by Prince

One summer day in 2005, my mother and father walked through the door of our house with a cat cage in their hands.

When the cage was opened, a gorgeous girl came out.

The pink, jewelled collar around her neck emphasised the green of her eyes even more… 

She was looking around and at me with timid eyes…

She had tiny paws, a small mouth, and beady eyes that fascinated the viewer…

She had honey-coloured feathers and green eyes that were the most beautiful shade of nature…

She had black pompoms on all four paws and the end of her tail…

She was quiet, she didn’t meow, and she was timid…

My mother told me, “My greatest love, I brought you a friend so you don’t live alone.”

With her personality, that beautiful girl became my best friend, sister, and life partner from the first moment.

                                                                  * * *

My mother used to call her “my pom-pom girl, my butterscotch basket, my honey girl, my yellow daisy, my princess”…

She lived like her name… Like a princess…

She was affectionate but wanted to keep her distance…

First of all, you had to win her love and respect…

I never saw her scratch or bite me, my mother or my father…

She was full of life… She loved to share… She was respectful… She was noble… 

But she was always stubborn in protecting her identity and boundaries…

She taught us her limits with her elegant meows and eye contact without ever pawing…

She would never disturb anyone at home if they were busy when she wanted something…

She was waiting silently and patiently on all fours…

After waiting respectfully with her eyes fixed, she would finally get what she wanted…

                                                                 * * *

The times when our parents left home were the saddest moments…

When they were leaving the house, she would disappear silently, and after a while, she would come close to me…

When our parents returned home, she would start waving her tail like a flag…

We would feel sad and cry together with our family at home…

Once, my mother had surgery. She never left her bedside…

When our bird died, we mourned for days together…

At such times, we would lie side by side and silently wait for the pain to subside…

The birds were constant visitors to the terrace, and the flowers were among her closest friends.

She loved running, jumping, and wandering among the plants, trees, and flowers with the birds.

                                                                  * * *

We were together for exactly 10 years.

In the last days of October, my mother went to another city for work.

Before leaving, she told my father and us, “The terrace period is now closed; it is forbidden.”

But the Princess didn’t listen. She wanted to go to the terrace right after my mother…

She wanted to play on the terrace like she always did…

The terrace door was left open…

It was evening hours. The cold of autumn was felt…

The fallen yellow leaves of the covered the ground of the terrace…

I had stopped walking around on the terrace and climbing up for a long time.

But I always followed Princess and sent her inside when necessary.

I didn’t do it this time. I stayed inside… 

                                                                  * * *

Then, the Princess did not return…

She didn’t walk through the door like she always did…

She was interested in the outdoors, climbing, and going high…

She loved exploring and watching the sunset and city lights…

The cushion next to where my father slept was empty…

The water and food plates were there, but she was not there…

                                                                 * * *

My mother immediately returned home.

The Princess who filled my life with love fit into a tiny flower pot…

The princess who came to our house with a small cage, who brought joy to our lives for 10 years and shared our moments of sadness, was lying lifeless, blended into the autumn leaves…

                                                                  * * *

She was a cat to others, but I had lost my friend, little sister, and a family member.

It’s a great pain. Not everyone can understand this grief…

You are cut off from everything related to life, thrown into a meaningless void like a yellowed leaf…

There is no solace in that emptiness. There is only rebellion, guilt and longing…

The most painful thing is that no other cat with her character and style can replace her…

Yes, the Princess followed her passion for climbing high, relying on her intelligence, skilful agility, and cautious steps…

And us? We are in great pain and remorse… And lots of tears…

The loss of life of a living being under your responsibility under your care…

Her death and your survival…

This result is unbearable torture…

I can hear the cracking sound of my father’s and mother’s hearts. Mine is no different, either…

                                                                 * * *

A Japanese proverb says, “People’s wounds are precious; light only comes through the wounds”…

We have a large and deep wound that will not heal quickly and that’s hard to close…

But let the light from our wound be medicine for you:

Please keep your cats away from windows, balconies and terraces…

Yes, we love our home. But sometimes, we also want to explore the outside…

But if you love us, you must act responsibly and never let us…

If necessary, shout at us loudly, get angry at us, but never compromise…

Let your priority be to protect us… Let your love come later…

Remember! There is no cat that does not fall. There is a cat that has not fallen yet…                                                                  * * *