A New Beginning

In a few hours' time, 2007 will go down memory's lane. A new year awaits to unfold. I'm inspired by yesterday's Sunday Times to do a similiar wrap-up of 2007 in this posting, my last for 2007.

Best five events:
1) The exhilaration when a photo of Skoda and Braun got published in the Sunday Times on 24 June in the "Readers' Pets" column. Try waiting for something for eight months and then it finally comes through (when you've given up)...get it? Look, I'm very proud of them, ok!?! This is the most satisfying media coverage I've successfully pitched for :)

2) Got my driving license on first attempt, yay! It was pure, sweet delight :)

3) FINALLY made it to Hokkaido with Grimlock after many "obstacles". Wonderful, splendid vacation!

4) My hard work has paid off despite all odds. I'm again reminded that God is the potter and I'm the clay. Don't know what lies ahead but I know I can count on Him. Will share more soon. Nope, the good news has nothing to do with the b-word (if that is what you're thinking of, hahahahaha...)

5) My new toy, an iPod Touch, my Christmas present from Grimlock. JUDE!! Having a jolly good time listening to my favourite tunes with it.

Worst three events:
1) The dramatic discovery in April that Mikki's liver enzymes exceeded the normal range by three times. All thanks be to God for her speedy recovery! Her annual review is due in Feb 08 - we plan to do another blood test check on her (no surprises, please!).

2) Both Braun and Skoda had a close shave with going under the knife. In Aug, we found a "blister" on Braun's left ear. It was a blood clog arising from from a blood vein that had raptured. A slight cleft remains as a reminder of this episode. For Skoda, it would be discovering blood in her urine a fortnight ago and then she vomited for four consecutive days last week. We're now back to tackling her urine problem - fingers crossed!

(Can't emphasize enough the importance of having an experienced, competent vet!)

3) My prolonged cough drama earlier this month. The final tally is having got well after seeing three GPs over six consultation visits and having spent about $400. And the shock of being told I'm asthmatic - I refuse to believe this because I had been taking high impact exercises for three years (twice weekly) till my busy work schedule got the better of me in June.


I learnt something from each of these events (and some others) and this is what I value highly. Through them all, God is good. I've long stopped making resolutions but if there is one thing I want to work on, it would be to start exercising again (can really see/feel the difference when I stopped). As for the rest, I count it a blessing to be contented. To put it quite simply, I lack nothing because I know I'm in good and BIG hands.

As for you, cheers to good health and warmest wishes for a fruitful 2008!

"I'm a Hokkien Girl?" (VI)

Brought Skoda back to the vet for her review today. She has stopped vomiting after the last round of medication. She has been able to pass more urine; her stools looked OK; no reduction in her appetite and she has been drinking more water. Dr K felt her abdominal area and said that the intestinal lining has reduced, so the inflammation should have subsided and it wasn't necessary to do another X-ray check. What a relief!!! He still is puzzled how the inflammation came about. We're to stop feeding her the antibiotics.

There wasn't ample urine in Skoda's bladder to run a urinalysis. We could either try "harvesting" a sample at home (line the litter tray with newspapers instead and use a syringe to collect at least 5ml) OR bring her in to the clinic one of the days in the morning, leave her there and collect her back in the evening (they have a way to get a sample from her). We've three cats so the self-collection method is tricky (may have to keep Skoda alone in a separate room for an extended duration). And we'll need to bring the urine sample down to the clinic within two hours after it is being collected.

Will see what is the best way to go about this. Hope to get an update soon on her urine indicators!

Skoda, please have mercy on the laptop! Don't think it can take your weight (6kg)!!

"But I like this new resting chair! It warms up my butt nicely!!"

Natural Comedians

Took leave on Thurs, 27 Dec to monitor Skoda and to be around to dispense her small, regular meals. They REALLY can sleep and it was quite amusing to watch their sleeping postures:

Pulling off some kungfu strokes in her dreams?


What is Skoda up to ?!?




Skoda settles for the warm spot while Braun takes over the cosy corner again...




And when night falls, the sleeping marathon continues...

...even in a vertical position and almost 'kissing' the wall!

"When you are looking, a cat acts like a princess, but the minute they think you are not looking, a cat acts like a fool." - K.C. Buffington

Dr K got his nurse to call me up to ask how Skoda was. Was surprised and quite touched. I appreciate the thought and the gesture!

