The Whiskers' Syndicate

We're moving

2014-11-06T20:56:00.004+07:00

See you there!

Financial Report June 2014 and Budget for July 2014

2014-07-01T23:28:00.002+07:00

Financial Report May 2014 and Budget June 2014

2014-06-11T22:43:00.000+07:00

Hola! look at our financial report in May! It's so colourful especially in the food part. In May we have a major allergies after the first 2 bags of Pro Plan, so we have to change the food. The first and best that I found (and is willing to deliver) is Acana so I chose that brand; but then the price is rather obscene (for me, at least). Not that I don't want to give the best for the Syndicate, but because we are entering summer season, when donations are the least throughout the year.

While using Acana, I looked up other available brand, and Taste of The Wild is the closest in grade to Acana that I can get (and want to deliver). It's grain free, no by products, and holistic. It is still a lot more expensive than Pro Plan, but I cannot find anything with the same protein level (min 40%) so like it or not I have to upgrade. So far, cats are OK with it, though the smell is not as strong as Acana (Acana uses salmon, Taste Of The Wild uses chicken)

With great thankfulness for your support for the extra fund raiser, we are closing the month with 2 Dollars surplus. The first in history!

And then, the budget for June is on minus USD 117, the smallest minus in history as well. I deliberately cut everything (compared to previous months) for two reasons: First is because I am using top-of-the-line cat food brand, so hopefully the logic is that I need less vitamin and medicine because the cats' immune is better. Second is because June is in summer season. During our life from 2008 - 2013, summer always means severe drought in term of donation; we have never reach our target before and honestly, I am not sure I can pile up as many jobs as I used to 5 years ago to fill the gap if I make it too large. I still hope that like May, the first in history we will be able to reach the target and that some of the budgeted post will not take as much.

Two of our regular monthly sponsors recently cancelled their subscription, so we are, for a moment, down to USD 160 in monthly sponsorship, but God is merciful upon us and bring us a new supporter who sponsors 4 cats and bring the amount back at USD 200. Halelujah!

May God keep us in such luck too this month. Pray for us, and please share our posts! you can choose a lot of social media at the bottom of this post, that will only take you one click. The more you share, the more people know about us, the more sponsor we likely to get. And if we get more donor, it means the burden is less.

Happy June, then, everyone. Wishing you the best of luck this month, and if you do, please don't forget us.

Ciao!

Taken By The Storm

2014-05-19T22:43:00.004+07:00

By the time I finished this post, the weekend is too far over. I fully realize that I have completely missed one schedule, but I couldn't have done it any other way.

Three days double shift, three other days normal 8 hours; the plan was I take advantage of my geographic location; 12 hours ahead of the other part of the world, and steal at least one weekend night manning The Whiskers' Syndicate, and the other day a little rest.

On my way cruising that plan, I come across Murphy's Law, and as it notoriously said: If something can go wrong, it will go wrong.

Starting with a scratch.

One of the hammock kitties suddenly had rash all over his belly. He had his flea prevention and there was no flea on him. And then his two brothers start scratching. I put on rash ointment so they won't scratch the whole day, and think that it might be some microscopic visitor hitch-hiking to soon be gone.

The next day I found out that Ash' EGC had flared up so badly she drooled excessively and unable to eat. It hurts her enough even to open her mouth to lick something. I still thought that it is her immune again, so I give her her prescription and go back to work.

The next day, it's Bobtail.

Bobtail had turbulent history. He was OK before he was adopted but the recent negligence that brought him back to me destroyed him. He was full of parasite and only recently bounced back to complete health. I know he will be all right; he is a strong guy and a smart one, to ever run away from his new home and walk back home, but it takes time. It's just so happened that he contracted EGC midway.

At the back of my mind, some alarm start blinking.

And then the next day, Estebel got her mouth full of ulcers, just like Ash and Bobtail. At the same time, I noticed that more kittens went into scratching frenzy; some scratch themselves raw, while the other had infected scratch wound on their back.

That night Nekomi (pronounced nay-co-mee) stopped eating.

The next day practically the entire sanctuary refuse their food, a scandal never before happened even in our worst nightmare.

By then the alarm no longer blink. It was blaring with a siren impossible to ignore; and as I staggered from autopilot to manual steering, I've got full list of rash, EGC, fur loss, vomiting, foul odour stool, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, and desperate look of 75 pair of eyes every where I turned around.

My survival instinct woke up, and start kicking.

Most common cause of all those faults list is fleas, but none of them have fleas. They don't have worms, and they weren't sick before.

The next on the list is allergies, but to what?

So I start eliminating their vitamins, supplement, one after another, until I was left with only cat food.

But I have been using that cat food for years and nothing happened. I like that brand because it contains higher protein rate than the other, and it helps all those emaciated and underweight cats catch up (relatively) sooner, hence healthier. And now The Whiskers' are allergic to it? Doesn't make sense.

I noticed that several months ago, that brand I used gone out of Indonesian market for quite a long time (around 1 month), that forced me to feed the cats home made food because I can't afford better brand.

Most of other brands that I can afford has lower rate of protein, aside from huge amount of chemicals and fillers. Feeding the cats those brands for mere practical reasons means I only look for trouble, in my opinion, so I go with home made food because at least I know what they eat.

After a month, that brand came back to the market, but the supplies aren't stable. Sometimes it's off for one week, sometimes abundant. The Syndicate seems to like it a little less, but until last week when Templar (a kitten) start scratching, I didn't notice anything wrong.

Maybe the manufacturer change some of the ingredients, maybe they change supplier of some ingredients, maybe it got contaminated somewhere along the logistic line, or someone tampered with that brand.

The latter thought came to mind because last month, Indonesian police apprehend a veterinarian and his accomplice for manufacturing and distributing fake Royal Canin that cause a lot of cat got sick. And since Indonesians are so creative and enthusiastic with "free money" someone else might get the idea.

I don't have time to guess, anyway. If cat food seems to be the main problem, then I have to change immediately before things got out of hand.

Back to the Murphy's Law: anything that can go wrong will go wrong.

And guess what? all that catastrophe happened when donations flow is at the lowest.

Yeah right. Of all the time in the world, dear God, Thy choose now? You sure love me.

I shared my concern with Lori, and if some of you noticed she has been more aggressively pounding on your doors for donation, it's because I have to change the food to better brand, which is of course, more expensive.

On one of the days when I got only one shift work, I went around town to find what better brand that won't make our finance collapsed overnight, and ended up with this:

It is USD 15 (per bag of 7 kgs/15 lbs) more expensive than the usual brand, but it doesn't use rice, or corn, or soy, or by products. I am not going to promote that brand, but it is my best shot at the moment.

I should have changed the food gradually, per common theory, but I stop the old cat food immediately and change with the new one.

And it extinguish the fire in seconds.

The cats love it. When I opened the bag, for the first time after the incident, they no longer lazily wait for me to distribute the bowl in the cattery.

a few drops on the ground and this is what I get

Can you see it in their eyes?

Two meals, one day, and they scratch less. No more vomit, diarrhoea gets better, EGC recedes, and life's looking good.

Those with dermatitis will need time to heal all those grisly wounds, and rashes, and my math instinct is still kicking me, but for the time being, I can breathe.

The next day, I got a message that there's a package for me from USA.

Our friend Karen from California told me last month that she sent some cat grass seed and mouse toy, but when I retrieve the package, we got a surprise:

After the whole week enduring what must be unbearable itch, The Whiskers' Syndicate got something new to play aside from my hand made toys; and they play with it so intently they forget scratching.

Since it's only one, I bring it back and forth from the house to the backyard so both the kittens and the adults can take turn to play.

The next day, another message come saying that there's another package from USA. This time, it's our other Californian friend Christine Stewart sending a package of Revolution, dewormer, and catnip!

So while the kittens dominate the Cheese Chase, the adults got high on substance.

At least they're not scratching. They forget about those painful rashes and ulcers and for one moment, after all this ordeal, they can go back to well... being cat.

Ultimately, THANK YOU. Thank you Karen, thank you Christine, thank you everyone who responded to Lori's mayday on facebook. You guys can't come in better time.

And to everyone else, I hope this can show you how much a little help means humongous to us. The Cheese Chase is only USD 15, but it made the kittens and cats get over their misery. Catnip is only a few Dollars, but it helps the cats get over that whole week full of turbulence and climb the rainbow to find that pot full of ~~gold, sardines~~, happiness.

I also hope to re-assure that even 1 dollar small coin you donate really help us save life, because otherwise we won't be able to buy better food that break them free of agony.

Last night, late Sunday, after trying fruitlessly to publish this post (internet disturbance!!), I finally give in to the influenza that has been pounding my head and shutting my nose for the whole week (in addition to cat food gate).

Nose-diving onto the bed, and slowly disintegrate into exhaustion, I can still hear the ball rolling on the Cheese Chase, and some catnip mouse crashed onto the concrete.

It sure is one heck of stormy week.

April 2014 Financial Report And May 2014 Budget

2014-05-13T23:34:00.000+07:00

Howdy everyone!

Though the report is late (please forgive me), I still want to share our cash drawer so you know what I do with your contributions. Every single penny goes to the cat mob.

As in the sayings, we enjoyed April shower last month. Not only we have Recycle 4 Rescues charity auction to benefit The Whiskers' Syndicate, we also had the honour from EFA Captain Nicole Planchon and her shop Brizel Handcraft to sponsor our Easter Raffle (see income from charity auction and easter raffle in April financial report); so although our monthly fund raiser didn't quite reach the target (only USD 865 out of USD 900), the extra income saved us and we are "only" minus USD 66. That's 726,000 Indonesian Rupiah. Three quarter million folks!

Even so, I am still very grateful that everyone is willing to participate in our raffle. It's been fun, and - believe it or not - it is the first time I ever made a live video, so all the more reason to celebrate!

In May, however, it is going to be a hard work for me. We have a wonderful new sponsor: Raeosunshine Pets, by Rachel Foland including us in her May give away. The grand prize is a personalised pencil colour pet photograph.

and additional two plush terry cloth quacky duck:

This wonderful event drag our Pitch In relatively fast, though unfortunately, it will not bring extra income, kicking us plunging down to minus USD 332 (see May 2014 budget).

But seriously, Josie, if the minus is so much, why don't you just raise your Pitch In goal?

That's the easiest way, of course, and the most reasonable, but speaking from experience in the past 3 months, it is already so very difficult to raise USD 900 every month. We are dragging and begging all the time, so to be honest, although I still believe that our friends will not forsake us, I don't have the confidence to update the Pitch In goal in fear that all of you will be intimidated by the additional digit.

Our Etsy shop didn't do very well either, with only 2 sales in April, 1 sale in March an zero sales in February.

Hence, I have to go back to work double shift again starting this month. I am leaving the cats alone 16 hours a day, 3 days a week, while the other 3 days will be a normal 8 hours.

It's not without challenge. Though our sanctuary is no longer under the threat of drowning, we still have a dozen of kittens who are only 7 weeks old, and a few seniors and special need cats who needs attention. In this last month of monsoon before dry season officially start mid May means a lot of wind, and a lot of URI (Upper Respiratory tract Infection). This is the first monsoon for our hammock kitties; a bunch of kittens we picked from the street during the renovation so doubtless they will take turn to get sick.

There's no exact cure for URI, and even if cats are vaccinated, they can still get sick. However, close observation and quick action is the most important key to recovery and while working (over) full time, I won't be able to watch them even when they are sick.

And then, there's always this note below my report or budget that utilities and other expenditures are my responsibility. Those are:

USD 350 Mortgage
USD 25 Electricity bill
USD 25 Water bill
USD 10 other expenditures (garbage disposal, security service (for the whole block), and community reserve.

I guess by now you understand why I (have to) work like crazy.

It might sound fatalistic, but if you ask me, Que Sera Sera. I have done my best in my power, and what is left for me is to hope that someone will have our back.

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." ~1 Peter 5:7

Our Milky Way

2014-05-08T00:12:00.000+07:00

Until very recently, I never knew that big shelters in USA, Britain, or other sovereign countries are paid large sum of money the way a corporation do. I only knew they have a brilliant copywriter who can tug at any heart string - even those made of rock - when asking for donation.

A post from a dear friend of mine, Christine Stewart, who follows the crash, burn and bruises of The Whiskers' Syndicate since the early days, sent me into google and the search result pretty much made me grin.

Ouch

In my naivety, while relying to the uncertain existence of donation from generous individuals, I try to get myself a job to pay my own food, the mortgage, and the bills. Why not? This is my house. The Whiskers' Syndicate mobsters lived here, of course, but it is still my house. From one freelance job to another, I tried to save as much as I can so when the donation run dry and one of the cats are sick, I still have money to care for them and pay for the vet. In our little place on this planet, there's no credit. No pay, no service, even if you know the vet personally.

