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.

My Turn for Blood Test

Today was my schedule to get a blood test. I have this skin condition that keeps on coming back that my doctor requested for a CBC and Fasting Blood Sugar test to eliminate the possibility that I'm diabetic. I was dreading this day. I know that the needle wouldn't hurt as much as needle poking on my pores whenever I go for a facial cleaning. But the thought of a needle drawing my blood's just a nightmare. I have this phobia since childhood that I have never outgrown, no matter how hard I try to convince myself that it doesn't hurt. I kept telling myself, if my cats can do it, so can I. But it didn't quite help.

 As soon as I sat down with the med tech, my tears just involuntarily flowed and I couldn't stop crying. My face was so wet and one of the nurses in the room approached the booth because she was afraid I might faint. I'm so embarrassed that I was crying like a child and all i could tell them was I'm so sorry, I'm just so afraid. I pulled one of the nurses and ask her to hold my hand. And then they drew blood. I was crying the whole time.

It was ridiculous, but i need to get it done. So that I can know what's causing these skin problems, and so my family and some of my friends would stop blaming it on my cats. I'm 100% sure i didn't get these nasty things from them. I had them for years and I never had issues like this. I clean them all the time, clean the house and sanitize everything every single day. So it's just me, I am sick! I'm trying to get some rest now with Lottie who seems to feel my stress after the blood test. I think Nishi is secretly laughing at me and thinks karma finally got me from taking her for blood tests. Wish me luck for the results!

Robbie, the Orange Tabby

Here's the story of Robbie.

I was passing by the stretch of Roxas Blvd driving back from Cavite city one afternoon. The traffic was getting moderate to slow when I saw this kitten from afar sitting on its paws on the side of an island in the middle of the highway. There's not a single time I remember that I have driven to or from somewhere without seeing at least one dead cat, so I was getting ready to say my prayers thinking it's another dead cat (sad but true). As I passed by, I noticed that it moved. It was a quick decision, the traffic was moderate to slow, and I had a chance to stop so I did it, got out of my car, walked to the cat while cars were honking at me, and immediately grabbed the kitten. He was taken by surprise and didn't get a chance to run away.

He was panting and dehydrated from sitting under the scorching afternoon heat. I immediately took him to the Animal House clinic for check up and confinement. He's about 3-4 months old. Aside from dehydration, he also have a bit of eye infection. But other than that, he looks good. The vet said he seemed to be just dumped recently because he still seems to be healthy other than those 2 things. But as precaution, I had to keep him confined in the clinic for a few days. I don't want to compromise the health of my other 6 cats at home in case orange tabby is sick, plus Nishi's still not well and the last thing I want is to stress her.

Robbie, in the Animal House clinic.He's about 3-4 months old.

He didn't have a name then, and in the clinic he's just known as the "Mulder Cat". To be honest, I can no longer take any more rescues. I have been telling this forever, I have reached my max, space has ran out and my hands are more than full to take another - but then again, I couldn't turn my back. It could have been as easy as turning a blind eye and hope that someone else would pick him up. But I knew chances are he won't get picked up and he'll get run over, it's just a matter of time. So I actively looked for at least someone to foster and offered to provide everything the kitten needs. Unfortunately, no one came forward.

Robbie's emoticon chart.

After a week of staying at the clinic, I brought him home. I gave him half or our balcony and made sure that no cat can cross from one side to another. I wanted to keep him separated for at least another week until I am very sure that he doesn't carry any infectious disease. I also gave him a  name - Robbie. I think he looks like a Robbie :).

But Robbie turned out to be a "Houdini". After his disappearing act and got me all worried, I worked so hard to make his side of the balcony secured - only to fail miserably. I woke up one morning surrounded with my cats - AND ROBBIE. Beside me. Sniffing my armpit. How the hell did he escape again?! I can never figure out.

Robbie, 10 days after rescue, now getting cozy.

Robbie turned out to be very vocal and playful kitten. He's ready for adoption now. And as always, one of my requirements is he has to be an indoor cat.  I hope to find Robbie a good family to adopt him soon. If you are interested to adopt, please leave me a comment here.

Ciao for now!

Thank You Patty!

I have a new kitty rescue, but I gotta fast forward a bit. I promise I'll write about his story in my next post.

