FIVE CATS BLOG

Kitties Hugging

2012-03-03T12:57:00.001+08:00

My little girl hugging her brother to sleep last night. :)

Christmas Cards for Cats

2011-11-08T00:25:00.002+08:00

The following is a paid review:

We haven't done cat Christmas cards for a long long time. Probably since the FiveCatsKids were born.

Anyone who tells you that having human kids will not make a difference in your relationship with your cats is lying. Indeed we are one example and another cat lover friend of mine who just had a baby too, also laments the same.

It doesn't mean we love our kitties any less, but that the sheer vulnerability of a tiny human for such an extended period of time means that its mother needs to be at its side pretty much 24/7.

Our kitties when born are helpless for some 2 weeks and then they are walking and eating and toilet trained so incredibly fast in retrospect.

In the many years I have blogged, we have made so many friends with other kitty parents. If you, like me, have dropped off the radar after having children (human ones), this year it would simply awesome to send our friends a cat Christmas card to remind them we are still alive. :)

ChristmasPhotoCards.com has a great selection of cat cards. Real cards, not online cards. I miss receiving real cards and hanging them up. Back at Mom's we always received many cards and Mom loved to hang them all up.

The online template is really easy to use and very fast to load and save. The best part is you use your own photos. I was very impressed that it had an option for a UV glossy coat (which I have not seen anywhere online or offline). For about $0.58 a card, it is a great price for a personalized card. They even have a live estimated time of delivery. Well, it is now early November. The best time to start sending Christmas cards so we can hang them up all December.

Sam and Kaku Lazing

2011-07-10T23:59:00.002+08:00

The Cats Are Alright

2011-07-05T00:48:00.003+08:00

After much debate, we finally let the cats in! The condition, which they vehemently ignore but have to adhere since they can't break the door down, is that they are not allowed in the bedroom when we are not in there. (This was due to some issues with pillows which shall not be repeated here!) I have put a nice tall lady palm, small teddy bear palms, and some money plants to filter the air since the room will be closed more than usual. The air did smell slightly salty today when we came home after 2 hours but that's another story.

Anyway, on Friday night, very energized after a McCafe Iced Latte, I hosed down the cat room. I swear there were hairballs the size of a grown cat in there! Cat room cleaned, I collapsed till the next day and hosed the place down with vinegar this time, removed the cardboard boxes and rugs and hosed the place down again. FiveCatsDad gently hauled each cat for a flea bath and a good scrub and I rubbed them all down.

And just like that, they now have free reign of the house.

Buffy showed much gratitude by following me around all Sunday as I pleaded with her not to mark the house. Today there's a corner with some delicate pee or marking smell already but I can't quite pinpoint the spot. Never mind. My Mom's not reading this blog. She loves the rug under my desk and spent the last 2 nights there. It is lovely to have a kitty nearby.

Tux claimed FiveCatsKid's secret hideout, which rather displeased him but since he only uses it at night, the Kid agreed on the timeshare. He howled some last night and I had to shoo him. He found a comfy spot on the couch to sleep. So far no one has tried to oust him yet.

FiveCatsBaby was thrilled by the prospect of tiger-sized (in her perspective) kitties running around the house. She delightedly pets each kitty who is in her path and says, "Tuxie!" or "Buffy!" when they are nearby. She adores them so much!

Sam and Kaku are quite happy to stay in the kitchen if at all. There was a skirmish between Buffy and Sam last night but I shooed them off, hoping they wouldn't wake the kids, which they didn't. Sam actually came to lie down beside Tux and Buffy earlier in a show of camaraderie. He has grown so fat that he is easily the largest cat now. Kaku is also an adorable ball of fur, but she hasn't ventured to look for me yet.

Now that I am sort of ready to deal with potential marking... they are in the house to stay. :) Plus, hopefully soon the FiveCatsKids will start helping with feeding and cleaning.

Tux and 5CatsBaby

2010-06-27T00:59:00.002+08:00

Tux and FiveCatsBaby bonding.

Lazy Sunday

2010-06-21T01:33:00.002+08:00

We opened the gate but no one wanted to come in. They were busy dozing. Kaku was out cold, enjoying the blazing hot sun. (Pics have gone missing. Cats must have eaten them.)

Free Run Cats

2010-06-19T20:24:00.000+08:00

The cats got a bath today and free run of the house! Except for the bedroom of course.

Jade adores Tuxie and pats him a lot! Here is he meowing his appreciation.

