Zaima Rahman, daughter of BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, on Monday shared an emotional post on social media reflecting on her family’s bond with their pet cat ‘Zebu’ and the responsibilities of caring for animals.
In a Facebook post, Zaima said she was surprised yet amused by the curiosity surrounding ‘Zebu’ in Bangladesh, adding that the cat would probably find it amusing if she could understand.
“Caring for an animal, any animal, is a great responsibility. After all, it is a life, a creation of Allah. When I first brought Zebu home as a kitten, I never imagined how deeply she would become part of our family,” she writes.
Zaima said there were times when her parents would come home and ask after ‘Zebu’ before asking about her!
She said ‘Zebu’ would stay close to her mother while she gardened or walked around the neighbourhood, and would curl up on her father’s lap in the evenings, enjoying a head massage while he finished his work calls.
“As for me, Zebu always seemed able to read my emotions, offering comfort in the only ways her little paws and fluffy belly could,” Zaima said.
She noted that pet owners understand how challenging it is to move homes with animals, saying Zebu has now travelled across continents into a completely new world. “For her small soul, this is a far greater upheaval than we humans may ever fully realise.”
Through Zebu, Tarique’s only daughter said their family has learned a great deal about patience, compassion for creatures big and small, and the beauty of loving and caring for one another even without a shared language.
“Love, after all, transcends species. We have always grown up with animals, and I truly believe that anyone privileged enough to care for another living being will learn far more about themselves than they might expect,” she said.
Sharing a fun fact about her pet, Zaima said Zebu doesn’t meow! “She never has, not even if she’s stuck inside a cupboard. Instead, she chirps softly like a bird when she’s happy or surprised, groans in mild protest if you carry her without permission, and can yowl quite aggressively at cats she doesn’t like!”