Not so nice

On my way to meet the SO somewhere in town after work, I passed by this place, which looked like a company / shop with an adjoining cafe.


The sign on the wall made me do a double take!


It's quite unusual and not too cat-friendly.

2009 Calendars for a good cause

2009 calendars for sale - from Project Kuching Coast:



The sales' proceeds will go towards efforts to sterilise, medicate and feed the stray cats at "kuching coast". :)

Click here for more details.

Closure

Yesterday evening, I had a chance to speak with the new domestic helper of the household that feeds Shiny, Jambala and Humm-Humm. In her limited English, she said that an aunty told her that she (the aunty) had taken Shiny away, and after about a week, Shiny passed away.

At least we now know what had happened to Shiny during her last days, and that she did not die alone, out in the streets.

Sigh...


Shiny, RIP Oct 2008

Where is Shiny?

Shiny, Shiny, where are you?


Not a day goes by without us (L and I) thinking and sms-ing about you.


Are you in someone's home, safe & sound, with plenty to eat and enjoying the comforts of home?


Or has someone taken you away, only to terminate your life, before we could say goodbye?

Wherever you are, I hope you're no longer in pain and that you'll always remember the sweetness and kindness that the nice aunties and uncles have bestowed on you.

Fat man with yelping JRT

Just came back from trying to feed the community cats an early snack/dinner, without much success.

While I was with Blackie (community cat) and before I could feed him, we were suddenly bombarded with loud barking, and that's when I saw a JRT on a leash darted forward towards Blackie. I took a step forward to stand between the JRT and Blackie, while the JRT continued barking away at Blackie. My first instinct was to shoo JRT away with my bag, but I stopped myself in time.

While all that yelping was going on, which created a din, the short and fat man (about 1.6m tall, wearing greenish collared shirt and shorts, with chubby face and specs - all this is for me to remember his face) stood there, saying to his dog "Ok, ok" while all the while smiling away with his eyes on the sheepish Blackie slinking away.

After about 30 to 40 seconds, fat man continued to stand there while his JRT barked on, making no effort to pull back the dog or to walk away. I think he must be enjoying the sight of seeing his dog barked at Blackie, since he was still smiling smugly away. Maybe he was actually giving his dog positive strokes for barking at Blackie, shit!

I suggested for him to take his dog away, since his dog was so noisy. Fat man's retort was "why don't you bring the cat away?"

Me: "The cat has already gone away." (Blackie has already walked away and hiding under a parked car, you smug idiot).

Fat man again retorted:"Why don't take take the cat home to feed? Why don't you adopt the cat and bring home...?" and he turned away from my sight.

Ahh...too bad fat man slinked away. I had wanted to ask him: "You were really enjoying that, weren't you?".


(Note to self: JRT is slim, with a sharp, somewhat pointed face, slightly bigger than usual size - could be mixed breed)

About Shiny, the community cat

Quite a few things have happened since the last update on Hari Raya.

Shiny has stopped hanging out at the block where I usually feed her and where her wooden box is. Instead she's been hanging around the household that feeds her and the other community cats. I think the distance between those 2 blocks are too far for her ever weakening body.

Since then, I've began placing another water bowl nearer to her "feeding household", in addition to the earlier one at her other place where her wooden box is. A few days ago, someone left wet food on her box overnight, even though Shiny was no longer there. I didn't clear the stinking mess away for this person has to learn not to litter. I've also stopped putting out the water bowl next to the box, to discourage further littering by this person.

As Shiny has been getting food from her regular household, she no longer eats the food I gave her, or just a very tiny bit, so I've stopped giving her wet food. I still visit her twice a day and change her water twice a day.

Meanwhile, through Shiny, I've met other people who cares for Shiny. One is a lady who fed Shiny some essence of chicken! Another came to see and stroke Shiny and who told me that Shiny used to always greet people who passes by, and how she misses Shiny's clear voice. :)

I'd earlier made plans for someone to continue to feed Shiny when we go on holiday. Last night, I was thinking about reminding this someone to change her water, but I have not seen Shiny the whole day today. The last time I saw her was last night.

