Nazy Kaviani
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Finding Mir Hossein
15-Feb-2010
On the eve of Iranian presidential elections in June, a black cat showed up to our household. He sat on our front porch and refused to leave. More than once he followed the incoming crowd into the house whereupon I screamed "Get that cat out of my house!" I was not interested in having a new pet and I knew that the cat which seemed loving and comfortable next to perfect strangers was a house cat which must have gone AWOL on a loving family who must now be frantically looking for him. I told my son to let him stay outside, so that his family can locate him if they went by our house.
My younger son kept feeding the cat and naturally, he would not leave. I made "Cat Found" signs and posted them in the neighborhood and the neighbor next door posted a "Cat Found" announcement on Craig's List. Nothing doing. No one came looking for the cat. I made my son take him to the local animal shelter to see if anybody was looking for him. Nobody was, according to my son, who had decided to return the cat upon receiving the news.
During this time, the elections had happened in Iran, people had shown up to street protests, and Neda and some other protesters had died before my very eyes on YouTube. I can barely remember a sadder time in my life. Sitting at my dining table, working and writing, crying tears of loss, confusion, and anger, suddenly I did not mind seeing the black cat come in and sitting on the floor next to my feet. I reached for him and he immediately hopped on my lap, where he sat and made me fall in love with him through my tears.
I named him Mir Hossein.
The cat became a member of our family. Loving, peaceful, and low maintenance, he quickly surpassed my last cat, Asghar, in popularity and familial love. He followed me everywhere and always sat where he could keep an eye on me. In many ways he was like a dog, attentive, kind, and loving. My friend Maryam said later that he is a Maine Coon, a particularly loving species of cats.
In January, I went on a three-week business trip to Washington DC. Staying away from home, I was missing my family, friends, and Mir Hossein so much. I couldn't wait to get back. I returned looking forward to having my cat by my side to remind me about the simple joys of life and all that I love and hold dear in the Bay Area.
Alas, things were not that simple. My son informed me upon my return that Mir Hossein had gone missing for 48 hours and that he had been actively looking for him in the neighborhood, without any positive results. After a couple of days went by without spotting our black cat, he posted "Missing Cat" signs in the neighborhood and told all the neighbors to be on the lookout for him. By the week's end, he had visited all the animal shelters in our neighborhood and the next ones over, to see if anybody had turned him in. Nothing doing.
I refused to put his food bowl and bed away, waiting for him to return. "He will come back," I kept saying, but feeling less and less hopeful.
Yesterday, the next door neighbor called to say that she could hear a cat in the vacant house next door. We went to the door and could see Mir Hossein's black face with the one tiny round white spot right under his nose through the side glass window. Oh My! He was alive and well! We located and contacted the real estate agency which had listed the home. The firm's office manager showed up with a key and let Mir Hossein out. She said he must have quietly walked in behind the realtor the last time he had shown the house some sixteen days ago.
The cat had lost considerable weight and was anxious. For the first time since I had met him I found out that he had very sharp claws which he used on anyone who came close to him. He must have been able to drink water from the toilet bowls in the house, but naturally, he had not eaten in sixteen days. He ate and ate and ate and I was standing by, waiting to take him to the vet if he started getting sick, which he never did. Later in the day he finally calmed down and went to sleep.
As I write, my sweet cat is sleeping in his bed next to me. When I finish posting this blog and turn off the lights to go to bed, he will follow me and curling up in my bed, he will put his right paw on my face and go back to sleep, as he is used to doing.
I am one lucky woman today. I have found Mir Hossein.
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What a Relief!
by Monda on Tue Feb 16, 2010 10:15 PM PSTSo Nice to hear and your Mir Hossein are cuddling again :o) Give him a gentle squeeze for khaleh.
I had a goldfish called Khomeini
by divaneh on Tue Feb 16, 2010 04:32 PM PSTThank you for the great story and glad you found Mir Hossein. I think after that experience he should be called Darvish Hossein.
What a lovely story
by Niki Tehranchi on Tue Feb 16, 2010 09:53 AM PSTwith a happy ending no less! I have always been a dog AND cat person. I never understood why people are either or. Growing up around many cats (not my own but vicariosuly through friends) I have nothing but good to say about them. They have always been very loving, cuddly, low maintenance and just sweet. Even though I am a little bit allergic to them, I always volunteered to cat sit when friends were away. I actually like their independence very much, even if sometimes it leads them into trouble as it did with yours. Thankfully, he survived, another testament to the fact that cats have nine lives!
