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!

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!

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."

Annie and Nikki

There were 3 kittens found in Greenbelt 5, roaming around at some posh restaurant, when a customer complained about their presence. The management immediately told the janitor to "get rid" of the kittens. Well, if you are from here, "getting rid" would mean throw them away. Luckily, the kind-hearted janitor took them to Bow and Wow employees instead, since he probably couldn't keep them. The pet store, however, doesn't shelter stray animals, but they are known to support animal welfare groups, so they took the kittens and hoped that their customers might have the heart to adopt them. One got adopted immediately, and two were left.

Mark went to Bow and Wow just in time before they close to get cat supplies and saw these two little babies in a box. The Bow and Wow vet explained where they came from and they would really need someone to take them in. Mark couldn't turn his back, but at the same time he couldn't carry these kittens because he didn't have a carrier and he went there on foot, he didn't bring our car. Then someone came. He said he can't take the kittens because he is full, but he can donate a carrier so Mark can safely bring them home.

We named these two kittens Annie and Nikki, after the two vets from Bow and Wow. They were very aloof and scared in the beginning. They hiss at us non-stop. But after two days, they began to be OK. The two are inseparable. They are about a month old and very playful. As much as we want to keep them, we have a very limited space, plus we already own four full grown cats. So we are sending them up for adoption, and currently looking for a loving and caring home for them. If you are interested, please shoot me a comment and I'll get back with you. It would be sad to separate them so we prefer to get them adopted together.

Annie and Nikkie posing.