Meet Alfie

The tiny soul at the heart of this space!

I have been an avid cat lover since childhood. On a random day, I told my husband that I was getting a kitten. Surprisingly, I was super clear about the breed too –  a white Ragdoll with blue eyes. I would have loved any other kitten just as much, but my heart just wanted a Ragdoll.

A couple of months passed between the day I first told my husband and the day we actually brought one home. Honestly, I didn’t expect him to be on board from day one. He was never someone I would have called a pet lover, let alone a cat lover. 

 It took a lot of convincing – so much that I eventually reached a point where I declared – I am getting one, no matter what.  If you don’t want one, then you can keep your distance.  Sounds rude, doesn’t it? I know!!! But that was the extent of my desire and excitement about getting a kitten.

Finally, we decided – let’s start looking. We went to a few catteries, specifically looking for a Ragdoll.

The Moment I Found Alfie 

We went to a place which had a mix of Persians and Ragdoll kittens. I simply went with the idea of getting a kitten with whom I felt an instant connection.

At first, I lifted a fawn Persian kitten who was very cute & playful. My husband also started petting him and then picked him up. 

Then a white fluffball walked past me. I lifted him gently, looked at him, and got a special feeling of – He is the one!
It was as though he struck a chord in my heart, and I instantly said to my husband – I want him. 

And guess what! He was just what I was looking for.

Yes, you guessed it right! A white flame- point Ragdoll with blue eyes. Still getting goosebumps as I write this.

Now the next question was – what name do we give him? We had made a list of around ten names and wanted to choose one after meeting the kitten – a name that suited his personality and appearance. Only one name could fit – Alfie.

Meet Alfie

Alfie Came Home

My happiness knew no bounds as we prepared to bring him home. My family was equally excited.

For them, it was a special feeling because they probably had never imagined getting a cat. Seeing their excitement, I knew my baby would be deeply loved by the entire family. 

It was a 4-hour drive to get him home – so we expected him to feel anxious and somewhat frightened when he arrived. On his first night, he chose to sleep right next to me – tucked in closely. I felt so emotional and, in fact, slept like a baby next to Alfie.

The next morning, he was better.

He ate his food, tried to familiarise himself with the room and sat on my lap. The next thing he did brought me happy tears – he kneaded biscuits. The tears had a reason. I saw it as a sign of him feeling safe and associating me with his mother.

It was all about that connection I mentioned earlier. I think he felt it too!

He Took Over Our Room

Gradually, as days passed, he felt better and began exploring the room. It was delightful to watch him hopping around like a fluffball. He tried to get inside every corner, every hole, every space that he could possibly reach.

He would sleep on our bed as if it were entirely his. We just got to share some space on it. He would sleep wherever he felt like – switching sleeping spots, and we had to adjust accordingly. 

Our bed had become his favourite place to hang around. We got him two cat beds, but he would only sleep on our bed – alternately switching sides with my husband and me.

And then he decided to own my chair too. There is a story behind this.

During his initial days, after dinner, he would come on my lap while I was working and would sleep for 1-2 hours. This continued for a few days. I felt elated seeing him choose my lap to sleep.

One day, due to some work meetings, I had to make him sleep on the chair next to me instead of my lap. From that day on, my lap was no longer required for the post-dinner naps. It was the Chair!

He would just not leave it! So we started sharing it, but my space on it shrank day by day – until one day he decided that it’s his chair and I should no longer be using it while he was on it.

So then the chair became his favourite space; and we got our bed back.

My chair was no longer mine; it was Alfie’s.

The Little Ways He Loved

Mornings with Alfie were the most special.

Every morning, he would wait for me to wake up. And as soon as I did, he would jump over on the bed, walk up to me and sit on my chest. His tiny paws would gently tap on my face, followed by the most special sound – the Purr!

And we would lie still for a while. This happened every single morning. Literally every morning! I loved it. I would often just look at him and feel grateful to have him– my loving baby.

Within a few weeks, he had become much more expressive. 

After eating, he would scratch the floor near the food bowl almost as if he were trying to hide his food or make it clear that it was still his.

He would sleep with his belly fully exposed, in a completely relaxed state – I loved seeing him that comfortable around us.

He hated when I worked and didn’t give him attention.  He would sit on my laptop keypad as if reminding me that he deserved my attention more than anything on the screen.

Sometimes, he would just look at me before sleeping and would do a slow blink. I saw it as his quiet way of saying – I love you.

His night zoomies were always a treat to watch. He turned our room into a playground with his endless energy.

I often felt that Alfie was protective of me, especially while I was in the washroom. Every morning, I would find him guarding the door and waiting for me to come out. And the moment I did, he would look up at me, do his slow blink and then follow me around.

While he bonded with me deeply, he had also developed a special connection with my husband. Especially during the night – when I would be asleep. He would sit on his lap, watch TV, and play with him.

Alfie truly became one of the greatest joys of our lives.

For me, my entire day revolved around him. We both would wake up together; he would sit next to me while I worked, sometimes even nap on my table.

The evenings were playful when he was full of energy – he would poke me to play with him. Especially with his favourite paper balls. He loved those, and I would make a new one every day. 

Every single moment in which he expressed his love became the highlight of my day. He turned my stressful work days into days filled with healing purrs and love.

I won’t shy away from saying that Alfie expressed his love for me in a special way. He seemed to know that I loved him deeply, and perhaps that’s why he felt free to trouble me as much as he wanted – only because he also loved me. 

While mornings were filled with his gentle expressions of love, he would get naughtier by the day. 

He expressed himself as and when he wanted.

He would bite my hands off when I wanted to pet him but would also hold my hand tightly while he groomed himself. He would even scratch me sometimes to resist but would also come to get my attention while I worked.

Deep down, I knew – He loved me as if he owned me.

The Joy He Brought Into Our Home 

With Alfie around, everyone beamed with joy. He gave us unconditional love and had somehow transformed the aura of our home. Every corner in my room is filled with Alfie’s shadow in it. 

He marked every inch of my heart with his gentle touch and purrs. But he also clearly shifted something deep inside my husband’s heart. He realised a kind of love that he thought he never would have, had it not been for Alfie.

Within 3-4 months, Alfie was no longer simply the kitten I had wanted for so long.

He had become a part of the rhythm of our home, part of my mornings, my workdays, my evenings, and the way all of us felt at home – happier and warmer.

His presence had quietly woven itself into everything.

My tiny little soul stayed with us for only 4 months, yet filled our lives with unconditional love, beautiful memories, and emotions that feel like an eternity.