āLife can be tough, but thankfully, Iāve got you by my sideā¦ā
I recently read a story that really touched my heart.
Back in 2017, a social media user who runs a shop spotted two stray cats nearby, an orange tabby and a calico.
They were always together, scavenging for food and looking for places to sleep. In their stray life, they became each otherās everything.
With a lot of strays around, it was common to see turf wars. Whenever danger lurked, the orange tabby would instantly jump in front of the calico to protect her.
Thereās this saying:
āWe canāt truly empathize until weāve walked in someone elseās shoes. Only then do we learn to cherish each other.ā
Feeling sorry for them, the shop owner frequently left food and water outside the store.
Over time, they got to know each other better.
The shop owner named them: the orange tabby became āChubby Orange,ā and the calico was āCalico Lady.ā You can tell a lot of thought was put into these names.
After a while, the shop owner noticed something really interesting.
True to his name, Chubby Orange wasnāt just plump but also loved to eat. Maybe his days on the street, never knowing when his next meal would be, led to his fixation on food.
But even so, he always let Calico Lady eat first, waiting patiently until she was done before starting his mealā¦
Day or night, whenever Calico Lady slept, Chubby Orange would stand guard as a āprotector,ā both to block the wind and to keep her safe.
You know, it feels like Chubby Orange really took on the role of a male cat.
As winter approached and it got colder,
Worried they couldnāt endure the cold, the shop owner set up a makeshift cat shelter outside the door.
With a new āhomeā to shield them from the elements, and with the shop ownerās regular supply of food and water, the two cats made it their home.
But they never lost their stray cat alertness.
Life went on in this simple, heartwarming way, and before we knew it, three years had passed.
They stayed as they were from the start, sharing the blossoming of spring, the heat of summer, admiring the fall leaves, and leaving their footprints in the snowā¦
Always there for each other, always together.
The whole street of shopkeepers came to know them, even sharing their love story.
Watching them live in such a tranquil way, the shop owner often thought that maybe this wasnāt so bad, living free with a loved one by your side.
But unexpectedly, on May 8th, 2020, their blissful life came to a sudden stop.
Out of the blue, Calico Lady died in their ālittle homeāā¦
Losing his beloved wife was too much for Chubby Orange.
He became listless and lost interest in eating, no matter how the shop owner tried to tempt him with different foods.
He would always stand at the doorway, looking out.
Maybe he was holding on to the memories he shared with Calico Lady; maybe he was waiting for a āloverā who would never returnā¦
Chubby Orange quickly became visibly thinner, eventually becoming so emaciated that his cheeks were hollow, his body devoid of any fat.
The shop owner was heartbroken but felt powerless to help.
Some time later, Chubby Orange also passed away.
This was probably the ending he desired, finally going to be with Calico Lady, with nothing to separate them ever again.
āWithout you in this world, I have no reason to keep going.ā
āChubby Orange
The bond between animals is genuine and deep, truly moving.
Life can be harsh, but itās often filled with unexpected warmth. Even in the toughest times, thereās always someone out there quietly supporting you, watching over you, secretly loving youā¦
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