A tiny one-week-old kitten, seeking warmth, inadvertently found itself in the bonnet of a neighbour’s car. Unaware of the feline stowaway, a heart-racing 500-metre journey unfolded, concluding with a distressing scene in the rearview mirror—the kitten’s accidental fall, resulting in an injured paw.
Promptly pulling over, the man retrieved the injured kitten, drove back home, and discovered the mother cat playing with her other offspring. Placing the wounded kitten among its siblings, the little one, despite its injury, managed to drag itself and nestled close to its mother for much-needed warmth.
Though the man could have taken the kitten to animal rescuers for her leg treatment, placing it with its family was the extent of what he could all do.
Several months have elapsed, and the once-tiny kitten has blossomed into a fully grown, exquisite cat. It explores the neighbourhood in quest of sustenance and refuge, frequently seeking shelter in the subterranean section of our house. Her paw remains contorted, and the crimson hue of the blood indicates that her injury has not fully healed. Each time she ambulates on her paw, a section of it rubs against the wrong side, reopening the wound repeatedly, leaving a trail of blood.
The thought of capturing the kitten and getting her paw treated never crossed my mind. Instead of taking responsibility, I chose to share her plight through a social media post probably to score Brownie points that I was some kind of a wildlife buff who cared for the injured animals more than the rest. However, the reality is that I fell short.
Fortunately, my two sons, Mehran and Muntasir, exhibit a higher level of responsibility. Having extensively watched Animal Planet together, their commitment to safeguarding life surpasses that of their ageing father.
I’ve instilled in them the value of kindness toward all life forms. Their favourite activity is capturing spiders alive and setting them free in nature. They’ve consistently followed this practice, and each time they release an animal, I feel a sense of accomplishment, knowing that my dedication to imparting a deep respect for life has not been futile.
A memorable incident occurred when we suddenly discovered that our attic had been raided by over half a dozen rodents. They had climbed the bathroom pipe and sought refuge on the second floor. They had already caused significant damage, gnawing into everything within their reach, including pillows, blankets, and quilts, before we detected their presence.
I promptly acquired a rodent trap from the nearby market. Using dried fish as bait, I successfully captured nearly nine rodents.
After each capture, I transported the trap about two kilometres away to release them into an open piece of land. Thankfully, there have been no further rodent visits.
Mehran, upon his return home after the third semester at IIT Kharagpur, expressed his strong disapproval for not having her paw treated. He contacted an NGO dedicated to rescuing injured animals and informed them about the cat.
The volunteers responded positively, asking if we could capture the cat before their arrival. Mehran, fortunately, lured the cat into the underground section of our house and locked it in. However, just before the rescue team could arrive, a friend of his called him, and Mehran delegated the remaining responsibility to his proud dad. The dad willingly took on the task.
Meanwhile, two young boys from the rescue team, guided by a shared location on WhatsApp, reached the spot. However, their appearance, attire, and behaviour didn’t align with their professional role—they lacked uniforms, IDs, cat traps, gloves, or any visible indicators of commitment to the task.
Before attempting to capture the cat, they requested if I could provide them with a cardboard box and duct tape, which I promptly did. With a picking basket in hand, they proceeded to the underground dungeon where the cat was shut in. Despite their efforts, they struggled to secure the cat. The cat had most likely lost trust in humans, making it substantially hostile and challenging to catch.
After approximately fifteen minutes, they caught the cat, though the method of grabbing her neck caused significant discomfort to her. The poor creature displayed distress with a gaping mouth and popped-out eyeballs, indicating the duo’s suboptimal handling.
While assisting them in sealing the box with duct tape, the cat managed to find a weakness and wriggled out vigorously, prompting the duo to allow her to escape. I quickly grabbed her, preventing her escape, and urged the volunteers to cover her with a cloth. However, they remained motionless, allowing the cat to turn aggressive towards me. Despite tightening my grip, her feline instincts prevailed, and she scratched my right hand, leading to the failure of the rescue.
The rescue team blamed me for mishandling the operation, leading me to question their qualifications and why they allowed my involvement from the start.
I was the one who suffered the most, and I realized that I needed to go to the hospital to find out whether I required an anti-rabies vaccine. Stray cats can carry the virus easily transmittable through scratching or biting.
Surprisingly, the cat reappeared on the southern wall of our house, seemingly mocking us for the failed mission. However, the duo was unable to capture her, even though she presented several opportunities when I fed her again with some pieces of meat. The dejected team left, promising to return if we managed to trap her again.
After their departure, I hurried to the SMHS hospital, where the paramedics informed me that I needed a series of injections along with a tetanus toxoid.
Meanwhile, the cat continues to visit us, but displays considerable reluctance to freely enter our premises now. She has perhaps lost all her trust in humans, unaware that her capture was for her own well-being.
During one of her visits, I observed blood dripping from her paw, tugging at the strings of my heart once more. Determined to catch her again, I made several unsuccessful attempts until I finally managed to trap her in the underground room again. When I called the rescue team, they were occupied with bandaging an injured dog and instructed me to contact their office instead.
I knew a volunteer, Miss Sanna, based in Lucknow, who worked with Ms. Maneka Gandhi on establishing a dog sterilization centre in Kashmir. However, the project reportedly faced indifference from the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) and was stalled.
Sanna provided me with a string of numbers to contact, although I had already spoken to Mr. Dawood Muhammad, whose number the rescuers had forwarded to me. Sanna informed me about Dawood’s organisation, “Animal Rescue Kashmir,” established with limited resources in 2015 after returning from London.
Surprisingly, Dawood also blamed me for the initial failure in capturing the cat when the rescuers first visited our house. He began arguing without addressing the urgency of the situation. Despite informing him about the cat’s serious bleeding, his response was not professional.
Meanwhile, the trapped feline found a small gap in the room and escaped once again.
When I informed Dawood of the cat’s escape, he sounded as disheartened as I was. The mission was called off.
The cat continues to appear intermittently, perching on her favourite spot on the wall but refusing to be lured into the underground space. Her ongoing ordeal continues with the untreated wound leaving a trail of blood wherever she goes.
One certainty is that Dawood stands as a lone warrior amid the prevailing situation where animals suffer daily without a proper animal rescue centre. Without sufficient funds, infrastructure and other allied items, his frustration is justified. No wonder, stray dogs or cats struck by vehicles face further torment as passing vehicles trample them until they meld with the road, leaving remnants of skin and a few hairs. The level of regard for life here in Kashmir is minimal.
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