they would find at their homecoming. We told them by chat and held our breath. They seemed to take their time replying, but strangely enough, it felt a whole lot easier and smoother than we thought. They seemed fine with the idea and even saying how pretty Bobon was. Without further ado, Bobon was officially welcomed to our family.
Apparently, it wasn’t that simple, though. While our parents seemed okay with it and said as much, a lot of their behaviours at first indicated otherwise. They had doubts about our ability to take care of the little baby and still often thought of her as a vermin at times. Since telling them about Bobon, we were determined to give the best care to her, so that our parents wouldn’t need to be involved—and it seemed that our determination was put to the test the first few weeks of their return.
However, the scariest thing remained: talking to our parents about keeping Bobon. By the time we got Bobon’s health sorted, our parents were still in Semarang for 3-4 more days. We refused to wait for them to come home to tell them. We wanted to prepare them for what they would find at their homecoming. We told them by chat and held our breath. They seemed to take their time replying, but strangely enough, it felt a whole lot easier and smoother than we thought. They seemed fine with the idea and even saying how pretty Bobon was. Without further ado, Bobon was officially welcomed to our family.
Apparently, it wasn’t that simple, though. While our parents seemed okay with it and said as much, a lot of their behaviours at first indicated otherwise. They had doubts about our ability to take care of the little baby and still often thought of her as a vermin at times. Since telling them about Bobon, we were determined to give the best care to her, so that our parents wouldn’t need to be involved—and it seemed that our determination was put to the test the first few weeks of their return.
It's Kitty Love!
Prince would often approach our living room window and meow from there, asking Bobon to come out. Sure as the weather, Bobon would hop onto our windowsill and join Prince as they embarked on their little adventure together. Prince never jumped onto our windowsill when we were around—that’s how well-mannered he was.
Not only that, Bobon would often shoot out after breakfast and headed to Prince’s house. They spent a lot of time together on his lawn—so much so that sometimes I would have to pick up Bobon from there after the sun went down, which was pretty embarrassing.
For a while, Bobon and Prince felt inseparable. Everyday it was either Prince who came to pick up Bobon or Bobon who would wander off to his house. They would stay together for whole days, seemingly forgetting the concept of time.
One of the most interesting about Bobon is watching her life unfold. Who knew that cats have such elaborate and drama-filled romances? As we’ve established earlier, Bobon is such an outgoing cat. She simply cannot stay home for one whole day, lest she should go mad—literally. One day I decided to follow her as she played outside, wondering what she got up to out here. That was when I met Prince for the first time.
Prince is a beautiful orange male cat who, apparently, belongs to our next-door neighbour. His face is so beautifully contoured, and his fur is strawberry-blonde shiny. He looks older and more mature than Bobon. He is always well-mannered and carries himself gracefully. Whenever Bobon would roll around in the middle of the road, he would wait for her on the curb. You can see why I call him ‘Prince,’ right? It’s not his real name, mind you.
One of the most interesting about Bobon is watching her life unfold. Who knew that cats have such elaborate and drama-filled romances? As we’ve established earlier, Bobon is such an outgoing cat. She simply cannot stay home for one whole day, lest she should go mad—literally. One day I decided to follow her as she played outside, wondering what she got up to out here. That was when I met Prince for the first time.
Prince is a beautiful orange male cat who, apparently, belongs to our next-door neighbour. His face is so beautifully contoured, and his fur is strawberry-blonde shiny. He looks older and more mature than Bobon. He is always well-mannered and carries himself gracefully. Whenever Bobon would roll around in the middle of the road, he would wait for her on the curb. You can see why I call him ‘Prince,’ right? It’s not his real name, mind you.
Prince would often approach our living room window and meow from there, asking Bobon to come out. Sure as the weather, Bobon would hop onto our windowsill and join Prince as they embarked on their little adventure together. Prince never jumped onto our windowsill when we were around—that’s how well-mannered he was.
Not only that, Bobon would often shoot out after breakfast and headed to Prince’s house. They spent a lot of time together on his lawn—so much so that sometimes I would have to pick up Bobon from there after the sun went down, which was pretty embarrassing.
For a while, Bobon and Prince felt inseparable. Everyday it was either Prince who came to pick up Bobon or Bobon who would wander off to his house. They would stay together for whole days, seemingly forgetting the concept of time.
It all seemed so sweet…until we met a second suitor. One day we found Bobon bringing home another male companion—a black and white stocky chonk who I decided to call Ricardo, or Ardo for short. He is also significantly older than Bobon—possibly even older than Prince too. Unlike Prince who seemed to come from royalty—namely, my well-off next-door neighbour—Ardo was clearly a stray. He didn’t have grace or manners. His fur was always in disarray and surely crawling with fleas. He would not only jump onto our windowsill uninvited, he would even trespass into our house when we aren’t looking. He is pretty chatty, but his voice is always so soft and sounds pitiable.
Just like that, Bobon’s romantic drama started. She was suddenly this girl who dated two guys at the same time—and I’m pretty sure everyone involved knew. She could go out in the morning with Prince, only to come home with Ardo. Or she could be chilling with Ardo when Prince comes over. It really felt like a romcom unfolding before my eyes. The best part is she seemed quite indifferent towards either of them—just like she tends to be with us too—yet these two guys seemed pretty worked up about her. I swear I once heard cats fighting in the area—which I thought was Bobon—only to find it was Ardo and Prince. Is that not shoujo manga material?!?
