Teacher's pet saved by the kindness of strangers

FUZHOU－Clutching her mobile phone, Qi Gaohong tossed and turned in her bed while gazing at the pictures of her beloved cat Xiaomi, with the pet unexpectedly trapped in a dormitory thousands of kilometers away.

A 26-year-old teacher at a training school in Xiamen, Fujian province, Qi had returned to her hometown in Hebei province days before Spring Festival to spend the holiday with her family.

She found two people to look after her dog and cat－one a friend with two cats of his own－during her absence.

Everything seemed perfect until the novel coronavirus outbreak.

On Jan 23, two days before Lunar New Year, China implemented traffic restrictions in Wuhan, the epicenter of the epidemic in Hubei province, to curb the spread of the virus. Many other places followed suit, including Dongzhai village in Xiamen, where her cat was being looked after.

Qi's friend called her on Feb 11, saying that the village was in lock down and he was unable to get in as he wasn't given the special pass handed out to local residents.

His request to enter the village and bring out the pets was denied by community workers who were already on the move to prevent the spread of the virus.

Qi was worried that her cat would die of thirst and hunger, and couldn't help but imagine the cruel fate awaiting Xiaomi. At 10 pm the next day, an anxious Qi posted a notice online asking for help.

"More than 200 people reposted my notice, including my colleagues, students, relatives and even strangers. Some of them added me on WeChat," she said. "However, most of them couldn't offer more than words of comfort."

The helplessness of the situation came crashing down on her. Her pictures of Xiaomi helped ease her nervousness and anxiety.

"Some suggested that I should try to contact the owners of shops near the village, because they may find a way to ask their acquaintances who can enter the village to bring Xiaomi out," she said, adding that although it seemed futile, she'd give it a try.

At 6 am on Feb 13, a female stranger called and told Qi that she had an acquaintance living in the village who was willing to help.

Thanks to the assistance, Qi's friend finally made it to the village, but was blocked by the locked door to the entrance of the dormitory building. A villager then managed to reach the landlord who opened it. The cats were saved before they ran out of food and water.

"Seeing Xiaomi safe and sound reassured me the most," Qi said, after receiving a video clip her friend took of Xiaomi after the cat was rescued.

The incident spanned three days and two nights, and she was unable to sleep during the period.

"You never know which will come first, an accident or tomorrow," said Qi, adding that the experience of rescuing Xiaomi reassured her that kindhearted people are always there, ready to give a hand.

She tried to thank those who helped her by offering them a cash reward, but all of them declined.

Qi got back to Xiamen on Feb 23.She hopes that the epidemic will end soon so that she can bring her pets to the seashore and fly a kite, and, most importantly, visit the warmhearted people who saved the day.

Xinhua