A Stray Cat and Me, Time We Tamed Each Other

A story of love, attachment, and the quiet art of letting go — told through the eyes of a stray cat named Kamang.

🐾 Kamang / Black Cat

by Jaclyn Bae

It was about five years ago when I met Kamang, a stray cat.

One early autumn day, I first saw tiny kittens wriggling in my backyard. Watching them through the window felt surreal — a small mother cat, exhausted and fragile, sat apart from her five little ones. A mother cat and her five kittens — unexpected guests who brought warmth into my quiet life.

A few days later, I found them again in the stillness of the afternoon. I hurried to warm up some frozen fish, and the hungry kittens devoured it to the bone. From that day on, the little family often visited my backyard — tumbling over fallen leaves, peeking through the glass door, curious about the world inside. The food and water I provided seemed to give the weary mother a new strength.

As time passed, the kittens disappeared one by one, and soon only the mother lingered around. That mother cat was Kamang.

A black stray cat named Kamang resting in the backyard—her calm eyes reflecting resilience and gentleness.
Kamang, the black cat who made our backyard her home. © Jaclyn Bae

Years have passed, and now Kamang rules the backyard. She has survived blazing summers and freezing winters, and each morning she greets me at the sound of the door opening. Once wary of humans, she now nudges her head into my hand for affection and sometimes sprawls on the ground as if to claim her home.

It’s a problem, really — we’ve tamed each other.

In a few months, we’ll be moving away. The thought of leaving her behind weighs heavily on my heart. I tell myself to let go, to release, but it’s not easy. I know that many of life’s pains begin when we cling to what we must let go — and yet, here I am again, resisting the flow of nature.

I’ll tell the new homeowner about her, perhaps leave a bag of food and Kamang’s story. Until then, until our bond runs its course, I’ll keep her deeply in my eyes and heart.

Part of When Life Meets Art series by Jaclyn Bae


© 2025 Jaclyn Bae. All rights reserved.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Over the Hill Series I, II, III

Image
Over the Hill I Over the Hill II Over the Hill III Over the Hill Series (I–III) The “Over the Hill I–III” series is created with hand-dyed fabrics and mixed media, developed through a slow, layered process of coloring, washing, cutting, and composing textiles. Each piece captures the feeling of climbing a windy hill — pushing forward with effort, then pausing at the peak where a quiet sense of emptiness meets clarity. This work reflects on the human journey: the ascent, the labor, the moments of reflection, and the recognition that much of what we hold onto is temporary. The transparent layers and muted tones visualize the tension between weight and impermanence, suggesting that meaning often reveals itself at the edges of stillness and loss. Through this series, I invite viewers to consider their own passages — the hills they have climbed, the efforts m...
Read more

Art works-Window Installation

Image
Window Series — Light, Memory, and Connection Textile and mixed-media window installations exploring the shifting boundaries between the inner and outer worlds by Jaclyn Bae . A window is more than an opening—it is a threshold between what is seen and what is felt. Using transparent silk, denim, handmade paper, natural branches, and suspended geometric forms, the Window Series visualizes memory, emotional landscapes, and the quiet presence of light. Each piece stands at the border between interior and exterior spaces, revealing how light, shadow, and time transform our perception. As viewers move, the works shift—mirroring the changing layers of life itself. Window Installation I — Tree & Growth Rings Created for a deck window using gray transparent silk, this installation integrates a hand-cut black-nylon tree with circular denim forms stitched in vibrant threads. The round patterns echo tree rings —the years...
Read more

Harmony Series II, V | Solitude and Memory | Jaclyn Bae Fiber Art

Image
Harmony Series · Denim Works Harmony Series II, V — Stillness, Solitude, and Memory Fiber & Mixed-Media Works in Denim by Jaclyn Bae The Harmony Series explores quietness, inner balance, and emotional transformation through the tactile language of denim. Made from worn jeans and softened garments, each piece carries traces of daily life — creases, faded tones, and subtle imperfections. Through bleaching, cutting, layering, and hand-stitching, the familiar fabric transforms into meditative compositions about memory, stillness, and renewal. Harmony II — Stillness and Inner Quiet “Harmony II” — stillness expressed through layered denim rhythms In Harmony II , strips of repurposed denim are layered into a quiet vertical rhythm. The softened edges and faded tones suggest time-worn memories, whi...
Read more