Isla and the Cats

It has become very clear over the past few months that our baby girl is a big-time animal lover, like her mama. And I’ll be honest- I’m totally thrilled! Isla can spot a bird flying amongst the skyscrapers of Puxi from a moving taxi, she attempts to hug every neighborhood cat we pass, and she can hear the faintest of dog barks across our neighborhood from inside our house! She is definitely drawn to animals, and while she clearly loves them all, it seems that cats hold an extra special place in her heart. Perhaps it is because we have two sweet kitties that Isla been around since we brought her home from the hospital. Isla loves Mu-wuh and Fafa (Miller and Safa), and spending time with them has become part of her daily routine.

A few weeks ago, Isla toddled over to Miller and Safa’s food bowl, picked up a few pieces of kibble, and started to hand-feed the cats. We were absolutely amazed, as this is not something we do. Isla came up with the idea entirely on her own. She had observed the cats eating from their bowl, wanted a way to interact with them, and took things into her own hands- literally! Every day since, Isla has made it a habit to feed Miller and Safa whenever we visit them. She lets us know she wants to see the cats by asking, “Mu-wuh, Fafa, food, pees?”

We are truly amazed with Isla’s bravery and confidence with the cats. They are easily half her size, and cat teeth are even scary to adults, yet she does not seem phased. We are even more amazed with how well the cats have responded to Isla, and how eager they are to interact with her now. She treats them with love and tenderness, and it is incredibly heartwarming to witness her expressing compassion at a such a young age. Isla and the cats have a beautiful little friendship forming, and it is such a treat to watch them interact.

Isla talks about Mu-Wah and Fafa often, so it is clear they are never far from her mind. This evening as we put Isla to bed, I even discovered a piece of kitty kibble under her pillow…

Isla even offered to share her “ooh ooh” with Miller! Such a sweetie.Safa, the escape artist, trying to open the bedroom door. We have to keep it locked so that he stays put.Isla giving Miller a bao bao (hug).