06
“Does anyone know Little Cat? His mom is looking for him.”
The post also included a missing-cat notice.
A flood of comments immediately appeared below it:
“Pfft, what cat has a name that… suspiciously cute?”
“How embarrassing. You’re all grown up, and you still have your mom out looking for you. Hahaha… sob, sob. It’s not like I’m jealous!”
“Oh, isn’t this Dao Ba? So his real name is Little Cat. That’s the complete opposite of his appearance.”
“The forum’s mighty, awe-inspiring moderator, Dao Ba, is named Little Cat?”
“Offering cat-finding services, right to your door. DM me if you need help.”
“Wait, why has the person who posted this been verified as… human?”
“Help! A human has shown up on the forum!”
……
The comments piled up at a dizzying rate, and the post blew up, sending the forum into chaos.
Amid all the messages questioning who I was, one message stood out:
“Delete the post. Now.”
The sender was Dao Ba the Wanderer.
Or, more accurately—Little Cat.
I obediently deleted the post, then messaged Little Cat to ask when he’d be coming home.
Dao Ba the Wanderer: “I’ll give my mom a new home.”
It sounded cold and domineering.
I had a feeling that when he was with his mom, he didn’t know how to act affectionate, either.
I didn’t doubt what he said.
After all, a cat capable of becoming a forum moderator must have some special ability.
I didn’t get a clear answer, but at least I knew Little Cat was safe and sound.
I sent Little Cat’s mom a few words of comfort, then got ready to get back to treating my patients.
I didn’t expect the forum to explode completely.
Members flooded in, demanding answers from the moderator: “Why is a human sneaking around on the forum?”
Just then, Little Cat smacked himself on the head. “My master once said that, aside from the person who saved his life…”
Then it suddenly dawned on him. “The person who saved my life… is my adoptive mom!”
He hurriedly posted an announcement to the whole forum: “Everyone, don’t be afraid. Our adoptive mom is here!”
Whoever started it, a chorus of comments soon appeared below:
“Beneath the neon lights and wine, our adoptive mom protects us in the world of strays!”
07
When I reopened the forum, it was filled with posts welcoming me and expressing their affection:
“Thank goodness, it’s our adoptive mom! We have hope!”
“We pay our respects to Her Adoptive Momship! Long live Her Adoptive Momship, ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years!”
“Your Adoptive Momship, we’re willing to follow you for the rest of our lives!”
“A miracle-working healer cures sick cats and saves dogs’ lives!”
……
They were really enthusiastic.
Little Cat suggested I make a new post to introduce myself and share my thoughts with everyone.
After thinking it over, I carefully typed the post’s title:
“If you haven’t been spayed or neutered yet, come see me ASAP.”
That was what I really wanted to say.
I hoped to complete a TNR (trap-neuter-return) program for every cat and dog in the area.
Use a limited number of spay-and-neuter procedures to stop unlimited hunting.
My call to action received an overwhelming response:
“Joke around all you want, but don’t take our adoptive mom’s words lightly!”
“Spaying and neutering is the truth! If you refuse to go, I’ll beat you up!”
“Get fixed first, then claim your mom. That’s how you enter the world of strays!”
……
Not long after I posted, cats and dogs began showing up one after another to get spayed or neutered.
Some came willingly; others were escorted in by their own kind.
It was quite a spectacle.
So many cats and dogs came in to be spayed or neutered that I couldn’t perform all the procedures in a short time.
I sorted them by species, sex, age, weight… then made a list and assigned numbers, planning to handle them in batches.
“Everyone, remember your number. I’ll post on the forum each day to let you know whose turn it is. If anyone can’t make it, then…”
Before I could finish, a chorus of voices broke in:
“Don’t worry, adoptive mom. No matter what, I’ll be there on time!”
“Me too!”
“You can count on us, adoptive mom. If anyone refuses to go when it’s their turn, we’ll drag them there!”
“Exactly! If they don’t show up, they’re getting a beating!”
……
I rubbed my temples, my head aching from all the noise, and held a finger to my lips. “Quiet, please.”
All the cats and dogs immediately sat down in neat rows. Some even held their breath.
“Before coming to the veterinary hospital, you need to fast for eight hours and avoid water for four. Make sure you prepare yourselves.”
After giving them the instructions, I casually told them to hurry home.
Unexpectedly, they suddenly sounded aggrieved and answered in unison:
“Adoptive mom, we don’t have homes.”
A tiny voice added, “I’ve never had a home, not since I was born…”
Many of the young cats and dogs nodded in agreement:
“Me too.”
“Me neither.”
They were all second- or third-generation strays…
Going along with what they’d said, I explained the purpose of spaying and neutering: “That’s why we do it—to put an end to new generations of strays.”
