In March 2020, Darshini Naidu Murugesu and her family were delighted to discover a stray cat in their neighbourhood – a rare sighting in their housing area. The male ginger cat was handsome; but, sadly, they later learnt he had passed away in an accident.
Then one day, to their surprise, they spotted another cat with similar colouring and size. Upon a closer inspection, they discovered this cat was female – possibly the sibling of the cat that had died.
Enchanted, they began feeding her and named her Mango.
“She was very scared of people and was limping,” Darshini, the 27-year-old founder of DSR Sanctuary, recalled. “I don’t know if she met with an accident, or if someone hurt her. It was difficult to get close to her.”
Indeed, Mango would keep a safe distance: when Darshini called to the cat for food, she would stay away; even when it rained, she wouldn’t seek shelter.
It wasn’t until one Chinese New Year that the wary kitty began venturing into the house compound when she got frightened by the fireworks.
Not long after, another cat showed up in their neighbourhood. “She was very friendly, and we started feeding her, too,” Darshini said. They named this cat Luna.
Seeing them with another cat caught Mango’s attention, and she started warming up to Darshini and her family. Although both cats remained outside their house, the bond between human and feline began to strengthen.
Darshini managed to eventually send both cats for spaying – and for good reason. “Mango had fallen pregnant twice. But I didn’t see any kittens, so I suspect they didn’t make it.”
Later on, when Darshini and her family moved to another neighbourhood, they decided to bring Mango and Luna with them.
A new chapter thus began for the furkids. “They are our permanent pets now,” Darshini told FMT proudly, adding that neither of them are strictly indoor cats. The family also has a dog named Prince Caspian.
Speaking about their personalities, she said: “Mango is a ‘cool cat’ who doesn’t like affection. She likes her freedom. Sometimes, she sleeps on trees.”
Luna, on the other hand, is a “very dominant cat. Although she was very friendly when we first met her, she now terrorises the entire family”.
Even Prince Caspian is not spared. “She doesn’t like him, so she purposely goes to his sleeping area and drinks from his water bowl just to annoy him,” Darshini chuckled.
Luna is clearly the “alpha cat” who also chases Mango around and doesn’t like it when Mango gets attention. “She is like the evil princess in our home!”
Both kitties enjoy chasing birds and frogs – and their human fondly describes them as “pest controllers”.
“Lizards are their favourite. They would catch them and leave them on our slippers,” Darshini said with a long-suffering sigh, adding that both cats enjoy eating wet cat food and going for walks.
“Time has passed by so quickly. When we first met them, they were both very skinny and now they’re quite chubby.
“It’s nice to see them having a second chance in life.”
DSR Sanctuary is still in need of funds to the tune of RM10,375, according to a recent Instagram post. If you wish to make a donation, please bank in your contributions directly to DSR Sanctuary Empire, OCBC account 7101 335 250.
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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.
This article was written by Sheela Vijayan. Read more pet stories here.