3/26/2008

Insomnia, Aash, And A Cat Named Asghar

Blossoms in Hamadan, Iran, March 26, 2008.
I have been working myself ragged again this week, working hard during the day at work while I concentrate on some exciting projects, and unable to sleep well at night. I am also volunteering to help out with an event in April, and so much work has to be done on that project between now and then. It's a good thing this is a short week for me as Friday is a State holiday.
I went to visit my younger sister on my way home tonight. She gave me a bowl of aash to bring home with me. It was a relief not to have to make dinner tonight! I want to go to bed early tonight (we will see about that!). I will tell you another story about Asghar and then I go.
So, I should have known better after the incident which had landed him in the third floor neighbor's balcony, but it hadn't occurred to me that this might happen again. The week following that incident, when my kids and I arrived our apartment complex, we thought we heard Asghar in the parking lot. This was surreal, because Asghar had been left inside a locked apartment on the fourth floor and there was no way he could be in the parking five floors below! Right? Wrong! My older son followed the cat's meowing and soon found him and brought him to us. Asghar's entire face was covered in congealed blood and his claws were injured as he had lost all his nails, taking a flight from the fourth floor into the parking lot! Oh My God! He was subdued and quiet and didn't respond very well to our calling his name. We rushed him to his vet in Amanieh, and he instructed us to take him to a pet hospital emergency room in Vanak for X-rays. As it turned out, he must have tried to fetch one of the birds on the tree branches just outside the balcony, and had taken a free fall five floors below, declawing himself while trying to hang on to the tree and the walls around, breaking his nose and fracturing his skull! Can you believe that?! He was heavily medicated to stay calm and we were told he had a 50-50 chance of survival. My kids were beside themselves with grief. The next day I had screen walls installed on the balcony (toori), and while he recuperated, we stood vigil by his side for a few days. He recovered soon enough, getting back to his "no good" state, but his tiny nose bore a very small crook where he had broken it! I miss Asghar, the cat with the crooked nose! He now lives in Karaj with a man who loves cats. Be good and have a good Wednesday you all.

11 comments:

Daisy said...

Salam Nazy jon,

Oh, that was a terrible accident; the poor cat. I always thought cats are so light that they can manage their weight when they jump around. Well that shows how much I know about cats in general. But what I understand well and I can relate to is the horrible feeling of watching something very precious in pain and not to be able to do anything. I had two canaries not long time ago. I remember the day my female canary died. It was such a strange feeling. I never knew I could be so emotional over such a small bird. The truth is that your pet become something way more than pet. Anyhow, I'm glad that Asghar survived the accident.
Khaste nabashy, I hope you aren't working too hard. Good night and sweet dream.

Anonymous said...

I admire your humanitarian deed ...Though I love animals , I doubt I would have done the same thing if I had been in ur shoes

Shadi said...

نازی جان نازی جان
چقدر دلم برای خوندن نوشته هات تنگ شده بود امان از این شبانه روز که فقط بیست و چهار ساعته امروز نشستم دلی لز عزا درآوردم تا پسرک خواب بود
کاشکی عکس اصغر رو داشتی می ذاشتی اینجا عاشقش شدم گربه کله خراب ماجراجو! خسته نباشی نازی عزیز و خوب و خوش باشی

SERENDIP said...

Nazy jan: You must miss Asghar a lot. He sounds like a remarkable cat with much spunk. How old is he?

Have a great day and check out my blog.

Anonymous said...

Poor cat.Nazy aziz,you are telling the story such that everyone can sympathy with you,well ,at least me.I have just experienced Finches among the pets.Very lovely birds.I loved their lively sound,low frequency, and the joy and love there is between the couples.I quite understand your feeling about your cat .
Have a great days ahead.
Take care,dear
Happy spring!
Aida

Anonymous said...

Poor cat.Nazy aziz,you are telling the story such a way that everyone can sympathy with you,well ,at least me.I have just experienced Finches among the pets.Very lovely birds.I loved their lively sound,low frequency, and the joy and love there is between the couples.I quite understand your feeling about your cat .
Have a great days ahead.
Take care,dear
Happy spring!
Aida

Nazy said...

Salam Bar Sweet Daisy:

Hey, I saw your picture, and you really are beautiful, Daisy Jan! How wonderful to have a visual reference to you now.

One of the reasons I stay away from pets these days is precisely because you become attached to them and it makes things really complicated. I looked for a home for Asghar for a year before I could find one for him, so I know that attachment intimately.

I hope your weekend has been brilliant Daisy Jan!

Nazy said...

Salam Noonoosh Jan:

Thank you so much for coming and for leaving me this kind comment. To love a pet is tantamount to adopting a new member of the family! That's why I am resisting it now, because once they come in, they can never leave because now they live in your heart!

I came to visit your blogs. Very nice! Have a nice day Noonoosh Jan.

Nazy said...

Golabi, Golabi!

Where have you been? I miss you so much! I hope you have started a happy new year my friend.

I will have to scan Asghar's pictures soon and I will post them. I also want to scan and show some of my childhood photographs which are really funny.

Please come back again soon!

Nazy said...

Salam Serendip Jan:

Thank you so very very much for that sweet post for me! I was so touched! Your cats are gorgeous!

I do miss my playful and very spoilt cat! He is 7 years old now.

I hope you are enjoying your Sunday, Serendip.

Nazy said...

Salam Aida Joon!

Happy New Year to you, too! I love birds, too, though my experience with them was limited to a parrot, and parrots are neither low frequency, nor low maintenace! He was really rude--he would eat sunflower seeds and spit the shells out of his cage, all around the room! Hee Hee, he was a "biter," too, though he never bit me! He did bite my ex-husband with some regularity!

I might try birds sometime, as you make them sound so peaceful to own!

Take care lovely Aida! Please come back again soon.