They nodded, still a little dazed.
Even the cats and dogs who’d been against getting fixed gradually relaxed their furrowed brows.
Another soft voice spoke up. “I used to have a home, but…”
In truth, every stray cat and dog still yearned for the homes that had once sheltered them.
They clung to warm memories to keep going in this cruel world.
All I could do was sigh helplessly. “It’s okay. Those who can go home will go home. Those who don’t have a home yet will find one.”
And that was why I wanted to give them a home.
08
I asked Little Cat to provide as much detailed information as possible about every forum member.
Photos, names, sex, age, interests, history…
Using the information available, I picked out a group of kittens and puppies who had been lost by accident.
Then I posted their information on major social media platforms.
Every so often, I reposted it.
I kept at it, and eventually more and more people noticed my efforts.
Many kind people began sharing my posts.
Some even learned about my crazy plan and offered financial support.
I thanked them sincerely.
The news spread from one person to ten, from ten to a hundred, then to thousands and tens of thousands.
Some owners of lost pets found the posts and hurried to contact me. They confirmed their pets’ identities in astonishment, then broke down when they realized these were the “little ones” they’d lost.
According to the rules, once all the information had been checked and confirmed, owners could come pick up their pets and take them home.
Among them was a little dog with champagne-colored fur—a Teddy.
Its owner had moved to another city the year before.
When the owner learned that their little dog was still alive in this world, they immediately drove thousands of miles, crossing several cities just to bring the pup back to their side.
When the owner saw the Teddy, they couldn’t hold back their tears and called out through sobs:
“Cầu Cầu, I thought I’d never see you again…”
The Teddy stared wide-eyed in confusion, then hesitantly came closer, sniffing at the familiar scent.
“Oh my gosh, is it really you, Mom…?”
After so many days lost and alone, they were finally reunited.
The owner hugged the Teddy tight, sobbing too hard to speak.
Before leaving, she bowed her head to thank me over and over.
The Teddy copied its mom, bobbing its head in thanks and blinking its bright, sparkling eyes:
“Thank you, adoptive mom.”
At last, the Teddy waved its little paw goodbye to me.
One by one, the animals who had truly gone missing by accident were picked up by their owners and taken home.
Perhaps their owners simply hadn’t seen the posts about the ones who remained.
Or… perhaps they hadn’t gone missing at all. They’d been abandoned.
I sent each one a private message on the forum, asking if they wanted to find a new owner.
It took a long, long time, but each one finally replied with a single word: “Okay.”
Except for a Maltese named Điềm Điềm.
“Adoptive mom, I still want to wait for my mom. She loves me so much. Maybe she just hasn’t seen my post yet.”
“Back then, I was the most expensive puppy in the whole litter. Mom saw me and bought me without a second thought.”
“Mom used to say I was her dearest treasure. She’ll definitely come for me.”
“I believe her.”
I respected the little one’s decision.
If Điềm Điềm could be so sure, then surely its owner had once loved it dearly.
I just never imagined that as soon as Điềm Điềm saw its “loving mother” again, it would leave this world.
“That day, Điềm Điềm caught its mother’s scent and immediately ran after her.
When it got close, it carefully approached and sniffed at its mother’s pant leg. Its eyes suddenly lit up.
The moment it excitedly bounded toward her, its mother kicked it hard.
We thought its mother hadn’t recognized it, because Điềm Điềm was filthy now, nothing like before.
Besides, we strays were used to being scolded and kicked.
Điềm Điềm didn’t give up. It held back its pain and wagged its tail, hoping its mother would recognize it.
But its mother turned and walked away, saying to her friend as she went, ‘That dog looks so much like the one I used to have.’
Hearing that, Điềm Điềm thought there might still be hope and ran after her despite its injuries.
But then it heard its own mother say…”
The dog recounted what had happened, its voice trembling:
“‘Điềm Điềm was too clingy. It was such a nuisance. I threw it away, then got a new cat.”
When Điềm Điềm heard that, its heart shattered.
Its wounds hadn’t healed, and the emotional shock on top of that was too much. It… didn’t make it.
I lowered my head and stared at that filthy little body.
Its fur had turned grayish yellow, like an old rag, with none of the pristine white it had once been.
It was Điềm Điềm.
Điềm Điềm, cold and lifeless.
I brushed aside the tangled fur on its face.
Beneath its closed eyes were blood-red tear tracks, soaked deep into its skin like bleeding wounds.
I stroked its head with trembling hands, my voice choked with emotion:
“Điềm Điềm…”
The name left a bitter taste in my mouth that wouldn’t go away.
We buried Điềm Điềm on a quiet hillside in the outskirts.
Birds sang there, and flowers and grasses bloomed in vivid colors.
Hardly anyone ever went there.