About six months ago, sisters Kai Xin and Resha were gifted a British shorthair kitten by a friend. They fell in love with him and named him Kumo.
The name is derived from the Japanese “kumotteru”, meaning cloudy, as “he looks like a fluffy grey cloud”, Kai Xin says.
“When he first came, he was very timid and shy, yet he was full of curiosity and would sniff everywhere,” she tells FMT. “The kitchen is his favourite spot, not because of the food, but the fridge.”
Kai Xin explains that whenever they opened the fridge door, the British shorthair would lie inside the appliance and not want to come out. “The weather must be too hot,” she quips.
It isn’t the only instance of how Kumo makes the sisters laugh. Kai Xin recalls how his curiosity led to him climbing atop a bucket of water used for mopping.
“He was just three months old and probably thought he was a circus performer, walking on the edge of the pail. Unfortunately he lost his balance and fell in the water.
“That was his first ‘bath’ since birth,” she smiles. “It happened so quickly that we didn’t even realise it – we just heard a splash, and then saw him running like a flash about the house, soaking wet!”
Despite his misadventure, Kumo hasn’t developed a fear of the mop. “He’ll be busy chasing it around, skiing his way around the house, running unsteadily because the floor is wet,” Kai Xin laughs.
When he isn’t up to mischief, the little boy enjoys a good nap like any other cat. Kumo sleeps under the sofa in the day, and snoozes in the living room at night until everybody adjourns to bed. Then he follows a family member into the bedroom as he does not like to be alone at night.
But make no mistake – just because he enjoys company, it does not mean he likes to be touched. “He walks away if we want to show him any affection, the arrogant boy,” Kai Xin jokes.
“He’s a very quiet but active cat,” she adds. “You won’t hear him meow often, but you will see him panting when he’s busy chasing his toys.
“Sometimes he pants so much that we worry he thinks of himself as a dog. I’m going to ask the vet for a second opinion!”
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