So after a 5 day confinement in the clinic, I brought the orange tabby kitty home this evening. I still have to separate this baby from my other cats for at least another week to make sure that little orange tabby is free from sickness. I divided my balcony in to two as suggested by my husband so that the other half can still be enjoyed by my cats, while the other one stays confined on the other half. My balcony is cat proof and has been fully tested by Sylvia who has not been out ever since I have reinforced the fence and the netting.

OK so I left kitty and started to do my work routine as it's almost time for work. After 30 minutes, I thought I should check him and feed him. To my surprise, he was nowhere to be found. I turned the whole balcony upside down, but he wasn't anywhere. I checked everything where he could be hiding, or where he could fit, and I couldn't figure out how he escaped. I was so afraid that he made it out to the outer balcony and start cruising in the neighbor's balconies - worse, get trapped somewhere I couldn't reach him. I kept on calling him, trying to shake my food container to lure him, but no response. I was so afraid he wouldn't come back because a. he hardly knows me, b. I haven't even fed him, so he wouldn't know if this house has food for him. For hours, i just went back and forth : Balcony -> outer balcony -> back to the house -> go back to the balcony again and check if he has come back -> outer balcony again to see if he's anywhere in sight. All I could think of is what if something happens to him? What if I have a neighbor who hates pet and discovers him? What if he gets trapped? So many shit popping in my head. I was so desperate I started to cry. There's really nothing I could do at that point, but to wait. I started browsing about DIY cat traps. But no, the tools needed I don't readily have, and if I have to trap, I have to do it now now! So I cried again.

Then Patterick came and sat beside me. He probably thought i look stupid crying over nothing. Then kissed him and rubbed his face and asked him if he could pray with me so that the kitty would come back. Instead of ignoring me and walking away (like he always do), he sat there for a long time with a comforting eyes.

When i got tired of crying, i pulled myself together and told myself OK, I'm just going to print photos tomorrow and put it up in the elevator. I hate putting attention to my cats because I'm being discreet about them since this condo's a bit strict with house pets. But I have to take responsibility, and I have to tell them as early as possible.

After my work meeting online, I stepped out again just taking chances... and then i saw something moving...
IT WAS ORANGE TABBY!

Patterick's prayer is so awesome! I'm so ecstatic now I feel like I'm going to be super productive with everything :D!

I locked up little tabby for the mean time, until I get a chance to reinforce the balcony again. I think he can still fit under the railings. What a little Houdini!

Nishi's Having Seizures :(

My eldest cat (3 years old) Nishi started to have seizures all of a sudden. It started January 3, when i saw her fell from the foot of the bed, about 1.5 ft. high, and thought she just got out of balance. I followed her immediately and thought there was something wrong. Her ears were all outwards, and she was holding her one paw up. I got scared and thought she fell bad and carried her instantly to inspect and comfort her. Then she started twitching violently. She got me scratched up pretty bad but I did not let go because I was afraid that she might hurt herself. The seizure lasted for about a minute. My husband and I were in shock and I started crying because I didn't understand what the hell just happened. Nishi foamed in the mouth, and she was very exhausted.

We immediately took her to the vet clinic to get her checked up. They did a full blood chemistry to eliminate cause of seizure, but didn't find anything significant. I described what I saw, and how long it lasted. Seizure incidents are uncommon to cats, but unfortunately the doctor couldn't tell us what's wrong with Nishi. Blood test came out negative, there's no infection, temperature was normal. She also have an appetite, and she's very much alert and active after the incident. The doctor said she might have an idiopathic epilepsy, which just means seizure that has no apparent cause. They offered to admit Nishi, but they also said that all they can do is observation at most. Their advise was to bring home Nishi and observe, then take her back if anything happens. And that's what we did. Besides, I'm not really comfy leaving my cats in the vet clinic where there's more possibility that they can get exposed to other diseases.

5 days has passed after the first incident, Nishi was fine. So we were quite hopeful that it was a one time thing. But all of a sudden it happened again, without clear cause or trigger. It lasted for a minute again. After the seizure, Nishi was again foaming in the mouth, and very much exhausted. Then she recovered, walking around like nothing happened - only, she seemed to be disoriented. She seem to not recognize the house she's living in. She kept exploring everything, sniffing everything. But other than that, she looks perfectly normal.

Again, the vet couldn't explain what has occurred. She wasn't poisoned, she has no infection. She didn't have any injury in the head. Nothing. Their best bet is epilepsy. They prescribed us a drug to give her to help manage the seizures - but not to cure it. Since there seems to be no apparent cause, they can't cure anything. Seizures are very rare in cats, and probably that's why there are less veterinarians that know or expert about this. It's too unfortunate that Nishi got this problem - yet better than fatal diseases.

