My Cat, Nekoko

Eulogy's editor, Alfred Tong, writes a letter to his beloved Nekoko, a tabby kitten he rescued (some say stole), who tragically got run over.

Dear Nekoko,

We used to listen to a lot of Jay Z when you were around. Have you heard that Jay Z and Mr Hudson song, ‘Forever Young’? It’s not classic Jigga but it contained a beautiful thought. He’s reminiscing about his life and sings,

‘Just some picture perfect day
‘To last a whole lifetime
And it never ends
‘Cause all we have to do is hit rewind’

What ‘picture perfect day’ would I choose to rewind again? What moment to ‘last a whole lifetime’?

Probably the day I met you. It was the kind of sunny Sunday afternoon that’s hard to beat. The Japanista, my brother, and I were lolling around, when you appeared on the end of my sofa - a little tabby kitten wearing a glitter collar with a bell on.

We oohed and ahhed but you weren’t that interested and soon left. But you would pop back in every once in a while, sometimes to catch a few rays on the end of the bed in the spare room.

Summer soon turned to winter and the mean streets of Walthamstow are no place for a kitten, especially one who enjoyed creature comforts as much as you.

I was making spaghetti Bolognese when we finally became good friends. It was then that I discovered your two favourite things: food and bits of string. That the two could be combined so effectively probably blew your tiny little cat mind!

How my heart would soar when, after a dreary day at work, you would walk along the wall beside me, all the way to the front door. You probably only did it because you were hungry, but that’s ok, I was too.

When we got to know each other a bit better you would climb on the end of my bed at night and knead a Nekoko shaped nest on the bottom right hand corner of my duvet. The feeling of you purring at my feet helped lull me to sleep, and in the morning a tiny paw on my cheek, forehead or nose would wake me.

Things you liked: being stroked on the little tuft of hair on the end of your chin, string, cat nip and tuna mixed with cream. Things you were indifferent to: all humans (apart from my cousins) and
IAMS cat food.

Things you did not like: my cousins (who always tried to pick you up); and being picked up.

I felt that you had the coquettish glamour of a ‘Bianca’, but the Japanista wanted to call you ‘Nekoko’ – Japanese for kitten – and that was what stuck. My brother wanted to name you after one of the Thunder Cats - what an idiot!

The day you left was another glorious sunny day. You pawed at the front door, as you always did when you fancied going out. And then ten minutes later came the dreaded knock. It was some boys in a car that did for you in the end.

We put you in a hatbox and said goodbye at Wansted pet cemetery. Your collar is in Tokyo with the Japanista. I have this photo to remember you by; we photo-shopped you to look like catzilla.

You will always be ‘Forever Young’, my Nekoko.

Love,

Alfred

"the means streets of Walthamstow are no place for a kitten"

"ten minutes later came the dreaded knock. It was some boys in a car that did for you in the end"