Jane Yau“Whiskers of Hope” is a 100-word memoir written by Jane Yau, of the lives of cats, in China and the U.S.
While in China, I noticed a mother cat and her kittens locked in a cage near a building. It was winter, and they huddled together, shivering and starving. Their fragile, malnourished bodies revealed their suffering, ignored by passersby who acted as if they were invisible. Occasionally, scraps were tossed their way, but nothing more. My thoughts turned to my cat back in Pennsylvania, warm, safe, and well-fed. The contrast was heartbreaking. I couldn’t help but imagine—if these poor cats knew of a place like the U.S., where pets are cherished, would they dream of escaping to such a paradise?