I am not jealous though, at least I try not to. Those CEOs has better luck. They are born in a well off country that has better knowledge, technology, and civilization. And they landed on cotton candy. But as much as the God I believe in give them all the fancy things that I can only dream of having for the cats, I believe that He too will provide, in His own term. It might not be a free car, free house, or the license to play God and kill "overpopulated animals", but in better shape:

He blesses me with friends who are willing to scroll their sleeve and get dirty; He blesses me with supporters - who come and go - but always there to pull together when we brushed death. He blesses me with allies who - although not rich enough to give me millions - are creative and passionate to produce myriad of fund raising events. And the most important thing, God blesses me with the opportunity to use all these riches in the way that no one ever before dare to go.

So where will this journey take us? No one can see tomorrow; but maybe it's better; because that would mean we can draw whatever scene we want to go through, because that would mean we can go at our own pace, and most importantly, it means we can choose the best companions to accompany us along the way. I hope you choose us though, because we're happy to choose you.

The Whiskers' Syndicate Monthly Financial Report March 2014

2014-04-08T00:10:00.000+07:00

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.

No, that's not me, I am not that grand. It's John F Kennedy.

I agree with him though. While expressing thankfulness verbally get the message across, it is just as important that we live our gratefulness. After all, words without action is nothing.

So here is a summary of what we do with your donation, as a gratitude for your generous gesture, and as a form of our responsibility as the trustee of your kindness.

Thank you very much for your support and for believing in our cause. We wouldn't be alive today if it's not because of you.

Quest 2 Canaan (3) - end

2014-03-29T23:25:00.003+07:00

After a week off the heights and heat of the repair, the world started rather awkwardly.

In one sense we subconsciously started to adapt to the re-gained freedom, albeit with challenges such as the heatwave and volcanic ash poisoning aside from the inconvenience of having to live in a place closer to a ruin than a proper house. It's still better than having to grow fin and embrace the floods as we turned into catfish (instead of just cat).

A sort of fuel that make us kick our own rear and drag ourselves out of the semi comfort zone is the potential to a fuller, better life, obviously without the natural disaster, and a proper house instead of a ruin. Aside of that, we are sitting on top of sum of money that comes from our supporters around the world. Money that they earnestly earn and give, a gesture that make every single coin glow with hope, and prayers, and pure power that we would really want to be responsible for.

The new team, when they come, half an hour earlier than their supposed schedule, is a three generation family that consists of a grandfather, a father and his brother, and a grandson. I found out about this as the supervisor came a little later and ask if the cats are generally OK with the new time. On the interview I mentioned that I have cats equal to the whole human village and if any of them show adverse reaction, I will call the contract off. He seems to take the threat seriously (he should, I am serious). I just laughed because at the time those people arrived, the cats were already inside the cage and sleeping with their stomach full and a dose of Pet Natural Vermont Calming Cat, donated by our supporters.

First thing first; I pointed out that the pipe broken by the previous team seems to be leaking, as shown by the growing wet patch on the new wall. The new team look at it, undid the wall, and when the first brick was off, was sprayed with a bucket of water that had accumulated over a week. They laugh it off as "a kid's work", wipe themselves dry and re-done the pipe.

Within a half day the father finished the whole wall. Without chicken song, boiling temper, heart break, and stamp approval from one of our superintendent.

OK, where's that superintendent again?

In the afternoon when they all go home, this is the end result of the entire left side wall:

Over the next days, I noticed that the new teams have meeting a lot. Everyday before they commenced work, they gather around and plan what is to be done; grandpa in charge. Then when someone or some part has some issues, they approach each other again and discuss what is to be done. The way they do this make all four of them can work on separate part efficiently and effectively in less time.

The cattery is turned into their workshop, especially the grandpa, who is a carpenter.

After they are done with the left side wall, the pillars of the pathway is immediately installed, anticipating the rainy season due in few days.

Then they jumped into digging the hole across the pathway. Look small? This hole is 2 meters deep and 1 meters wide. In here will be the rainwater tank.

Then they install the roof over the pathway, so when it's rain, they can still work.

Then the right wall ...

Moving lemon tree...

the struggling lemon tree... (we'll get to that point)

And here comes the rain ...

mud all the way

Last month over Facebook, my Australian mummy Trish was complaining about a window in the cattery that shows the roof of backside neighbour and asked if it is going to be "fixed"

Actually it was I who asked that window to be made. From afar, that roof is not a great view, but when you look over the window, it's a different story. Since that window has wire mesh on it, the picture is not clear; so I climb the water tower and took the picture of what's actually behind the house, and why I like it so much.

to the left

to the right

close up

It's a traditional Chinese style graveyard. Chinese thinks that the afterlife is parallel dimension, so they build their grave as the "house at the other side" for their ancestors. It makes the grave less ghoulish and actually beautiful, especially at sunrise or sunset. I used to go there by going down through the small ravine at the back of the house, through vegetable field and small river, cutting my way through the whole valley, to feed stray cats and dogs that use those pagodas as their shelter.

I do not always watch the worker on site. Sometimes I have to order materials or take phone calls inside the house, or pay for material delivery. At other time someone send me a message over facebook or email so I am busy with my cell phone, but there is always someone representing The Whiskers' Syndicate going round the repair site to see if something goes wrong.

Her name is Florence Nightingale. She was a street cat that called our porch home last year. I gladly opened my door, and she repay us by nursing all the kittens that ever come to our domain, treating them like her own child.

At one point a few months ago, I didn't find any baby bottles to bring home. I don't know why, but I didn't see any, at least not one without the mother. At that point I heard that the material store just five minutes walk across the street has new baby.

One day, Florence was gone, and I cannot find her. I saw her once or twice going into that material store, but when I chase her, she's gone.

When the repair start, I bought from that store, and it was when I start seeing her again. She stays in the store, and the people there give her food, but she is so very thin, it's really hard for her to walk more than ten steps without stopping for air.

I feel sorry for her, so when at one time she followed me out, I asked if she wants to "go home" because we missed her. She rubs herself onto my leg, so I pick her up, and bring her home.

I gave her special food because at that point, she can no longer stand straight, much less walk. She moved several step and sit, and then sleeps all day. I give her vitamin, milk, digestible protein, whatever cat nutrition I have and can afford to buy at that time.

Slowly, she is better. She does not seem to gain weight significantly, but she can walk around the house without falling because she is out of breath. A few days later she started her "tour of duty". Every one or two hours, she would go out to the backyard, walk round it, and sit at some spot where, when I come by, always find something wrong. The workmen called her "Misses Supervisor". If there is nothing, then she would lay down and relax beside my leg.

When Stubby or Jane Marple gone out to the rest room (they do their business in the bathroom) and one of the baby cry, Florence is always the first responder.

And then at one point when I bring this Little Prince home

again, Florence nurse him like he is her own child. If he slips out between the cage bars (he's tiny) and walked out to the backyard unnoticed, Florence will follow him and as soon as I am back inside the house, will automatically notice that there's something wrong and thus get the naughty prince back inside.

Florence is still with us today, appointing herself the governess of the six kittens that's now start to run and jump. She is the only cat approved by the mothers, while other cats usually earns loud yell and some claws.

At the outside, we have another superintended patrolling the perimeter to make sure no one pick some brick when we're all busy at the back.

Hanshin is one of our longest residence. He followed me to my boarding house as a kitten in early 2009, and he grow up as Whiskers' Syndicate develops.

The efficiency and effectiveness with which the workmen handle their work made the entire process runs fast and smoothly. It brings amusement for the cats as they never ran out of places to play


The Orient Express

Though I scold him many times, Bon Ami (white and yellow) can't stop his addiction: scratching on the cement sack.

and the one behind the camera is paparazzi :D

Three weeks, and all the messy muddy backyard is turned into something completely different.

But to be honest, it's not what I want.

My idea was - at the start - a small pathway along the left side of the wall, maybe just 1 metre (3 feet) wide pergola, and drainage, so the cats and I don't have to run under the rain when they eat.

Something like this:

Instead, what I get is around 3 meters (9.8 feet) wide pathway that is raised 20 centimetres (around 7.8 inches) high, which make the drainage above the ground level, because the workmen didn't want to waste any material (e.g. cutting the roofing sheet). I did ask why the drainage seems to be floating above the ground instead of under it, but the workmen keep saying that they are not done with it yet, so I just stay quiet.

So, since we don't want to demolish everything and start all over (over my dead body!) we have to dig the entire outdoor area (where the water tower and lemon tree are) to accommodate the drainage.

I ended up with three (large) truck load of muddy soil on my front yard, and the entire Sunday supervising another contractor get all the dirt away back to the mountain. It rained that night before and all those mud left marks on the wall, making my front yard looks disgusting.

It's a lie to say that I am not disappointed. I had dreamed of a nice garden where the cats can go about frolicking the greenery and fresh air, and I even already picked some plants that I am going to grow at the back.

Now I have a 100 square metres (328 square foot) town hall; and it's so empty, our voice echoes in there.

But hey, that means the cats have more space to hang out. That means the cats doesn't have to crumple inside the cattery and instead can choose to lounge outside in the evening.

That also means the mobsters can run and play even when it rains.

Forget about the town hall. We want a small garden, and God give us Olympic Stadium.

""For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD ~ Isaiah 55:8"

Fine :)

And then, one day, the dad approach me and asked, "Don't you want to paint the walls? It doesn't seems to be in the contract, but those grey walls will look ugly"

I just look at him, wondering how I should answer it (that the building actually ended up much larger than I thought and that it isn't suppose to need paint), he continues, "We had to make you spend extra money with all those dirt, so if you want to buy the paint tomorrow, we'll paint the building for you, for free"

Those men can't see it, but my psyche was rolling all over with grinning from ear to ear. Ho... Ho... Ho... Merry Christmas!!!

So the next Sunday, when they have their day off, I went around town looking for eco-friendly and cat-safe paint.

On their last day of work, came another surprise.

I thought they only come to pick up their stuff, clean up things a little bit, take their payment, and be gone.

I found out that the day before their supervisor told them about what I do and that I live alone. So since I give them a lot of stuffs that I no longer use, including some excess materials that they actually ask (wire mesh, cables, boards etc), they come down for one final bonus:

the cattery

the hallway

and the front yard! Look at all the mud, and that blob on the wall. Yuck.

The end result:

The hallway

The window to my room, where all those mobs peek inside just to tease me when I work

The Syndicate's life saving washing machine is as bright as sun!

Everybody's favourite daisy brick

The cattery from the outside

and from the inside. That's Tao, one of the hammock kitties, coming forward.

Looks pretty empty, don't you think?
Animalrescuemarketing.com is rallying to help us buy new beds, blankets, toys and cat trees that were damaged or lost in the flood.
If you would like to participate, click the link below:

https://rally.org/whiskerssyndicate

If you have a facebook account, even if you cannot give, you can help the fundraiser grow by pressing "like" on the top of the page. The more people press "like" the more the page is exposed to the public, the bigger our chance to get sponsor/donor. Won't you help us?

A few months ago during our fundraising, our friend Kay Meow campaigned on our behalf and made this picture:

Today, I give you the answer. The new home of Whiskers' Syndicate, that all of you have helped us build.

Thank you. Thank you without end for making our dream come true. We are alive today because of you.

Quest 2 Canaan (2)

2014-03-20T22:55:00.000+07:00

It's 2 am. In one hour, I will have to start a new day, but my today is hardly done.

Half an hour ago it would be easy to blame it to the cats. Each of The Whiskers' Syndicate with their own antics and personality; sometimes annoying, often endearing, always entertaining; a perfect distraction that never fails.

But now that the last shadow of their upright tails and galloping silhouettes had died down by the moon, I am back with my cellphone, that I have been using as a calculator, a mixed salad of bills and receipt of the ongoing repair, and the bitterness of an ass hole.

Apologize for the language, but there is one in the team. Some tough anti emancipation chauvinist who still lives in 16th century thinking that woman is nothing but a bed mat, a sex slave, and brainless masochist. This tough guy has been lifting his nose as high as sky every time he pass me while subtly whispered some sex offending words that reduce my kind, sometimes race, into the sort of garbage.

I have been quiet because my mind is too full with all sort of things, and I figured I don't have to handle him as long as his supervisor still realize that I am the one who pays their salary, but at a certain day when he sings out loud, all day long, for two days in a row about chickens (chicken is an Indonesian slang for whores), as an assault because I told him directly to stop goofing around with his team mate the whole day and do his job, this one particular brainless masochist strikes back.