Shiny wasn't at her hangout this morning, and I noticed her water bowl had been moved away from its usual spot. At night, I sms-ed L, who said she'd met Shiny early this morning and Shiny had walked towards her! *Phew!* This means Shiny hasn't conked out and that someone must have taken her (I guess) between 7am and 8am this morning. Whether they've taken Shiny home to care for her, or to the vet, I really have no idea. Will have to snoop around tomorrow or during the weekends if I get a chance.

Shiny on Hari Raya Puasa PH

Finally got a slightly better shot of Shiny's eyes in the daylight, coz she keeps looking away whenever she sees the hp.

When we went to feed her last night, someone had left for her a plastic bag of wet food on the floor and a a bowl of dry food (which attracted ants). We cleared the leftover wet food but left the dry food there.

This morning, I saw a lady passing by who stopped by, sat down and stroke Shiny and let Shiny rub her leg. She must be thinking about why this cat is so skinny. After she left, I went to feed Shiny.


Specks of white among her dark fur - is this a sign of old age?

Shiny eats slowly and would rest in between bites of food. It would take at least 15-20 mins before it's confirmed that she's had enough (so that we can clear), but we would not have this privilege of time in the morning during working days. L is back from her business trip, so I've asked her to meet for tea (I don't know her...yet).

The two kings - Sugar & Tiger

Last night, on the way back from feeding Shiny and having dinner, we met b/w Mimi, whom we haven't see for weeks, and Kiddy.

After giving them snacks, b/w Mimi insisted on following me about. I carried her purring body...thought I'll sit on the bench with her for a while, when suddenly, a swoosh of white fur jumped onto the bench first. I thought it must be Kiddy, but Mimi jumped off my arms and ran away!

It was Sugar. Mimi sure knows to not mess with The King~!


Sugar looks good, ate a bit of dried food and still followed me about. I lured him away to a corner where we'd first met years' ago. We have yet to move into the flat then and I'd come by to see the progress of the house painting. On the way out to the bus stop, I saw this big, white friendly cat with touches of ginger on his coat. That was how I first met Sugar.


I sat with him, brushed off the loose fur from his coat and just rested there with him, but he didn't allow me to rest for too long. He gave me a couple of gentle nips on my arm and hand to remind me to get back to work - of giving him strokes and neck scratches! Haha... so adorable!


After about 20 mins, I had to go home and shoo-ed him from following me home.


This morning, I met the other King, who lives a little further away. I hadn't see Tiger for a long while, and I heard that he's somehow become a daytime house cat in somebody's home. :)


I was carrying groceries and didn't intend to call him, but he decided to follow me... he must have smelled the cat food in my bag! So boh pian lor, had to give him some food, not that he's deprived.

While he was eating, cat-friendly neighbours stopped by to say hi and to stroke Tiger.
Waa, this king certainly has more than a few fans.


Finally, he gave me a good front view shot of him.


After eating, he still followed me about. The normally aloof fella even gave me several affectionate rubs, then decided to park himself in the middle of the passageway.


A kid on his scooter and aunties pushing trolleys of groceries had to move around his royal highness, but they didn't seem to mind, and even greeted him by name. :P

Sweet old dame

The more we get to know each other, the more endearing I find Shiny to be. Although she's totally black, scrawny and ill-looking, the grand old dame more than makes up for it with her charming purrsonality. All the while, she is friendly and would call out to any passerby who cares to give her eye contact. The SO and I often joke that Shiny is machiam like calling out "uncle" and "aunty" to anyone who passes by her!

