In The Park

Bujang had a grand fit at home, tearing into all the straw mats and yelling the house down. He got scolded by grandma for making a ruckus and spent the morning sulking in his basket. I told grandma that this could be because he has not been out for a whole week and he misses the outdoors. It could get pretty boring being cooped up in the house 24/7.

As luck would have it I got home early and we went to the park at about 5. Bujang got into his jacket quietly and made no fuss when I carried him from his basket into the carrier. He settled in quickly and waited for me to wheel him out.

We went to walk near the flat but he didn't like it and skulked about so I wheeled him to his usual park. He got out quickly and stalked though the grass, sniffing the blades as he passed over them, chomping on some and ignoring others. He chased a lizard through the ixora to no avail and had to be contented with just the sweet smell of the flowers. :)

He complained a little as he made his way across the field but I told him there was nowhere else to go that he would like better. A few passers-by saw us and was quite surprised that I was talking to my cat :) We stayed until about 610 and then I had to bring him home as the grass made me itch. Bujang seemed quite satisfied as he made no protest when I put him in his carrier and we took the scenic route home.

He has not yelled nor made another attempt at the mats after the walk. Instead he has been sitting calmly and played quite enthusiastically with the wand toy. He even allowed Toro and Akira to have a go at it. :) I think we would go out early tomorrow too.

Toro Loves Grandma

I thought I would put up the pics I took today of Toro and his love for grndma's lap..:)))

Its All Mine...

Toro's quest for top cat manifested itself today:)











The Cattyman is mine!

















Yup. This new toy is also mine. Whaddya mean I have to share?
















I know grandma loves me most of all...:))

Excuse me, are you a garden gnome?

Bujang trying to be a garden ornament like those gnomes or small statues you sometimes see. There is not much activity in the mornings and so he sits and watches ...err..nothing. As the garden is landscaped, there is also not much in the way of any activity for a cat to pursue but at least the texture under his feet is different. I suppose I have to go to the TP where he can get a change of scenery but we have to cross a very busy road and its quite a distance from our house. I am not even sure if I can park the stroller safely and walk him and still find the stroller in the same place after we're done with walking. Maybe I am just too suspicious of people...

I fed the calico this morning as she seemed really hungry. I also saw the owners of the small tuxedo that I saw running in the void deck some months ago. A little girl came down with the cat and he /she has a black collar. I didn't get to speak to the little girl to tell her not to allow her cat to roam the grounds as it might get hurt. Maybe I will see them again sometime...

Late Entry

I saw these cats on my way home from the park. They were just hanging out in the sun, just like me :) looking quite realxed and unafraid.

It made me realise that I had not brought Bujang out walking for a whole week. Probably that is why he is tearing the mats to pieces and has been sleeping in the washbasin at night instead of in his snugs. I have not been at the computer much also and so Akira has not been able to snuggle up to me. It has been our usual evening routine and she would snuggle up only when I am at the computer :)

I have to get my routine right quite soon or else...

My Neighbourhood

I decided to take a morning walk to the park this morning at about 930. In land scarce Singapore, I feel quite fortunate to live in a place where there are at least 3 parks, 1 with a big pond and the other near the beach and one stream. The parks are well-landscaped, very clean and at night, brightly lit. I had thought of bring Bujang to the park in his stroller so he could have a different playground but was glad that I had abandoned the idea as it got very hot and a little noisy with grasscutters trimming the grass.

I also took this picture of our national flags flying in the wind. It made me quite glad to see them and of course this is the season of the red and white :)

Afternoon Snooze

The kitties spent Thursday afternoon lazily, each one in their own little castle. Bujang has first choice of an airy and breezy basket. He curled up in it and promptly went to sleep, opening one eye sleepily to see me taking a pic.

Toro spent his time in a nice cool washbasin, curled up and safe from Akira-the-Hun who is herself in her fortress. She has taken a new liking to this cat tree box and spends her afternoons in it instead of the cupboard top. I think she has been watching Toro's gradual skill at jumping on tables and decided this is the safest place from him. :)

Why Do You Feed The Cats Aunty?

Last night I on on cat feeding duty and decided to bring my nephews along as they were curious to see what I was up to. We went to feed the calico and they asked me why I was feeding her and whether she was my cat. I said that she was my cat in a way as I have decided to take some responsibility for her and the other 3 cats. So I told them about responsible feeding and that people should never abandon their cats as that would be irresponsible behaviour. I hope that in no small way, they would also grow up to be responsible teenagers and not hurt the cats at their void deck.

So we went to feed the black cat and FatBoy. I told them that we would go back to the carpark to clean up later after we fed FatBoy and that everyone who feeds cats must clear up after them as there might be vermin etc if we leave the food behind. :)

We saw the cat feeder. I was urprised as to why she was there as I thought we had agreed on a schedule as she told me she was old and therefore no longer strong to feed the cats. :/
She told me she feeds other cats and then complained about the number of cats there were and how tired she was. :) I assumed that she had forgotten our agreement and so I discussed the arrangement again saying that I could help her with the cats here for 3 days so she would have time to feed her other cats and at least for 3 days, to have more rest.

