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| Chocnut in her cushioned basket and showing her hooked tail. Jep | Flickr |
Our dear Ate Chocnut, as she’s fondly called, being the big sister to all the resident cats except for the eldest, Marmalade, came into our lives as if summoned by fate. One afternoon, while I was tending to the outside cats in the garden, I noticed a small gray tabby kitten limping toward me. She didn’t cry out or show signs of distress, but something was clearly wrong with one of her front paws.
Despite her injury, her focus was on the kibble I had scattered for the outdoor cats. They noticed her immediately, casting wary sideways glances that seemed to say, “Back off, stranger. Don't dare steal our food.” But she didn’t flinch. I gently scooped her up and brought her inside to examine her more closely. There was a wound on her leg, likely the reason for her limp. After eating and drinking her fill, she curled up quietly in a corner of the house. Marmalade, ever the curious cat, kept a watchful eye on her from a distance, unsure of this new arrival.
The next day, I took her to the vet. An X-ray revealed that the bone in her paw had been punctured, possibly from a bite or even a pellet gun. She came home with her paw wrapped in a bandage, and for the next few weeks, our routine revolved around cleaning her wound, applying medicated cream, and administering oral antibiotics.
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| Chocnut is complaining about her bandaged foot. Jep | Flickr |
She healed slowly, but her spirit never wavered. Chocnut soon became a permanent member of the household, blossoming into a sweet and affectionate cat. She is obsessed with lizards, and she joined our unofficial “snake patrol,” enthusiastically participating in mock drills where her fishbone plushie stood in for the real thing. She’d swat at it with fierce determination, as if defending her territory from a slithering invader. To put things into context, we occasionally have snakes enter our house.
Chocnut adores cuddles and burrowing under blankets, purring contentedly beside me in bed, while Marmalade usually sleeps above my head. She’s also the only cat I’ve ever had who comes to me on command. All I have to do is squeal, “Ateeee Chocnut, bilis!”, or just exclaim "Oh, may butiki!", and she trots over without hesitation.
By the way, her name follows the tradition of naming our cats based on sweets. Chocnut is a tasty local sweet that is part chocolate and part peanut, hence the name Chocnut. Think of it as something similar to a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.
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