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In 2020, my brother in Singapore was moving to Beijing for a work assignment. When he asked me to take care of his cat for a few weeks, I gladly agreed. Animal transportation across countries was a complex task during the pandemic, and stopping in Hong Kong seemed to be the only viable solution. The worsened situation continued to halt international travel, and a few weeks of temporary stay turned into a few years. Tuco, my brother’s four-year-old Maine Coon cat, has already spent a fourth of his life living with me in this ‘transitory home’.
While everyone assumes domesticated cats are gentle, active, and independent, Tucos’s behaviour drew no similarities to those preconceptions when he was first brought to us. Vicious and assertive, he displayed traits that most cat owners would not call familiar. I regretted my decision every time I looked at the wounds and scratches on my arms. Getting him to fit in was a struggle.
One morning, when I opened my bedroom door, I saw a big, white toy mouse sitting sluggishly on the floor, looking nibbled and battered. Tuco brought me his favourite item to show his love, and I kept receiving the same gift every day for almost three years until he returned home in 2023.
‘Something Is Here To Stay’ is collaborative project journaling Tuco’s time with us It is about life’s unexpectedness, appreciating the present and being thankful of what life has brought us, even if they do not conform to our standard of ideology.