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.

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.

Mission de-worming

Mission: To de-worm Shiny who lives almost a 15-mins walk away.

The domestic helper of the family that feeds him told me Shiny still get fed with his regular bowl of wet and dry food twice a day. Despite that, he always seem to be hungry and would come to us for snacks of dry food whenever we happen to meet him. Though he seems to be eating a lot, he was losing weight and has become rather skinny.

I thought we should try to de-worm him.


Friday night: Getting ready the feeding apparatus, with a couple of extras, just in case we didn't succeed on the first attempt or if he refuses to take the de-worming tablet. If we succeed, we shall try the 2nd tablet on Jambala, if we happen to meet her and if she's not yet been fed by then.

The idea is to get to their location by 7.30am, before the cats get their regular breakfast, so they would be hungry enough to eat our food.

All packed in the cat-feeding bag and ready for the mission.



Saturday morning: Unfortunately, it poured cats and dogs. When the rain abated, we went out but could not find the regular community cats downstairs. Hopefully, they were hiding somewhere dry away from the heavy rain.



At Shiny's location, we first saw Jambala, then Humm-Humm who was scooting away. We realised BT's presence nearby and he was starting to growl at Humm-Humm. We gave BT some dry food, which he agreed to eat only after he's gotten a few strokes on his head from me. *roll eyes*

We turned around and Jambala was gone. There was no sign of Shiny. Anyhow, we went to eat breakfast, after which the SO went back to office to clear work.

I walked back and tried to find Shiny again - he was sitting right at the door step of the feeders' home all alone, probably having missed his morning breakfast call, which was just right for my mission!


I fed Shiny half a small can of wet food, followed by another quarter can, just to hide the little bit of leftover de-worming tablet. He ate them all, but was becoming less enthusiastic with each mouthful of food as he got fuller. Anyway, it was mission accomplished!


On the way home, I saw a resting Jambala, and gave her a few kibbles.


Also met this golden retriever, which of course I could not resist making friends with. :) Like most GRs, she was very sweet, and made me happy with her attention.

Her domestic helper minder was very kind to take off her leash and asked her to sit for this photo. What a charming sweetie!

Who is Humm-Humm?

The cat's story:

I had finished eating and was minding my own business when I heard this bean calling "Humm-Humm, Humm-Humm!" in a calm sort of voice. I kept my distance and answered her, even though I didn't understand why she kept saying "Humm-Humm".



I don't know who this bean is, but I have seen her before, and she seems friendly. Even my very smart galfriend Jambala will go and rub against her ankle and allow herself to be stroked by her, so I guess this bean must be quite humm-less.

She took out small box, which she put near her face, called out "Humm-Humm" a few more times, and then she walked away to join another bean.



I still don't know who this bean is, but since she's always saying "Humm-Humm, Humm-Humm", so I guess she must be "Humm-Humm bean".

[ ps: In Hokkien, "Humm Humm" means ... "swollen" :P ]

Jambala update

Jambala is looking well, and looking very plump, so much so that the domestic helper of the family that feeds her and other cats thought that she's pregnant!



I explained to her the significance of the tipped ear and that Jambala will no longer get pregnant again.

It's difficult to get a front shot of her, but everytime I see Jambala, I still think she's a really pretty cat with a sweet face.



Jambala has a boyfriend - a vocal, unsterilised male ginger whom I call "Humm-Humm" because he has a (in Hokkien) "humm-humm" face. HH is quite untouchable, but luckily, he tends to stick close to Jambala (and sometimes eat from the same paper bowl) and there is no more unsterilised female cat in the area. Jambala was the last female to be "done".