How deeply can a pet owner and their furry companion truly connect? Today, I had the privilege of communicating with an extraordinarily beautiful calico Scottish Fold cat named "Mimi". Mimi described herself as a "treasure found" when her owner's sister took her in 15 years ago.
At first, Mimi sent me an image that said, "Being a cat is pure happiness." Then she shared another picture, expressing her desire to try being a "cool" kind of cat—an orange-toned flat-faced feline with strikingly beautiful fur and whisker tension. I couldn't immediately identify the breed.
As I puzzled over how to describe this to the sister, she suddenly blurted out, "Maine Coon!" After checking online, the fur and whisker tension perfectly matched the image Mimi gave me, though Mimi's image showed a flatter face. Surprised, I asked why she said "Maine Coon". She replied, "Because Mimi said 'cool.'" It was amazing how well they could understand each other.
The sister hopes that after marrying her fiancé, Mimi can become their "daughter". I asked, "Will you live together and often argue? Mimi doesn't want parents who fight because when she was little, she got lost after being scared by loud quarrels."
Mimi brought up a question the sister had long feared to ask, worried it might stir bad memories. Mimi was found and brought to the pet store where the sister used to work as a teenager. No one came looking for her, and no microchip was found, so the sister decided to adopt her.
"I used to live in an old apartment with large gaps in the balcony iron bars—big enough for a child to fall through. One day, my parents were fighting and throwing things. The loud noise scared me so much that I fell from the second floor. I ran around in panic and couldn't find my way home." Mimi asked, "Can I watch from heaven to see if my sister and brother-in-law will fight often after marriage?"
The sister laughed and admitted that both she and her fiancé have fiery tempers, but luckily their anger comes and goes quickly. To bring Mimi back home, she promised to try to keep her temper in check so Mimi would still see them as "good parents".
But the sister's concerns didn't end there. She had a lifelike, custom-made urn shaped like Mimi that she wanted to display in the new home's living room glass cabinet. However, the fiancé opposed it because he didn't want the urn to be obvious. So, the sister turned it into a simple glass display case for cat decorations, but she never gave up.
She collected many of Mimi's shaved hairs and planned to glue them into a "Mimi fur ball" to hold the ashes, making it look less like an urn. She asked Mimi's opinion through divination, and Mimi agreed. But when the fiancé also asked, his answer was different: "Mimi wants her ashes made into a potted plant on the new home's balcony."
The sister was partly angry, thinking the fiancé must have pressured Mimi, but also curious why Mimi changed her mind after his question.
"Sister, these are just the answers you each want to hear. I'm just interpreting what people say," Mimi said. "You must know, Mimi is your number one. No matter what Mimi becomes, you won't mind. But your fiancé loves you first, so Mimi is his second. He can accept Mimi when she's beautiful, but maybe not as ashes in the living room. You have to understand that."
"Then Mimi, what do you want to do?" the sister asked.
"Just glue Mimi's fur onto a ball and put it next to the glass cover, but don't put ashes inside. With the fur there, Mimi's energy is still present."
"I want the ashes to become a potted plant at mom's house. Mimi wants to grow small fragrant white flowers to accompany mom, so when mom waters it, she'll remember how she fed me when I was alive."
What a clever solution from Mimi, who worries mom might feel lonely after the sister's marriage.
The sister still wants to make a glass necklace with some ashes to wear, to make up for not being able to take Mimi out when she was alive. She asked Mimi another choice: "Do you want the necklace base to be silver or gold?"
"The necklace is for sister to wear, so she should pick what she likes. If Mimi is your treasure, then choose the treasure kind!"
Though Mimi might not understand the price difference between gold and silver, the sister wanted to give her precious treasure the best and chose gold.
At this point, Mimi gave a playful little complaint, "Sister, you can handle these little things yourself!" Meaning, "Don't bother me with small stuff—I'm busy helping newly passed pets check in because many stray animals have recently died from cold or hunger. This task lets me accumulate good karma."
I used to advise owners who wanted to communicate repeatedly with their pets not to disturb them, and this confirmed my belief.
The lifelike Mimi urn was originally the sister's idea, but after the fiancé's objection, it became just a decorative glass cover. However, the sister made a brave decision when Mimi's kidney and liver tests went off the charts and the vet said she might pass away that very night.
She asked the vet if "natural passing" would cause Mimi pain. The vet said, "There will be some discomfort. Hold her in a jacket and keep her legs relaxed to ease her."
The sister thought, since there were only hours left, "Rather than an uncomfortable economy class, I'll give you the most comfortable first class." She chose euthanasia to spare Mimi suffering but still wondered if Mimi would be angry.
"Isn't this choice your kindness to me?" Mimi said. "I originally wanted to take the slow train home, but since you think the fast train from the hospital is more comfortable, I'll listen to you. The destination is the same; only the journey and time differ."
"Though it's a pity I didn't make it home where mom is waiting, the place with sister and brother-in-law is home to Mimi."
I asked the sister if she regretted it. She said that since Mimi got older, her biggest fear was "Mimi passing without her by her side" and "not having time to say goodbye." This choice allowed her to say a proper farewell and be with Mimi through the entire process, giving her courage. She said she had no regrets.
"Sister, when you face scary things in the future, just think about this time. Face it, and you won't be afraid anymore!" Mimi encouraged.
This touching story reveals the incredible bond between a pet and their owner — a connection that transcends words and time, filled with love, understanding, and compassion.
