The Feral Pharaoh Cat

by Niki Cade
(North Adams, Ma )

My mother and I adopted two kittens from a shelter, Hiei(M) and Yukina(F). They were like brother and sister, they did everything together. Hiei struggled with an illness that still effects him today, 5 years later. When Hiei was one year old Yukina disappeared, leaving my cat in complete shock. Every night he would leave and, sometimes, not return for two or three days. Everyone was so worried about Yukina's disappearance so we all spent many days looking for her, just like Hiei was doing. After a while we all started to lose hope, even Hiei stopped looking, though every time he heard a noise outside he would take-off to go see if it was her. The last time, one month after she vanished (Later, we found out she was killed by our neighbors dogs) my Step-Dad decided to go out looking for her; we all decided this would be the last time we looked.

While he was out looking it started raining, so my brothers and I simply waited for him. When he did come back he was not alone; this soaked little cat was meowing up a storm and trying to work it's way out of his hands so we gave him some food, washed him (Try giving a feral cat a bath one day, XD, lot's of fun) and warmed him up.

After my mother came home she fell in love with him and decided we should keep him as much as you can keep a cat like him.

He's never completely gotten used to living with people and still spends most of his time outside, but every now and then he likes a little love every now and then that usually is accompanied by treats and lots of play.

Hiei never got over the trauma of losing his sister, however, and still has little bouts of kitty depression, but my mother adopted a young female cat named Virginia who is healing my kitty's heart. Though, having Pharaoh around did ease his loneliness.

FUN LITTLE FACT ABOUT PHARAOH- The thing he loves more than anything else in the world is hair ties. I know many cats love to chase them around, but his is an unnatural obsession. One night he woke me up at 3am because he found one and would not stop meowing until I acknowledged that he had found one.

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