HollyUSA
by KouroshS on Tue Feb 16, 2010 09:22 AM PSTHow did you come up with the conclusion that i implied something being wrong with that name? It is just so uncommon i thought it was funny. Relax. enjoy this valentine's week we are in.
Amore...
lol
Thank you!
by Nazy Kaviani on Mon Feb 15, 2010 08:07 PM PSTDear Friends:
Thank you so much for coming to read and for leaving a comment. Most of you are very kind to me. I would like to share something with you.
In my humble personal blogs, I have a few super intelligent users from Iran. They are all gifted Iranians who have gone on to Sharif University of Technology. During the time that they have been visiting my blogs, some of them have gone on to graduate school. This group of users are extraordinary individuals inside Iran, some of them bloggers, and they are a constant source of thought and enlightenment. It is humbling for me to be in their company where I learn things from them.
I cross-posted this blog on my personal blogs last night. This morning I had a comment from one of them, Shobeir, and I would like to share that comment with you. Here it is:
shobeir said...
I madly love the whole story... The interplay of Mir Hossein and "Mir Hossein". The dynamic interchange of the storyteller`s feelings with feelings of a nation....
You have found your missing cat, let's hope we can reclaim our cat like land.
February 15, 2010 4:02 AM
Hopfully we will find our Mir Hossain Soon ;-)
by Khar on Mon Feb 15, 2010 07:51 PM PSTNazy Jaan, glad you found your Mir Hossain. hopfully we will find our Mir Hossain Soon ;-)
Here's a funny one for you:
زن ملا مشغول پر کندن چند مرغ بود. گربه ای آمد و یکی از مرغ ها را قاپید و فرار کرد. زن فریاد زد: ملا، گربه مرغ را برد.
ملا از توی یکی از اتاق ها با صدای بلند گفت: قرآن را بیاور!
گربه تا این را شنید مرغ را انداخت و فرار کرد.
گربه های دیگر دورش جمع شدند و با افسوس پرسیدند: تو که این همه راه مرغ را آوردی چرا آنرا انداختی؟
گربه گفت: مگر نشنیدید گفت قرآن را بیاور؟
گربه ها گفتند قرآن کتاب آسمانی آنهاست به ما گربه ها چه ربطی دارد؟
گربه گفت اشتباه شما همین جاست ملا می خواست آیه ای پیدا کند و بگوید از این به بعد گوشت گربه حلال است و نسل مان را از روی زمین بردارد!
Just for laugh
by Souri on Mon Feb 15, 2010 07:41 PM PSTI just remembered something that I'd read in a book* written by Zartosht (Beh-Azin's son):
When he was young student in Paris, he was invited to a party with all the French petty-bourgeois! A snobbish lady asked him where he was coming from. Zartosht answered from Iran. The lady then screamed: oh, well! I know that country. I read some articles about Iran' politics and was so much impressed by the story of Mossadegh that I called my beautiful dog : Mossadegh ! (she got her dog in her arms)
Then Zartosht caressed the dog and said with a smile: Oh, little dog you are so cute! Pity that your ears are just too small. With a little bigger ears, one could call you : De Gaulle!
As you know general De Gaulle was known for his out of norm's ears :0)
* If I'm not mistaken, the name of the book was : Az khaab ta bidaari
What's wrong with 'Asghar'??
by HollyUSA on Mon Feb 15, 2010 07:17 PM PSTI had a goldfish many years ago named Asghar. It is a perfectly fine name.
Everybody Loves Mirhussein!
by KouroshS on Mon Feb 15, 2010 06:35 PM PSTI must say, I am still laughing like crazy at the name you had picked for your former Pishi : Asghar. that is just awsome LOL. I mean who could have even thought of that one.
As for this fellow, he ought to feel proud to have caused some commotion among the ranks of Both practicing and non practicing, and i guess that will cover the believing and Non-believing bunch by extension.
Watch out for that paw on your face... you just never know when it might make a move in a wrong direction.
He's so cute and cozy
by HollyUSA on Mon Feb 15, 2010 05:33 PM PST'Glad you have him back Nazy.