Letting the Cats in again

2010-06-15T15:01:00.000+08:00

Hubby said to me last night, we should let the cats in again. I agreed but the last 2 attempts resulted in pee on our pillows - probably some kind of protest. Still I told him I was ready. We would keep the bedroom door closed. Let us see how it goes. This weekend, we agreed. As if to signal his hearty approval, Tuxie howled.

Allergic to Cats Again

2010-04-12T11:02:00.000+08:00

Yesterday Tux and Buffy came out for some quality time and by the end of the hour FiveCatsDad and I were sniffing.

He speculates it could be mites from Buffy's leg but could be just their fur in a closed environment.

The children were ok though. Their immune systems are stronger and with each exposure they'll be stronger.

FiveCatsBaby is very thrilled with them and rushes to pet them, much gently this time.

Tux looks more interested in something else than the dinosaur book I put beside him as a prop. :)

Send Cat to Emergency

2010-04-02T12:58:00.001+08:00

If you see it spasming and semi-conscious and maybe even foaming in the mouth. If I hadn't waited an hour, maybe Boy would still be alive today.

There are so many ifs but nothing now can bring him back.

Don't be unprepared like me. If your cat shows any of those symptoms, drop everything, hold your cat and bring him straight to the animal hospital, phoning them you are on your way.

It's almost been a year since my darling Boy died and I still replay that night, sometimes even dream that I made it on time.

Boy

2010-02-11T04:28:00.000+08:00

I choked up while showing Jade a photo of Boy today. I can't believe it has been 9 months since he died. I miss him so much.

My Baby Girl

2010-01-26T18:54:00.001+08:00

Shy Kaku agrees to be photographed on Saturday.

Tux and FiveCatsBaby

2010-01-19T18:51:00.001+08:00

Showing FiveCatsBaby how to pet Tux gently. The sweet boy didn't even flinch when she grabbed his fur but she soon learnt to be gentle.

Tuxie Today

2010-01-03T21:59:00.001+08:00

Thinking of food and Sam...

Cleaning Up After The Cats

2009-10-10T13:26:00.005+08:00

Now that the cats get supervised playtime (okay, not supervised but they wander when we are home), I find cat fur has re-entered our lives with a vengeance. I remember telling my mother when it was just Boy and us that finding cat hair in our food was a blessing. She obviously felt otherwise.

There's cat fur in my clothes, apple pie (on, not in), the bed, my sofa, all over the floor. I even found golden fur on the living room couch - Sam had been sleeping out there. I have no qualms about my kids touching cat fur but when I start feeling like I have cat fur in my throat, it's time to find a solution.

Before I gave birth, I thought of getting a Robotic vacuum. A robotic vacuum looks like a round trilobite on wheels which vacuums as it traverses your home.

The best one I considered is the Karcher. It is awesome and does not need to be cleaned every time you use it. More like once in a few months, which is the point of automating a vacuum.

Of course it costs S$2500 and FiveCatsDad has totally vetoed it. Guess I'll be eating cat fur as part of my staple now. :p

Relearning Everything

2009-09-10T04:35:00.000+08:00

So the other night I brought FiveCatsKid to get reacquainted with the cats. He's always loved cats (his fave stuffed animals are cats) but too much time away from them has created a sense of disconnectedness which has made him susceptible to other people's anti-cat sentiments.

Just like before when he was much younger, we sat by the grille door, opened, with cat treats in our hands and fed Tux, Buffy, and Sam. No Boy this time.

I feel a twinge of sadness writing this. We could have had more time with him, if only I tried harder. But it is now past and there is nothing I can do to bring him back.

We sat there as the three came round, first Tux and Buffy. Tux devoured the biscuits quickly then left to explore the kitchen - technically it is new territory to him, or at least old but reclaimable.

Buffy stayed round, sniffing for more treats. It seems like she is more the one needing the attention than Tux, who I suspect howls more to hear his own voice, that vain clever boy.

Sam darted quickly across the room to the laundry area as he always does. I'm sad that he and Kaku are still so shy. Our fault for letting Buffy and Tux raise them.

It was hot and stuffy but The Kid and I had a good time petting the kids and treating them. It was like old times. He's always so keen to feed them but it takes 10x more time plus supervision so his Daddy usually says no.

When the kids are older, I kept telling myself but for Boy, it was far too late.

Rename Five Cats Blog?

2009-08-19T18:19:00.003+08:00

It feels odd right now when I talk about this blog. Is it still about 5 cats, even though one is now gone? Should I rename the blog?

