Anran’s Nine Lives

The Clumsy Protector

1.

I wandered through the streets and alleys. It was a beautiful day, and I saw a little butterfly land on my nose. I wanted to play with her, so I chased her under the warm sunlight, running and jumping until I unknowingly found myself on a road I rarely visited.

Suddenly, a piercing screech and a blinding flash of light shot across my vision. Then everything went dark.

When I woke up, I slowly opened my eyes, but the bright light stung, making it hard to see. As the blurry images cleared, I realized I was trapped in some kind of box. I didn’t recognize this place, and every part of my body hurt. I vaguely felt someone touching my stomach, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying.

Before I could process anything, I drifted off again.

The next time I woke, I felt a sharp pain in my back. It seemed like humans were trying to help me. My left front paw was completely limp and useless. I was so hungry. I waited and waited for the boy to bring me a snack, but he never came.

Eventually, I noticed something: every time I woke up, food would appear in this box. Starving, I devoured it without hesitation. I could taste something strange mixed into the food, but I didn’t care—I just wanted to get better, though I wasn’t even sure why.

I began staying awake for longer stretches, but my left front paw still hurt badly. The box was too small, and I couldn’t move around much. Frustrated, I started scratching at the edges of the box, hoping to find a way out. But every time the humans came in, all they did was leave more food and then leave again. I didn’t need food—I just wanted to get out!

One afternoon, as I sat in the box staring blankly, the boy came to visit. He waved at me through the glass and moved his fingers along the box, trying to play with me. I sniffed at where his fingers stopped, but there was no smell. My paw was still too painful to move, so all I could do was stare at him.

The days passed, and the boy came to see me every afternoon. He would sit in front of the box, doing nothing but watching me. Sometimes, he’d talk, but I couldn’t understand a word. Even so, he never gave up.

I lost track of time. One day, the box finally opened…

2.

Every day after school, the boy would stop by the hospital to visit the little cat. He wanted her to recover soon so he could take her home.

After school, he arrived at the hospital, bag slung over his shoulders. Through the glass, he saw the cat lying in the box, still fast asleep. Leaning close, he whispered, “You have to survive. I’ll take you home. Please don’t give up.”

Then he sat on the floor by the glass, opened his bag, and started working on his homework.

The boy came every day, talking to the cat about the little things that had happened at school. He knew she couldn’t understand, but he talked anyway. He stayed for two hours each day before heading home.

At home, the boy set down his bag, and his mother called out from the kitchen, “Yi Yi, you’re back! Did you visit the kitten again? How is she today?”

“She looks a little better today,” Yi Yi replied. “The doctor said she’s been eating, and as long as she eats, she’ll make it.”

“That’s great! She’ll be ready to come home soon. Let’s go buy some things for her after dinner, okay?”

“Sure! I did some research. We need to get her cat food, a litter box, litter, snacks, and a cat tree. I hope she likes the cat tree.”

“Alright, let’s eat first, and then we’ll head out.”

After dinner, Yi Yi helped his mom clean up the dishes and tidy the table. Then the two of them went to the city’s largest pet store. They carefully picked out everything they needed, even buying several cat toys.

Back home, they happily unboxed their purchases and planned where to put everything. They also removed some houseplants after Yi Yi learned they might be harmful to cats.

It had always been just Yi Yi and his mom at home. She worked remotely, earning a stable income, so she could always take care of him. Yi Yi had never asked about his father. To him, his mom was enough.

A week later, on a quiet Saturday morning, Yi Yi and his mom left the house with a pet carrier to bring the kitten home.

3.

One day, the box finally opened, and I saw a familiar face—it was the boy. He had another box with him and seemed to want me to go inside. I hesitated but realized I didn’t have much of a choice.

Cautiously, I stepped out of the box. The boy gently stroked my head and whispered, “Don’t be afraid. We’re going home.”

Home? What is that? I didn’t understand, but I climbed into the new box anyway. It had a small clear window, but I could only see a tiny piece of the outside world.