.....
by yolanda on Mon Feb 15, 2010 04:37 PM PSTWow! You call on God to inflict pain on other people...that is mean!!!!.....Wow! You call on God to follow your order.......you are the only person feeling insulted here....
It sounds great when you said that you put your trust in God the almighty....but can you be a little more compassionate and merciful?
You wrote a very nasty post in Bitter Divorced Man's blog a couple of days ago.......it got flagged and removed....please stop inflicting pain on other people...set up a role model for us to follow....
Chosen name extremely insulting
by zanboor_ghavi_mannyslawyer on Mon Feb 15, 2010 04:04 PM PSTThis is extremely insulting to our Presidential candidate Mr Mir Houssein mousavi. The man has lost alot in his struggle and even a nephew and yet some folks dare to demean him.
From a Sharia point of view: this name is offensive to Muslims and especially practicing and non practicing Shiites (like myself) worldwide.
I call upon God to show you exactly the pain that you have inflicted upon practicing religious folks by choosing an insulting name like that.
I put my trust in God the Almighty.
Ari jaan it's all Nazy's fault not 2 attach a van-yakaad to him!
by Anonymouse on Mon Feb 15, 2010 02:22 PM PSTI'm calling PETA!! If Nazy had attached a van-yakaad (in a green enclosure would've been better ;-) none of this would've happened!
Of course Nazy jaan if you DID attached a van-yakaad, I apologize in advance and will look for an alternate reason to blame!
Everything is sacred.
Beautiful
by Abarmard on Mon Feb 15, 2010 01:17 PM PSTI like happy endings.
Cat telepathy
by Ari Siletz on Mon Feb 15, 2010 01:08 PM PSTWhat a name for a cat?
by بت شکن on Mon Feb 15, 2010 12:51 PM PSTPoor cat. Glad he is found but disappointed of your choice of name for him. I hope unlike the other Mir Hossien who betrayed his former "owner" this one doesn't betray you.
.....
by yolanda on Mon Feb 15, 2010 12:38 PM PSTWhat a touching story....your whole family loves Mir Hossein.....and Mir Hossein is very loyal to you....hopefully you will never lose him again!
Thank you
by David ET on Mon Feb 15, 2010 11:34 AM PSTfor sharing the beautiful story. As for me I am alergic to mir hossein.
He is not a gay cat from Maine, is he?!
by Anonymouse on Mon Feb 15, 2010 08:44 AM PSTThis kind of cat (I didn't know they may be gay ;-) like to be petted on his belly when sleeping taagh-vaaz so they can "claw" your hand with their hands and legs and occasionally "bite" your hand.
I put claw and bite in quotes because that's them playing and they know not to scratch your hand, just use it for horse play! You can use all five fingers and "scratch" his belly and he'll like it.
By the way, does he have anything green like a cat (dog) tag or anything? Maybe a small green jingle so he doesn't get lost again?!
Everything is sacred.
A very good news
by bahram9821 on Mon Feb 15, 2010 07:25 AM PSTNazy joon
by Souri on Mon Feb 15, 2010 07:18 AM PSTBaba in Mir Hosseinet, hey mireh or bar migardeh....
this is not the first time he left the house. I would close the door to anything anybody who leave without a call for! Cats are indeed very infidels (bivafa)!
I loved your story
by sbglobe on Mon Feb 15, 2010 07:08 AM PSTVery Sweet (and a very nice picture)!
Best cat
by Jahanshah Javid on Mon Feb 15, 2010 07:04 AM PSTI've had the pleasure of meeting Mir Hossein. He's the most adorable cat I've ever seen. The best thing about him is that unlike most cats, he likes to be touched and petted. And he's never aggressive. Lots of character in that cat. Glad he's back.
So ...what about our Mir Hossein?
by Midwesty on Mon Feb 15, 2010 06:43 AM PSTHe is still missing. They are calling for him. I wonder we can make a missing sing for him too.
awwwwwe...
by Organic NUTritionist on Mon Feb 15, 2010 06:03 AM PSTvery nice story Nazy... hope he turns out to be a great cat for you :)
Nazy khanom!
by farshadjon on Mon Feb 15, 2010 05:36 AM PSTThank you for the blog, Nazy khanom.
It was a funny and emotional true story!
Say Hello to Mir Hossein.