Jamia Journal Independent Student-run News Website of Jamia Millia Islamia (a Central University)
Jan. 18, 2015: An Allama Iqbal hostel resident of Jamia, Mohd. Haroon (2016, M.A. Social Work) told Jamia Journal a really interesting story about himself which we would like to share with our readers.
Today, Jan. 18, early in the morning, before sunrise around 4 o’clock, Haroon heard a cat meowing really loudly out in the corridor of his hostel. The cat was crying so loudly and with such intensity that he braved the cold winter morning chill and got out of his bed to check on the cat.
He opened the door to his room and looked out in the corridor. There he saw a restless white cat roaming in the corridor meowing loudly as if she was in pain. Haroon figured, since the whether is so cold, the cat is probably freezing to death and hence in so much pain.
So he brought the cat into his room and put her up on his bed. But the cat did not want to stay up on his bed and jumped off it right away. So he thought, the cat probably wants an enclosed space to hide in. So he cleared the bottom shelf of his cupboard and placed a piece of cloth in it for her to sit on. He even burned a few pieces of paper to warm the place up. But the cat still did not stop crying. He could not understand what was wrong with her.
However soon, he says, he realized the cat was not feeling cold, but was pregnant and was probably trying to find a place to give birth.
On realizing the cat was getting ready to give birth, he says, he remembered somebody telling him that cats give birth in seclusion with no humans around. And astonishingly for us, Haroon says, he picked up his blanket and walked out of his room leaving the cat in the privacy of his cupboard.
With his blanket in his hands, he went up to the hostel reading room and spent the rest of the night sitting in a chair with his blanket wrapped around him.
He returned to his room at seven in the morning to check on the cat. And lo and behold! He finds a litter of five new-born cute little kittens in his cupboard.
Haroon’s story is so peculiar, it slightly baffles us.
First, we are astonished to know Haroon was able to observe and realize the cat was pregnant and was getting ready to give birth. Simply amazing!
Second, we were astonished to learn, Haroon walked out of his own room on a cold winter morning and spent hours in the hostel reading room just so the cat could have her own space and feel comfortable enough to give birth. Incredible!
Tell us about your reaction to the story in the comments below. Are you as amazed at Haroon’s actions as we are? What would you have done if you were in his place?
