Kiki is a guru who’d share her wisdom for free

Kiki arrived to my house in a small box of clementine. She came from Al Musannah with my cousins, who were visiting their grandmother for Eid. Kiki was two months old with a soft tabby coat and no eyes. She lost them to the flu and had empty ocular cavities instead.

The grandmother of my cousins had taken care of her, but wasn’t sure what to do next. She sent her to Muscat in the hope of finding a treatment for her eyes or finding her a shelter. My cousins took her to a vet who apologised for not being able to shelter her.

He offered to euthanise her instead, what kind of a life awaits a blind kitten anyway? Upon hearing the fatal option, my cousins put her back in the box and brought her to me.

I wasn’t really sure what to do with her either as I’d never owned a blind kitten before. I called her Kiki, as I’d spent the night before watching silly videos on YouTube with my brother, where Arabs were performing the Kiki challenge.

Kiki didn’t move or purr when I stroked her and stayed still while re-visiting the vet again. She didn’t even meow or protest which was un-kitten like. The vet put her on medication to dry the eyes before sewing them shut. Kiki stayed indoors with us for ten days and was a great marvel to me. She learned to use the litter box faster than normal kittens and loved to play with toys. She recognised my voice and footsteps and started purring instantly once I entered.

The only problem we faced was her agitation and aggression towards other cats. Everyone at home felt sorry for her and suggested that she stays indoors for good. I was against the idea. We stayed on the second floor and that was hazardous for a blind kitten (plus having Naeemo, the scheming cat around who was known for sending kittens flying off the balcony).

Finally, we decided to build her a cage outdoors where she could get fresh air and get used to other cats in Kitzania. Being a free spirit, Kiki didn’t like being locked in and stopped eating after a few days. I allowed her to roam around the garden during the day and locked her in during the night, which worked wonders.

Kiki’s confidence built up slowly and she made friends with a few kittens who taught her to climb trees. That was when she went missing all of a sudden.

The whole house panicked, where would a blind kitten go? Even more shocking: who would steal a blind kitten? The search went on for a whole day to no avail. I knocked the doors of all my neighbours to inform them about my missing blind kitten. I even went to nearby veterinary clinics and left my number, in case she was rescued by someone.

Luckily, I found her the next day behind our house, standing in the middle of the valley. Kiki had fallen off the tree while climbing and went hiding for the whole day. It was a happy reunion for all of us at home! Like all other cats, Kiki is a guru who’d share her wisdom for free (if you observe closely and reflect). Her best lessons are in courage and making the best of what you have. I’m always put to shame when I grumble about trivialities, to turn my head and watch Kiki bumping constantly into doors and walls in her path. In her perspective, all cats are born blind and will find their way eventually. Right?

Rasha al Raisi is a certified skills trainer and the author of: The World According to Bahja. rashabooks@yahoo.com