Viraf Patel: Cats teach us the colours of detachment and independence

Viraf Patel, who made his debut with

Mahi Way

and has done shows like 'Kismat', '

Ek Boond Ishq

', '

Naamkarann

' has always been a cat lover. He says, "I remember the time we adopted this stray

kitten

and named her Dilialah. She was our third cat and I must have been 12 then. We rescued her from the streets and give her the comfort at our home. She grew up to be a good old playful cat and the first time I had my hands scratched and nailed was thanks to playing with her."

It was also the first time that Viraf witnessed child birth, "It was was thanks to Dilialah. I remember she lied down quietly under the sofa in our balcony and gave birth to five kittens. Later it was a pain to watch her roaming around like a maniac when we had to give away those five kittens. She searched for them and it was painful. She was the last cat I ever had, probably because her end was tragic."

She left behind lots of sadness, "While dogs as pets help one discover the magic of attachment, I think cats teach us the colours of detachment and independence. They clean themselves, can hunt and feed themselves and can even stay without you. The meows, the hisses, the growls makes one realise that to purr is feline but to live with a cat can be divine."