Why Milo? – The Surprises Brought by a Little Cat---3
Chapter 3: The Emotional Connection Between Milo and the Family
Design Description:
This chapter delves into the emotional journey of bonding with a pet and the profound effect it can have on a family. Through detailed and heartfelt moments, we explore how Milo’s playful nature and gentle presence provide emotional support to the family. The chapter reflects how, over time, Milo becomes an integral part of the family, strengthening relationships and creating a sense of belonging. The emotional connection with Milo brings warmth and healing, reminding us of the simple yet powerful ways animals touch our lives.
As time passed, Milo gradually became stronger, and a few days later, he started eating soft food. He gradually learned how to use the bathroom inside the house, although at first, we had to help him get in.
Sometimes, he would stick his head in, leaving his little bottom sticking out, not realizing that he had made a mistake by pooping in the wrong place. He thought he had completed the task successfully, and would, as usual, seriously use his "little paws" to cover it up with litter. After coming out, he was completely unaware of the mishap. My daughter said, “Milo, be careful next time,” and he glanced at her, sniffed, and then walked away. My daughter followed him, saying, “Milo, you need to take responsibility for your actions.” She told us what had happened, and my son and I both laughed heartily. My daughter held her nose with one hand, while using the other to wipe up the small mess on the floor.
Milo quickly learned his name. Whenever we called him, he would excitedly run over, full of energy. Sometimes, he would sneak under the sofa to sleep, and no one could find him until we heard his soft meow, letting us know he was hiding there. When he woke up, his tail wagged like a little dog’s, full of energy. As long as the dogs were not around, he no longer hid in the corner to observe us secretly. Instead, he began to run freely around the house, as if he had discovered his own territory.
Milo started to feel that the world was no longer so unfamiliar. He could sense that the people in the house cared about him, and that Snowy and Shadow were simply his playmates, and he was now part of the family.
We would tie a ball of yarn to a stick and play with him. Milo was always full of energy, jumping up to catch the yarn ball, seemingly never tired of playing. He ran freely around the house, quickly growing to about 15 or 16 centimeters in height, becoming stronger. His jumping ability also increased, and he could leap nearly 40 centimeters into the air to catch the ball. Despite this, he was still able to nimbly crawl in and out from under the sofa, occasionally observing the happenings around him with curiosity.
One time, my daughter placed Milo on a bookshelf above the bed. Milo might not have been able to judge the softness or hardness of the bed, and hesitated while standing on the shelf. He tried to jump down but kept retreating cautiously, as if weighing the risks of jumping. My daughter patiently encouraged him, but Milo still didn’t dare to come down easily.
Finally, she stacked several blankets on the ground, helping him jump down little by little. This was Milo’s first adventure from a height, and he learned that as long as someone was with him, he could safely explore new places. From then on, he became bolder, jumping higher and higher.
Milo was always curious. Whenever we washed our hands, he would jump onto the sink, carefully examining where the water was coming from and where it went. When we turned off the faucet, he would reach his little paws to grab the sink's filter, seemingly trying to figure out the path of the water. We deliberately let the water flow slowly, and Milo would try to catch the flowing water with his little paws, even attempting to touch the switches we had used. It seemed like he was thinking, “Can I learn how to turn on the faucet too?” This little exploration made his world feel wider.
As Milo grew, his intelligence began to shine. One day, my daughter told him to “sit,” and to her surprise, Milo sat down! Then she taught him to “high-five,” and he quickly followed suit. Without any treats as rewards, Milo, relying on his trust in my daughter and his cleverness, managed to perform these actions successfully. My daughter was also amazed and tried several times, and he succeeded each time.
To verify this incredible discovery, my daughter asked me to try it, and when I accidentally used Chinese, Milo immediately placed his soft paw on my hand. My daughter excitedly said, “How does he understand Chinese?” I thought maybe Milo had figured out what to do from the same training environment. Perhaps he had learned it from the dogs, but no one believed he could do it. I told my sister back in China, and she laughed, saying, “The kitten is better than me—he understands two languages!”
When my daughter was attending an online class, the teacher, in order to liven up the class atmosphere, asked the students to show their pets. Most of the students had small dogs, and there were also rabbits, hamsters, and snakes. They all came over to say hello, which made everyone laugh.
When my daughter called out, “Mom, let Milo in, it’s his turn!” I quickly let Milo in, and my daughter signaled for him to jump onto the bed. Milo performed the sitting and high-five actions excellently, making the teacher and classmates laugh out loud. Before leaving, I’m not sure if it was the laughter from the classmates that caught his attention, but Milo cleverly pawed the computer screen and waved goodbye. The teacher was surprised and said, “I never knew a kitten could do things like a dog!”