The seizures are getting more and more frequent, and all we could do is to observe the severity, how long it takes, and what exactly the seizures look like so we can tell it to the doctor. The doctor also mentioned that an MRI might help, but they don't think there's any MRI for cats around the metro. So yeah, we are kinda fucked.

Every time it happens, I cry. My husband is leaving tomorrow, and I don't know what I will do if Nishi would have seizures again - this time with just myself to rely on. I am so afraid. I don't want to lose Nishi. I love Nishi so much. Nishi has changed a huge part of myself and my life. I do not want to lose her. I am so afraid that one day, she will have a seizure and will not be able to recover from it. I don't know what else to do. I get paranoid all the time. I couldn't get out of the house because I am afraid that Nishi might have another incident and might hurt herself. I couldn't sleep well, because I always wanted to be aware of my surroundings, be able to get up immediately in case Nishi gets an attack when I'm asleep. I really wish the seizures would just magically go away, or at least tell us what's wrong so we know how to correct it.

Lottie is The Santa 2012

Sir Lots asked me if I can upload his Santa pictures before the holiday ends. So here it is! Two years ago, our Santa Claus was Patterick. But this year, Lottie's bigger than him and the santa suit we bought fits him better than Mr. McPatterson.  Funny he didn't mind looking ridiculous the whole evening. Sir Lottie is so much fun!

Roxy's Adopted!

Roxy, the highway calico's adopted! Thanks to Gerry, a very good friend of mine who prioritized Roxy to get a home. She, as well, needed people to adopt her rescues, but she put me on top of the list :).

It was emotional (once again) for me when the adopting family came by to pick her up. I was really happy to see that the family who took her in seem to be very loving and have thought of the adoption a long time before jumping to it. To me it proves commitment. Chris and Juliana (father and daughter) came by to pick her up and it was really heartwarming to see Juliana's excitement. First she hugged my sociable cats that like guests, even my hostile Nishi Maester (but of course we tried to stop her LOL). Then as soon as she met Roxy, she carried her and saw her eyes glimmer.

Roxy, trying to be cute!

I gave Chris Roxy's vaccination card and offered to get her the last round, but he said he'll do it. Apparently, there are 2 vets in their family. I bought Roxy a send off gifts which includes a few cans of wet food and a bag of kibbles. Chris gave me peace of mind that Roxy is in good hands. He said he already bought cat stuff so the "Pangkabuhayan Showcase" was not all necessary haha!

I was really emotional when I have to give her away. I was trying to hold back my tears and just be happy, but I couldn't. In the 6 weeks we spent together, I did get attached to this tiny cat. I couldn't hold on to her though. I was sad that I won't be able to see her everyday, but I am overwhelmed with happiness to see that she found a new family to care for her, a family that will give her a new chance in life.

When they left, Chris even asked me if he owes me anything - which really, gives my heart a sense of security, that he is willing to spend on Roxy, meaning, if she gets sick or needs medical assistance in the future, they will not think twice of spending for her well being. And of course, I said no :). All I needed was for them to love, care and be patient with Roxy, and I am confident they will.

Roxy enjoying my gym bag. Thanks for the fur!

 Thank you Chris and Juliana for opening your home and your heart to Roxy. She and I will be forever grateful. Bless your hearts!

The Highway Calico Has A Sister

Today, I drove back to the same highway where I found Roxy, the calico kitten I picked up yesterday, going to Greenhills to fulfill my postponed plans. And guess what I saw - a kitten the same size and same coat as Roxy, maybe 3-5 meters to where I exactly picked up Roxy, only she's dead flat on the  road  :(. It is possible that Roxy wasn't thrown alone there, and maybe this kitten was her sister. Why didn't I see the little poor thing yesterday? I felt so bad, if only she was sitting with Roxy when I saw her. When I picked up Roxy, it didn't occur to me to look around the area. Aside from I was in a hurry as it's dangerous enough that my car was in full stop and I, walking around, it never occurred to me that there could be more kittens.

