Of an itty-bitty kitty that needs to be adopted, for crying out loud

A naughty toddler lives upstairs from us. Recently, she pulled a kitten away from its mom during a walk through the neighborhood. She wanted to bring it home but met with strong resistance from her grandparents. So, she left it at the doorway of our apartment.

Soon, this fur ball started driving everyone crazy, even though it's no bigger than a grown man's fist. Though it dares not venture outside, when it starts crying, even the deaf can hear it. With its piercing cries, the kitten intends to scratch deep furrows of sorrows on the tiny tot's tender mind. But the idea is, the little girl can distinguish between right and wrong.

Our community is famous for being a base of stray cats. Throughout the year, more than 100 cats roam the area in leisure. We have seen all sorts of eccentric cats, but never before has there been such a kitten who wails like thunder. My wife and I have named it "Loud-Voiced Small Cat".

The kitten has won our hearts with its yell. Many families, including ours, regularly send kitty food, milk and water. But its loudness has scared away potential adopters.

Because we already have Ahke - our low-voiced big cat - we cannot afford to keep the Loud-Voiced Small Cat. Other people sigh and shake their head at the enormous amount of decibels this tiny creature produces. After all, most dwellers in this community are retired teachers, for whom good sleep is paramount. The small cat would no doubt be a considerable threat to this.

In the world of the cats, nothing is crueler and sadder than seeing a weaning kitten who hasn't yet even learnt to cover its own mess with sand eek out its own living. We tried to locate its mother. But our little neighbor is too young to understand our inquiries or to remember where she committed her atrocities. How could we find its mommy?

All of a sudden, light bulbs turned on in our heads: Why not send our Loud-Voiced Small Cat to Ou Ning? Ou is an avant-garde artist working for the Get It Louder Sino-British young designers exhibition. Our little kitten would be the perfect mascot.

Both Ou and I used to compose poems, which is how we became acquainted. But years later, I have become a columnist etching out a living through essays, while Ou has ascended into the immortal realm of artists and curators. I can't even afford a second cat, while Ou is touring four cities with an exhibition that could certainly sponsor the lives of numerous kittens.

Our little candidate does meet the criteria of Ou's exhibition. The population of stray cats is expanding; the Gini coefficient on the equality of income as judged by the status of stray cats and domestic VIP breeds is on the verge of collapse. This fits well with the "urban strategy" theme of the exhibition. As for "bionic aesthetics", our little kitten doesn't need to model itself after any other cats. "Public memory"? This is designed for our kitten, who has entered our community's public memory with its cacophony of noise.

If you happen to read this, Ou, please contact me and let's talk about how you could adopt our Loud-Voiced Small Cat.

(China Daily 08/24/2007 page20)