That picture above is of Boy when he was a baby, not long after he came to join our family. One of the saddest things is that my daughter will never meet him.

Jack is glad he had 3 years with him. He often tells me, "I love Boy, Mom". I reply, "I know. So do I."

Still Missing Boy

2009-08-11T02:10:00.002+08:00

Every time I think of Boy and how he is gone, all the air is the room feels sucked out and I can't breathe. I miss him so much that I have to avert my thoughts or I'll end up crying. What do you do when the feline love of your your life is gone forever?

Breaking News! Tux and Sam Are Back Together!

2009-07-28T01:24:00.005+08:00

They didn't know they were observed. Even Kaku was sitting out of sight of them. But a casual passerby snapped this shot of Tux and Sam and told this reporter that the cats were canoodling like a romantic couple. The grooming, the nuzzling, the licking, the looks of absolute bliss (see Sam). Oh they're definitely back!

What could have brought this pair back? Just last year they were fighting like cats and dogs, never in each other's company. They were broken up for sure after a loving 4 year relationship. Was it the sadness of Boy's sudden passing that drew them back together? Perhaps. But whatever the reason, we are happy they're together again.

Reintegrating Cats Into the Home

2009-07-19T19:44:00.003+08:00

Maybe I haven't looked hard enough, but I can't seem to find any information on this topic.

Basically, the cats who had free run of the home have been living in our courtyard and their own room for the last 3 years. Attempts to have them come in supervised for the weekend have led to Tuxie and Buffy howling to be let in full-time and worse, the last outing led to marking on my (or was it hubby's pillow). So we had to put in place a strict no-entry rule. Amazingly, after 3 years they still remember "the good life" indoors, sleeping on our couches and beds.

Boy's death changed me. For a long time I blamed myself for the events that led to him being put outside with the rest (outside, meaning the courtyard, not outside outside). As the 3 Naughties fought a lot, he got stressed and maybe that was what caused his heart attack.

Then I realised I missed all the cats so much. Yearned to pet them and hug them in this fugue of exhaustion from looking after 2 kids. I can barely bend down to pick stuff up let alone bend down to pet a cat (there is nowhere to sit in the cat room or courtyard) while carrying the baby and watching a very active toddler now.

Boy still got petted at night when he lived in the kitchen. It was our special time. But since I got pregnant the second time, the kids had only got a cursory pet while I fed them. And now with another child, it is even harder to go out just to pet them. Hubby still plays with them some but he's tired from work and helping out with the kids. So really, the best way to spend time with them is to have them in the home too.

So the last few weeks, on and off, I have been researching ways of letting them in again so that they won't mark the place (as they did when Jack turned 4 months and started crying a lot more) but haven't found any specific information for reintegrating cats into a previously lived home, plus handling their indignation (trust me, Tuxie has a lot).

Any advice out there?

Missing Boy

2009-07-10T14:30:00.003+08:00

When will it pass? Even with the stress of a new baby and a perpetually restless toddler, I miss my Boy so much.

Healthy Pure Food

2009-07-10T13:55:00.002+08:00

I'm always about feeding my family about pure organic food, how synthetic hormones and certain chemicals are bad for our bodies, but the food options for our feline family have been rather limited. I've stuck to brands which contain no by-products but true holistic cat food as well as holistic dog food is pretty hard to find at your neighbourhood pet store or downtown pet store chain. Some people make their own pet food but to be honest, most folk don't have the time, and even those who do, worry about the cons of feeding raw food (but there are many pros too).

Hence many people have started looking online. One great option is www.HealthyPetFoodToYourDoor.com, which not only sells a range of holistic pet foods, primarily Life's Abundance, but also gives you a home based pet food opportunity for you to start out in the pet food business.

I remember when Boy was exclusively fed commercial dry biscuits. Despite him being a voracious drinker of water, he still got kidney troubles at the young age of 6. Right after, we switched him to Science Diet, which improved his condition some, but it was only after we switched to more holistic brands which did not include by-products and corn, plus added natural canned cat food, did he improve.

From gently lifting up the skin around his neck, we could ascertain he was well-hydrated and his skin tone stayed this way till the day he died. The food certainly was a factor.

Farewell To My First Baby

2009-04-25T03:27:00.000+08:00

Boy ~ 28 January 1992 - 24 April 2009

My sweet baby Boy passed away tonight at 2345h from what appeared to be a cat version of a heart attack. The vet valiantly tried to resuscitate him as his gasping ceased but failed.

