She says it means "beloved" in Arabic. Right now I don't really care. Right now I'm warm and full and happy, when I wasn't an hour ago.
An hour ago I was shivering in the cold. I was wet from frost and my dirty fur was sticking to me. My almost hairless paws were so cold on the concrete outside her window. My little eye was all swollen and icky and glued shut and I couldn't see. I was crying. I don't know where my mommy is. But this human lady heard me and went outside and found me.
At first I was really scared. She is so much bigger than me. But then one of the lady's cats came up and he was scarier, so I didn't see her reach down for me and pick me up. She balled me up, hissing and scratching, and stuffed me inside her robe. It was warm there, and I stopped fighting. I buried my nose in it and went still. She took me inside her house and went into the bathroom and shut all the other kitties out.
She sat down on the side of her tub and waited. She talked to me really soft and told me it was going to be okay. After a few minutes I stuck my head out of the robe and she said "hello, habibe." Then she started looking at me, all over, and the more she looked the sadder she got. I'm not in good shape.
She took off her robe and put it on the floor, and put me inside it. She left and when she came back I was still balled up where she had left me. She put down a bowl but I just sat there frozen. I was still very scared. So she took something out of the bowl and put it in front of my nose. I sniffed it. It was chicken, and it was warm. I took it and I swallowed it. I didn't even chew. I didn't want anyone to take it from me. I shouldn't have worried though, because the lady had more. She broke it into smaller pieces. When she had no more, I let her pick me up again.
She felt me all over, felt my little ribs and my little twiggy legs, and when she felt my neck I started to knead on her arm. She told me she thought I might be 12 weeks old, even though I'm the size of an 8 week old kitten. She told me I was a smelly kitty. "I'm sorry little one, but we've got to get you clean so we can see what's going on." She turned on warm water in the sink, and she gave me a bath. After a minute I realized it wasn't so bad. The water was warm and her hands were gentle and the scratching felt good. It hurt when she got to my tail though. The soap burned the raw spots, and my fur washed off in a lot of places where there wasn't enough dirt to hold it on anymore. She had to wash me twice before the water ran kinda clear.
Then she wrapped me up in a big white towel and she started scrubbing me. It kinda felt good, so I started kneading again. The towel started turning pink from the flea dirt and the scabs all over me, and she started crying. I looked up at her as she cleaned my face and started purring. I wanted her to know it was ok. She held me a little tighter and I felt nice and warm.
She set up a big wire cage for me, and put me in it, but I didn't want to be alone! I started crying and she came back and picked me up. I started purring when she opened the door. She wrapped me up in another towel and carried me to the living room. Now I'm sitting in the lady's lap and purring and falling asleep.
She calls me Habibe. She says it means "beloved" in Arabic. Right now I don't care. She says she can't keep me, but she promises she's going to give me the best chance she can. All I know is that I'm warm, and full and happy and safe. And right now that's all that matters.
An hour ago I was shivering in the cold. I was wet from frost and my dirty fur was sticking to me. My almost hairless paws were so cold on the concrete outside her window. My little eye was all swollen and icky and glued shut and I couldn't see. I was crying. I don't know where my mommy is. But this human lady heard me and went outside and found me.
At first I was really scared. She is so much bigger than me. But then one of the lady's cats came up and he was scarier, so I didn't see her reach down for me and pick me up. She balled me up, hissing and scratching, and stuffed me inside her robe. It was warm there, and I stopped fighting. I buried my nose in it and went still. She took me inside her house and went into the bathroom and shut all the other kitties out.
She sat down on the side of her tub and waited. She talked to me really soft and told me it was going to be okay. After a few minutes I stuck my head out of the robe and she said "hello, habibe." Then she started looking at me, all over, and the more she looked the sadder she got. I'm not in good shape.
She took off her robe and put it on the floor, and put me inside it. She left and when she came back I was still balled up where she had left me. She put down a bowl but I just sat there frozen. I was still very scared. So she took something out of the bowl and put it in front of my nose. I sniffed it. It was chicken, and it was warm. I took it and I swallowed it. I didn't even chew. I didn't want anyone to take it from me. I shouldn't have worried though, because the lady had more. She broke it into smaller pieces. When she had no more, I let her pick me up again.
She felt me all over, felt my little ribs and my little twiggy legs, and when she felt my neck I started to knead on her arm. She told me she thought I might be 12 weeks old, even though I'm the size of an 8 week old kitten. She told me I was a smelly kitty. "I'm sorry little one, but we've got to get you clean so we can see what's going on." She turned on warm water in the sink, and she gave me a bath. After a minute I realized it wasn't so bad. The water was warm and her hands were gentle and the scratching felt good. It hurt when she got to my tail though. The soap burned the raw spots, and my fur washed off in a lot of places where there wasn't enough dirt to hold it on anymore. She had to wash me twice before the water ran kinda clear.
Then she wrapped me up in a big white towel and she started scrubbing me. It kinda felt good, so I started kneading again. The towel started turning pink from the flea dirt and the scabs all over me, and she started crying. I looked up at her as she cleaned my face and started purring. I wanted her to know it was ok. She held me a little tighter and I felt nice and warm.
She set up a big wire cage for me, and put me in it, but I didn't want to be alone! I started crying and she came back and picked me up. I started purring when she opened the door. She wrapped me up in another towel and carried me to the living room. Now I'm sitting in the lady's lap and purring and falling asleep.
She calls me Habibe. She says it means "beloved" in Arabic. Right now I don't care. She says she can't keep me, but she promises she's going to give me the best chance she can. All I know is that I'm warm, and full and happy and safe. And right now that's all that matters.
Skip to a 1:40 for the beginning of the habibi part.
Not that I mind so much, but Habibi is a real chewer right now, and I have a feeling I'll get me robe back just a little less "plush".
