One more thing...

Yes I am still talking about the many myths that have been attributed to cats. At work today, I had spoken about my cats and how much work it takes to take care of even one (not that I am complaining). Also I spoke about how much affection the 3 amigos want from me and how they would tell me so.

Toro would lie across my feet everytime I make a move across the room. Bujang would sit close to me and look up at my face and Akira would simply ask for it - very loudly every time she sees me. If I so much as pretend not to see them, they would only shift their position and do the same things all over again. Yes I believe that cats are stubborn and would go out of their way (sometimes) to get what they want.

My colleague was very surprised and said that he was under the impression that cats are solitary creatures who do not desire friendship or even care, as all the cats he has ever seen have always been quiet and they would sit away from people, with their faces to the sun. He had thought they are low maintainance pets unlike his dogs.

I must say that dogs are much easier to please and make friends much more quickly but cats take their time and go through much trouble about it. It's like being screened by the pentagon. But if they approve of you, then all is sunshine. That is how I feel about it anyway lah. :))

It's my time now

This is Akira and me at the computer. She usually spends some time everyday on my lap-stomach cuddling and purring. It's only a hop-skip and jump (literally) and she would snuggle up for a nap in the evening or at night- her fav position is on her stomach although on her side is a close second. This is the only time when I can inspect her ears and nails for cleaning and clipping.

So in one day the amigos and I would spend at least one hour with Akira taking naps on me, 1.5 hours on alternate days where I would bring Bujang for a walk in the park where he sits under ixora bushes waiting for lizards, and I think about 1.5 hours where I spend grooming Toro in various parts of the house. Then there is the play time at least once a day when I come home from work and hide and seek when Bujang sends me an invitation. :) Wah... actually it's not true that cats are low maintainance. Thank goodness I am low maintanance myself. :))

The Toro Report

I am glad to report that Toro is becoming more and more confident. I think he has made some headway with the 2 rascals and told them in no uncertain way that he could and would not be bullied. In his previous household, he was bullied by the female so now, he tries to bully Akira instead. But I see that the three of them have accepted the fact that they have to be together, if not in the same space, then in the same house.

Toro no longer clings to me or stays with me all the time I am home. He is quite comfortable staying by himself as well as hanging out where Bujang is. He no longer comes to me endlessly to be brushed and comforted. He just comes to greet me home, sits for abit while I scratch his head in greeting and brush his fur, then he is off to investigate some other thing in the house. He sits in the same room with the other 2 without trying to intimidate them all 24 hours a day.

Akira has relaxed somewhat and would stay on the same bed with him if he does not come anywhere near her or gets into her space. :)

But he still thinks he should do sentry duty when I am in the loo. He would get into the loo with me and guards the entrance fiercely from enemies of the state. :)) Of course if the enemy happens to be Bujang, then it is just a matter of Bujang staring at him and swiping his head. And if it's Akira, she would just snarl at him and wait for me to get out with Toro close at my heels.

There is more than one way to rule the roost..as they say. :)

Just you watch the birdie!

This is a typical day in the new paradise where the 3 amigos sit and watch...each other. Every little movement and every twitch of the tail. Toro watches Bujang, Bujang watches Akira and Akira only wants to get away from Toro. Round and round the mulberry bush we go :))
PS I wonder what this nursery rhyme means ---Here we go round the mulberry bush...sounds like a lot of bureaucrat red tape. :)

Bunnylab pets- always happy and cool

@actioncat
Today I have adopted a little tiger from bunnylabs. I kept going to animalfamily to feed the llama. :) so I thought I should get on with it and get my own pet tigerrrrrr.... but he just hangs out and plays. A green tiger of my own who keeps purring. The 3 amigos do not know this although Bujang keeps looking for Mao in the green actioncat fields. Haha

Eat Your heart out Sir Edmund Hilary

Ok. So it's not Everest. But it's Everest to me. I told the rascals that I would get here someday and today is the day. Err..it's just that I am a little giddy that all. Probably from the excitement. yah..that's it...excitement...excuse me y'all.

