A cat lived in my apartment complex whose life was tragic. His name was Ugly, and he loved three things more than anything else: fighting, food, and trash. Unfortunately, the impact of all these things took its toll on Ugly. He only had one eye, and there was a gaping hole where the other should have been. He also has no left ear on that side; his left leg appears to have been severely broken at some point. He would run and rub his head against your legs if you threw things at him, trying to get forgiveness.
Ugly’s life was hard, and it eventually caught up with him.
One day it became irreparable. Ugly wanted to make friends with the neighboring huskies. He ran next to them, but they did not like it. The dogs tore the poor cat apart. People saw it, but no one wanted to approach it. But one man could not bypass him. He saw that the cat was fighting in agony. He brought it to his house. The cat breathed its last there.
“I was standing close to him when I made my decision,” the man said. “His single golden eye on me, I heard a distinct purr. Even though he was badly wounded and covered in scars, the battle-worn cat just wanted one thing: some love. At that time, I believed Ugly was the most beautiful and caring creature I’d ever seen. He never attempted to bite or scratch me or run away from me. Ugly gazed at me, putting his faith in me to relieve his suffering.”
Ugly had fought for his life for too long, and he finally lost the battle. Even though he was gone, the man never forgot about him. He always wondered what could have been if Ugly had only had a chance to live a better life. Maybe things would have been different for him if he hadn’t spent his life on the streets, fighting and scavenging for food. Perhaps he would have had a chance to be loved and cared for.
It is a tragic story, but it highlights the importance of being careful with the things we love. Sometimes, the things we love can end up hurting us more than anything else. Ugly’s story reminds us to be careful with the things we love and always try to make the best choices for ourselves and those we care about.
