How a tabby brought neighbours, bomba and an MP together

THE day before yesterday proved tumultuous due to a turn of events. It involved the rescue of a trapped cat, possible only with the help of concerned members of my neighbourhood in Kampung Tunku and Bomba personnel. To add to the chaos, there was also the unexpected visit of a Yang Berhormat (YB) to the scene of the rescue in my garden.

The day appeared uneventful, I was nursing a drippy nose and generally feeling a bit unwell. But, I did my usual round of the garden in the evening only to notice a brown tabby cat sitting quietly on my brick wall, surrounded by barbed wire. That was unusual because cats do not generally look upon my garden favourably. This is due to the presence of Lucky, our dog who diligently patrols the fenced brick wall.

So sensing something was wrong, I went up to the fence for a closer look and was rewarded with a frightened snarl. And as it tried to escape, it appeared stuck. Upon closer inspection, I noticed its bushy tail was inextricably wound around the serrated sharp end of my barbed wire fencing, meant to keep out intruders. 

My first response was: “oh, no!”, and the more I went close, the more agitated it became. I ran over to my neighbour’s house to get some help. They kept many cats and might be able to calm down the cat and offer a solution.

I had an immediate response as all three children plus the maid ran over to have a look at the situation at hand. The four gasped in shock. I told them there was no point getting close as it might bite them due to the pain of its predicament.

Finally, with the help of another neighbour who was playing badminton, we called 999. And with the advice of the operator, I was put through to the Bomba, who took down my address and location. Meanwhile, the whole neighbourhood had rallied around and solutions were been given fast and furious. But all in vain as it appeared the cat was tightly wound around with no escape in sight.

Finally, around the corner came the sound of sirens as the Bomba made their way to my house. With much relief, the neighbours and I welcomed them. 

The eight Bomba members looked resplendent in their brown and orange camouflage uniforms. Their leader, Saiful, looked confident in handling the situation at hand. He requested some material to wrap around the cat to prevent trauma and stress for the cat. 

I handed over a soft big yellow towel and they went into action. The cat was enveloped in the towel and the bomba personnel tried to cut through the barbed wire. It proved tough but finally, it was done.

Meanwhile, when we all thought there was enough drama for the evening – surprise of all surprises – Muar member of Parliament Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (found his full name on the internet) suddenly appeared in his jogging shorts. I blinked in shock. OMG, where did he come from? 

Syed Saddiq was quite nice and casual about his experience. “I live around the corner and just wondered what was happening,” was his comment. 

After a short chat and enquiring on the welfare of the cat, Syed Saddiq headed off for his jog. I thought to myself: this is my chance. And I ran into the house in my drab housecoat and jacket and quickly retrieved my Vibes name card and handed it over to him. I thought to myself, “he must think I’m an opportunist” but never mind, if not now, then when...

The feisty cat was gingerly removed by the Bomba personnel and placed on the towel, where the remaining barbed wire was clipped out from its tail. I could hear all the neighbours sigh in relief but now a bigger problem had arisen. Who would take responsibility for the injured cat, who appeared to have a wound on his tail? 

I felt this was going to be a problem as I could not take responsibility for the cat. My dog, Lucky, would make mincemeat out of it, as his pastime was chasing cats. It appeared that no one had a cage as most of the cats in the neighbourhood roamed free. I was getting desperate.

Then out of nowhere, I heard a soft voice say quietly but authoritatively: “I will take it and let me bring my carrier.” 

I slipped out of my shocked state and followed the Bomba personnel to her house one door away. The cat went quietly into the carrier. I let out another sigh of relief and thanked her profusely. Her mother then came out of the house and wondered what all the excitement was about.

It was time to return home and along the way, all the neighbours were thanked for their kindness in coming to offer moral support in saving this tabby cat. As they say “All’s well that ends well” – everything had ended on a good note. – The Vibes, January 15, 2021