See, if I didn't turn around and pick up Roxy, she would have died. How the hell did they get there in the first place? I don't know. People here are very creative when they decide to throw away unwanted cats/kittens/dogs. You'll see them in the places where you can never explain how they ended up by themselves. Maybe someone dropped them off there when the traffic is light, or at night time. Maybe the street/highway cleaners took them there since they are the only ones permitted to walk on the sides and on the islands of highways... I have no proof, but these are just the things that goes in my head. I heard so many horror stories, and knew people who actually did stuff to dispose of unwanted animals. Some put the unwanted liter in plastic bags and throw them in the garbage. If the animal is a burden, they throw them in places where they know they will never be able to find their way back. Worse, they take these animals in places that has zero possibility to survive. This is what I can and will never understand how people can stomach and do these things? And mind you, these people don't even feel bad at all. This country is the most hypocritical country in the world. We pose to be a God-fearing, strong Catholic nation. We are raged by the Reproductive Health Bill because we fight for the natural laws of life, value the assumption of life of sperm and eggs when they unite. We fight for life. But why do we only value ours? If you think life is sacred and should be respected, why not in all forms? Why not in all God's creation? People are evil. Majority of the human race is disappointing, embarrassing. Animal welfare is just one problem area where we people are so bad with.

When I came back I hugged Roxy. At least she's alive.

Highway Calico

My list why I hate driving in this city can go on and on. Through the years I have learned to live with and grow on those things I hated, except one thing - dead cats - the main reason I despise driving.

I don't go out often and in fact, I despise going out specially if it will require me to drive. It's stressful enough to blend in with the worst drivers of all time, but to see ran over cats, that's another story. It's like 9 out of 10 times of driving, I see dead cats.

I was going to pickup the tripod i sent for service a month ago and was suppose to meet up with my friends for lunch. I took EDSA, the highway where numerous times I have seen either ran over cats, or cats trapped at the middle, which of course, have zero chance to survive. The traffic was moderate to slow moving, and as I approached the Rockwell ramp, i noticed a tiny thing sitting at the foot of the pole foundation of the fly over. I momentarily went blank, and didn't know what to do, and then just drove by.

Ok, I gotta call someone. But I was driving and can't reach my phone.
Ok, I will pull over then call someone. But it's still a few kilometers more to have a safe spot for pulling over.
Shit. Who do I call?
Alright, I'll come back for it after lunch. Only, it's going to take a while.
Can you wait little fellow?

(just a special note here, I am not generalizing, I know a lot of people who would die to help but there's really nothing in their power to do anything at certain instances.)
So I always hated reading people's posts on those animal welfare sites I am a member of about animals getting abused, or trapped somewhere, or sick animals needing urgent help, because that's all they do. Post, express their sentiments and empathy. Tell the rest of the world how sorry they feel, but really, all there is to it was just somehow relieve themselves of the guilt by telling an NGO to go pick it up, help it, so they can convince themselves  they did something, clear their conscience and move on with life - when in these times, we all need to move a finger, do something and act in order to get a good change. Hah, I sound so self-righteous which really gives me goosebumps, but just a little sentiment over my own kind...

And there it hit me. I knew that if I just call the Animal Welfare NGOs, or post it to the animal advocacy facebook pages, there's a bigger chance I'm just gonna be passed around, receive empathy posts that i wish could help. I guess I would feel less guilty and would be inclined to really seek help from the NGO or police or whoever has the power IF the traffic was fast moving and that if I do it myself, I will endanger my life and the lives of others. But no, the traffic was pretty bad. I felt like a hypocrite for a moment. I know exactly what's the right thing to do, I wasn't just convince to do it because I was afraid. But given the traffic condition, I felt like there's a way if I just chose to stop - and I didn't. It sucks that it took me a while before  I said, fuck it, I'm going to turn around. I did a huge circle, exited the highway, drove all over the city just to get back to it on the same lane, praying that the traffic was still slow moving and that the cat's still there, praying that she doesn't get desperate enough to cross or do something stupid.

My heart was pounding hard and I'm pretty scared, I have never stopped at the middle of a highway EVER, let alone step out and walk around. I was afraid of many things. Getting hit by a stupid truck driver, getting people pissed because my car is in full stop, getting traffic police's attention and get a ticket, afraid to scare the cat, run off and send her to her death. Afraid that she might bite or scratch me because I have nothing to catch her with except my bare hands. And then I reached the lane. When I got back, the traffic was still relatively slow. I slowed down, and then went to a full stop when I reached the spot. I immediately jumped out of my car to the foot of the fly over, grabbed the kitty as fast as I could, put her at the back seat, then drove off like nothing happened. I was fairly surprised that I didn't get honkings from the cars behind me. Great success!