There's a 5 centimetres (2 inches) gap between my wall and the house next door, and I told the supervisor to manage the gap. The supervisor told him to fill the gap with cement when the wall is done and dried, and there he is singing about chickens again, this time while walking around me three times.

He must have thought he's a winning savage who dances around his victim before boiling her into a soup; while the only thing that boiled is my blood. Lucky his supervisor saw what happened, call him, reprimand him, and send him back to his work.

I am not sure what he is trying to prove, or if he is just angry that his supervisor is sided with a woman he seems to despise, but he work very fast. Brick after brick, one scoop of mortar after another, while singing even louder about the chicken. But his work is not neat. There's a lot of mortar falling to the ground, and he broke many bricks that he throws away haphazardly to the ground, some hit his team mate and irritate them.

I watch him with a smile. Someone is digging his own grave while singing about whores.

And God never sleeps. He saw what is happening and deliver His people, me, from injustice.

As soon as his wall is done, he jumped down from the scaffolding, get himself a bucket of dirt, and fill the gap as full as he can.

10 minutes into his gallantry, the still-wet wall crumbled.

And while that happened, his supervisor looked in disbelief, and the team mate who got hit repeatedly with bricks failed miserably to hold his laugh.

OK... who's the idiot again?

I walk straight from the house right to the supervisor and clearly stated that I don't want to pay for damaged or wasted materials, that I will cut the money from the agreed contract, and that I want to make sure this is the last incident and if there's still some shit left in that worker's brain, he'd better realize that I, a woman, is working hard for this money, that I am responsible for each penny spend, and most of all, I pay their salary, and that include his.

From the corner of my eyes I saw the most sour pout ever, though the chicken song is still on air a few minutes later, though I heard the supervisor said "One more tune about chicken and you're dead, how's that? Are you insane or idiot? Don't you realize what situation you are in?"

Three hours later I was on the phone ordering some material when I heard water gushing in the back. I politely apologize to the material shop, hung up, run to the back and found the next door's house's water pipe burst out.

It was such a magnificent sight. A lot of water against the sun, a little rainbow, and a wall fountain in my backyard. The only thing is I didn't remember ordering some Niagara Falls with the contract.

I am lucky because the owner of the house was out at that time, so the owner won't come over to yell at me; those workers are unlucky because that means they have to wait until the water run out before they can fix the pipe and meanwhile, has to throw away all the water from the backyard, one bucket after another.

Where Niagara Falls um... well... fall.

At the end of the day, the supervisor sent everyone home and ask if I am going to cut the extra repair from their contract money too. I said yes, of course. The supervisor told me that they made little money and if I continue to cut their money they won't profit.

I told him that if he is interested in making profit, he should train his men better than allowing them to sexually harass a patron - since he too has been quiet about the chicken song - and that I have lost trust in him despite all the reference he gave me. Two stupid incidents in one day is too much for me.

He tried to persuade me into keeping the contract and cut only half the damage. However, I never intend to squander the money we all fund raise with sweat and tears so at the very end, I fired them still.

And that is partly why I am sleepless tonight. I have to find out how much material I lost and how much money I should make to replace the loss because I am not sure I can fund raise for more.

So the repair was halted for three days, while I work to gather the money, and looking for new repairmen, and in those three days I felt that, the temperature is steadily increasing.

This is not Bandung. Bandung is never this hot, even in the dog days of summer. All of a sudden there's no rain, no wind, just the increasing heat.

Regardless, I interviewed other repairmen after work. Learning from past experience, I want to see the whole team instead of only the supervisor, and found one that are reasonably priced and seemingly pretty decent. Their houses are nearby, and better yet, they are ready to start immediately.

The answer come from my brother the next day. He called to tell me that Mt. Kelud, a few hours drive from my family home had suddenly exploded, and my family house was covered in volcanic ash 1 inch thick. He also told me that the wind is going to the west, and Central Java already ashed under.

It's raining ash the next morning for the whole day, and the days after. Bandung was all white.

It's not all that bad in our place. The ash was not as thick. Though we have sore eyes, and occasional cough, we can still handle it.

What we can't handle was the heat wave. We were at roughly 40 degrees Celcius (104 F) at 6 am and climbing along the sun. I usually have to chase the cats around to get them into the cage every morning, but this time, they voluntarily went into the house and piled themselves up in our tiny bathroom and around the air purifier that I turned on almost 24 hours a day. I don't think I want to confine them in the cage the whole day and let them bake under the heat, so I called the repairman and postpone the starting date until the temperature dropped a little.

The heat took us another three days, during which we ironically wish for the rain (that we loathe so much ) to fall.

God is merciful to our prayers. It rains during the weekend, washing away all the ash, and bring some relief to our lungs. It brings the temperature nearly normal, and so after a week of Siesta, The Whiskers' Syndicate is back to track toward dry and warm sanctuary.

What comes next? The second round of repair, with a whole new team, up to the completion of our sanctuary.

Here's a spoiler:

Island In The Storm

2014-03-09T00:29:00.000+07:00

as appeared in SPCA International's Blog

Sunday, March 9, 2014

With Love From San Fransisco Woof To Indonesia Meow

2014-03-05T01:32:00.000+07:00

as featured in animalrescuemarketing.com

later picked up by Catster.com

Ocean Blue Presents "Causes Around the World": The Whiskers' Syndicate

March 5, 2014

Our mascot Ocean Blue searches for causes around the world that she thinks are worth barking about!

FEATURED CAUSE: THE WHISKERS' SYNDICATE IN BANDUNG, INDONESIA

Describing founder Josephia Liem as a super woman is an understatement. The Whiskers' Syndicate is a an animal welfare organization in Indonesia whose mission is to rescue the street animals of Bandung. Even workaholic Ocean Blue is amazed by Josie's relentless efforts to care for street animals everyday and also manage a sanctuary for rescued cats - even if it means building one with her own hands. Read on and be inspired by the story of Josie and her pussycats!

Whiskers' Syndicate founder Josephia Liem with "Braille"

Tell me about the animal crisis in your country and your vicinity. How does the cause relate to the country's culture?

As the breeder capital of my nation Indonesia, Bandung is overflowing with unwanted animals of all breeds, and the stray management is often, if not always, too gruesome to be true. Sadly, the self appointed "big nation" has no animal welfare laws, and conservation efforts are tainted by fearless corruption. Our country is still behind in terms of animal welfare and nature conservancy. Biodiversity is still considered a mere resources or tools of trade.
Devoid of any protection, animals in Indonesia are victimized by poachers, illegal trade, excessive milling, and all types of abuse. Be they household animals, farm animals, or those in the wild, they are treated as “things”. Breeders take out a kitty-mill cat from inside a motorcycle baggage cabin (that tiny, airless space under the saddle right at the side of gas tank) or they will tie dogs to an open truck and drive them miles away to the vet if the dog is not able to produce a litter. And if the vet discovers the dog is ill, owners are not willing to pay for care.

Share a little background about yourself.

I was born into generations of an animal loving family - my grandfathers, my parents, and my siblings. I was partially raised by a German shepherd named “Boy” who my grandfather rescued from the streets in the chaotic post-Indonesian war for independence, where there were countless other homeless animals.
When I took a job offer in Bandung 2008, I had no idea of the dark sides of this resort town dubbed “Paris Van Java”. The way humans treated animals, the environment and each other disgusted me, but it also taught me ever so strongly that I needed to be the change for these animals deserving better lives.
I was a full time executive officer in a large company by day and an animal rescuer by night. My passion for animals took over me, and I answered its call without hesitation, leaving behind my material world. I still look back now and then, but I never regret being where I currently am.

When did you decide to make a difference for animals?

Honestly? I don't remember. I followed my grandfather and my father around rescuing animals and as soon as I start having my own income at 12 years old. I always found myself among paws and tails (and wings, and claws, and what not) - street and tormented wild animals. Although I grew up to be like the mainstream kids - going to college, then climbing the corporate ladder - going home to me has always been about reuniting with my family that included my animals.

Tell me about your decision to start a rescue and to tackle this cause. What convinced you to do so, and what did it take to actually create the organization?

I lived in a boarding house during my first year in Bandung and my landlord had a pregnant pet cat. Her toddler son was fond of tormenting her. To get away, the cat would run away to my room. She gave birth right beside me on my bed! My life has never the same. I named her Grace.

When did you officially start? Tell us about the changes The Whiskers' Syndicate has made in your community, both in the lives of humans and the animals?

I started The Whiskers' Syndicate at the end of 2008, and I have not stopped since. As of today, I have rescued more than 168 cats and a few dogs from the street of Bandung. Some were adopted, some unwillingly threw in the towel as a result of the harshness of street life, most still live on the streets but underwent TNR (Trap Neuter Release), and those who otherwise could not survive the streets stay with me. During the first years, we lived from one rented boarding place to another, until I managed to buy a property in 2012 which is now home to The Whiskers' Syndicate.
98% of Bandung residents are backyard breeders, including the vets. In terms of the impact we've had towards humans, my natural connections with vets around Bandung has successfully sparked awareness. It goes to show the effect that can be accomplished by a single person. Information about TNR was known only to the younger vets, while vets of the older generation still believe that Spay/Neuter is sinful mutilation, and that breeding is necessary to keep pets healthy (otherwise they turn crazy, get sick or die), and there are many other false myths they still believe. Five years into the establishment of Whiskers' Syndicate, I see more vets suggesting TNR to commoners who pick up stray cats and dogs (out of pity), and recently l learned that more younger vets are offering discounted rates to people who bring in strays to get spayed and neutered.

Walk me through a typical day for you.

You will see my head poking from behind my bedroom door at 3 am. Some of the cats are still sleeping by then. When they wake up a few minutes later they will find me cleaning the litter boxes, washing their cage's trays and clean the house. When the sun rise at 6 am the cats will have their breakfast. Then I will be occupied by my various side jobs. If I am not working in day shift, or if I can work at home I will be handling the sanctuary's accounting/finance/banking, replying emails, handling social media, blogging, or tending to our charity shop in Etsy. Other times, I am doing the laundry or rushing cats to the vet. In the afternoon, I roam the streets of Bandung distributing food to the strays. In the evening, I am often visiting the cemeteries where abandoned cats or dogs ghoulishly call grave sites their home. I usually call it a day at 11 pm, but on days when I need to respond to with grant writers or charity givers from abroad, I skip my sleep all together so I can properly handle all the raised issues.

What are the best marketing strategies you employ today?

Be a human being, be yourself. While larger communities or organizations make a deep impact, there's this unseen connection between grass roots animal rescues worldwide. We grass roots people might not have the power of a million dollars, or the spotlight to do so, or the voice of a celebrity, but we are closer to the animals than even the smallest established organization and it is that direct connection to the animals that make us one.

Our entry for “Artist Exposed” event on Etsy (photo shown above) where we featured what we do for our cause, including the artist in one picture. Our entry featured our best selling organic catnip mouse and our rescued cat Bon Ami :)

As a grass roots animal rescue, people look at you - the person behind the scenes, the face behind the product. They do not look up to the unattainable sky. They look right in front of you - and you'd better be there to meet them eye to eye. They are human, they relate to your pain, the share your vision, they live with the same heartbeat, they have your passion. That also moves us together as one, no matter how much world is between us.

What would you like to accomplish in 2014?

Flooding as a result of Typhoon Haiyan.

Currently we are home to around 60 cats and kittens inhabiting 1,000 square foot. Following the unfortunate brush with Typhoon Haiyan last November 2013, our sanctuary was flooded and damaged, forcing all 60 cats to crumpled into a tiny 387 square foot space.

The cattery: Resident "mobsters" attempt to find a dry spot

During our bout with the typhoon, five minutes into the rain, our backyard was already under water. The cattery was completely soaked.

One small dry spot shared by a few lucky "mobsters"

My biggest goal right now is to repair the sanctuary so that the resident "mobsters" can have better living conditions. We've managed to raise enough funds to start the repair, but we are still in need of replacements for all the toys, cat trees cat towers, and bedding that were damaged in the flood. I am sure the cats would love to have beds and cat trees again!

The second goal, after all the repairs, is to restart our TNR operation. I am using every opportunities to approach communities around to adopt TNR in place of culling. Since animal welfare has not yet exist where we are, we do not have funding from government or communities and have to fund the operation ourselves. I hope to be able to raise enough fund for these TNR in the hope that what we do will be a living example of humane stray management.

What does it mean to you to be an animal rescue advocate?

The world.
My life as animal advocate had shown me the saddest places, the most gruesome practices, the desperation, the negligence... but it also shows me - in the forms of friends and supporters, as well as fellow animal advocates - the shining core of humanity. I cannot be more proud to be part of that shining race, the race that is worthy to hold itself as those created in God's image.

