It is seldom- very very seldom- that this 'hood of a housing estate in Hougang gets her share of cats, community or otherwise.
The last time cats popped up in this particular zone was at least three years ago.
There was a black and white cat.
And there was a ginger cat.
Both cats had their own quirks. The black and white cat came out mostly in the daytime. I mostly saw it lounging around the playhouse of the playground in the afternoons when I walked to the lift. The ginger cat, on the other hand, either hung about at the benches of the void deck, or stretched itself lazily out in the same playhouse of the same playground.
The ginger cat disappeared three years or so ago.
I think the community feeders had it brought to the vet for some treatment, and afterwards away to a fosterer for it to be prepared for adoption.
There have been no sightings of cats in the area ever since.
Not that I know of, anyway.
But weekday this afternoon out came a surprise.
There I was, walking along the void deck corridor just past the Coke vending machine towards the bus stop, when all of a sudden this little fella popped up at the wheelchair ramp leading from the lift to the adjacent block in front.
You know how in life you turn your head towards a single direction expecting it to be as empty as it has always been times and times before but instead get greeted by a welcome anomaly?
That's what this was.
A most adorable of a kitty cat sitting on the ramp staring at my direction.
Of course, I HAD to say hiiiii to it.
I had half expected it go off in the opposite direction and run on its own merry way like some cats do, but no, it meowed back at me, and came right over, scrambling prettily through the metal bars of the ramp's railing to where I was.
No need to say, I of course, had to guide it back to the ramp where it originally had come from.
It followed me a while, and when I saw it didn't look like it was going to go away anytime soon, I gave it a stroke and pat, feeling its soft fur run silkily through my fingers.
It has been said that ragdoll kitty cats are exceptionally affectionate.
I have to agree.
Where I had expected the cat to run off home, it not only lingered around my feet, it even peeked into my carrier bag that I had by then put down on the ground so I could pat it better.
After a bit of curious browsing, it sat down right by my feet, by my shoes, its tail resting lightly on the side of my carrier bag.
I don't know who was more comforted- the cat, or I.
I should say both of us, because definitely I was delighted and warmed by the sight of that gorgeous, sweet-looking fluffed up kitty sitting right by my bag. The tail, especially, was so fluffy and it was obvious it had been so perfectly groomed.
Sad to say I wasn't able to hang around the area for long, so gently I stepped back and picked up my carrier bag.
Guess what?
The kitty wouldn't let me go.
It followed me.
Walked beside me.
And here I was in a quandary.
Happy as I was, I had to go off, I wouldn't be able to stay and take care of it for too long, and so I asked the kitty cat to go on home.
I don't know whether he or she understood but cute little fella sashayed beautifully along on the corridor a bit, stopped, looked around its surroundings a while, then stopped right outside the main entrance of the childcare center.
Sadly I couldn't stay to see where else the cat would go.
I had to go.