My life with Juanita The Cat
MANILA, Philippines - It was a stormy Thursday night at Prive, and I was tasked to be the tour guide of our traveling group. When it got a bit late, it was my responsibility to make sure everyone got home safely, so off to the van I ran, sending each one off — as a part of me wanted to go back to the packed club. Walking back, my peripheral vision noticed that there was a little creature crossing the street, unmindful of the strong rain and the vehicles it was about to have a collision with. On impulse, I lunged out to signal a driver to stop his car and then proceeded to pick up this little baby girl off the street. She was wet, shivering and seemed lost, looking for her mama that seemed nowhere in sight. I brought her home, got her dry, gave her a bed (shared mine) and made sure she felt warm. She slept beside me like the baby that she is. One month after, she’s still sleeping beside me, even if she has a bed of her own. In fact she just dozed off right on my lap as I was writing this piece about her. Meet my baby, Juanita The Cat.
Growing up in a household of 10 dogs, I never thought I’d have a cat as a pet or companion ever in my life. I had always thought of myself as a dog person (a whisperer at that). Anywhere I go, I would reach my hand out to a dog — even those that seemed unfriendly — and in a few seconds, he would be my new best friend. But a cat? Never did I see myself waking up in the wee hours to prepare milk, making sure that the litter box was clean, calling the vet worrying about her health, running back home early from engagements to make sure she had been fed — all of which I do now, and more. Juanita The Cat has transformed me into a parent.
Nothing makes you realize that “you don’t know it all” until you become the parent of a kitty cat. But thanks to the kindness of Juanita The Cat’s godmothers — Margarita Fores and Joey Mead King — I was given good guidance on the first steps of taking care of Juanita The Cat. Joey was hosting a Cartier event in Singapore and she called me on the phone, told me to grab a pen and write down everything she said. That included having my driver get the right milk and feeding bottle from her house and teaching me how to feed little Juanita, who was then just learning how to make her baby steps and playing with me whenever she felt like it. Margarita, on the other hand, went the extra mile and sent me the number of a home service vet, someone who I now call a friend and is my 24-hour dial-a-vet hotline for Juanita The Cat. Being a first-time parent, I panic a lot — when she looks bloated, when she’s not eating, when it seems like she has aphasia allergies, when she sleeps — you get the drift.
They say that when you own a dog, you own a dog. But when you own a cat, the cat actually owns you. I couldn’t agree more. With one look, you’re really under their command. It’s like you can’t say no. I really don’t know why. But then they more than make up for it by being so neat — they’re cleaning themselves more than half the time. They’re very disciplined and, I must say, quite discreet with their toilet habits. Even at such a tender age, they display so much grace; they’re not needy and know exactly when to call for your attention — on their terms. Sounds like people who get the upper hand in relationships!
My joy in life right now is to carry Juanita The Cat around, from tapings to meetings and even events (sometimes she stays in the van with my assistant, who’s now her assistant, too) and make sure she’s also having the best time discovering new things in this world. Just like her dad, Juanita The Cat is also a people person: she is quite at ease with a crowd of people fussing about her. She wakes up to me doing Instagram photo shoots of her daily life, eats every three to four hours, has home visits from her vet, chooses between her five beds (three are just for her) where she feels like dozing off after a heavy meal, plays with her toys given by my Spanish teacher Inma and hangs out on the set of The Tim Yap Show, where guests look for her the minute they get to the studio. And yes, she even has an endorsement offer!
Yet, despite all these things, Juanita The Cat will always remain a humble pusapin. A pusapin is what used be known as pusakal, but without the shame of where they’re from. For me, breeding is how you were raised, how well you behave, and how you treat others, not your surname or your gene pool. It applies to people, it applies to cats. I never thought that this little pusapin would give me so much joy in life.
Oh, wait, she woke up. Gotta finish this article now and attend to her. I think she’s in the mood to play. But I have to prepare her milk and her favorite tuna dish and then make sure to fix her bed and her toys.
Yes, Juanita The Cat owns me, there’s no doubt about that.
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More tales about #JuanitaTheCat on my twitter and Instagram, @officialtimyap.