The kitty was crying so loud in distress. I couldn't comfort her as I drive. As soon as I exited the highway, I pulled over, gave her something to eat ( i keep cat food in the car yeah!) and it was a heart breaking sight. She was starving. She was munching the food with sound, like a starving sound. Who knows how long she's been in that condition?

She's skin and bones and so filthy. I didn't know if she was hurt so I went to the animal clinic, to which, unfortunately, is too filled for me to even get a parking. I stalled for about 15 minutes and see how she's going to stabilize after eating. And then she seemed to walk OK. Then she started rubbing her head against my hand when i reached to her. Then she meowed normally. So I decided to go home, cleaned her up, fed her more, then vet tomorrow.

Getting To Know LL, Our Latest Rescue

We found LL on Ayala ave walking back from the theater on a late Sunday evening. He's about 2 months old. Mark have seen  and fed him once loitering in that area begging for food. But at that time he didn't notice his condition since he also got busy feeding other cats he found in the area. Luckily, he was still there when we happen to walk by. This time we were able to give him a closer look. We found out that his left eye's gone, and the other eye seems to be small and under developed. Although he seemed to have a companion (elderly) cat around him, we thought that there's no way he will be able to survive the street life in that condition. Eventually he will go blind. He will either die of hunger since he wouldn't be able to look for food, or would end up getting run over by a car in that busy street.

We honestly don't have space anymore for another rescue. Our flat is small and is crowded already with 6 full grown cats. I'm also a bit anxious about compromising the health of my 6 cats as they are almost ready to fly and move in with my husband out of the country, if I were to take another one in. But anyhow, we ended bringing him with us - we just didn't have the hearts to turn our back on a blinding kitten. It was difficult to take him away too from his cat companion, but it's just that LL's less likely to survive in his condition. The other cat was healthy looking, and was relieved to see that the tip of its ear was clipped, meaning it has been trapped and neutered.

So there, we were unprepared and all we got was our small reusable grocery bag.  So we took him inside the bag and luckily he wasn't violent at all. I didn't end up getting bitten or scratched. We immediately went to the 24 hour vet clinic close in our area to get him checked and confined for a few days. According to the vet, it was probably an inborn condition where the left eye didn't grow at all, or can also be caused by a trauma to the eye. Other than that, his appetite was good and no signs of respiratory infection.

He spent 3 days confined in the vet clinic for observation. This evening we picked him up to bring him home. He has to be quarantined so we divided our inner balcony in to two. He's living on one side with full accommodation - a poop box, a nice comfy towel inside a carrier without doors so he can go in and out like his room, with food and water, and most specially TOYS.

As soon as he's 100% recovered, we will then have to find him a home.
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Update:

It was unfortunate that LL died after a week :(. He was well for a few days. He wasn't very active but he does have an appetite. But he grew weak one day and couldn't stand on his own and rushed him to the pet hospital, where he was confined. The vet didn't know what was wrong with him so we agreed that as soon as he stabilizes, he will have a blood test for  FIP, the disease the vet's suspecting LL have.

We were scheduled to go out of town a day later while LL's staying in the animal hospital. Everyday we get updates from the vet. He was slowly deteriorating and they still couldn't extract blood.

When we were waiting for our flight to go back home, the vet called and informed us that LL's really in bad shape and that we have to be prepared for the inevitable. We were worried and sad, but we didn't know what to do. As soon as we landed and headed back home, we planned to just drop off our stuff and drive to the animal hospital to see LL. Unfortunately, when we did get home, it was too late. LL just died...

We rushed to the clinic and saw LL's lifeless body, skin and bones. I cried and asked the doctor if they ever found out what was wrong with him. The doctor said they didn't get a chance to get him tested for FIP, but that's still their suspicion. I caressed LL for the last time and said my good bye. At least he didn't die alone in the street...

I got paranoid and didn't rest anymore. When we got back in the house I sanitized everything and everywhere LL went. I scrubbed the balcony with lysol. I threw the litter, and the pooper scooper that I used for LL too. I mopped our floor with lysol and didn't rest until everything's clean. Then I started giving immunosin to my cats just to make sure that if ever they get the virus, they will have strong immune system to fight it off. Luckily, no one got sick.