Last Sunday morning after eating, she was resting in her wooden box while I squatted about taking her photo. As I called out her name to catch her eyes, she suddenly jumped out of her comfy box to come and give me an affectionate rub. :)



After feeding her last night, she sat on the cement ledge, staring at me while I walked away. I walked back towards her, pointed towards her box and told her to "go back to your perch", which she promptly did, followed by happy scratching! This old gal is very perceptive. Heh!

She also likes to have us near her while she's eating and kept coming to me to rub my ankles every now and then while taking bites of her food.


This evening, instead of coming towards us, she calmly remained on her usual perch as we approached, obviously not hungry. Someone had left food on her seat, which wasn't a good idea as it might attract the ants afterwards. I wonder what brand of dry food these are? They look like S/D except that they seems bigger than the S/D kibbles.


Whoever it was has also put a collar with a tag on Shiny. The tag had 2 letter initials and a neighbouring block number (which isn't the block where L or C lives).

Seeing the new collar on Shiny, I kind of feel gratified that there are others who cared enough to look out for likeable Shiny, which makes her a lucky cat. :)

Update on Thurs, 25 Sept '08:
Shiny's eyes look sooo much better, finally! A tad of the 3rd eyelids still show, but her eyes are clear, while the swelling in her right eye has subsided more. She was hungry for breakfast, ate quite a bit - 1-1/2 tbsp of softened RC dry food, followed by 1/4 Fussiecat, which she didn't finish. There was a bit of vomit on her wooden bench, which was cleaned with wet tissue.

Shiny the Ah Mah

I was late in feeding Shiny this morning, and when I was almost near her usual hangout, I saw her trotting into the old man's flat. Outside the gate, I heard the old man telling her to "come, come" but I could see neither man nor cat.

After a while, the old man reappeared and I told him that I've come to feed the "black cat". He let me into his home, where I walked all the way inside, and saw Shiny slurping milk from a plastic cup in the bathroom, right down to the last drop! *jaw-dropped* Haha! This gal knows how to worm herself into people's hearts and homes, though I'm not surprised, coz Shiny is a likeable cat.

The old man said Shiny refused the food they once gave, so they don't feed her. He said Shiny is 14 years old. Waaa.... she's a grandma already!

He was here

And he's still here, with us...


And always will be with us... on our minds, and in our hearts.


More neighbours have been asking about Jon Jon and of course, about Sugar, as they were once the inseparable pair and THE ICONs of our blocks.


Sad to say, the bad news hasn't yet ended. Someone who saw it informed Ms A (caregiver) that Charlie (aka Thin Tail) has passed on, perhaps one day before Jon Jon did.

Charlie was quite territorial - I'd seen the way he attacked and chased the younger cats away. Yet he's a manja lap cat when it comes to human beans. Charlie once shared the same territory as Sugar and Jackie-O (who now lives at the pet shop). As the Chinese saying goes: 一山不能藏二虎, i.e. a mountain can't have two tigers, so how can there even be three, and worst, all are territorial and male cats? Cat fights and injuries were common in those days.

Our condolences also go to the KSN household, whose dear Lincoln passed away.
Rest in peace, Lincoln. You will be dearly missed by mommy.

Shiny update

Update on Sat, 20 Sept '08: Shiny's 3rd eyelid on her left eye has receded a little bit more, and the swelling on her right eye looks a little smaller (or was it my wishful imagination?). Anyway, the left eye definitely looks better, which is a little bit comforting for me.

I'm hoping to increase her weight a bit within this 3 to 4 weeks before we travel. L (who's concerned about Shiny) will also be travelling, and she's asked her neighbour C to feed Shiny during our absence, which is great (must remember to pass some RC dry food to them). I'm worried that Shiny may not be getting regular meals from her usual household as the domestic helper has gone on leave, or Shiny may get chased away by the ginger pair of Humm Humm & Jambala (that's what the domestic helper told me).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Almost 2 weeks have passed since we started giving Shiny the eye drops treatment, twice a day (except for the first two days).