 

Where angels fear to tread...

And cats too by the looks of it. Toro biting the catgym to show who's boss. 

It's all over rascals. I have done it.

Toro contemplating his life and relaxing after his Everest feat. 

A new cat is in town

Yes a new cat is here. Its Toro-the-newly-crowned King. I have been watching him for 2 days (not that I have not been watching him all the days before this) and I noticed that when it comes to meal times, especially when its for kibble, Bujang would eat after Toro, eventhough I put both their bowls down at the same time. Even if I put their bowls further apart, Bujang would still eat after Toro has gotten his first bite of kibble. Toro's aggressiveness at meal times (just blocking all and sundry, no actual fighting) is also more apparent.


He can now climb the cat gym effortlessly, he has gone to sit on one of Akira's favourite roosts last night and has sat twice in Bujang's box in the loo. So this morning, I have succumbed to the inevitable and given Toro the first bowl of wet food. Once he is into eating his food, then its Bujang and then Akira. As Akira has always given way to Bujang when it comes to food. I thought it's wise not to make any new waves there. As a result, Sunday morning is relatively quiet. After food, the 3 amigos did their toilette and then went on their separate ways to rest and relax. Even now, there is no mewing. It is just quiet.

I should have given in to my suspicions that Bujang is no longer top cat so much earlier. It would have saved all of them much harrassment. Bujang would not have to constantly fight to go anywhere and Toro would not feel that he has to keep telling everyone that he is top cat. Bujang is taking it nonchalantly and Akira of course is just minding her own business on her roost. WHEW!! I think quiet times are here.

But with cats, you never know. Today you can be King and tomorrow you can be dust under the new King's feet. We will have to wait and see. :))

Owww my brains hurt...

Eh san. Too much TV can melt your brain don't you know? I know it's a nice cathedral but please ... Travel and adventure you say? Couch potato you mean? yah..you say potato and I say tomatoe...

 

Owww..my ears ache

San is too much. She is watching this strange person singing she said. I tried to tell her it's very noisy. But she does not understand cat very much so I tried my best to show her. Sometimes humans are very dense.

 

My favourite pastime...

Of course it's reading. I think Jacqueline Wilson is the gal for me..hehe..although it is just about a bunch of teengers doing their thing. But I am 1 year old - practically a teenger myself. Better than watching american idol. I must tell san to read more ... how about more cat stories eh san?

 

First there is wool-eating, then there is the...

phenomenon of eating the woven mats, especially if san has brought it all the way from Penang. Hmmm tastes like ...err...let me see now...penang fish crackers,...yummy..

A Bed is only a bed if you can ...

Bite it especially if it high up in the air... 

Play in it.... 

Groom your marvellous self in it... 

Curl Up in it... 

Of cos finally sleep in it.Zzzzzz 

Success Story

Like at the cat in the pic - this is what Toro must feel about his success today. :) He has successfully climbed the cat gym to the top twice, in full view of the 2 rascals. He sniffed at the top perch and sat in the middle-rung. He even lolled about in Bujang's favourite soft perch. His short legs carried him rapidly to the top and he didn't stop until he came to roost at the very end. I saw that tonight he was much more relaxed and didn't run after everyone so much. Maybe he has indeed arrived! I do not know yet. I have to wait and see what tomorrow brings. But i can't help but be pleased that he has managed the cat gym all by himself - twice . )))

Meditations on the 3 furry Furies

I do not know how I became a multi-cat household. I would like to say that 'it just happened'. There is some truth to that as a lot of multi-cat or even single -cat households would agree. When I had cats before, we used to live in a kampung, so the cats would just hang-out in the neighbourhood and there would be a lot of wide open spaces so they would not have to fight for space and certainly not supremacy. No one was the Supreme Commander. Everyone just kind of live and let live. :) Now of course Toro is trying for this title but with little success...as yet. I feel a little guilty about this and also a little sorry that the 2 rascals have to live with crazy Toro but I do not think giving him up is the answer to this perennial cat problem in all multi-cat households.