JOIN THE CAUSE!

Animal Rescue Marketing wants to help The Whiskers' Syndicate in a big way. We have been following the plight of the repairs and reconstruction efforts for the sanctuary, and we ask you, fellow rescue advocates, to please use your animal rescue marketing know-how to get more donors and supporters to help Josie and The Whiskers' Syndicate raise more funds to replace the cat trees, bedding, and toys. Are you interested in hosting a Causes or Rally.org page? Or something clever that can get this message to go viral? Contact us with your ideas and to let us know that you can help! Thank you!

Ocean Blue wants to lead the way! Check out her Fundraising page on Rally.org for The Whiskers' Syndicate. Ocean wants to raise enough money for new beds and cat trees for the kitties. Click this button and contribute to her cause!

https://rally.org/whiskerssyndicate

Quest 2 Canaan (1)

2014-02-12T22:40:00.001+07:00

I looked at the clock. It's 10:40. The day had certainly run so fast, but I still have a few more thing to do. In the backyard, The Whiskers' Syndicate had started to snooze. Some silhouette still pops up and turn, looking around, and small shadows are galloping against the two lamps that are left lightening. Though I don't know who are still playing this late at night, but it seems like, they haven't run out of battery.

Ten days ago, we started our repairs, with around 500 short of the full fund we need. I can't wait any longer. The days had turned from thee storms a week into five, and as we sink deeper into the rainy season that will end next April, there will be more to come. So while we still have the sun, I'd start the repair anyway.

A few men who comes through some recommendations never made it near the contract. Either I hate them or the cats were too horrified of them. Construction is still the world of Mars(es) here, and like Mars, they live in the space where woman is not suppose to know or able to do what they can, so woman should shut up and sit nicely.

Not this woman, though. I inquire in detail of what they are capable of doing and how they do it. What are their education background, and if their past clients are reputable. Most, like I thought, learn it from experience. Engineering school is expensive, plus, that stereotype that men should be Supermen in order to not being humiliated (or have the right to boast) to their women.

Well, not this woman.

When I finally grow tired of fruitless search, I turned to my feet, and go from company to company and give them my situation, my budget, and see how they handle it on paper. Most just show me beautiful designs with hundreds of million to build, the other has no clue. Except for the last two.

When the second before last entered my house, they find it very clean. Nothing. No dust, no trash, no furniture;

No cats.

Even I think it's too darn quiet.

I tried talking to them in the backyard as they told me their plan, but it's so very quiet you can hear the wind.

I saw Bobtail, Kansai and some others peeked on me with huge, round eyes, crumpled together under the bamboo bushes, and those eyes sent me their message. As I guide them out of the house, I saw others, under the lemon tree, behind the washing machine, and bury themselves under the laundry, and they all echoes the same message.

"We hate them"

Sure, I have to listen. Those people are going to spend quite a good amount of time in my house so I don't want to torment the cats more than I am now with the lack of drainage and incapability to raise fund. Besides, though I earned my Bachelor degree in Psychology with flying colours from one of the best university in the country, those cats are better psychologist than I am.

And heck there are 50 of them telling me the same thing.

A week later there's another. I kind of think that they failed too, I give up, and just called the developer's repairmen.

Cooper peeked out, stare at them with his high and mighty eyes, and jumped out leisurely trotting toward us.

At first I thought he lost his mind, but more follows after him, and some of the cats ended up sniffing their boots or just sit a little bit to the side and watch, but not with that huge, round eyes crumpled together like grapes.

So we made a deal, and the work started after Chinese New Year.

We started by clearing out the wild jungle:

Then we dig some trench for a foundation of the corridor.

We are going to close up part of the left side of the backyard and turn it into a corridor, so I don't have to be Mary Poppins who jumps and skips through the backyard with an umbrella and a basket of cat food every time it rains.

And then, it will add some space for the cats to hang out in the cool of the highland's rain without having to rush and cram themselves in the cattery.

We will move the water tower to the other side, so it's more spacious. We will leave the lemon tree and have a void in the middle of the corridor for air, and for my personal fear that those manly guys will rip the lemon tree apart if we move them and it will be dead. I love lemons, and look at those juicy rounds hanging on the branches like Christmas ornaments!

Actually, it's just me being a romantic. When we first moved into the house, I planted a small lemon tree that later become the kittens' favourite toy, before it grow thorns. When the tree became "untouchables" the cats like to lounge about under its shade, and the lemon tree become our backyard icon. It survived the flood that first swept us in 2012, and now it is the sole survivor of the two floods in November and December 2013.

With time, the lemon tree represent the harshness with which life come to us, and embodies the spirit, perseverance and faith that we keep as we continue our journey, and the hope that like the lemon tree now, our effort will be abundantly fruitful


The new water tower will be there

The water tower is as iconic as the lemon tree on its own history. We got it with a grant from SPCA International when they choose us as Shelter Of The Month in August 2012, when we moved into the house and by then haven't got running water.

There is a question of why I insist the corridor to be on the left side of the backyard. Isn't it just easier if we just make it on the left? Cut the bamboos and we have one straight line, clean and clear.

This is my answer:

There's a small hook at the left side of the wall, and at first it was covered with wire mesh so cats can't go out to the street through the roof. However, more and more cats grow out the makeshift cat fence and use the hook as climbing point to go out. It is all right if they just lounge on the roof, either ours or the neighbours; but I will be in trouble if they decide to roam the valley not far behind the sanctuary, or worse, to the front and onto the street.

Rexie II climbed from the hook, walking around the perimeter of the house and lounged on the other side of the house

Blossom followed suit

If I made the corridor on the right side for convenience, I will have to spend more money fencing the hook, so I just make the corridor on the right side and the roof of the corridor will block their way up to the roof, and since there will be nothing on the right side to be used as a stepping stone, cats won't go out and onto the street, and I can work in peace.

So... we put down the tank...

Move the tower to the other side...

And voila...

So far so good.

Next?

We're doomed.

No kidding, we're doomed. But that's another post. Just hang in there for a second and we'll get there in the second part.

Will of Fire

2014-01-22T00:00:00.000+07:00

Let me tell you a secret.

We've been trying to raise USD 5,600 since December, and despite millions of stories over the internet that people raise hundred of thousands of Dollars within one day, we are still less than halfway there well into January, despite exhausting every effort we can think of.

So, putting USD 3,000 in Pitch in is probably too much for people to bear; and when they think it's too much, they skip the game, and find something else easier to attain. To show that three thousand Dollars is indeed attainable, and to make sure we can start rebuilding our sanctuary by February, our friend Lori divided it into the remaining days of January and come up with USD 250/day. I trusted her fully, and so let the math escape me.

In light of her generosity, our friend Susan Edwards had offered to match USD 100 donation last Friday (Saturday my time), which ease the burden a lot because we practically only need to raise half the amount of our daily goal. It means a lot for us, especially because the day before, we didn't earn anything. Nothing. It's zero all day long.

That same day, I kind of figure out that I blew my chance of hiring a Squarespace developer who can help with the new website, owing to my plummeting self worth and confidence, given she just ignore me and never again replied my email after she herself offered some schedule to chat online to discuss about what is best for the Syndicate's website.

Unfortunately, until a few hours before midnight PST, the latest time zone in USA, we are not even half where we want to, and I start wondering if we are going to make it. It's raining the whole day for 2 days that day, and while I was exhausted for trying to lift tons of sandbag with one and a half hands (my right wrist is bad), and try to keep water away from the house, ending up staying awake and working for more than 38 hours already, I still try to use what was left of my brain that is still functioning to rally for help.

Until the last two hours, we are USD 30 short of meeting the challenge. I know my chances are grim, but I tried anyway. It's not over until the fat lady sing.

I have got that one burst of joy when one friend donated USD 20 less than an hour before midnight PST (thank you Belle!).

Afterwards, it's over. People are sleeping, or elsewhere enjoying their weekend, when the remaining hope that I cling for my life start to crumble.

Even when offered to do only half the effort, we cannot make it.

Ten minutes later, there's nothing left of my confidence, or hope.

I failed. Ten more dollars, and I failed. We're dead on our last step before finish line, and as I saw Elf's round eyes watching me on the rim of the bed, I kind of lost of how to answer his telepathic question.

And then it's dark.

I woke up to Elf crying on top of my arm, and Ami tugging my ear, something he always does if I didn't wake up after the alarm stop ringing. Looking through my painful eyes, I saw the door of my room flung open and some of the cats who doesn't stay in the cage were lining up staring at me with wonder in their eyes. My door doesn't have any handles on it, so it can't be locked. It can be closed, but there is one mobster: Estebel, who can see past the mental barrier of a shut door, and use her nose to push it bit by bit until it's opened.

Nice team work everyone. You'll get extra food for that.

I noticed that it's still raining outside, everything is grey. I lazily turned over on my bed, but I can't feel anything. I am blank.

I stand up, walk through the cats, feed them, clean litter boxes, fill water bowl, clean the house, and find myself, who knows how long, staring blankly holding the window.

When I figured out what to do with the window, I walked in, straight to the room, close the door, sit on the bed, and stare blankly, trying to figure out what to do. I read Susan's message to tell everyone that anonymous donor decide to fill in the 10, and sent me 110.

I do what she said, but then, nothing more. There is this passing ray of gratitude for her wisdom to waive the USD 10, though it didn't change the fact that I failed. I did everything, but still, I failed.

And then I am back on the blank. I did not feel anything. I am not tired, I am not sleepy, I am not hungry, I am not thirsty, I do not feel hate, or anger, or love, or hope, or sadness, nothing. Like the constant rain and the perpetual greyness outside, I am zombified for the rest of the day, with the only emotions I felt were devastation, dejection, resentment, guilt, and a huge boulder with a taste of failure. When some of the cats are fighting I went outside, approach them, pet them, but I don't feel anything. I know the cats were looking at me curiously because I am different, but I just turn away, back to my room, sitting on the same spot and stare blankly toward the empty, white wall of my room.

Among those time, my mind was taken to the past when I was still a writer for MultiMedia RolePlaying Game forum. We were four, and I usually wrote the story board and profiling the characters, with ideas from the other three. One of them is a boy from California who matched me so well, that we are clicked from week one although we have not yet known each other that much. As we work together I learned that, and it taken my breath knowing, that he was still 13, while I was on my mid twenties.

He was the middle child of three, all boys, of a prominent leader of USA's largest chemical company. His parents were busy all day, and he is often alone at home, which is why he can spend so many times in the internet, and is much more mature despite his age. I mean, seriously, we are free to talk about nano technology from many different point of view like we are a pair of scientists in some lab.

Soon our relationship expanded from merely team mate, as we chat all day long and I use the time to help him with homework, sandwich, salads, and girls. Those were my happiest moments after I lost my father.

One of our favourite story, among a few, is an adventure of a "dead last" and "outcast" ninja in his class, who strive for acknowledgement and respect from his peers. He went as far as to make this goal his "Will Of Fire" a concept that give him strength to continue fighting against all odds, building willpower and strength of character.

With him graduating and into Senior High, the other two members went to college and registered with USAF, I moved to Bandung and started The Whiskers' Syndicate, and following an unfortunate event, the group was eventually (amicably) disbanded as we walk our separate ways through the path of life.

Still, I cannot come to think of anything, or feel anything, though I start to question if each of us, especially me, still keep that same "Will of Fire" or if that fire (most likely) have disappeared following my consecutive failure in defending The Whiskers' Syndicate, something that have an immense value for me. As I wander around the house hoping to find something to break my numbness and spark my interest, I always find myself back on the same spot, sitting on my bed, staring blankly to the empty, white wall of my room, where a demon came and sit beside me to tell me about whatever I felt: abandoned, failed, thrown away, nothing. It went on to show me that in the place I am going, there is only the gritting pain of loneliness, the coldness of desperation, the soreness of calling out to deaf ears, the degradation of trying to grab someone's hand, anyone, only to be pushed away like a disease, the silence of isolation.

It went on to tell me that I am not loved, citing evidence that in fact, none of the people I called "friends" are there for me at the moment. None of them even realize that I am not present. Then it told me that soon the community will fail me and throw me away, even though I work hard to hold it up with my two hands, given that although I try to be courteous, honest, humble, and kind, people still treat me like garbage.

Do unto others, what thy want others to do unto thee (Matthew 7:12, Luke 6:31)

is a factual bull shit.

It said that if God really loves me, as much as I love Him, He would have answered my faith and will not let all those cats I love so much suffer for so long.

That night I remembered part of a song that was famous long ago:

Objects in the rear view mirror appear closer than they are...

The next day I saw Constantine.