I miss LL, and I was devastated that we weren't there when he passed. But I'm sure he knew that he was loved and cared for even for a short time. Good bye LL... we'll see each other again one day in the rainbow bridge.

Kitty Exposure on Reddit

So apparently, my good husband posted a photo of my cats on the bed with me in my "the oilier, the uglier" look, tinkering on my laptop. The comments are very interesting and amusing, I must say... and I'm greatly relieved to read that we are not alone in this world to own a lot of cats (yep, I admit 6 is more than enough). Well, that's not entirely true. I know a number of people who have a battalion of cats in their households, for the reason that they rescue a lot and doesn't have the heart to turn down and look away to those unfortunate, starving, abused, sickly cats/kittens on the streets.

But first, let me clarify - I do have a base station for working :P, and when the photo was taken, we just got up so that explains the big mess (haha excuses, excuses). 

Reading through the comments, I wanted to share one in particular because she practically nailed what you should expect more or less if ever you decide to adopt a cat - especially if you are considering more than one. Although I constantly look for potential adopters and promotes adoption to my friends, I also think it is responsible to tell them upfront what they are getting themselves in to. One of the many reasons there's so many stray cats in the streets is cat dumping. I am so sick and tired of seeing and hearing stories of pet owners who dump their pets all because they are tired of caring for them - either the cat is sick, have unwanted litter, misbehaved, or too much to handle. So when I find an interested adopter, I always make it to a point to set their expectations properly, and also to emphasize that getting a pet is a lifetime commitment. I wish I could make everyone realize that having a pet companion is like having another member of your family. It will be dependent on you, a part of you until the end of its days.

So here it is. Thank you flibbertygiblet of Reddit for a well composed comment. This will be a great reference for potential pet parents.

(note: I emphasized the word "more or less" because each cat has its own personality, and some may or may not be applicable like the costs - in a way, it is cheaper in the Philippines to provide food, cat litter, and medical care than it is in the United States. I do not intend to discourage people from adopting, nor to scare you of,  but I just wanted to give a rough idea of a serious cat care )

"5 cats is hectic, no getting around it. We have five, plus a dog, plus any number of fosters at different times. It is very fun and very rewarding, but here are a few things to consider.

• each cat needs his/her own litter box. We get away with 3 for the permanent 5, but that is because they are all neutered males and get along fairly well. Each foster gets their own.
• litter boxes must be cleaned daily. Plus, we completely dump/scrub/refill each one as needed(usually once every few weeks).
• the amount of money we spend on good food, plus supplements(raw food), plus litter, plus toys is mind boggling. Currently around $150-$200 a month for just the cats.
• Adaptation. We can't have fragile things on counters, vases of flowers, knick-knacks, stacks of mail, anything like that laying around. We must be vigilant about dropped tacks, staples, or toothpicks. No cords visible.
• Destruction! They will destroy all that you love unless precautions are taken. We just bought our house a few years ago and have not done much renovating yet. The damage they've done already has shown is what precautions we need to take. We have narrow windowsills, they scamper to sit in them. All walls underneath windows will have to have a sheet of plexiglas on them to protect from scratches. Same for all outward corners.

They will knock things off counters and break them. They will shed and dirty up every blanket in your house(we use duvet covers to combat this). You will get lazy one day, fail to clean the box, and they will pee on your bed(mattress and pillow protectors).

• Relationships. They have friends and enemies. There will be skirmishes, some you have to break up. Then there's just plain ol' rough housing. They will eat things they shouldn't. Kitty first aid knowledge is required.
• medical expenses. Even if all is well, and they are indoor(ours are except on leashes)they need medical care. Flea treatments, ear mite treatments(not a huge issue, our fosters sometimes bring them), yearly check ups, shots, spay/neuter. It adds the fuck up. $45 x 5 is a large yearly expense. That's just check-up and rabies shot(ours are on a schedule now, everyone due at once, you can stagger to make it easier). Then there's things like colds that turn into URIs and boogery eyes that get infected from scratching. That's another $35 trip to the vet plus medications(this is rare though).
• Feeding. Unless free fed, feeding can be a chore. And for free feeding, you need everyone to have self control(we are lucky here). Otherwise, it becomes a huge hassle and time eater to have to portion/feed/supervise the whole process.
• Lack of sleep. You will lose sleep with so many cats. Whether they are knocking things around, wrestling, arguing, yowling for no apparent reason, running laps, playing with loud toys, trying to get you to play, sleeping on your head, needing fed if hand raising kitten(or a litter), or just taking up way too much fucking space on your king sized bed, you will lose sleep.
• Time. This is the biggest one besides cost. I spend so much time watering, feeding, petting, playing with, cleaning up after, shooing off counters, snuggling, nail clipping, nip spraying/sprinkling, wrestling, walking, making toys, and everything else. It's a lot of work. Plus, we have a dog, so that's a lot more walking/training/playing.