So instead I try to make life a little easier and give little treats where they would all eat a nice bit of tuna at the same time in the same space. I think this might encourage them to believe that good things happen when they are together. They all get some play time although Toro is a one-cat show at this and would rob everyone of their equal time. So after some time, I would have to put Toro in his carrier and play with the other 2. I notice that Toro gets tired fairly quickly. He used to get tired after about 5 minutes before but now it is better and he tires (and pant sometimes) after about 15 minutes.

The other two have learnt to take turns. Toro still has to learn this. Maybe once he learns this (it's very slow) things will get better. Probably I expect him to learn in double time when I should have more patience. It took Akira and Bujang about 3 months to learn to play togther and about 5 months to learn to groom each other. It has only been about 1 1/2 months that Toro is here and I think it has gone rather well considering that it has been such a short time. :))

They say animals especially cats will teach you patience. I think the 3 amigos are very good teachers then. :)

Troubles in paradise

Blogger has been out of sorts lately and so have Akira and Toro. They are a pair full of contradictions. Akira is more relaxed these days about being near Toro and he has not shown much inclination to chase her about. I thought all was going smoothly only to see today that Toro is trying to just wear her down. Toro has loads of positive cattitude when it comes to harrassing Akira-the-Hun, who is looking and behaving less and less like a Hun everyday. He lets her use the litter, only to lie in wait for her at the door and chasing her full speed across the living room. I think he is acting more and more like a hood everyday.

So it encourage him to play nice, I had tried to put him in his carrier and ignored him for about 10 minutes. When I got him out, he looked contrite enough and would sit calmly by himself. But this does not last long before he gets up to chase her again. I think I now know why his previous owner gave him up and why the female cat in the other household used to have big fights with him. He is just too kepo for words and has ambitions to live in the hood. Hmmm...

Red Riding Hood Revised

What big teeth you have, Toro! The better to be KING! Muahahaha

Housework is never done

Toro and Bujang trying to help grandma with the housework so there would be more time for play and cuddles. Here Toro is busy showing Bujang the ropes of smoothing out kitchen mats. Bujang is having none of that!

Toro-the-Highlander

Toro trying to convince grams that there can be only one... cat on the couch.

Look at the birdie...

Toro posing for the cam. A slight tilt of the head should do the trick. 

Toro's favourite perch

This has become Toro's favourite perch on the catgym. It is soft and quite bouncy. He spends a great deal of time here when he is not patrolling the grounds or following Bujang or running after Akira. All that actvity deserves a good reward. :)

 

We brudders or what?

Hoi! whatcha doin' man? 

A moment's indecision

To be or not to be... brudders . 

Brudders stick together

for now.... 

Bujang's special visit

At this moment Bujang is sitting exactly like this, only at my computer table right in front of the screen. It is not usual that he does this - looking for my company so expressively. He is more the 'take it or leave it ' kind of guy but sometimes he seeks out my company quite obviously like now. I think it's because Toro has been on my tail (!!) for some time this whole week and I had spent alot of time doing work at the computer, away from Bujang's usual nesting sites. So I think today he has decided to be at my nesting site. :)) He does this very quietly and sits very quietly too, without the usual kepo-ing of all the papers on the table. I have cleared the space for him to relak on and he has decided to spend some time with me. I am quite grateful and very happy for his company today. :))

I decided to measure him as I remembered my vet saying that Bujang is bigger than some dogs! He is about 67 cm from the tip of his nose to his twisted tail. His tail is just about 10 cm. His stands about 27 cm tall. He is 17 months and weighs 6.33 kg. Maybe now a little less as he is now on Nutro Light. But I see they all get rather hungry when they are on Nutro Light. Even Toro prefers Nutro Light to his Nutro Kitten so I have decided to allow him to eat the adults diet. He is one year old after all. :)) Toro wants to do everything that Bujang does. Maybe he just wants to be one of the boys. :)

Bujang decided that being measured is too much for his dignity and swatted at the measuring tape, bit me once and is now lying right smack in the middle of the living room. :)