She seems weak at times, and unable to eat much dry food, which kind of tickles her throat and makes her cough. I've started to give her dry food softened with water and less canned food, hoping that she can gain weight with the intake of more dry food, but sometimes, she seems so hungry that I give in and feed her one whole small can, which she eats enthusiastically.


While her left eye looks clear (although still has 3rd eyelid), the swell in her right eye seems to have stopped improving, so we've decided to stop the eye drops today and will keep observing her.

The Indian cleaner in the area, who'd once lectured me about clearing up many months ago (when I didn't even litter) has gotten used to our feeding Shiny and has never bothered us with her lecture again.


Whether she likes it or not, I have started to tell the other lady feeder (who's concerned about Shiny) that if she does feed, she has to please ensure that she clears up afterwards. On a couple of occasions, we've had to clear her leftovers the next day, which by then had attracted hordes of ants and several roaches. I worry that Shiny may get bitten by the ants and I sure don't want the cat-tolerant residents there to start complaining of the litter left at their doorstep. Even I would not like that, no matter how tolerant I may be of community cats.


I would say the residents and even the two Indian cleaners are cat-tolerant, because so far, no one has removed the small plastic bowl of water which I have left there for Shiny for about a week. I change the water twice a day, and change the bowl to a different one everyday, so that they know the water is fresh and won't have to worry about mosquitoes breeding.

Community cats update

Shooting the breeze with Sugar last Sunday (7 Sep).


I thought he looked very good and guessed the caregiver Ms A must have done something.

It turned out that Sugar had spent several days recuperating at the animal hospital and being administered with antibiotics, after having had a few teeth pulled out! Ah well, he hasn't looked this good for a long while, and I hope he can maintain his current healthy state.


His vet & hospitalisation fees came up to about $400. My contribution to the expenses, plus my personal expenses means more output than input this poor month. :-(


Shiny as we saw her this evening:


Fed and watered

Shiny ate half a can of wet food and some kibbles, which means she must have been fed earlier on; am gradually giving her more dry food than wet, so that she will get the necessary nutrients.


Post-dinner grooming


Her happy scratch board - the SO says she looks so cute when she does that, and that she walks/trots like Scooby-Doo...!?!

My wish is for Shiny's eyes to heal completely, and for her to gain weight to her normal (slim) size. :)

Shiny keeps us busy

We've been seeing Shiny twice a day for the past week - once in the morning and once in the evening. The current S.O.P. are now like this everyday, with slight modification for the weekends:

a) Upon waking up in the morning, take out bottle of antibiotic eye drops from fridge to warm up (Shiny hates cold eye drops)

b) Carry 2 cans of FussieCat, plus feeding apparatus and dry Sanabelle in work bag; Shiny's current preferred dry food is the adult Sanabelle, which comes in small kibbles, so easier to crunch down

c) If we find Shiny, wipe her eyes/face of discharge, administer eye drops, then feed wet food, followed by dry food

d) Upon reaching office, put eye drops and leftover clean canned food (if any) in office fridge

e) Before leaving office, remove eye drops and leftover canned food from office fridge and keep in my work bag; to ensure I don't forget (d) and (e), I have set reminder alarms on my hp to cue me twice a day

f) Meet up with the SO in the evening and repeat (c); if he has to work late or if I go out after work, we will just do it later; Shiny will not be starving as she (confirmed it's a 'she' now) will still go to her usual cat-friendly household to wait for food, but will still eat at least half a can of FussieCat from us.

Shiny in late-Feb 2008, with less than shining eyes


Her eyes have improved somewhat, although very slowly. Her left eye now looks brighter (like her right eye in the Feb photo), and her right eye still has a slight swelling on the upper lid, and less on the lower lid. Overall, she is less weak, can meow (in her slight coarse voice) and can even chase after us at times.

The nice thing that's happened is that we've met another lady (a self-declared "dog person" and not Shiny's feeder) who's been concerned about Shiny and trying to feed her, medicate her with flu medicine and take her to the vet too (but without success too). When she has to travel for work, she asks her friend to help out, so we've met her friend too. And being the small world that this is, all three of us happen to have a common friend~!

