2. choose, don't settle. my cats have "expensive" taste when it comes to their food. if it's canned sardines, they will just smell it for a few seconds and continue on what they're doing. i had no other choice but to serve them freshly cooked fish every day.
3. sacrifice. when you love your pets so dearly, you have to make little (or big) sacrifices. more than half of my budget now goes to my cats. there are times when i would eat instant noodles or artificially-flavored chili and beans so that i could buy fresh fish from the market.
4. time for play. no one can stop my cats from playing - even if it's 3 o'clock in the morning. as an old adage goes, all work and no play makes jack a dull boy.
5. un-plug. i spend so much time on my laptop without me even noticing it. my cats are my constant reminder to stay away from technology for a while, and do more productive things such as household chores or groceries. or better still, get a much-needed sleep.
6. things are just things. nothing is too precious when it comes to my cats. they would play hide and seek on our custom-made curtains, make my belgian rug a makeshift scratching area for their nails, sleep inside my beloved vintage bags, eat my favorite desserts, and the list goes on.
8. the art of moving on. ming-ming was purring and growling incessantly after he realized that kuti was nowhere to be found. after just 2 days, however, he was back to normal. if a cat can move on that fast, why can't i? i tried to focus all my energy with ming-ming after that. with a bit of sadness, i'm still thankful that i didn't lose both of them.
9. belief in a higher being. i asked the universe for help to bring back my cat, kuti, because i was losing hope of ever finding her again. i prayed and prayed for months. and then, on the same day i said goodbye to the memories of kuti, one scrawny kitty with the same quirks and same stumpy tail appeared in our backyard. i felt the spirit of kuti in my new animal friend, mozart.