Last year, Alina Faiz’s son Adam came across an injured kitten and decided to nurse it back to health. They could not have known that they would wind up with a family member who, apart from being strong and resilient, would possess a larger-than-life personality.
Perhaps they had manifested these characteristics by naming the kitten Lady Arya Stark, after the assassin played by Maisie Williams in “Game of Thrones”. Arya also means “lioness” in Italian.
“It felt fitting because she went through a lot of hardship but came fighting back,” Alina tells FMT, adding that they had chosen the name to complement another cat at home named Lady Lara Croft.
The baby domestic shorthair had been found under a dirty rag left near the post boxes at her apartment block.
“She had been involved in an accident and was left for dead, but Adam heard her meowing and came to her rescue,” Alina recalls.
A visit to the vet revealed the poor kitten was paralysed on her left side. Lady Arya stayed with the vet for two weeks before being brought to Alina’s home to recuperate.
“We then took her to a pet acupuncturist who helped her with her injuries, and not before long she began to walk, although with a slight limp,” Alina says.
She adds that she is grateful for those who “came together to help her heal, pay for the vet bills, and contribute food and other necessities”.
Now approximately 11 months old, Lady Arya – fondly called “Ari” by her humans – is aptly the queen of her domain.
“She is super naughty – she basically bullies the other cats, runs, hops and slides around the house, and tries to jump onto high surfaces,” Alina laughs.
“We have dubbed her ‘cataroo’.”
Far from her helpless humble beginnings, the striped tabby has turned out to be a fearless mini-beast.
“Nothing seems to faze her. She even attacked the vacuum cleaner a few times, and she’s not afraid of strangers at all.”
Ari, she says, has figured out how to get exactly what she wants. “She makes a lot of noise and has learnt to climb onto the kitchen counter when we cook or do the dishes, jump onto the television cabinet and so on, to get our attention.
“Bathtime is a bit of a noisy affair, though, because she just wants to play while bathing cuts into her fun time. She’s always like, ‘Quick, human, let’s get this over and done with!'”
Despite this bold and brazen personality, Ari is a big cuddlebug. “She loves to jump onto my bed to play with my pillows, and when I wake up in the mornings, she’s usually sleeping beside my head.
“We then spend some time snuggling together before we start the day.”
The lionhearted kitten is also “super loving”, especially with Adam.
“She likes to tuck her head under your chin and demands head rubs all the time,” Alina says fondly.
“She would do this with Adam, and then run to me and do the same thing so I don’t feel left out, to show that she loves us equally.”
And on the topic of not being left out, “we’ve also determined she has a bad case of FOMO – fear of missing out – as she is incredibly curious and wants to be in the middle of everything the other cats are doing!”
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PET: FMT Lifestyle readers are invited to send in pictures (landscape format) and a short video (if any) of their furry, scaly or feathery friends to [email protected]. Don’t forget to include details like your pet’s name, age, breed and a short story about them.