Kydd: 1991 - 2004

Speaking of toilet training for cats, I'm being reminded of a beautiful cat I once had for 13 years called Kydd. She was most attached to me and was really special to the family. She was blessed with such a genteel personality and a soft, sweet, almost a non-existent voice. Her one most special skills was actually using the human toilet! The funny thing was, she wasn't even toilet trained. She had picked up the habit by mainly following me (or whoever) into the bathroom, merely being the observer. The next thing we knew, she started using the toilet herself. That means putting all her paws right outside the squatting toilet we used to have, with her rear accurately perched up and aimed into the bowl. Imagine the family's surprise when we saw her doing that! All we had to do after that was flush. Kydd was quite the gifted cat!

I only have fond memories of Kydd. She was there when I was burning midnight oil for all of my major examinations. She was right next to me when I was ill and she was there meowing away at whoever (mostly my Dad) was giving me a scolding for breaking my curfew. She also ate my homework; shredding my assigments into pieces - an excuse where no lecturers would have believed. She was obese at one point in time and had to go on a diet. She used to bring me half-alive birds such as sparrows and mynahs which she hunted down from the garden. She'd placed them underneath my bed, waking me up from my slumber, while the poor birds were still squeaking their lives away. She was also the first cat ever to have insulted me by giving a huge, loud sigh when I tried to pick her up and cuddle her! What a cat.

Kydd had succuumbed to a complete kydney failure at the age of 13 on 21st Jan 2004 at 1.30pm. She really was an old cat, and I believe that she pretty much led a very good life as our beloved house pet. Her memory lives on in our hearts.