Jon Jon is missing

On her way back from the market, Ms A saw Jon Jon and planned to take him to the vet in the late-morning. Later, despite circling the area a couple of times, JJ was nowhere to be found.

JJ was diagnosed with kidney failure more than a year ago (since Dec 2006). He's had repeated episodes of "fasting" or anorexia, whereby he would refused food of any kind for many days on end. If not for the persistence and dedication of caregiver Ms A, JJ would have died last year, or even earlier. It has taken Ms A much time, energy, costs and many tears (I'm sure) that JJ is still living.

We will try to find him this evening. The main thing now is to get him to the vet and see how things go from there.


(Jon Jon, 5 July 2008)

Update at 10pm:
JJ was found early this evening and taken to the vet. As expected, the prognosis was bad. His kidneys had failed and his eyes were glazed. He was put to sleep to relieve him of his suffering. JJ passed on peacefully, after Ms A spent some quiet time alone with him. He will be cremated in a new cat bed that Ms A bought for him.

Rest in peace, Jon Jon. You have been loved. May you be reborn into your next life as a kind human being, who will show the same loving kindness and compassion that Ms A had shown you all these years.


(Jon Jon, RIP 10 September 2008)

Jon Jon

Ms A the caregiver called. She said she will take Jon Jon to the vet tomorrow morning, and asked in her tearful voice, if we wanted to see him.

I have seen Jon Jon last night - he was just sitting there, huddled and barely moved, except to take a drink. He seemed in a daze and took a long time to lick the water, then stopped as if he had fallen asleep midway.

The SO and I went down to see Jon Jon, who was huddled in the same manner. As we stroked him and talked to him quietly, he laid down in a relaxed manner and just let us. JJ's body felt lukewarm, his tummy is very sunken and he smelled bad. It's that familiar smell that I have experienced with another community cat in the past... the smell that stayed on my hands and which took 3 washes to get rid of.

Ms A said she'd called us since we're fond of Jon Jon. She asked us to pray for him, then left us alone...I guess partly because she couldn't really talk and partly coz she didn't want us to see her cry. I wanted to share with her about something, but by then, I too, could not speak. Later, we left Jon Jon in a safe corner and left. I'd used up my only piece of tissue, and my nose was still dripping like a tap... but I did not cry.

Jon Jon, photo taken on 14 Aug 2008

Despite Ms A's effort to cook/prepare his favourite food, Jon Jon had not eaten for a week.

Community cats update

On my way back from marketing, I was happy to bump into Sugar, whom I hadn't seen for a week. He looks well, with a cheerful expression, which he hasn't had for quite some time. I wonder what Ms A (caregiver) had done to make him look less ill. He followed me to the bench, and I sat with him, stroked him and talked to him. He always seem to enjoy having our company, or keeping us company, so it's the least I can do for him, since there was nothing I can do to ease his pain on days when he's ill. After 20 mins, I left him to look for other cats to give the opened canned food, which Sugar had declined.

We've been seeing Jon Jon and he too, is losing weight and doesn't eat much of our food. Well, he's always been a fussy cat! I suspect he waits for someone at our block to feed him the kind of food that he likes.

All the other community cats - Blackie, Timmy, Tortie Gal Mimi, Tabby2 & Kiddy are well and are still chubby.


Community cats from the other area:

Last Thursday, Shiny's eyes suddenly turned for the worst. The 3rd eyelids were showing in both eyes, leaving a small "black hole" on his right eye, while the left eye was half covered. I was alarmed and went to get antibiotic eyedrops from the vet for him. We managed to apply it on his eyes on Fri and Sat morning, as we had no success of finding him on both evenings, even though we went to hunt from him at different timings.

