Raqib Karim had always wanted a cat but the timing had never seemed right. However, when a friend asked him to take in a kitty that needed a home, he said yes.
“I was happy to finally have such a beautiful cat,” Raqib said.
Oreo is a five-year-old domestic long-hair who has turned out to be an enigma. For one, he will not go near his cat tree but loves to nestle close to the dozens of Orang Asli carvings in Raqib’s home.
“He also stares at empty spots on walls for no apparent reason,” Raqib told FMT fondly, adding that he has given up on trying to understand his coal-black friend.
“I would be unsettled but I’ve made peace with the fact that my house is probably haunted or something.” He’s just kidding, of course – or is he??
Oreo is so sweet that he has charmed nearly everyone he meets. From internet technicians to neighbours, the four-legged cookie rubs up against anyone who seems likely to give him a belly rub.
“He is well-liked by nearly everyone who meets him. Even my mother, who wasn’t a fan of cats,” Raqib said, explaining that his mum had initially been unhappy with a cat in the house.
“But Oreo is so easy to care for and affectionate that she has come around,” he said. “It also helped that Oreo matched the black-and-white decor of the house.”
He might have a charming personality, but Oreo is best known for his Houdini-like skills. The crafty kitty is nicknamed The Void because of how his long-haired coat makes him look blurry, and also because he is a very skilled escape artist.
“For a creature whose incredibly blank face betrays no presence of brain cells, The Void is by far the most cunning pet I’ve ever had,” Raqib remarked.
Despite having been told he is supposed to be a house cat, Oreo loves to escape and patrol the neighbourhood. “He comes and goes when he wants, and I can’t keep track or figure out how he keeps getting out.”
Oreo will identify doors and windows that are left ajar, and is so determined to roam that he once broke a wooden window to escape onto the roof.
“He hides so well that if I open the door to find out whether he has run out, he will walk silently behind me and escape!”
Ultimately, Raqib has made peace with the fact that Oreo cherishes his freedom. But if it rains with thunder and lightning, he knows to go looking for his pet – though finding him is not easy!
“We can’t see him at night unless we drive with our headlights on and look for eyes glowing somewhere in the shadows,” Raqib said.
When he isn’t roaming the neighbourhood, Oreo’s favourite activities are listening to music with Raqib in the car and, of course, sleeping.
“He snoozes on my foot as I work, rendering me immobile for hours. Occasionally, he’ll sleep with his back against the wall and his hind feet sticking out looking very tired like a person.
“This has led us to joke that he’s actually an exhausted warlock stuck in cat form,” Raqib chuckled.
One thing’s for sure – whether Oreo, aka The Void, is a cat, the world’s best escape artist, or a wizard, he is definitely Raqib’s best friend.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PET: FMT Lifestyle readers are invited to send in pictures (landscape format) and a short video (if any) of their furry, scaly or feathery friends to [email protected]. Don’t forget to include details like your pet’s name, age, breed and a short story about them.