Forgot to add this: On Friday morning, I woke up to find Skoda in the bomb shelter. She had chewed open the new packet of Precription Hill's C/D kibbles and was eating away hungrily. She seemed to speed up eating when she heard my footsteps (for fear that I'd remove the packet away from her?!? :) ) So smart, how did she know the packet contains food?!?

Alone but Not Lonely

I came across this article in The Straits Times some time back and it struck a chord with me. I've read a few articles by the writer and it seems we're on the same wavelength on certain issues.

I'm good too at doing things alone. Yup, I can shop alone and eat in restaurants alone. I take lunch on weekdays most of the time on my own. That one-hour is a precious mid-day break. I've no wish to dwell on work matters nor engage in office politics (it exists - just more or less of it, but I can decide how I wanna control my own tongue). I'm selective in who I take lunch with. Doesn't matter if I'm not part of the "in-group". I don't "bite" and I'm not a recluse so my colleagues know I'm generally approachable.

I enjoy spending time just with myself. I want to be able to disconnect myself from the buzz, madness, activities, confusion...and take a step back and reflect, refocus and rejoice (ie take time to count my blessings). I'm thankful that Grimlock gives me a lot of personal space and he can be left to his own devices. I'm fine attending social gatherings/functions on my own without him - sometimes, I don't want to have to "keep an eye out for him" and be able to spend quality time with old friends, for instance and other times, why drag him along and bore him to tears.

Very few people enjoy solitude (and yet remain sane) so I'm glad to have found another person who does so :)

"I'm a Hokkien Girl?" (V)

Skoda's vomiting persisted today. The cause is not the Prescription Hill's C/D kibbles nor the antibiotics because we've discontinued these one after another since Mon, 24 Dec. The hospital visit didn't do good either. Skoda has been vomiting for the fourth consecutive day. She needs the right medical care.

We brought Skoda to Dr K in the afternoon. He asked if she might have eaten some 'wrong' stuff in the past few days. Skoda doesn't have a chewing habit (both Braun and Mikki love to shred newspapers with their teeth); we didn't feed her any treats ever since blood has been detected in her urine; and the girls don't have any 'chewable' toys. So this question drew a blank on our minds. Grimlock found a tiny piece of red plastic in her puke this morning. Dr K did an X-ray to check if there is any blockage in her stomach and a blood test to check her kidney, liver and pancreas.

Why didn't the hospital vet recommend running these tests (well, considering we felt the urgency to have brought her to a HOSPITAL and having decided to proceed with the consultation despite of the festive surcharge).

The blood test results:

Skoda's pancreas and liver indicators are within the normal range. One of her kidney indicators is on the high side, possibly because she hasn't been drinking much water in the past few days. Her intestines are inflammed, resulting in a "kink" forming in one part of her intestines and there is some build-up of gastric gases. All these have brought about the vomiting. As to how the inflammation came about, he said there are several causes and it is hard to pinpoint any particular cause. I don't expect vets to be all-knowing (though local vets seem to be more competent with treating dogs) so I was able to accept this candid explanation.

Dr K gave Skoda a Centrine injection and prescribed Metoclopramide tablets (to treat the vomiting) and Bene-Bac Pet Gel (a concentrated live culture). If the inflammation doesn't subside over the next two days, her next option is a major surgery to correct the intestinal tract. Though the diagnosis weighed like a ton over my head, at least there is now some light shed on the cause and the severity. We're to give Skoda small, regular meals and to try to get her to drink more water (target: 200ml daily and syringe-feed if need to).

I asked Dr K the million dollar question if Skoda's condition is critical. We told him she still has been wanting to eat and she isn't lethargic (she seemed to be sleeping more yesterday though) and he seeing her alert (she walked all over his consultation desk confidently and was her 'kaypoh'/inquisitive self), his answer was "No" (WHEW...).

We've started to keep a log on her meal intakes, medication timings and urination/passing motion frequency. I hope not to make any entry on vomiting (so far, she hasn't vomited since coming back from the vet). Skoda doesn't like the Bene-Bac Pet Gel; took us about 15mins to finish feeding it to her. We crushed the kibbles to small bits; she finished them all and wanted more but we'll have to take it slow. The other two will join her on a diet (ie free feeding will cease until further notice from MightyMouse's office :) )

Thanks, ST for the information. Should Skoda need a second opinion, we'll bring her to ARVC.

