If Sadaa and her fur babies acted in a movie, it would be called ‘Great Catsby’

Says the actor, “My father found a kitten in his hometown, Belgaum, in 2010 and decided to bring him home. Little did I have the intention of adopting an animal but Sheru, as will call him now, stayed!” As for Laila who is a majestic black cat, she just showed up at their doorstep one fine day in 2015. “We initially gave her to another family for adoption but I don’t know why, we went the next day and brought her back. My mother felt she belonged with us since it was the first animal which had chosen us,” she recalls.

This compassion towards animals was instilled in Sadaa as a child by her mother. “I grew up with animals as companions — I don’t like calling them pets, because according to me they are my furry babies or four-legged friends. We’ve mostly always had cats because they are more independent than dogs and easier to look after, though my father would prefer a puppy any day,” she jokes.

At their cat-friendly home, every single animal is different; they all have contrasting personalities. “Sheru expresses love differently — he’s not your typical lap cat or doesn’t like being cuddled but he likes to lay by my feet at night. He’s also the man of the house and is pampered silly. He can’t eat from a bowl and has to be handfed all the time,” shares Sadaa. “Laila on the other hand was a very loving baby in the beginning but her personality changed over time. She began getting jealous when I fostered rescued cats at home and even now, she is emotionally detached from me until there are no more babies around to draw my attention from her,” she adds.

When asked what she’s learnt being around animals this far, Sadaa says, “They have taught me what will power really is. I have been around many cats that have had broken spinal cords or have been run over by vehicles. Despite all the pain, they still have a fighting spirit to bounce back and live.” The understanding that all creatures great or small endure pain in a similar fashion also paved way for the actress to embrace veganism, but that’s a story we’ll save for another day.