Wet Food Feeding Time

This is our situation each night when it's time for wet food.

Although the cats have access to dry kibbles the whole day, we give them small portion of wet food every night just because they love it and because we like spoiling them :P. It's always fun to watch them gather and go crazy when it's wet food feeding time. They all act like they have not eaten in days. Maybe next time I'll film it so you can hear the actual noises they make, specially the Lots and the Vans.

Hello From the Pats

Patty wants to say hello to everyone!

Pansie , the Tabby Retriever

Pansie just learned a new trick. She just started to bring us her mousy toys for no reason. Then one time, my husband thought what she would do if he throws it away. Surprisingly, she ran after the mousy, picked it up, and brought it back to my husband.  Knowing our cats who have an extreme case of ADD, he threw it back a couple of times, just to confirm that she was really retrieving the mousy. And she did! It's now part of our morning routines. And she loves it!

Cherish Each Day - and Happy Birthday Nish!

It's been exactly a year since I last posted in this cat blog, how about that?

It's also almost a year since we moved in Berlin. The cats adjusted pretty much faster than I did. The move was definitely a positive thing to them - especially to the Nish.

Remember the days when Nishi had to take medicine daily to manage her inexplicable seizures? It miraculously went away when we moved to Berlin! We could never be happier.

Until a month ago, she had an episode that scared the life out of me. I found her one evening under the bed slightly twitching her back as if she has a hiccup. Long story short, we rushed to a 24 hour vet clinic and later realized that she has also gone blind.

I'll spare you the details about the trip to the 24 hour vet, but it was the worst vet I have ever encountered in my whole life - I still get upset by just recollecting how she treated me and Nishi, specially when she said Nishi was dying.

Well, Nishi wasn't dying. It was just her bad judgement.

The thought of Nishi dying, and just the thought that all my cats will all go one day, hit me pretty bad. I have seen and shared grief with friends and family members who went through with death of beloved pets, but the real thing is totally something else of course. I can definitely say at this point that I am not ready for any of it. In fact, I have a problem with death in general. A fact of life, but still...

Everything will and must come to an end. Life will end wether I like it or not. What really matters is what you make of it while it last. And from those memories, it is what you cherish that makes it live for eternity.

Today is Nishi's 5th birthday. I think it is a good excuse to mark this day to start blogging again and document the moments I share with them.

They say cats have 9 lives. And Nishi has used up 4 in 5 years. Nevertheless, she is back to her normal, bitchy self. Her sight has returned too. We had a long talk that she's going to stay healthy and live a long life with her mum, dad, and the pupicats. We love our baby girl so much. Here's to another year of health, wealth, happiness and love.  Love you Nishi!!! You are one of the best things that ever happened to us!

Happy Birthday Nishi!

Nishi if 4 years old! We love you so much baby girl! Long live the Nish!!!!!!

Keeping the Balance - Stressed Mom, Cats Not!

So as our big move comes closer each day, I'm becoming more and more stressed with different concerns. It's funny to think I'm more stressed with my cats than myself, moving to a different continent. I seem to not care about what's life there is for me where we are moving, how I'm going to adapt to the weather and the new culture. I don't care much anymore how I'm going to move my life there. What I keep on thinking is the transport of my 6 cats - wanting everything to go smoothly, with the least possible stress for both them and me. I'm so paranoid of 10 different things I could hardly sleep....

Meanwhile, the cats did not show any form of concern whatsoever.

Sleepy Van and her beautiful black face.

Nishi, why so sleepy?

Pansker contemplating - about food.

This Lotto guy doesn't care at all for as long as you don't wake him up from his precious nap.

Of course, Sylvia has to look mysterious and pretty all at once.

Pan and Patty both with sleepy eyes.

People Who Loves to Complain But Never Participates

Why is it that this world is swarmed by people who just loves to complain but isn't willing to move a finger to make a change?

My friend called me up on the weekend to ask about spay/neuter. He doesn't have pets, but just concerned with the growing number of cats in the compound where he lives. He isn't going to adopt or care for them, but just wanted to prevent them from multiplying further. Good enough for me. At least he is concerned. I seldom hear stuff like this and so when I do, I feel this spark of hope in my heart that I couldn't explain what the hope is about.

The cats, however, are feral so it won't be an easy task. I emailed CARA Welfare (NGO) to ask for assistance since this appears to be a cat colony, asked what our options are and what not. I also informed my friend that these cats will be spayed/neutered, but then we will have to return it in the compound as part of the TNR program. I tried to set my friend's expectations that these cats will need to recover at least 3 days for males, and 5 days for females before they can be let go - and this will need his assistance. Unfortunately, he won't be able to do so because he's running a business. We had a little chitchat about the cat situation and apparently, the people living in the compound are all pissed off with these cats. They riot, make noises every night. One of the neighbors even expressed that he wanted to shoot the cats. Serious threat or not, it isn't funny. It immediately pissed me off. I asked my friend if he knows anyone in the compound who's in to animals, and if anyone is willing to help out - either participate in the TNR, or just house the cats for 5 days max until they are recovered. The answer is NO.

First, animal cruelty is a criminal offense. I don't know if these people know that. Second, why the fuck would you shoot a cat? Does it know what its doing? Is it its fault to be a stray? Who have bigger brain, you or the cat? And third, if the cats are your problem, why not help out the people who would like to help solve the problem? It's funny how they expect other people solve their cat problems while they sit their ass and scratch their balls, when it is in fact the problem in the place they live in. I'm sure they will argue that these are not their cats and they don't have anything to do with them. True. But isn't it your compound too where you should take responsibility? And since someone is already giving you an option how to resolve, why the hell wouldn't you participate? Why?

Because they think oohh it's too much work!

A lot of people think that animal neglect and cruelty occurs because of lack education. So most of NGOs have education program regarding animal welfare. But to be honest, it's not only the lack of education that results to people neglecting animals. Apathy and laziness play a huge chunk in this too. Why is it so difficult to exert a one time effort that will benefit them too? This is really upsetting. Specially the part when i heard about hurting the cats. If only I can take them all. If only I know enough people who can take them in, adopt or foster them. Sadly, I don't have that luxury. Even the luxury of having animal lover friends. Deep inside I really do feel sad that I don't have enough animal lover friends. I find it sad sometimes that almost everyone who have helped me re-home my rescues were not from my circle and were, then, not my friends.

I'm pissed, and I don't know what to do. Aside from the fact that these cats are feral and hard to catch, i am not comfortable for the fact that someone in the compound have this idea of hurting them - whether he means it or not.

So help us God.