Constantine is a senior cat that I found lying on the street awaiting his death from losing a fight last year. He is so old he can't sit, stand or walk straight. He walks almost sideways, like a crab. His spine bent to one side, his body frail, and he walks slower than a turtle.

Every time I put the food bowl on the floor, all of the cats went flying trying to get the first bite. Constantine will walk slowly, leaning to the side wall along the backyard to the cattery, struggled to climb up, and find whatever left by the younger, faster, stronger cats.

Sometimes he gets something, sometimes he doesn't. When he didn't find anything left he will struggle to go down, walk painfully slowly back to the house, sit under the window, waiting for my head to poke up, and then he will open his mouth and let out his coarse, dried up, ugly meow, asking for food.

And yet, even when I try to hold him down and give him his own bowl so he doesn't have to go through the ordeal, he walks anyway. He'd sniff from one bowl to another, risking some impudent younger cat clawing on his nose, and when one does, he walk over to the other.

When he finally sure there isn't any left, he'll go back to the bowl I set aside for him, if it's not already finished by someone else. Then he'll go through his window ritual.

He is one of the cats I am most proud of. He is old, battered, and beaten, yet holds his pride high enough to fetch his own food, whether or not he is going to get one.

It is that golden in him that make me give the name of my favourite (Marvel) character: Constantine.

I turned away, walk into my room, sit on the same spot and staring blankly at the empty white wall inside my room.

So, maybe, I will try once more. There is no guarantee that I will get the pot of gold at the other side. Maybe I will just find some crumb, and go back home hungry, but I guess, perhaps, when that happen, I can just do that window ritual, just in case there's some fish falling from there.

Just in case, but who knows. It's not over until the fat lady sing; and there's no other lady in this house so...

The destiny's calling

2014-01-09T00:14:00.000+07:00

One thing that I hate the most about this thunderstorms and crazy rain is that turn me into horrific looking creature.

When rain came pouring suddenly, cats will frantically try to run away from their playground. Some retain their sanity and run toward the house, while the others were distraught enough to run toward their damaged cattery, and trapped there with millions of leaks across the cattery's roof to shower them, and a few waterfalls flowing from the sides of the cattery that render them helpless as they have no where else to run.

Every time it happens I will come pick them up and carry them one by one from the cattery to the house, holding an umbrella in one hand and the cat in the other, walking back and forth through muddy backyard until there are none.

During the travel if the cat is calm enough to be carried at my side, they will just stay put. If they are too terrified and lost their mind, all the way through that 40 feet long backyard they will be yelling, clawing and biting me, leaving many bloody wounds that often give me scar mark on my arms, side and neck, sometimes my ears and cheek.

The creature that I try so hard to protect and rescue, are fighting so hard against me.

Then to make things worse my mother will nya nya on the phone whenever she has chance reminding me that I am a woman and a woman supposed to have a flawless skin instead of stripes all over. She will continue to complain about how I should take care of myself to the point that I almost lost control. And we know mothers. No point talking against them because they will just go round and find yet another reason to nya nya nya on us.

There is one solution for that though, but I don't want to go around my house handling cats while dressing up like Sir Galahad.

On those days the only thing I can do is go out of the house to cool myself down, sometimes by leaving my cell phone at home so I don't have to pick any call or answer any messages until my head cools down.

And then on one of those days, while sitting in a public transport, I saw a white and tabby cat lying on its side on the pedestrian under a garbage drum.

Since the traffic was so terrible I have no trouble jumping off the car and straight to the cat. He was thin and cold and lifeless, and I know that whatever I do, he probably don't have much time left, so I just rap him in my jacket and walk away from the main road, where I can cradle and comfort him as he made his journey across.

He done so immediately, and very quickly, after he turn to see my face and meet my eyes. There was a glint of gladness pass through his dilated eyes, before he turned back and gone for good.

It will take hours if I take another bus home, so I walk with a dead cat in my hand for the whole hour, trying to converse with God on His reason sending a cat my way only to die in my arm minutes later.

I got home with a self-found understanding that perhaps that cat's last wish is to know how it feels to have someone who love him, and since I am nearest to the location He dispatched me to answer the call and for that, I am honoured.

Unfortunately the long walk made me late for my physiotherapy appointment, so I have to take another queue and in effect, get back home even later at night. I don't worry so much because although it's the last bus, the route I take is never empty and the roads it passed is always crowded.

It was magical when at one point on my way, that crowded road is suddenly quiet for a few minutes, and we all hear a kitten's loud cry for help.

It's not just my imagination. I look around and saw everyone is stunned for a while that moment, as the car glides on and left the pitiful cry vanish further back.

The first to react is a young woman sitting beside me. She went straight back to her Blackberry and type as if nothing happened.

The next is me. I said " Driver sir, please pull over as fast as you can, but do it safely"

So for the second time that day I jumped off midway; but as I walked back to the place where we heard the cry, I found nothing.

I thought I stopped at the wrong place, so I continue walking, back and forth around three or four times but lost the voice.

Then the rain start to fall, and if I don't jump on the next vehicle I will have to walk back home under showering rain in the dark cold night.

I whispered "Anyone called 112 My Lord?" (112 is Indonesia's 911).

I stopped at the porch of a closed shop, pulls out my rain coat, and caught a glimpse of a rolling tennis ball a few meters ahead.

Curiosity kills the cat (lady) so I walk closer and seemingly found the yelling culprit. A kitten as big as a tennis ball that's not even able to see clearly yet.

The transport was coming so I just pick it up and put it into my bag, when a homeless woman passed behind me and say "There were two"

I lift myself up and replied "There's only one, where's the other?"

The woman laughed, and continue walking.

To stay (and look for the other kitten) or not to stay (and catch the last bus) that's the question.

I stayed. I look around and under food stalls nearby but I found nothing. The baby in my backpack cried several time but no answer, so after a half an hour going round the place I put on my jacket and start walking; when I heard a familiar voice calling behind me

"Hey, are you coming?"

I look around and saw a bus driver grinning behind his steering wheel. I used his route very often that he knows me.

"I thought the other one was the last bus" I told him as I climb up.

"Yeah, the traffic, and this is the end of the holiday season. Every bus is 30 mins off schedule"

I sit on the empty bus, and remember my self- found knowledge that morning. Maybe the baby asked for just one more chance to be heard, and I am honoured to answer the call.

So where's the baby?

Brand New Breeze

2013-12-31T23:48:00.000+07:00

original version of a feature on EFA/Etsy For Animal's Blog

Dec 31,2013

As days became weeks, and advanced us towards the end of the month and year... we'd like to say that we've been carried away by the rush of the festive season, and especially for us, for me, this one Christmas had brought us to a higher plane.

We are so grateful to have been nominated, and chosen as EFA's December Charity Of The Month, during which we were given the chance to experience a higher level of the Spirit of the Season.

In such a drive to raise the urgent fund for our sanctuary, which was damaged by recent storm, EFA also started a separate emergency fund raiser (for two more holding cages) which reached its goal in just one day, and continued to grow… the excess funds were transferred over to the general repair PitchIn fund raiser – thank you so much !

In the other side, our sister Lori work endlessly to reach out through our Facebook page; that a place usually as quiet as grave, now so bright and bustling, though probably not as hectic as the shopping malls at the end of the year.

Another sister, Ekeim, silently put her charms to work and get us a chance for an online auction to benefit The Whiskers' Syndicate starting January 2014.

I am sure none of our blog post missed Care2News because another angel: Christine Steward, never forget to share each and every one of our adventures in Care2.

All of those will not be successful without you: our blog readers, our FB fans, our Google circle, and a few good men who share our story.

The magic is: all of those happened when I sustain wrist injury that render me unable to write properly and have to struggle even to finish one order from our Etsy shop.

Never in our lives we saw a response so quick, and with such compassion that our friends and family literally shifted from their currents and rushed to our aid. Never in our lives we experience such bond in which the whole team is no longer individuals that move toward the same goal, or people that share common love toward cats, but as a band of brothers and sisters, that stand and fall together, as one. It is at that moment that we can feel how powerful, united, and grand we all if each of us is willing to spend a little, even if it's only sharing our story.

And so at the end of this season, as we embrace the New Year with the hope of better fares in our lives... as a person, as a member of our community, and overall as part of society, please allow us to humbly bow our gratitude to all of you. Each of the donations that were Pitched In are golden rays of the newly born sun to us as we too continue our journey.

The path we have to take is still long. Our fund raise is still far from done... and even today, stray, feral, abused and neglected cats (and several other animals) that called our sanctuary home are still seeking heaven's approval for a better place to stay. While we will no longer have the privilege of being EFA's COTM, we invite you to share the remaining of this journey together.

We have an online auction to benefit Whiskers' Syndicate, courtesy of Auction for small rescues worldwide in facebook. If you have something new, or nearly new, that you would like to send away, you are invited to donate it for auction on our behalf. If you are on facebook just go to the link above and register yourself, and post the picture of your item(s) along with a clear description and price. Tell your friends and family about this great thing you do, and ask them to share your story so that people can join the auction and bid on your item. Kindly remember to mention that your item is to benefit The Whiskers' Syndicate.

If you need something to buy and want it cheap and in good condition, you are also welcome to go to the link above and see if you are interested in something. Charity auctions usually sell good things in great price.

If you are not on facebook but would like to donate items to the auctions, just contact us and we will come to you with all the requirements and post on your behalf.

We hope that the spirit with which we are showered this month can be carried over to the new Charity of The Month, and that every laughter, tears, loss, and gains during this magical season stays in all our hearts for a long long time.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone. This year, the star of Betlehem is you.

All I Want For Christmas Is You

2013-12-24T01:42:00.001+07:00

I've got a little angel falling from the sky last October, when I did some errands and was waiting for the next bus to come.

A man was strutting his brand new 250cc sports motorcycle (seriously, a racer motorbike to use in congested streets in Bandung?) and has been blowing the gas over and over to draw attention.

Eventually, on certain blow, the corner of my eyes caught a glimpse of a ball shaped shadow falling from the sky, right in front of the incoming bus, and catch it in reflex.

In my arms, a startled kittens stared blankly at me as the motorcycle continue to show off and while trying to make his way through the traffic jam. When the kitten finally realize that he landed on a wrong place, he tried frantically to get off my hand, and his unpredictable jerks gave me such trouble that I ended up twisted my right wrist trying to hold him from being crushed by the bus.

I pushed him into my bag because the sprain weaken my hold, and go away from the terminal as far as I can, then after he calmed down a little, I re-open my bag and try to dig for some pocket cat food, only to find out that I ran out of it already, and left with one bottle of Kewpie baby food that I just bought to feed sick kittens at home.

I was kind of worried that he didn't like it, but my laugh breaks loose when, out if his impatience, the tiny kitten didn't wait until I come up with a small spoon, and instead tried to drill his head into the bottle for an immediate hunger relief, and as he did so, drill his cave into my heart.

and Kewpie is his name

Kewpie did well as soon as he gets into the Whiskers' Syndicate, although the vets told me that he got a terrible state of gastrointestinal condition, probably because he was separated from his mother too early and too long.

Unfortunately, Bandung still doesn't have enough technology to address his problem and bring him back to health. Severe malnourishment had damaged Kewpie's fragile system and that it's possible that his days is not very much left because as healthy as he is, he is never as vibrant and lively as other kittens. I almost always find him sitting on the sideline watching, and he is tired so easily he slept away most of his days, unlike other kittens.

Still, I was so glad of the chance given to spend my life with such an angelic creature, that I didn't pay too much attention on my hurting wrist then. I just want to shower him with every attention, give him good food, plenty of toys, nice beds, everything he probably can't even dream of when he still live on the streets. At those time, my wrist is second to the last priority. I put ointments on my twisted wrist and ignore it, thinking that it's just a small accident, and that it will heal as time pass by.

fast friends with Martha

He falls in love to a pet bed that I was making for sale, so I just let him have it and made a new one to be sent to Australia.

Kewpie's chosen home. He spent most of his life rolling all over inside the cave if not sleeping

A kitten his age supposed to still be nursing instead of eating garbage

The cat bed followed Kewpie to his grave when monsoon came and a virus attacked his weak digestive system, and he left a big hole that he drilled into my heart during his short stay on earth.

I know it's meant to be. Kewpie is still very young, he is still so small, and it is unfair for him to have to live less-than-perfect life without access to proper medication. I know it is best for him to leave soon, so he can go back to heaven and reborn as something better, but there's still this gaping hole that he drilled into my heart.

Like the pain he left, the ache on my wrist lingers, and was growing worse. Every time I try to lift something, it stings right through my upper arms. Despite, I continue to use my wrist as if as nothing happened.