After a long, bumpy journey, I finally arrived at a new place they called “home.”

When the box opened, I leapt out immediately but froze as soon as I hit the ground.

The boy crouched down in front of me and said, “My name is Yi Yi. This is my home, and now it’s your home too.” He pointed to the person beside him and added, “This is my mom. You can think of her as your mom too.”

Then he excitedly pointed to the corner of the room where a cat tree stood. “I got you a bed and a climbing tree. Do you like it?”

The room was simple but cozy. The furniture was mostly light wood, with a pale yellow sofa that caught the sunlight. In the corner, a green and pink floral-shaped cat tree stood out. Its topmost platform was a pink flower-shaped bed that somehow fit perfectly with the rest of the room.

I began to explore, not because I saw this as my home but because I needed to find a way out.

I wandered around the room again and again, but every window was shut tight, and the door was locked. I was completely trapped. My left front paw still hadn’t fully healed, the scar across it deep and ugly, and my jumping ability wasn’t what it used to be.

Am I really stuck here? I couldn’t accept it. What happened to my freedom, my life on the streets?

The more I thought about it, the more restless I became. Eventually, I crawled under the sofa—it felt like the safest spot I could find. Hiding there, I tried to calm myself down.

After a while, Yi Yi came over with one of my favourite snacks—a cat stick treat. He knelt and held it out through the gap under the sofa, gently coaxing me to come out.

I hesitated for a long time, but my stomach growled loudly, betraying me. Finally, I couldn’t resist anymore. Reluctantly, I crawled out and began to nibble on the treat.

Seeing me let my guard down, Yi Yi beamed with joy and tried to pick me up. His hands carefully lifted my front legs, but as soon as he touched my left paw, the pain shot through me like lightning. I let out a sharp cry and darted back under the sofa.

“Yi Yi!” His mom rushed over at the sound. She looked under the sofa at me and sighed. “Let the kitten calm down on her own. Don’t rush her.”

Yi Yi nodded, looking guilty. He leaned down by the sofa and whispered, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

The lights went out, and the house fell silent. I heard their footsteps retreating down the hall.

Cautiously, I crawled out from under the sofa, scanning the room to make sure no one was around. A small bowl of food had been left nearby. The smell tempted me, so I slowly walked over and began to eat.

After finishing the food, I sat down to groom myself. I’d been cooped up in that box for so long that my fur was filthy and tangled. It would take a lot of work to get it clean again.

When I was done, I climbed onto the floral cat tree and made my way to the very top. The moonlight streamed through the windows, bathing me in a soft glow. I stared at the scar on my paw, thinking, Maybe I’ll stay here until I’ve fully recovered. Then I’ll decide what to do next.

Stretching lazily, I curled up in the flower-shaped bed and drifted off to sleep.

4.

At dawn, I was still fast asleep when I heard Yi Yi’s excited voice: “Mom! Look! She’s sleeping on the cat tree! I told you she will like it!”

I felt him come closer and gently stroke my head.

Yi Yi then checked my food bowl and saw that I’d finished the food he left out last night. Overjoyed, he went to the fridge, took out another bowl of leftovers, and placed it in front of me.

The smell of food woke me up. I stretched and yawned before padding over to the bowl. But as soon as I took a few bites, my stomach churned. I turned away and vomited everything I’d just eaten.

Yi Yi panicked, immediately crouching down to check on me. He quickly cleaned up the mess as his mom walked over. She inspected the food in the bowl, touching it with her fingers. “Yi Yi, this is too cold. Did you take it straight from the fridge? Cats can’t handle food that cold.”

Yi Yi looked down, embarrassed. “I didn’t think about that… I’m sorry.”

He took the bowl away, and from that day on, my meals were always served warm.

Little by little, I grew accustomed to this home and the humans’ routines. Every morning, shortly after sunrise, Yi Yi would put on his bag and leave for school. By the time I’d finished sunbathing and napping, he’d be back home, cheerful as ever.