Found him this morning and fed him; the swelling on his eyes have receded somewhat, and we can see more of his eyeballs. *Phew!* Shiny's upper right eyelid still has a swelling, while the 3rd eyelid is partially showing in his left eye (about one-third). Hope we can find him in the evenings so intensify the eye-drop treatment, and feed him some yummy FussieCat and better quality dry food (so he won't have to eat the F brand from the feeder's domestic helper).

Saw Humm Humm last Friday night while hunting for Shiny. While at the vet, I also bought a bottle of antibiotic powder, if only HH would agree to be my friend and let me apply it on him. Thankfully, his open wound seems to have dried up and all I could catch sight of was a bit of "crumpled" skin, but no sight of his wound. So HH will be ok. He's a big-head tom, but I think once he's sterilised and got used to the human touch, he will also become a friendly, affectionate cat.

Jambala is well, and so is BT, both of whom we meet every now and then. We suspect BT's presence is creating a sort of in-equilibrium among the community cats in this area. HH and Jambala will both stay away from BT; Shiny stays away from HH, but could not care less about BT. And BT just kind of bulldozes his way into us, demanding to be fed! Very 霸道, behaving like a ruffian. :P

Will update with their photos later.

Special cat

I met this young cat yesterday.


From his face, I think he's a boy cat.

Though wary of me, he rolled over when he saw me, and allowed me to stroke his head for a while.


I could see his two "ding dongs", almost ripe to be conferred eunuch-hood (to quote Chinky, heh!)

Then, he flipped over and that's when I saw them...


...his orange patches...which makes him a calico / tricolour cat!

A male calico cat!

Wow...maybe I should have bought 4D yesterday leh. :p

Other area's community cats - update

Since the deworming mission, I went back the next day to check on Shiny. I was afraid I might have inadvertently overdosed him a little on the deworming tablet.


During the deworming, I had to carry him to the mosaic bench so that I could cut the tablet into smaller pieces, and I'd only realised how light he is after I'd came back and carried Coco. Shiny was lighter than Coco!

I was glad that that he seemed well. Shiny was waiting at the doorstep of the feeder, who hadn't yet fed him, as evidenced by the presence of the Sunday papers sitting on their gate in the typical Singaporean HDB style. Shiny ate a small can of wet food, plus some dry food.

Jambala came by to wait for her breakfast - that's my chance to deworm her!


I had one more deworming tablet, but I didn't have my knife with me... squatted in one corner and tried to break the tablet into quarters with my fingers (with partial success), then hid the tablet into the wet food and gave it to Jambala. The gal is smart - she must have bitten on the half-tablet, found it distasteful, and refused to eat any more of the wet food. Can't fool her. ;)

Attracted by the smell, the noisy Humm Humm came by in the midst and very loudly demanded for a piece of the action!


I gave him the leftover half can of wet food, with a quarter of the leftover deworming tablet. So at least Jambala had three-quarters, which was probably insufficient for her weight.

I walked over to the blocks across to try to find a dustbin, met this guy who came over to sniff the empty can, and started clamouring for some too. Aiya, no more already!


I'd seen him before years' ago, and thought he belonged to the Malay residents of that home (can see the dish of dry cat food beside the dustbin). I gave him some dry food, which he ate in an extremely noisy "nom, nom, nom, ngow, ngow, chomp, chomp" fashion...very amusing! I turned around and understood why...

BT was standing stealthily right behind me. The empty wet food can was a cat magnet!


BT is really quite chubby now. I brought him further away, gave him some dry food, and went on my way.

MP speaks up for community cats

I think it's a breakthrough for the social and moral progress of Singapore, even by just a little bit!

Only the brave with the most sincerest heart to serve would dare do this in parliament. It takes real courage to speak up for something that's always been considered mundane and unworthy of any attention by the authorities.

I've always enjoyed reading Mr Siew Kum Hong's articles to the press before he became a NMP. Now he can be my hero. :D

http://meowies.multiply.com/journal/item/880/HDB_will_not_build_Cat_Cafes