Or else, no one will keep the Whiskers' Syndicate clean, alive, and running.

Quite a few friends and family know what happened to my wrist, but no one know about how it continue to worsen because I keep lying to everyone while trying hard to convince myself that it's going to be OK, and it only take longer because instead of resting it, I continue to use it.

Soon enough it become too painful for me to type, and I am falling behind on answering emails and sending thank you note to supporters.

Then it becomes painful to click mouse so I skip resizing pictures for facebook or google+ and instead upload them as they are. Some seems to be OK, the other ones are just weird and I am obviously not satisfied with my work, but it's the best thing I can do.

Last week I can't even click a pen to use it to write without cringing in pain. It took me hours just to finish one post card that I sent along with every order, and I need the bus driver and post office staffs to help me carry items to be shipped even though they are less than 2 kilograms.

It is when my close friend Kay Meow remind me to seek help before it's too late and my wrist turned into a bad arthritis. It's a good advice and I intended to follow it, but The Whiskers' Syndicate is at critical moment right now and I don't feel like abandoning it even for a while to take care of myself, even if I want to.

I feel like I was pushed around trying to hold the momentum and fund raise for our defunct roof before the cats all died out of sickness or brawls. There is no way forty something adult cats stays together in less than 36 square meters (about 380 square feet) without at least clawing at each other.

When our "Achoo" boy cleared up ...

another one gone worse.

The fund raising has been in itself, a roller coaster adventure. We have hope when we are referred to an online auctioneer that benefit animals, but there is no further contact from the auction house and our messages went unanswered. We are very happy that we are appointed as charity of the month by Etsy For Animals Team, in which portion of their sales in December 2013 will benefit our repair fund, but there is not much sales to hope for, until the team launched an emergency fund raising that ended up well enough to buy two extra large to contain the cats when it's time to repair.

With new flourishing hope from the emergency fund raising, we are trying to knock more door to be included into other auctions that benefit animals, but we have little luck and the donation meter stuck for about a week, until a kind friend posted our story in a celebrity's facebook page and people come to help, among which is our friend Nikki Prindle who set out in her personal campaign to collect donated items for the Whiskers' Syndicate.

The last best news is that we will be included in an online auction that benefit our rescue in January and April 2014.

In the middle of all the uncertainty, I called my doctor, made an appointment, and listening to my story, he touched my wrist and move it around, a gesture so gentle yet left me shouting in sheer pain. It seems like, in the doctor's world, even an idiot can easily ruled out that my wrist has gone bad enough, and in his own words: going to be a bad arthritis if I came see him a few days late.

And I planned to visit him a few days late if Kay Meow didn't urge me to find help immediately.

He looked at my face as he ruled his judgement, and made a challenge:

He will overturn my arthritis, and completely heal them, but I have to:

1. Stop taking more jobs and stay with whatever I have now.
2. See and work with physiotherapist he recommends for the whole week.
3. Take heaps of medication that, like life, is sugar coated, but left a bad after taste.

When I got out of the hospital, my heart can't sink any deeper. I really need to repair the cattery. I really need to help the cats, I really need to make it now, because once the year turned into a new one, we will be drowned in the merciless rainy season, and seriously, I need to keep everyone alive because I don't know if my heart can take another ache if someone die out of pneumonia or Chlamydia and I can't help it because the mobsters don't have proper place to stay.

But I also need this hand. I am a rescuer, a seamstress, crafter, cook, cleaner, translator, blogger, and at the very bottom line I am right handed. I am ambidextrous and I have no trouble using my left hand, but I was born right handed so it's still my dominant hand.

So here is my choice: I continue to do what I am doing now, and lost my hand (hence the cats will die because I cannot work with one hand) or step back and fail the fund raising effort and the cats will die from the harsh season.

I talked about this to my captain, and as I lamented about my failed efforts, she wrote:

"Maybe the Universe (God) is saying - look here are people to help you and I make them succeed. You need to take care of yourself and the kitties and slow down. You keep trying to NOT do that so God makes you not succeed to teach you lesson."

I was actually startled long enough reading that, that she has to ping on me and ask "Are you listening?"

It seems like in my frantic rush, I forgot to stop, take a breath, and look around, and I did it long enough to missed the one door that God had left open.

We have people cancel their promise to us, we have people backed out from donating items to auction, we have people forgetting their pledge to donate citing various reasons to justify their spending (which is actually their right, so we're not complaining, though disappointed), we have people moving away from us and care for his and her own joyful Christmas tirade.

But we also have those who dropped by and stay to lend their hand without having to be asked to do that. We have friends who take their own initiative and cover the holes that we have not yet touch, and we have those who try to share our story online and offline whether or not the seed they sow will grow, let alone bare fruit.

Most of all we have our faith that if God put us here, He will lead us through it, one way or another. We gone too far to turn back now, even if we can turn back. Whiskers' Syndicate is the only animal sanctuary in Bandung, breeder capital of Indonesia, a country without animal welfare. Our house is the only place they can turn to, if they live long enough to get to us, so we can't afford to just break down and cry and return all our rescues to the street and refuse all others who come.

a street cat like this one is coming everyday and beg in front of our door since the flood

We can, actually. No one will blame us, but we won't do it because we have one more thing that might work: YOU.

Animals have no one else to turn to but us, and we do not have anyone else to turn to but you.

1. We tell you once and we will tell you again: 1 USD equals more than 10 thousand Rupiah. You got your eyes right, which is why we always say a little bit bring huge help.
We need USD 5,600 to repair our sanctuary and we only have USD 1,000 as of today. Would you chip in just USD 1 to help our Christmas dream come true? Spare your change, throw us your coins here.

2. EFA/ Etsy For Animals team with members all over the world is on sale to benefit our cause during December 2013 only.

3. Join Lori Skaggs on our Quest2Canaan in Facebook. If you like animals, and especially cats, chances are there will be something that catch your heart off guard.
Help Lori share our stories. Sharing is free, and yet it saves lives.

4. Don't feel like donating money? Our friend Nikki Prindle is helping us collecting items that are not available in Indonesia but is crucial for the cats. You can find what we need here (scroll to the bottom for a complete list)

We only do this because we believe that there is still good in people. We only do this because we believe that there's still kindness left in every heart, we believe that if every small things that we are band together, we are strong. We believe in you, and at this moment, you should see that we stretch our hands and paws for our life and you can make it happen.

We believe that you are our Christmas miracle, and so all we need for Christmas is you.

You Better Watch Out, Santa Claus Is Moving Out Of Town!

2013-12-20T23:39:00.003+07:00

as appeared in a feature in EFA/Etsy For Animals' blog
by Nicole Planchon of Brizel4Animals

Goodday EFA peeps and cat supporters worldwide.

I have a special announcement and mission relating to an *emergency* fund raiser that I'd like to put forward today. It relates to an expense for a much needed item that our COTM recipient, The Whiskers' Syndicate is in need of rather urgently.

If you havent already had a chance to familiarize yourself with our Charity of the Month and the challenges that they are facing at the moment... you can view our second COTM blog feature outlining their specific difficulties in detail.

The short of it is… that the residuals of the typhoon that hit the Philippines last month caused excessive rain storms in Bandung, Indonesia where The Whiskers' Syndicate is located and as a consequence- the roof to their cattery was damaged. Estimated costs of repairs on fixing that and getting this unique cat sanctuary back on their feet is $5600. As of today, the PitchIn for this specific fund raising event is at $890- so they are only 15% there with 85% yet to be donated.

I'm sure you will all agree that Christmas Miracles are much needed at this time.

Apart from the roof repairs, part of this $5600 budget is/was to purchase four large cages to help keep safe those felines that have fallen ill with all the original flooding and from further recurring flooding issues since the roof remains un-repaired. The grounds are so saturated- drainage is slow, if at all existent and all new incoming rain compounds the problem further.

The Whiskers' Syndicate is home to forty felines and with a very small sized main house- all forty of them are having to seek shelter in it. Due to these stressful conditions- some of the cats are having behavioral issues so a time-out space is also needed. There's half a dozen reasons I can give you why having these cages are essential right now: sick cats, pregnant strays, misbehavin', healing from injuries, shy newcomers, safe haven from roofers are six good reasons right there.

The EXCiTiNG news is that Ace Hardware is having an end of year sale and two cages have already been acquired at a 15% discount. Another two are on order and should be arriving within the next 24hrs. So inspite of only having 15% of the fundraiser in, so far, the four cages that were on the budget list will have been purchased at a discount and their benefits put into action right away.

Here's the rub: the truth is… four cages arent enough but funds cannot be diverted for another two needed cages since they are not on the budget. That doesnt mean they are not essential- it just means that saving for the roof work must come first despite the compromised day to day situation.

Ace Hardware will only be receiving 6 cages THIS weekend- & two of those have already sold to The Whiskers' Syndicate. I would like to propose a separate fundraiser to purchase two more cages *within the next few days*. Their cost is an approximate $250 but only if we can urgently snag two more up at the discount *right away*. This is not a pressure tactic- this is simply the reality check on achieving our goal this weekend.

The emergency situation at this sanctuary makes everything a 'make it or break it' deal. You simply cannot imagine what its like to do rescue work in Bandung, Indonesia. Many would have given up by now, but not Josie, so please - can you spare some of your dollars for this ? or if you prefer, donate to the bigger goal of getting the roof repairs done ! It looks so bleak at the moment… but if everyone puts in a little- it would help a lot.

For this cage fundraiser… Click on the PitchIn above to make a donation… 50 people donating $5 each would make another two cages a much needed reality… or 25 with $10 to spare would be just grand too. less or more ? Great- whatever works for you… we can't do this without you.

For this cage fundraiser… Click on the PitchIn above to make a donation… 50 people donating $5 each would make another two cages a much needed reality… or 25 with $10 to spare would be just grand too. less or more ? Great- whatever works for you… we can't do this without you.

Once we've reached our goal with this specific cage fundraiser... overages will go towards roof repair- you can click below to donate to this BiGGER endeavor…

Thank you SO much !

Thank you for your consideration

your time and help are truly appreciated !

The Whiskers' Syndicate is a private animal/cat sanctuary, they are the first, and only one operating in the breeder capital of Indonesia... a country without animal welfare, where even vets are backyard breeders.

ViSiT their WEBSiTE

LiKE their Facebook

MAKE a DONATiON

CHECK OUT WHiSCRAFT

SHOP TEAM EFA COTM

- click HERE -

for products that benefit

this Charity of the Month

Away With A Stranger

2013-12-18T22:58:00.000+07:00

as appeared in a feature in EFA/Etsy For Animals' blog
by josie t liem

One of the perks of having a cat is that they require less daily "maintenance" than dogs. They don't have to be walked two or three times a day. If you have cats and you are running late at work, you don't have to worry about being late for their walk. You know the cats will be fine. This is NOT to say that cats should be ignored or "left" for long amounts of time.

During my recent visits to the vet, which always seem to turn into an impromptu vet tech job, I saw the vet treat a terribly ill cat who, as it turns out, was left home alone for two weeks.

Basically she was left with a huge bowl of food and water. However, the water somehow spilled and ruined all the food. Vets believe this happened on day 1 or 2 so the cat had no food to eat for 2 weeks and no water. We worked on that cat from 10 am in the morning to 2 am the next morning and successfully treated the cat, but it now suffers permanent damage & the vet bills cost a pretty penny to the owner. Luckily, the owner's mother loves the cat enough that she kept the cat for herself after that, otherwise the vet and I were sure that the cat would either be sold off or worse, thrown to the street.

The vets said that the longest someone should leave their cats is about 24 hours. Maybe 36 hours. In extreme circumstances 48 hours, but honestly, my preference is no longer than 24 hours. Cats can get sick and no one is there to give attention, and it can be a long, agonizing death. There are more than one occasion where I heard crying patients in the lobby with stories of how they come home from a vacation to a dead cat.

I'm sure lots of cats are successfully left for periods of time without incident; but because cats (and other animals) are “some one” not “some thing” expendable, I would prefer that their human check on them every day to make sure the cats have proper food and water, clean environment, and to check if the cats are safe and healthy.

Ideally, I prefer my “pet sitter” (can be anyone actually) to also spend a little time playing with them or sitting around – even if that means watching a movie, reading comic books, or just being "around". If I come home to a dead cat - I'd have serious issues with that !

Boarding vs Pet Sitter

There's also the option of boarding your cats. The pros are that you don't have to let a stranger into your house, and if the boarding house knows what they are doing, they'd be taking care of your cats well enough.