We'll be taking turns to stay at home and keep a close watch over Skoda for the next two days. I just stepped out of the study to look for her. She was snoozing in Pinky and I said a prayer for her (yes, animals too have a place in God's Kingdom).

Skoda love, 加油! Fight, fight, fight!!

This afternoon, I had THREE sleeping beauties with me in the study.

The privilege is indeed mine!

CATivated!

Grimlock and I went to the Catmasutra IV painting exhibition on Sun, 23rd Dec. It was the last day and I finally found time to catch it. I missed all the previous Catmasutra exhibitions. The artists are a couple (known as paulMysh), Paul Koh and Michelle Chang and the subject in their art is none other than the personality of the CAT. Their cats, Halo and Angel play an integral role in the painting process.

And I quote from the artists' blog: The point of power is always in the present moment and by fully living in the now, we can transform the past and even the future, and that, I think is the true essence of freedom. Life is as simple as that and yet it is one of the hardest things to do. Catmasutra is about that moment of creation in between the power of everyday and the power of myth and magic. "In between lies art".

Found a website where Paul spoke about his inspiration behind Catmasutra IV.

Quite a few of the paintings were already sold. Guess what? We bought one of the paintings by Michelle titled "Best Friends Forever". Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder (艺术本是无价！). The painting caught our eye and the attraction just "grows" on us. As to what about the painting, it is hard to explain/describe. It is more than just a liking for cats (undeniably this is at play :)). We see attributes of our girls and ourselves too in the painting. A ginger and my favourite 'happy' flower are in it.

Michelle Chang

Best Friends Forever

2007

Acrylic on canvas

36cm x 46cm

After humans, cats are next in line when it comes to beauty of the body form (and horses too!). And again, I've to say this: too bad I can't paint (or maybe I should give myself another chance, ha ha).

"I'm a Hokkien Girl?" (IV)

Our Christmas Eve was an eventful one. Skoda vomited twice on Sun, 23rd Dec and twice on Mon, 24 Dec. She threw up kibbles, as well as some transparent, sticky liquid. Suspected causes could be a reaction to the antibiotics OR the C/D kibbles. The strange thing is this would be her second week on the antibiotics and the C/D kibbles but her vomiting started on Sun, 23rd Dec. Her regular vet clinic was on half-day.

Brought Skoda in to the Mount Pleasant Animal Hospital at around 9.45pm. The taxi driver wasn't sure where the hospital is located so we ended up alighting on an expressway (on the side of Steven's Road). We had to make a quick dash across the road and take a shortcut through the oil station to get to the hospital. Traffic was fast and Skoda is not light (must be frightening for her too with all that noise and movement).

A trio brought in a pedigree kitten that looked quite ill. It seemed like only three-four months old. Very pretty little thing. One of them kept calling the sister-in-law on the phone to get information on the kitten. Made me wonder why the owner didn't bring in the kitten herself; any first-hand information could come in critical on the kitten's treatment options.

Then a pet taxi service brought in a mongrel that had a bad slash across his/her back. The dog was accompanied by two foreign workers. They had to pay a deposit of $600. We could hear the dog yelping away when the vet attended to his wound.

Given a choice, I'd prefer not to bring my girls to the hospital. This was my second time to this hospital (there are only two in Singapore). It was the same vet. We provided him with as much information as possible. He said Skoda's urine problem could be due to my other two cats (?!?!?). Braun and Mikki have been with us for coming to two years and slightly over a year respectively. They may not be lovey-dovey but the tripartite dynamics is kept in balance. And Skoda knows she is the Alpha and is able to hold her own grounds very well (aiyah, her size is her key weapon - pin the annoyance source down lor!). He didn't ask us how long we've been keeping three cats. To raise possibilities is one thing but these should be backed with further questions? probing, no? Ok, ok, maybe I'm being difficult.

The vet wanted to weigh Skoda (I think her weight has something to do with the medication dosage). The weighing scale is in the 'dogs area'. Skoda was getting apprehensive. So was I. I was so afraid that the dogs would start barking. Skoda refused to get on the scale. Lo and behold, the dogs started barking away and Skoda wanted to run for her life. THEN the vet told Grimlock to hold on to Skoda and get on to the scale. When I carried Skoda back to the consultation room so that Grimlock could get his own weight, the dogs barked again and Skoda wanted to break free from my arms. I held on to her tightly and refused to let go (can't imagine if she gets away). She might be frightened but she still had the mind not to hurt me (her claws were retracted or I would have got scratched badly). The hospital's patients are both big and small animals, so how is it that there is no weighing scale in the consultation room?? Our regular vet, Dr K has one in his consultation room.