I also said that I would clear up after the black cat. she told me to leave the food until the next morning as the black cat eats slowly. I advised her that this was not good practice as vermin might come and then people might complain about her cats. If that happens, they might be rounded up. After some time of trying to convince her that she should not leave food overnight also, she finally saw the rationale. I am afraid that she saw it as the authorities taking her cats away rather than that the practice itself is not wise. Possibly the next time I see her, I would have to ask her and maybe tell her that the practice of leaving wet food out all night might make her cats sick. I forgot to tell her this yesterday and as she only feeds the cats fish and rice, this is something she must realise. She promised me that she would clear the bowl of the black cat for me.

On our way back, my nephews asked me why I was not going to the carpark to clear the bowl so there would be no vermin :)) I am glad they remembered what I said , so told them the cat feeder was going to clear it up for me. So they said goodnight to the black cat as well as the calico and we all went home.

Oh What A Good Cat :)

Toro and I went for the microchip appointment at 1 pm today. The vet's office was empty and we had to wait for the vet as she had gone to buy something for herself. I spoke to the assistant about the microchip process. He smiled and said the needle was 'big' but it won't take a long time if the cat is calm. And indeed Toro was very calm at the vet's. He sat in his carrier quietly, watching the goings-on of the assistant. I read a book and we waited...

The vet came in shortly after. She had cut her hair close to her skull so she looked very different. Its Dr LM who is going to do the microchipping and she knows Toro so I was rather comforted by the fact as visions of the 'big' needle stuck in my mind.

We got Toro on the table and he sat and watched the vet. She showed me the 'big' needle. The pic that I have in this entry is not the same needle but it looked similar - almost 5 mm in diameter. I told the doc it should not be difficult iwth Toro. Bujang would be another matter altogether. The assistant and the vet both laughed as yes, they also know Bujang.

She sprayed some liquid on his nape to numb the area. She said it will help him not to feel the pain of the needle quite so much as he would just feel the cold. But she had to do this 3 times as every time she tried to insert the needle, Toro protested and wanted to get off the table. I got out of the way a little as, if something should happen, the assistant would know better what to do. To his credit, Toro did not make a single sound. Finally after the 3rd spray, the assistant had a better grip and the vet inserted the needle successfully. She then held on to the spot for a few minutes and told me that all I had to do was to check that there are no bumps on the skin. By this time, Toro was his usual self and was more interested in the office than anything else.

The vet told Toro that he was a good boy and they both put him in his carrier. He said one 'meow' only when we had to sit outside and wait for me to complete the registration. We were quite amazed that THAT was the only meow he had said and it was more an inquiry chirp than a protest.

I filled in the forms for PET CALL. The assistant said PET CALL would confirm the numbers by email and I was to wait for 3 weeks if they did not emaill me, I should then call them to confirm the details.

The whole process took us 10 minutes. The injection just took us less than 5 minutes. Btw, I decided maybe it would not be necessary to have Bujang microchipped as I can imagine his discomfort and unhappiness and stress levels. I can also imagine what would happen with Bujang at the vet and a syringe with a 5mm needle. So I cancelled his Sunday vet appointment before we left. I do not know if this is a wise thing but for now I would just leave it alone. It seems most people microchip their cats only when they are bringing their cats out of the country.

After the whole episode, I had some mango cheesecake and cafe mocha at Star Bucks and Toro had 30 minutes of people watching. When we came home, Toro and Bujang had a reunion and they both sniffed at each other's noses.

Of course in less than 30 minutes life went on as usual with Toro trying to wrestle Bujang to the ground and grandma yelling "Oi! You've just had an injection and already jumping on Bujang. If he bites you in the neck, what will happen?" :))

Thank God for cats

Bujang spent time sitting and then sleeping beside me as I was trying to watch CSI NY. I myself was finding it quite difficult to keep track of the plot as I was very tired from work. I had to do some performance evaluations today and also had to inform someone about a performance that is below par :( It stressed me quite a lot and I'm sure the other person was equally stressed out. So the cats and I spent a quiet day indoors. It's the only thing that made the day today. Btw I also saw the calico mom and her feeder helped me to put the red collar on her. So that also contributed to the good second half :)

FatBoy

FatBoy was waiting for me at feeding time. I was glad I didn't have to look for him tonight. He catually came running to meet me and we had to walk to his usual feeding station. He knew his routine with me quite well and led the way :) I felt that it was safer for him if I fed him away from public scrutiny although the public has seen us quite a few times :)

He ate extremely enthusiastically but the Solid Gold (I had one can left) didn't go too well. So I gave him his favourite since I don't think we had the time for good food habits. So he had 1 can and 3 pouches of different types of fish combinations. He ate every morsel and the picture shows his true girth. He spent some time looking into the dark. Maybe he was looking for his usual feeder. I saw her later and she said she had fed him about 2+ as he was following some kids. The kids seemed afraid of his size. I hope they won't hurt him in any way as he is rather friendly and has learnt to beg and follow people for food.