The cons are that, you'd never know... One thing for sure, is that cats easily stress out because they dont adapt easily to new environments. And it's not easy to find trust-able boarding. I also get a lot of clients complaining about their cats getting fleas from boarding... worms, scabies, even fatal sickness like upper respiratory infections or other viruses. Boarding house is not the owner of your pet, so they don't always care about 'maintenance' issues. Your pets can be given different food or miss out on their vitamins or medications.

If you hire a pet sitter, however, you have someone checking your house, getting your mail and making your home looked "lived in" whilst you are away. If you are lucky, you can sometimes find someone who is willing to stay at your home. A pet sitter that stays at your home can give your pets plenty of attention. However, you have to find the right person. Office and staffs at veterinary clinics can make good candidates for this job. They are animal-people and are trained to detect medical problems should they arise. Your cat is in his own environment which is generally less stressful and most importantly, your cat will eat his own food and have his own routine. I am sure we all know that a change of food or an addition of treats can sometimes induce gastrointestinal upset, or hard-to-handle allergies. Unfortunately if you hire a wrong person, they can invite unwanted people or event into your house when you are not around. Plenty to worry about !

Whether you choose a kennel or pet sitter - make sure to provide clear instruction on what food your cat should be fed and any required medications. A good kennel or pet sitter will often play or sit with the cats several times a day. Give clear instructions on what you expect of his activity, playtime and interaction to be. Also, ensure that you provide good contact information in both instances in the case of an emergency.

If you are not planning to go away this holiday? That's great, just make sure your pets stay safely inside the house.

Happy Holidays!

ViSiT their WEBSiTE

LiKE their Facebook

MAKE a DONATiON

CHECK OUT WHiSCRAFT

SHOP TEAM EFA COTM

- click HERE -

for products that benefit

this Charity of the Month

Oh Little Town of Mayhem

2013-12-10T00:30:00.000+07:00

As appeared on EFA/ Etsy For Animal blog

Had I come home ten minutes later that evening, there would be no story to share today.

I was out running errands shipping out some Etsy orders and it was already chaotic when I got home. The feline 'refugees' were on top of anything and everything high and those who had not managed this feat called frantically, demanding me to open the front door right away. When I did, there was a strong current of panicked cats rushing inside the house, like a tsunami, and with them came along much mud and dirt.


Running away from chasing water

Even when we started The Whiskers Syndicate, our property was 'primitive'. What we call a 'cattery' is simply a part of the backyard that has roof, and the rest of it is green grass.

Can you count how many cats are in the photo?

This is how the backyard looked like
when we first moved in...

Nothing fancy, but better than bracing the cold winds of the highlands on a merciless city street without proper food or shelter !

After our typhoon inspired rain storm... the backyard had turned into a mess...

The bamboos all bent over from harsh wind
and blocked the path

And we can only look while hoping the sky won't fall upon us.

Due to roof damages, in the days that followed… even with the slightest rain we experienced multiple water leaks and sometimes it felt like we had no roof at all.

Under such condition plenty of cats, especially small kittens, became sick and needed intensive vet care and it became a dilemma. Its impossible to be in two places at the same time... when I am at the vet downtown, I am worried about rain flooding the cattery and when I am home, I feel guilty because some of the cats should be going to the vet. We do not have vehicle so all this takes much time.

Restoration is imminent. With my experiences in the past year and the support of generous supporters who donate or send medications and supplies… everyone has pulled through and we intend to do whatever we can to get through these trials.
Peta is one of our world famous cats. He voluntarily share his fatherly love to every kitten that comes into the sanctuary. He lost his favourite tree but is still taking time to comfort others…

Peta and his favourite palm tree

comforting Twinkle Magic, who got wet because he's too small to climb washing machine

And life goes on, regardless...

enjoying first breakfast after the flood receded

Whiskers' Syndicate is a private sanctuary, we are the first, and only one operating in this breeder capital of Indonesia, a country without animal welfare, where even vets are backyard breeders.

Team EFA is partnering up with friends of Whiskers' Syndicate to help fundraise $5500, the estimated cost to repair damages from this typhoon inspired rain storm. Won't you lend your hand to help our cats get their home repaired ?

ViSiT their WEBSiTE

LiKE their Facebook

MAKE a DONATiON

CHECK OUT WHiSCRAFT

SHOP TEAM EFA COTM

- click HERE -

for products that benefit

this Charity of the Month

Little Match Girl

2013-12-04T00:34:00.002+07:00

In

the cold winter of 1845, Hans Christian Anderson wrote a tragic story about The Little Match Girl in the hope of nudging people to remember the poor and the needy in the middle of their shopping frenzy and party craze throughout holiday season.

Yet, one and a half century later, people still pass by the little match girl: the small business that hides in the cold nook of winter trying to sell what their hand can make, a kitten too young who shivers at the sting of the snow, or a little sanctuary in faraway land that was flood and mud infested when it's passed by a typhoon.

I mean, who cares? You don't want to be caught less fancy by your beholders when everyone in in their bling!

I hope you are not those who are captured in the middle of shopping frenzy and party crazy. I hope you are not those who, at the end of Christmas, find yourself back empty while watching the dead body that you could have help.

Even with the recent news about the flooding in our sanctuary, we still struggle to reach USD 800 in our Pitch In. Even when our friends and family reached out everywhere no one come and drop by to see if they can do something. Every day, I light up one of my matches and one after another, I got clearer picture that it is probably time for me to close down The Whiskers' Syndicate.

We are the first, and the only animal/cat sanctuary in Bandung, breeder capital of Indonesia, a country without animal welfare; and as such, when the rain and storm came slapping the highland, we become the only hope for animals to get some shelter, to have some towel and a little time to dried up and get little warm food.

Every night, we heard scratches on the front door and find hungry dog that can't find food in the garbage. This particular night, under pouring rain that has just brought small flood into our sanctuary, we heard desperate meow from the roof of our porch and when I looked up, find one of the street cats that take residence in an empty lot at the corner of our residential cluster.

That black and white old man used to be a proud cat; the glint in his eyes, the way he raise his chin and straighten his tail as he walk at the rim of the street and on top of hot asphalt, day in, day out, since the day we moved into this house last year until tonight, when perhaps, for the first time in his life he has to beg for food and shelter.

He is not rejected, of course, though he has to stay in a cage because our sanctuary is full of the sick and the small and the mothers (who tend to claw on just anyone who passed their children). We don't want our house to turn into a gladiator arena.

Still, when I am finally alone in the silence when the animals are asleep, I am carried into the clearer vision of those animals who will just go in and out of this house, that will become empty at the end of the last dime in my bank account.

I cannot sleep. When flood can ambush like a thief, the most common cause of casualties in the flood is because someone is too sound asleep. Besides, I am afraid to sleep, because I do not want to wake up to the day when I can no longer open my arms to stray animals.

The cost to repair our sanctuary reached a little bit over USD 5,000; and we need to buy more medicine, we need to buy more food, we need to take kittens to the vet every day, we need to make extra heater (it's just light bulbs really, but we need around 50 of them), we need to clean the mud off everything, we need to buy new stove that's rusty with all the dirt and is prone to leak some gas, we need to...

Make this short; it's Mission Impossible, and you won't even get to see some Tom Cruise.

At such time I didn't realize that someone is watching. Someone from behind a glass window that might not be adorned with the fanciest holiday festive, but is watching over us and sharing the light of our matches.

To make additional income for the sanctuary I have been selling handmade gifts for pets and pets lover in Etsy, the largest online marketplace for anything hand made; and I am a member of Team EFA, Etsy For Animals, a group of hand-crafters who donates portion or all of their sales toward various animal charity.

Every month, Team EFA will choose one animal rescue as Charity Of The Month where we will donate portion or all of our sales. With such wonderful opportunity, I am actively contribute to their Charity Of The Month (s) regardless of how much or less I made.

I just never dream that one of these days, when I thought I am coming to my last match, that my team leader Nicole Planchon of Brizel4TheAnimals secretly nominating The Whiskers' Syndicate and we are chosen as their December Charity Of The Month.

Breath in relief, but just few times though. Team EFA has to make sales to help us get back on our feet, and herewith I invite you to peek in the nook of these marvellous small businesses that reach their hand out to benefit The Whiskers' Syndicate and animals around the world.

If you are caught in the shopping frenzy and party crazy, click the picture at the bottom to buy this small busineses' "matches" and share the joy and warmth of this holiday season with their items for you and yours and at the same time safe the lives of street animals who are flooded, cold and hungry in Bandung, breeder capital of Indonesia, a country without animal welfare.

Josie, did you know?

2013-12-04T00:30:00.000+07:00

As appeared in EFA - Etsy For Animals Blog

for a feature on Charity of The Month

Being born into a family of animal lovers, rescue work was a natural part of life for me at a young age; but in the spring of May 2008 when I relocated to Bandung for work, I had no idea just how much of my life would become dedicated to saving animals.

You see, I got used to being at the top in my hometown. I was a straight 'A' student with lines of scholarships and titles behind my name. Granted I started as a school teacher (part time work before I graduated) but once I made the jump I kept climbing the corporate ladder. Until one day I asked myself: “Now what?”

When a former client of my workplace called me with an offer, I just packed up and left everything to start all over. Everyone said I was crazy, but I would have been if I didn't find something to keep my brain and passion moving. So, I got a brand new job, in a brand new holding company (of one of the largest textile machinery company in South East Asia), as an assistant to the brand new CEO, and then received my first promotion within 3 months! Fabulous? Not really. I just ran fast because I wanted to move out already.
This town appalled me from every side, especially with the way people treated each other, and more to the point the way they treated animals. The ignorance, the arrogance, the hypocrisy, the holier-than-thou attitude which are official character traits in this area.

n this small city, animals are 'things', not beings nor 'someones'. No one wants to give way when someone else crosses the street… no one wants to stand in line… no one listens to the police when they are managing the street… no one gives regards to the rules… everyone is throwing garbage into the river, and in every nook and sewer of this “Paris Van Java”, you can find road-kills or decomposing carcasses of all kinds of animals, and in every flea market wildlife cramped into matchboxes to spend the rest of their existence in filth, for a dime.

The force that changed my life came about two weeks before Christmas… at the peak of my disgust and in the shape of a tiny B/W kitten who cried day and night for 3 days on a scorching pavement near the office and when it finally found shelter under my boss' car, no one cared to get it out. It was the first time that my co-worker saw 'the personal assistant of the CEO' crawl under his Mercedes Benz wearing her expensive suit, high heels, make up... in order to pick up a half baked dirty kitten.

Kaitou - founding cat of The Whiskers' Syndicate

At my boarding house, I saw the landlord's 2 years old toddler kick their pet, a pregnant female cat that they never fed, whom despite the abuse, remained loyal to them. I lost myself when I saw that little boy heading for the cat again so I quickly picked her up and went to my room. I gave her a box, my blanket and no matter how many times I put her in that box she came back to me on the bed and then gave birth to five kittens right beside me!

An unforgettable event which compelled me to name her: “Amazing Grace”. She is a graceful cat, an amazing mother, and a stranger who trusted me enough to give birth in my arms... like a touch of heaven that turned me around and opened my eyes to a whole new world I had never seen before... a road less traveled which I was ready to take.

I shared Grace and Kaitou's story, through private messages to friends on Care2 and via emails. A few months later, I found two kittens injured by motorcycle and rescued them. But for the first time in my life, I was running short of money and was struggling to pay vet bills. I wrote about that too. I was told, given the idea, to start a blog, establish a Paypal account, and without knowing what the heck I was really doing… I started to receive donations to pay for the vet and even help raise these two kittens into adulthood.

Picassa - named after the abstract pattern above her right eye

Renoir, with hernia and a lot of parasites

Through the course of time our blog developed, and it recounted the otherwise untold stories of forsaken animals in our corrupted paradise.

The Whiskers' Syndicate was founded and became the only hope, both for the animals, and for me… reaching out to those who cared and were willing to help. We were aliens to our own countrymen, but friends to Good Samaritans.

I started a side job as an online translator, as a storyboard writer, as a part time journalist, even as an athlete... all to keep food on the table for the growing numbers of cats under my care.

Renoir 1 year later - a big brother to the new comers

Kaitou - 1 year old with his favourite starbucks bear

Every year, I faced eviction from landlords because of the cats… so we were forced to live in uncanny environments: an attic (hence cats living on the roof)… in 2010, we lived in a rental near a swamp… in 2011, no one would take us except for an old lady who liked cats and offered us a 6x8 square meter (516 square feet) area for me and at that point, 30 cats.
In 2012, The Whiskers' Syndicate once again stood on the head of a pin when all of a sudden our rental could not be renewed and about to be left without roof nor room… our fate challenged my faith for longer than a moment… when out of nowhere we found our permanent home - an unsold property in a residential cluster that had a fair amount of land at its back and was surrounded by tall 2 story houses on both sides providing the cats with safety from traffic and human harm. So with what was left of my money, and hearty donations from friends around the world, I took a 19 year mortgage on the property… something that I will fight to keep with all my heart and soul !