One day, my daughter and I went to the park, and Milo followed us. We were worried he might run off, so we were preparing to take him back home and into the yard. But he paused for a second and then chased after us, following us for about 400 meters to the nearby park.
When Milo saw my daughter on the slide, he tried to climb up the slide, though he failed several times and kept sliding down halfway. He looked around and saw a nearby ladder. He climbed up one step at a time, hesitating a little in the middle. My daughter kept shouting, “Milo, Milo, come on, you can do it!” Finally, he gathered the courage to reach the top of the slide, and my daughter hugged him and kissed him repeatedly.
He only played with my daughter for about ten minutes before running off to play by himself under a nearby tree. After we had been playing for about an hour, Milo followed us back home.
This was his first “outing,” and from then on, Milo started enjoying our walks, never needing a leash. When my daughter rode her bike, he ran behind her. When we walked, he ran, stopped, and then ran again. We couldn’t understand it—perhaps Milo had learned these skills from the dogs along the way. Every time we walked down the street, pedestrians would stop and watch this clever “little monkey.” Several times, drivers rolled down their windows and said, “Is this little cat yours? I see him around here often, and he even avoids cars!”
One time, I took Milo to visit a Chinese friend’s house. She was my only Chinese friend nearby, and it was about 600 meters from our house, which was no problem for Milo. He followed me the whole way, occasionally running ahead when I got too far, and when I was talking to someone, he would run into their yard to play. The fence often couldn’t stop him, but he always stayed within my sight. However, most of the time, he followed me, especially enjoying walking along the curb, modeling like a catwalk model, never wanting to be carried.
When we got to my friend’s house, we chatted in the yard while Milo had a blast playing on his own. He jumped onto the grapevine above us and then ran to chase butterflies in the grass. He would leap into the air to catch the butterflies, jumping about 70 or 80 centimeters. If we had taken a picture at that moment, it would have been a beautiful sight.
When I stood up to prepare to leave, I hadn’t had the chance to call Milo yet, but he seemed to know. He ran over and followed me all the way back.
We passed by an open house, and I decided to take a quick look inside. After knocking, I told Milo to wait outside. I told the real estate agent, “I need to quickly check inside, my kitten is waiting outside.” She said, “He can come in.” I hesitated to let him into the well-decorated house, but as I listened to the agent’s introduction, I hurriedly took a quick look in the basement and then went upstairs.
When I finished and was about to leave, I said, “I need to find my cat,” and in the rush, I heard the agent laughing and saying, “He went downstairs to see the house.” I thought I had misheard her, but when I went out, I called, “Milo—” and he came running out of the house. I was shocked, and the agent said, “I let your Milo come in.” She praised him as being too cute, and I wondered, was he acting like a well-behaved dog or a mischievous child? I was still puzzled as to how he understood these social norms.
Before we had a cat door installed, during Toronto’s cold winter, I didn’t want him to stay outside for too long. Every night, I would get up several times to let him in and out.
Most of the time, late at night, as soon as I opened the two doors, he could hear it from 100 meters away. When I opened the door, I could see him running from the open space ahead, his speed and posture made me feel how much he longed to return home. I couldn’t help but wonder, had I let him get too cold or hungry? Usually, I would open the door, close it, wait one or two minutes, and then open the door again, and he would be there at the door. If he didn’t return, I would repeat it once or twice, and most of the time, he would come back. But there were times when he didn’t. Sometimes, he would return from a side I couldn’t see, and I wouldn’t spot him until he was at the door.
When he didn’t come back, I couldn’t fall asleep. I would wait half-asleep for him. When he finally returned, he would scratch the door with his paws (I’m not sure how he does it, but we never saw him do it). If he didn’t come back, he might be in a neighbor’s warm house.
The nice neighbors told us that Milo liked to visit them. They would often send us pictures of him sleeping at their house, eating their food, or helping them work in the yard. They spoiled him like a little prince. At first, everyone was surprised, wondering how a little cat could know how to knock on doors.
One of the mailmen once said that Milo always accompanied him on his mail rounds. Every time the mailman felt tired or bored, seeing Milo would give him a burst of energy. On Christmas, the mailman even brought Milo a gift, saying that Milo brought so much joy to his hard work. He thanked him for his company. Now that the mailman has retired, I’m sure he misses Milo, and Milo must miss him too.
As the emotional bond with Milo continues to strengthen, new challenges and experiences await. In Chapter 4, we explore the unexpected lessons and growth that come with living alongside Milo. Video link
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