Yi Yi’s mom spent most of her time at home working. She’d cook breakfast early in the morning, then head to her office to type away on her computer. Sometimes, I’d sneak into her room and sit on her desk. She’d give me a gentle pat on the head before returning to her work.

Yi Yi took care of me meticulously. He prepared warm meals for me every day, kept my litter box clean, and even brushed my fur regularly. I didn’t enjoy it when he applied medicine to my paw, but I loved the way he carefully worked through the tangles in my fur with a brush—it saved me so much effort.

In the evenings, Yi Yi would sit at his desk doing homework. I liked sitting nearby, watching him work until I inevitably dozed off.

Sometimes I think, maybe it's not too bad being around humans, don't need to worry about food, where to sleep, and YiYi, I don't know what kind of feeling I have for him right now, I can't explain it, but I don't hate stay beside him.

5.

One day, Yi Yi suddenly came up to me, crouched down, and looked me in the eyes.

“I’ve finally decided on a name for you,” he said seriously. “Anran. Do you know what it means? It means ‘safe and sound.’ I hope you’ll always be healthy and happy, no matter what.”

A name? Why do I need a name?

Panic surged through me. I’m a free cat. I belong only to myself. If I have a name, does that mean I’ll be stuck here forever?

By now, my paw had almost fully healed. The scar was still there, but the pain was gone, and my strength had returned. For the first time, I began to seriously think about leaving.

If I started causing trouble, would they let me go?

So, I hatched a plan.

First, I stationed myself by the door, waiting for Yi Yi to open it so I could make a run for it. But he was always watching me closely, never giving me a chance to escape. When that didn’t work, I turned my attention to the sofa.

I clawed at the fabric relentlessly, leaving deep scratches all over it. Sitting beside my handiwork, I waited for them to scold me and kick me out.

To my surprise, Yi Yi ran over, saw the mess, and said to his mom, “Mom, look! Anran’s paw must be feeling much better—she’s so strong now!”

His mom smiled. “You’re right. Let’s buy some scratch pads to cover the sofa.”

Soon, every surface of the sofa was covered with scratch pads, and my plan failed.

Frustrated, I tried a different approach. I climbed onto a cabinet, knocked over a vase, and watched it shatter into pieces on the floor. I sat proudly, waiting for their reaction.

Yi Yi rushed over in a panic, picked me up, and checked my paws. “Anran, are you okay? Did you step on any glass?”

I froze, confused by his concern.

No matter how many things I broke, or how much trouble I caused, they never got angry. They just cleaned up the mess and made sure I was okay.

This family seemed to have infinite patience.

At night, I sat by the window, staring into the darkness outside. My reflection flickered faintly on the glass, a shadow of the cat I used to be.

“Mom, have you noticed that Anran hasn’t been as naughty lately?” Yi Yi’s voice broke the silence.

“Maybe she’s growing up,” his mom replied with a gentle smile.

I wasn’t “growing up.” I had just temporarily accepted reality. If I couldn’t leave, I might as well enjoy the life these two-legged creatures provided. For now, I would settle for warm meals, a soft bed, and their constant affection.

Late at night, the house was completely silent. I slowly walked to the window, where the moonlight streamed through the curtains and spilled onto the floor. Sitting there, I looked up at the moon, a complex sense of calm washing over me.

My paw had nearly healed. The scar remained, but the pain was gone. Life here wasn’t bad—I had warm meals every day and soft places to sleep. Yi Yi would carefully groom my fur and clean my litter box, while his mom was always nearby, stroking my head and speaking to me in gentle tones.

It wasn’t the same as my life of freedom, but it wasn’t terrible either.

I stretched lazily and climbed to the top of the flower-shaped cat tree. It was right where the moonlight fell, bathing me in its glow. Curling up at the highest point, I slowly closed my eyes, thinking to myself that maybe I would decide what to do next after I had fully recovered.