One of my side job is selling handmade gifts for pets and pets lover. The catnip mice I promoted in this picture is featured internationally via Vicki Diane.

One of our most sought item for sale in Etsy

Get one of this in your room and we guarantee you won't slip when you wake up from your bed in the morning.

That August of 2012, with the support of our loyal friends, The Whiskers' Syndicate was chosen as Shelter Of The Month by SPCA International. Alongside recommedations from our supporters, SPCAI knew about us from their “Operation Baghdad Pups” a campaign we helped, which assisted dogs and cats adopted by soldiers assigned in Iraq to fly safely to their new homes abroad.

To date, we have saved close to 400 cats and TNR around 248 of them, all with our own money and donations. Unfortunately only 5 of those were adopted out, due to the prevailing belief that domestic cats have no economic value (long haired or exotic purebred or mixed bred can be sold and bred without regulation).

The government does nothing to help us and have even tried to strangle us with non existent rules about animals which allows them to cull cats. Five is a small number, I know, but for a little town where 98% of its residents are backyard breeders (some of those are vets), we try not to discourage ourselves with the math, nor to have grandiose dreams of changing the world.

Our story is told through our blog, 'Quest 2 Canaan', which represents our earnest dream of peaceful co-existence between man and beast. Through Quest2Canaan we have met some of the most wonderful persons in the world, and with all their comments, writings, motivations… these became the source of our strength.

When I look back at all of the events that lead me to where I am now, it's hard to believe how far I have come, and the unlikely “job training” that God gave me during my corporate years which prepared me for this role. I no longer have expensive suits, nor wear high heels, nor put on cosmetics… I no longer have corporate job that fills my wallet with lots of money to spend in the fanciest malls… and even if I was given the chance to change anything… I would do it the same all over again.

With this humble life, I am willing to die for this work of passion… a job which makes me feel like I am ten feet tall without wearing stilettos. I am happy to shake your hand with pride and say: I am an animal rescuer - I save lives everyday !

Tune in next week for our next feature !

The Whiskers' Syndicate

ViSiT their WEBSiTE

LiKE their Facebook

MAKE a DONATiON

CHECK OUT WHiSCRAFT

SHOP TEAM EFA COTM

- click HERE -

for products that benefit

this Charity of the Month

THANK YOU

for supporting

our COTM Program !

Lazarus' Plea

2013-11-29T21:37:00.000+07:00

Rain Drops Keep Falling On Our Heads

2013-11-20T16:02:00.001+07:00

Long time no see, folks!
Glad to see you again, literally.

I don't know how long the mobile broadband is going to last, so I'd better make it quick. I wish it will entice you to read and share instead of just pressing “like” and go away. We can't live without your love and I am going to tell you why.

We are very, very lucky that Typhoon Haiyan missed Indonesia; however, it brought about 5 days of constant rain (yes it's 5 x 24 hours of rain) and our sanctuary is flooded. Ironic, that we are in a hill, but we're flooded.

Today is the second day that the sun is shining, but we're covered in mud from top to toe, literally. The Whiskers' Syndicate and I are covered in mud, literally from head to toe. We can't go anywhere without skating on the slurry floor and get ourselves dirty, especially when we fell down (happened all the time). We got dirty food, murky water, broken stove, and a washing machine that needs washing. My laptop sits quietly on top of the kitchen cabinet, along with my printer and camera, but all of my Whiskers' Syndicate's fliers, post cards, business cards are gone. I have to go to nearby convenient store to charge my cell phone, though the mobile broadband is practically gone (hence I can't get on line). At least I can still use my phone to call someone if emergency arise.

None the less, we are grateful that we all go through it in one piece. The sick kittens are improving, and it's my greatest joy to watch them walking slowly into the sun to get some real warmth (instead of emergency lamp). The cleaning job will absolutely drain me out, but I know I will endure because I have the whole world of supporters praying and sending thoughts.

Renovation to the sanctuary is imminent. Without proper drainage, I am not sure how we will survive if the real rainy season arrive (around Christmas) without snorkeling around the house. I will try to gather information on the prices of materials and all, but according to a consultant that I called, it will be near USD 5,000, more or less.

There will be a special fundraiser to donate to once I got the budget ready, and also an online auction to help us renovate our home. If you wish to participate in the fundraiser, please come back in a few days. If you can't send cash but would like to donate one or two items for the online auction, please send me a message.

If you want to help now? You can. You can click "Pitch In" on that blue box to the right and help us with our under-funded operating budget and jump back in later, or we have a shop: Whiscraft that sells handmade gifts for pets and pets lovers. You can see if some of our items are worthy for your Christmas shopping, and to begin with, there's Mollie Morrissette, who runs a fabulous blog about poison in pet food and how to avoid it. She recently wrote about us to say that our products are SAVE.

Go give a look:
http://www.poisonedpets.com/natural-handmade-pet-toys-clothing-etsy-animals-artists/

Bourne Freed

2013-11-09T21:48:00.001+07:00

for Stella Chen

I hope this one is not hard to read :)

Once upon a time, I read about some people try to rescue others who were pinned inside their car when it crashed. At other time, I read about a bunch of strangers, passers-by, flip a tumbling bus away from a pregnant lady who was about to be flattened when a traffic accident happened just seconds before.

It's more dramatic - though less real - if I saw those on the movie, but I always admire the sudden burst of heroism that brings back some faith in humanity, though only momentarily. I couldn't help but imagine how those people, both the saviours and the saved when that happened, and what effect does the event carry upon them, how the moment changed their lives, and those around them.

I wondered if, in my lifetime, such event will come to pass me, though of course, I would brush those thoughts as far away as soon as possible, though perhaps not soon enough, because apparently someone in heaven heard it first.

On any given day, that fated road will look like this:

See that no parking sign? Don't be surprised, this is Indonesia

At the left side of the motorcycle, behind the trees is the one and only Hyatt Hotel Bandung. Next to it is one of the largest mall in town, while across the street on at the right side behind those cars is an army base. Five minutes walk through that road and you will find the magnificent, mayor's office.

It's a fancy road, obviously, but like many other street in this resort town, it has no street light. The roadside of a five star hotel and a large army base near mayor's office doesn't have street light. It doesn't have a decent pedestrian either, so we have to walk very close to the cars, or chances are, someone hit you and leave you by because you walk on the street instead of the pedestrian.

Which made of dirt, by the way. So when it's cloudy night, you'd practice to be a blind man, and when it rains, you practice roller skate on the mud while praying the rosary that you won't land on your rear.

My night there is a little different. It was raining, and it's pitch dark except for occasional light from passing cars or motorbikes. I try to walk as carefully as possible by holding on the side of those parking cars, and when I touched a grey metallic Honda Freed, it meows.

Grey Metallic Honda Freed

I stopped for a while. It was dark and late, and I need to go home before the last public transport passed and I have to walk home alone. A lot of people on the street (chauffeurs, side walk food stall merchant, illegal parking man, or common street punks) used a cat meow or puppy scampers as their cell phone ring tone, often to tease girls (by sounding it under their butt), so I convinced myself that it probably someone teasing a chick, and move on.

But the car meows again, and I am pretty sure that car didn't use a cat meow as burglar alarm. I walked back and stand by the car's side, and this time, is convinced that some real cat is stuck somewhere around the car.

I tried using my cell phone as a light to peek inside, but there's no cat in there. I walk around it and the meow stopped, but as soon as I passed the front it started to meow again.

It dawned on me by then, that I most likely has to peek under the car, but I need someone to watch over me and warn the passing vehicle not to run over me, but although two illegal parking men saw me and - from the look on their eyes - know what I am up to, they just giggle while watching me look around for some more reliable partner in crime.

I decided to go over to the muddy pedestrian and go down on my knee, again, using my cell phone as flash light. Between the low set car and the street, I saw a wisp of white and yellow hair slowly curled upward, vanishing into the car's engine.

Taking a deep breath, I just wish I didn't see what I thought I see. I mean, how many people hit their car before going in and turn on their wheeler? Maybe only one out of a million people in Bandung will do that, considering hundreds of tiny news filler in the daily paper talking about X car grinding Y animal and splattered the remains on the street while the driver was busy texting on their IPhone while driving and have to be stopped by ten people to ever notice that something is going hellishly wrong with their vehicle.

A parking man approached and talked to me, as I still sit on my knee, "The cat?"

The? That means he was aware that there's a cat around the car before but do nothing about it.

I nodded anyway.

"It's been there crying, since dusk", he said again.

Dusk was 3 hours ago.

"You wanna pick that kitten? White and yellow, this big" he showed me his hand.

"Yeah but I have to crawl under there to retrieve it" I am sure the owner of the car won't appreciate their fun in the mall, or hotel, being cut by a car call, and about a street kitten sneaking into the engine.

"You sure fit in there, I am too big" that man laughed. His eyes glinted with the prospect of watching a woman with jeans crawling on her tummy under his crotch.

"You sure are, haha" I was trying to make my short laugh as despising as possible.

But I crawl under there anyway, while watching the man's leg. I am preparing to go out of there as soon as his leg moved away; but when I am halfway in there, the car start rocking hard. It's low set didn't leave plenty of room for me and the lower part of the engine hit my head several time.

Standing on the street, the parking man is rocking the car while laughing out loud. "Did the pussy go up or down?" he asked. He used just the exact word in Indonesian. "Pussy" if you know what I am talking about.

What I saw in that chaos, was a kitten, trying to cling for life at the side of some engine (not sure which one, it's dark), as his tiny body swings in rhyme with the car. I flashed my cell phone toward the kitten, still hit several time on the head by the car, but the glint of the kitten's eyes is enough to give me a clue where exactly he is.

I know my leg is right beside the parking men, so I retracted it completely under the car, and kick his ankle with every bit of anger I have inside.

He swore, and after swearing some more, I saw him leaving, when the street is glowing bright.

A car is passing.

I won't count on that man to warn the car that one of my legs are still in the open, and I can't shift under the car fast enough before the car hit, so I hang onto a bar of steel and drag myself completely in.

The car passed, and I am still in one piece, though crumpled under a car with a frightened kitten that frantically trying to climb further into the engine.

There's no way I am going to let my ordeal pass in vain. I am not going to crawl back out and face that parking man with nothing in my hand.

So I reached out, and grab his tail. The kitten is more frantic, and he claw on my hand all over but I am not going to let go. Thank God He didn't make cat's tail expandable like gecko.

I hold on that bar above me again and use it to shift closer to the kitten, and use the other hand to grab on his tummy and tug it off the engine, at all cost.

It fell right onto my face.

It's closer for me to shift to the pedestrian and get out from there than back on the street. Besides, I won't know when a car will pass or some party maniacs stomp all over me.

I got out from the muddy pedestrian, with the cat in one hand and mud on the other, as well as everywhere, including my hair.

The funny thing is? As soon as I hold him close to me, he fell silent. I saw him watching me with a big, round terrified eyes, but he fell silent.

I push him inside my jacket, stand up, and start walking. I forgot I was on my way to get some food, though I doubt anyone want to sell their food to a muddy woman. I'd be lucky if people won't think of me as a crazy man.

Gathering my courage, I walked to the nearby mall, with a kitten inside my jacket. As expected, the security tried to stand on my way, but I told him I fell from my motorcycle because it's dark and slippery, and if possible, I want to use the (paid) toilet inside the mall to clean myself.

He made some way, and I rushed to the nearest toilet.

So that's how the kitten earned his name: Freed.

I had Estebel still nursing at that time, but I intended to hand raise the kitten because it's older than Estebel's and I am not sure she wants a stranger, but Freed took over from there.

I don't know how he got up there, but he leaned on resting Estebel and they chattered for a good two hours. I was eavesdropping, of course, but I still didn't have any idea what they are talking about but some purrs and short meow.

The next day Freed got himself bourne identity:

bourne supremacy

He become part of the Whiskers' Syndicate as if he was born into us no other way:

Got his share of Chlamydia

Monsoon kittens from left to right: Mio, Freed, Chicco, Sparky Terror. Under the table is the late Mama Cat

Freed: August 15, 2013.

I still hold a grudge for Honda to ever make a car so lowly set, though I know Indonesian worshipped Toyota Alphard (hence the other manufacturer made cars that look like it), but just in case heaven is still listening, I don't wish to crawl under a car to retrieve a cat ever again.

A Hollywood thriller doesn't always need a sequel.

Whiskers' Syndicate Budget for November 2013

2013-11-05T23:07:00.000+07:00