He had been eating well at dinner time and seemed his usual self till loud crashes and strange howls from the back around 2240h led me to go investigate.

I found him lying on his side in a pool of spilt water and urine and he was gasping and howling in a voice that terrified me. I carried him to his favourite rug and he foamed slightly at the mouth. He seemed in distress and pain and was shaking. I stroked his fur. He did not flinch.

I tried looking online but found nothing. My Cornell's Vet book was missing. I phoned the hubby to hurry home. Then I looked for an emergency animal clinic. The nurse took down what happened and told me she'd call the vet.

When she phoned back, hubby was home and getting a box and towel ready for Boy. He said it looks like a stroke and I'd better come along. I burst into tears. For the first time I realised he could die.

I kept telling him as he lay in that box that I was here and I love him. His howling had ceased and he was just gasping.

The nurse was waiting for us downstairs. We hurried up. The vet shaved his paw and gave him a plug. They injected some meds in him and I thought he'd be ok till she put a tube down his throat and the nurse started pressing on his chest and asked us to sit outside.

I knew it was bad then but still held out hope. Tears just burst and I sat while Jack looked at me quizzically. Later he kept asking me where is Boy and all I could say was he is gone forever.

The vet came out and said, he's gone. I rushed to the room and looked at him. His eyes were open and he merely looked dazed, not dead. One of his eyes had thickened already. I stroked his fur, his perfect soft fur.

It was over but I needed answers. It was too late for a blood test but an xray showed no blockage in his throat nor lungs nor unusual in his heart. Most likely she said, it was his heart, not something he ate.

I let them clean him up and put him in another room for me to say my goodbyes. I stroked him and held him for the longest time, knowing I'd never be able to do that again. Tomorrow he'd be cold from refrigeration. He'd be stiff.

The nurse was kind, promised to wrap him in his towel before putting him on ice. Tomorrow we'd take him to my aunt's garden to bury him. I won't have him burnt in some furnace. I held him tight, kissed him, and told him that I loved him before saying goodbye.

He was my first baby and for all of my life, I will never forget him.

Boy Blogs: Banished to the Cat Room

2009-03-19T01:15:00.003+08:00

It wasn't my fault. Those contractors stressed me out, traipsing all over my poo area with their funny smelling boots and making such a ruckus, not to add the dust. I had to show them... poo on the tiles and make my stance.

Unfortunately Dad wasn't amused.

Now that Mom is pregnant with FiveCatsKid2, she can't change the poo pans nor pick up after us, the messes (yeah yeah, so I remarked the spot a few times) were left for tired old Dad to clean up.

But hey, a cat's gotta protect his space or there'll be none left.

Anyway, Dad got so mad that he put me in the cat room with the rest of the other cats. Now that I am bigger than all of them (not having to share food for some time now), no one bugged me and I even claimed the nice rug as my own.

Tux was mad and howled for a while but I just ignored him. Now that Tux and Sam's relationship seems to be over and they seem to be more rivals than friends, they no longer stalk me, which is good. :D

Mom looks at me plaintively sometimes when she comes to feed us, pets me some, but hey, now I'm king of the hill. It is not so bad. :) One day she'll miss me so much she'll beg Dad to let me back into the rest of the house. I know she will. :p

Aunty Carol's Good Deed for the Day

2009-03-19T00:55:00.003+08:00

Mom came back with this interesting story to tell us. She'd taken the Kid out for lunch with Aunty Carol and her human boys this afternoon after feeding us a scrumptious lunch of course.

Aunty Carol had been in Hong Kong and while dining in a restaurant, saw a spiky shelled turtle in a tank. She couldn't bear that it might be cooked and promptly negotiated to buy it from the restaurant.

The restaurant was reluctant to let it go but agreed to sell it to her at market price, which turned out to be S$600 (around US$400)! But she figured turtles live a long time and the critter was probably only 20 so she'd be giving it another 80 years at least.

The lovely Aunty then took a cab with turtle in plastic bag (lousy restaurant didn't even have a box to give her) to the nearest shore and met a diver there who told her that this was a fresh water turtle!

Relieved Aunty told the nice cab driver to take her to the nearest fresh water body, which happened to be some sort of reservoir with fish in them, and she released the grateful turtle there.

Although it cost her most of her arm and two legs, Aunty Carol was happy that she gave the turtle a new lease of life. Now that is what we cats call, a hero.