The Heartwarming Tale of Busta: Our Family’s First Pet

How often have you heard the saying, “You don’t choose a pet; a pet chooses you!”?

This was certainly true with Busta. Twelve years ago, after we moved into our new home, I started spotting a ginger cat loitering around our property. At the time, I did not pay much attention to her since I was already caring for an elderly cat my sister’s family had left behind when they moved overseas. Moreover, I was juggling a five-year-old daughter and a heavy pregnancy.

Life was hectic enough (not to mention the exhaustion and hormones). My focus was all on “nesting” for my son’s impending arrival.

As the days passed, Busta became a regular sight, sitting on our fence or tearing into garbage bags. Her presence grew more noticeable each day. I often thought about how sad it was for her to rummage through garbage for food, just to survive. She looked really rough and desperate. My daughter and I started calling her “Dumpster Cat,” because that’s what we usually caught her doing.

One day, while I was doing chores, my daughter ran up to me, excited. “Mum, come quick! Dumpster Cat is meowing at the door! Can I please, please give her some cat biscuits?”

Running low on energy and close to my due date, I didn’t think much of it and involuntarily said yes. Little did I know this simple act would ripple through our lives?

For the next few days, Busta kept returning, waiting by the door with her soft, desperate meows. It was not long before she invited herself inside, thanks to our darling daughter’s help.

This was the turning point that changed our lives forever. From that day onwards, Busta never left. She made herself quite at home, and the bond between my daughter and Busta grew stronger each day. They became inseparable.

Before I knew it, Busta was sleeping on the couch inside the house, always close to my daughter. Soon, my husband followed suit. Despite never having pets before, he warmed up to Busta just as much as our daughter did. Technically, Busta was our daughter’s first pet!

I was amazed at how much love, warmth, and kindness they showed Busta. With no prior experience with pets, both of them gave her so much more than Busta had expected. Busta’s presence taught them compassion, love, care, and gentleness towards animals. I was genuinely surprised to see this side of my husband and daughter’s personalities.

As time went by, the bond between Busta and the rest of the family grew stronger and stronger. She entered our lives unexpectedly and showered us with more affection than we had imagined. In return, we treated her like a family member.

Every time we moved houses, Busta came with us. During that stage of our lives, we moved every couple of years. She never fussed or resisted the change, happily accepting each move and adapting well to the new place. She wasn’t bothered at all by these changes, which showed to me that she felt secure and comfortable knowing she will be well taken care of by us, regardless of wherever we moved.

Together, side by side, Busta lived with us for the next ten years. She even welcomed my baby boy and was the gentlest and most affectionate cat I have ever known. Unlike my family members, I have always had many pets in my life. However, none was as compassionate, caring, and gentle as Busta. She was different. Her presence was enlightening in our lives.

Fast forward to when her end of life came upon us. We weren’t expecting it. Her sudden illness took us by surprise. She became blind and often sat facing the wall with almost no appetite. She had become weak and frail. By the time we took her to the vet, it was too late. Her cancer had spread, and the only option was to put her out of her misery, as suggested by the vet.

We all said our goodbyes and thanked her for coming into our lives. She was a well-loved cat who brought so much joy, laughter, happiness and warmth. As for me, despite having many pets in my life, the pain of losing them is always the same. It still hurts and breaks your heart just as much.

The kids were heartbroken. Losing their first pet after all those years together left a void they could not fathom. I had never seen them cry so much and be so upset.

We brought Busta home from the vet and buried her in her favourite spot in the garden, where she used to sit and watch the birds. We gave her a good life and honoured her with that special place in the garden.

She left a void in our lives, and we missed her deeply.