The only way we are able to do this is because we have a unique situation. I work from home, as does my hubs about 75% of the time, and there's enough money that we don't have to skimp on care and feeding.
However, the cats(plus my dog of course)are the furry loves of my life. They can all be huge pains in the ass, but I wouldn't take a million dollars for any one of them. They are all unique in their personalities, and even though we didn't know it, each new one brought something we were missing. All the time, all the money, all the little annoyances are totally, 100% fucking worth it when they snuggle up for lovins, purr their hearts out, or do something so funny that it can change the outlook on a cloudy day."

Gloomy Sunday

... it's not exactly like how the song goes, but it's pretty much related.

wrapped up my supposedly feel good sunday with a heavy, broken heart.

last friday, my friend gerry, passed by a ran over cat when she's just about to get her late lunch. when she realized it was still moving, she and her brother, anton, went out of their car and picked up the cat covered in it's own blood. construction workers around the area helped them put her in a carrier.

and so they named him cheesecake. he was rushed to the animal house veterinary clinic. i followed them shortly to give my support to gerry. cheesecake was cleaned up and immediately stabilized. he was also given a good dose of pain killer. the vet told us the obvious damages - broken upper part of the mouth that will not stop bleeding, trauma in the eye, and a possibility of skull fracture. due to his delicate condition, they can't do any test - not even an xray to check for the damages. they can't fix the mouth, nor the eyes, until he's stabilized and gained a little bit of strength. they said he can't go under anesthesia in this state because there's a big chance he wouldn't wake up. we went in the animal confinement ward to check him and there he was lying on his belly, still, covering his mouth. he barely moves, but he meows in pain. his eyes were moving trying to get a glimpse of us while we talk to him to be strong and fight.

we left with hopeful hearts and with fingers crossed that he gets through the night.

well, he did. gerry kept me updated with his condition, and although there's no positive improvement after 24 hours, we kept our spirits positive. it was planned to have a tube installed on his throat on tuesday so he could eat.

until sunday came. gerry went twice to check on cheesecake since the doctor on duty and nurses called her up to tell her that cheesecake's not responding. in the afternoon, cheesecake's head was so swollen that he looked like a big round baseball. you can't see his nose any more. it broke gerry's heart. cheesecake's still not stabilize and no procedure can be done to him. but still she hoped for the best and went home.

evening came and the animal house vet called her up to tell her that cheesecake bled again, and this time it was pretty bad. he's not responding to the pain medication any more. the nurse told gerry that when they tried to clean him up earlier, he cried in pain - the type of cry that will give you goosebumps. he's just basically telling gerry how miserable and how deeply in pain cheesecake was - and that's where euthanasia idea came in. of course it is not something that you can just easily decide on. we talked on the phone and both of us didn't know what to do, if it was the best option, or do we keep on fighting. we don't know his chances too. this step is irreversible, and so gerry wanted to be sure if there's really nothing that can be done to save this poor cat. when she talked to the vet in charge, she was advised to euthanize and end the poor cat's suffering... the vet explained that there's a slim chance he will survive anyway, and that it's going to that direction, so there's no use of prolonging his suffering. but still, gerry couldn't decide. 

at around 11pm, we went to the clinic to check cheesecake and personally speak with the vet. and as soon as we saw cheesecake, we started to cry. he looked so much different from how he was in the afternoon. he looked as if he's dead. barely breathing. he bled out all the swelling, and now we can clearly see the damage on his head. part of his head was flat. and his eyes... god everytime i remember his eyes my heart breaks and i feel like crying. it wasn't the same as it was a few hours ago. the right eye which we thought was the good eye was all dead gray, protruding, almost escaping from his eye sockets. the left eye with trauma is opened and bleeding. he was laying still with his mouth opened... gerry was so shocked and started to cry. but as soon as cheesecake heard our voices, he moved his paw a few times, like waving to us. but it wasn't a happy wave. it was like he wanted to go, it was more like a goodbye. we looked at him, cried more, and still trying to convince ourselves that there's hope. but really, from the looks of it, the most humane way to do is just to end his sufferings and set him free. the vet said again, he's in a high dosage of steroid and other pain meds, and none of it worked. and there, after seeing his lifeless body, we decided to give him a rest. 