It all seemed so sweet…until we met a second suitor. One day we found Bobon bringing home another male companion—a black and white stocky chonk who I decided to call Ricardo, or Ardo for short. He is also significantly older than Bobon—possibly even older than Prince too. Unlike Prince who seemed to come from royalty—namely, my well-off next-door neighbour—Ardo was clearly a stray. He didn’t have grace or manners. His fur was always in disarray and surely crawling with fleas. He would not only jump onto our windowsill uninvited, he would even trespass into our house when we aren’t looking. He is pretty chatty, but his voice is always so soft and sounds pitiable.
Just like that, Bobon’s romantic drama started. She was suddenly this girl who dated two guys at the same time—and I’m pretty sure everyone involved knew. She could go out in the morning with Prince, only to come home with Ardo. Or she could be chilling with Ardo when Prince comes over. It really felt like a romcom unfolding before my eyes. The best part is she seemed quite indifferent towards either of them—just like she tends to be with us too—yet these two guys seemed pretty worked up about her. I swear I once heard cats fighting in the area—which I thought was Bobon—only to find it was Ardo and Prince. Is that not shoujo manga material?!?
Between Then and Meow
Okay, I’ll be honest: I wasn’t a pet person before. To me, pets were no different from dolls. I couldn’t understand why people get so attached to their pets. If one dies, just get yourself another one.
Needless to say, I had my reservations at first. To me, animals can be chaotic—and a cat, especially, is virtually uncontrollable. I’ve seen other people’s cats before, wreaking havoc and breaking things without mercy. Honestly, I didn’t feel like I needed that chaos at home—plus, I had the stock of my books to protect. Bobon’s first night at our house only proved my point. She was so frantic, running to the corners of our house over and over again at night. It was really exhausting.
Nonetheless, I find myself getting more and more attached to the furry cutie. Whenever she calls, I will come running. I would miss her when I’m not with her. If she responds to my calls, I feel really happy. Her presence alone has helped me keep my emotions a lot stabler than before. Crazy how big her impact is.
Okay, I’ll be honest: I wasn’t a pet person before. To me, pets were no different from dolls. I couldn’t understand why people get so attached to their pets. If one dies, just get yourself another one.
Needless to say, I had my reservations at first. To me, animals can be chaotic—and a cat, especially, is virtually uncontrollable. I’ve seen other people’s cats before, wreaking havoc and breaking things without mercy. Honestly, I didn’t feel like I needed that chaos at home—plus, I had the stock of my books to protect. Bobon’s first night at our house only proved my point. She was so frantic, running to the corners of our house over and over again at night. It was really exhausting.
Nonetheless, I find myself getting more and more attached to the furry cutie. Whenever she calls, I will come running. I would miss her when I’m not with her. If she responds to my calls, I feel really happy. Her presence alone has helped me keep my emotions a lot stabler than before. Crazy how big her impact is.
Not only my siblings and I, but my parents and Agung have also felt the positive impact of her existence in our lives. My Dad—who used to be against cats at all costs—ended up adoring Bobon so very much. He loves teasing her and playing with her, although sometimes he could go overboard as well. Agung—who, like me, wasn’t much of a cat person himself before—ended up becoming really obsessed with the little cutie. Whenever we would have our daily video calls, he would ask to see her and they somehow bonded over the internet. She could somehow recognise him now…I think.
As for me, I am definitely hugely impacted—as I’ve just mentioned. Yes, my mental health feels better now, since Bobon has filled the void in my heart. But, not only that, I also feel like I have a little taste of what it feels like to become a mother. My friend Divina and her partner also adopted a cat a while ago, and she mentioned “parenting training” to be the reason why they did it. I understand that this is only a tiny portion of what that feels like, but I think it’s a good place to start. Also, my previous mindset has definitely changed. Bobon is a whole being to me now, with a personality, desires and her own story. I cannot imagine what my life would look like without her in it anymore—and I don’t want to.
Do you have a fur baby? Share your story with them, I’d love to know!
Not only my siblings and I, but my parents and Agung have also felt the positive impact of her existence in our lives. My Dad—who used to be against cats at all costs—ended up adoring Bobon so very much. He loves teasing her and playing with her, although sometimes he could go overboard as well. Agung—who, like me, wasn’t much of a cat person himself before—ended up becoming really obsessed with the little cutie. Whenever we would have our daily video calls, he would ask to see her and they somehow bonded over the internet. She could somehow recognise him now…I think.
As for me, I am definitely hugely impacted—as I’ve just mentioned. Yes, my mental health feels better now, since Bobon has filled the void in my heart. But, not only that, I also feel like I have a little taste of what it feels like to become a mother. My friend Divina and her partner also adopted a cat a while ago, and she mentioned “parenting training” to be the reason why they did it. I understand that this is only a tiny portion of what that feels like, but I think it’s a good place to start. Also, my previous mindset has definitely changed. Bobon is a whole being to me now, with a personality, desires and her own story. I cannot imagine what my life would look like without her in it anymore—and I don’t want to.
Do you have a fur baby? Share your story with them, I’d love to know!