i was pretty pissed that the vet had to move him to the surgery room to euthanize. it's late at night and there's no one in the clinic but us. he could have just done it in the confinement room. it's because a tiny move on cheesecake's body hurts him. we heard cheesecake scream in pain as they remove her from the cage to the surgery room to be put down. it made us cry more. then we asked if we can be with him until he's gone. at first, the vet didn't want us to see... but we insisted.

it wasn't easy to watch someone die. i know cheesecake's a cat and not comparable to a human dying. but it was absolutely hard to bear. like him, we have to be strong. we didn't want him to pass alone. we caressed him for the last time, touched the side of his face ever so lightly, and said our goodbyes. he was meowing softly, told him his pain's going away soon. i hardly spoke a word. we were there beside him until his last breath. and then it was done. 

i never knew this cat. but i was heartbroken when he passed. i felt so sorry for what he went through.

so this is one of the many things that happen when you refuse to spay/neuter your cats. don't ever think you can always care for them. sooner or later you'll be filled. don't think that you'll always find a good home to care for the kittens, because more often than not, they will end up in the streets to starve, to get abused, and die. if they get lucky, they'll breed more and continue this cycle. 

cheesecake's happier now. he's in a better place than us - for we will continue to see and experience the apathy, lack of compassion, irresponsibility, leave alone cruelty, wrapping up the world so tightly. 

Sylvia's Business in The Extended Balcony

I really hate it when Sylvia escapes to the extended balcony. But if this is all she does, I'll probably reconsider.

Munching on my poor flowering plant that I stole got from my trip to Sonya's Garden earlier this year.

She seem to enjoy the leaves so much.

Beautiful Girl!

After the beautiful moment, I had to kill the fun and carried her back inside. Then thinking she's really out there for the plants, I put my pretty parsley plant inside in case she needs some vegetable fix. Like I expected, she ignored it and escaped once more.

She later came home with a cockroach in her mouth that she caught from the neighbors. Mystery solved! I thought my house was the one infested with roach. Apparently, Sylvia does the hunting outside and take it in for the cat family's pleasure.

I bet she did the same when I found a dead bird one morning.

An Early Morning Present

Today, I woke up to a crime scene.

There were bits of feathers on the bed. I got up, went to the living room, and to my horror, there were more feathers - everywhere! On a corner lies a poor dead bird. I got freaked out and screamed! The six of them were just sitting still, with their guilty faces staring at me. I'm pretty sure that my huntress, Sylvia, was the one who did it. And based on my initial investigation (that is by just scanning the whole living room from my bedroom door) after killing (or immobilizing) the poor thing (I hope it died quickly), it was thrown to Lotto and van resulting to scattered feathers, then Pan joined the party. I doubt that Nishi and Patterick have something to do with it. They are far more civilized than the rest.

I was like a child that the first thing I did was to call my husband and cry out of disgust and feeling sorry for the little thing. I didn't dare to touch it, not even get a closer look - because every time I try, I just can't pull myself together. I was really thirsty, but the body was close to the fridge, and I can't get near the fridge without seeing its lifeless body laying on the floor. I felt like an idiot walking to the fridge, covering my left eye so that I would see it from my peripheral vision. Yes, I have heard stories about cats killing birds and bringing it home as a present. But I never thought they would do this to me! I live in a condo! How the hell did they manage to catch the poor thing. And for the life I spent in this condo, not once a bird flew in. So it must just be Sylvia, who caught it from the outer balcony where she always escapes to. This leads me to my next fear - that Sylvia has caught a bird once, and she'll do it again. It is dangerous to chase a bird in a building, unless she can fly :(. I'm afraid that she might fall off the building the next time she attempts to catch another.

What's weird is that I can clean up cat shit, but not pick up a dead bird. I spent a good 20 minutes to think how I can clean up and dispose of the body. And there, I decided to call up the lobby and asked a maintenance guy to come up and pick up the dead bird. He probably was laughing in his head while he picked up the bird because I was holding my ears while he did that.

I really wish I have the guts to take a picture of it. God I'm so lame!

And I hope it's the last. I don't enjoy seeing dead animals, specially in my house.