What was to happen next really stretched my nerves. Since Skoda seemed to be reacting to oral intake (be it the antibiotics or the kibbles), the vet gave her two types of injections. He is the third vet I've seen, who has no clue on how to handle cats when it comes to giving them injections. Instead of two jabs, Skoda ended up having to take three. The first one caused her quite a bit of discomfort so she put up a struggle. This is another reason why I've stuck with Dr K - he has steady hands and is fast. When he jabbed her a fortnight ago, he had Skoda's full cooperation. I wished I didn't had to look when the hospital vet was administering the injections :{

Skoda had to go on a 12-hour fast after the injections (no food, no water). She wanted to eat so very much but we had to stand firm. We let her sleep in our room for the night. This girl was action-packed in the night (and so I'm feeling very sleepy now). We let her out at 7am and waited till 8am before Grimlock gave her a small feeding of RC kibbles. We're to stop the C/D kibbles and resume her oral antibiotics today. We're bringing her back to Dr K tomorrow evening. Will need to keep the litter tray away in the afternoon so that she can produce a urine sample. Finger crossed...

Skoda is with me now in the study. She seems to be sleeping a lot today. Hope she is getting better. Braun just joined us. She walked up to Skoda and licked her on the head (I think she wants to get into the cosy corner too). Good distraction tactic BUT Skoda refused to budge, ha, ha!

Glad Tidings!

Hugs and Purrs from all @ the Cove:

Have a Blessed Christmas and may God fill your home and your heart with His abundant love, joy and peace!

(The music to Deck the Halls is believed to Welsh in origin and was reputed to have come from a tune called "Nos Galan" dating back to the 16th century. In the 18th century Mozart used the tune to Deck the Halls for a violin and piano duet. J.P. McCaskey is sometimes credited with the lyrics of Deck the Halls but he only edited the Franklin Square Song Collection in which the lyrics were first published. The first publication date of Deck the Halls is 1881. The author is unknown but the words are said to originate in America.)

Right Here Waiting (II)

Skoda has a daily evening date with a lizard, I kid you not, at 7pm to be exact. Lizzie will pass-by our living room window. Skoda will get up onto the dining table right on the dot. Time comes to a stand-still. Nothing else matters. Sometimes Skoda will hit a key or two (she will howl). Or attempt a break-out act in a bid to get close to Lizzie.

"I'm a Hokkien Girl?" (III)

Brought Skoda for her review yesterday, 22nd Dec. Her bladder was empty so the vet couldn't get an urine sample :{ We were looking forward to getting an update on her condition, especially after the sighting on Wed, 19 Dec night. The vet prescribed another week of Clavamox tablets (antibiotics). The soonest the vet can check on Skoda again is next Sat, 29 Dec. Another week of waiting...

These photos were taken an hour ago. This is the first time I caught her on the shelf, but according to Grimlock, she perches herself there while he takes his bath in the morning on weekdays.

"No, I'm telling you. I refuse to look at the camera!"

"Swssh, swssh, swssh...yeah, I've got a powerful tail!"

"You Groom, I Groom"

Skoda and Mikki decided they could do with some synchronised grooming this afternoon. Mikki's session was a short one, afterwhich she was all ready to drift into snooze mode. Quite amused watching how Skoda grooms her tail - so cute, with one paw supporting her tail :) And her session lasted five minutes, considered quite long by her normal "standard".

"Fur Better or Worse?"

Saw this article in The New Paper on Mon, 17 Dec. A couple had a best cat and a cat-of-honour, instead of humans, at their wedding. There were some 400 felines amongst the guests. The bride and groom have seven cats of their own.

Roving Eye@mcc: "Used Toys"

Grimlock and Bird were at the Sembawang Park two weeks back. Grimlock snapped these photos whom he suspects are abandoned cats; one of them is a Siamese-cross. I don't know for certain if the cats wondered their way there, but if the previous owner(s) had delibrately left them there, that is outright cruelty. Grimlock told me there are a few F&B outlets at the park so hopefully the cats are fed.

"I'm a Hokkien Girl?" (II)

After Skoda peed in the litter tray yesterday night, we saw quite a few blood-stained pellets :{ Much worst than what I saw last Tues, 11 Dec. And we thought Skoda is getting better (there was no sighting of blood after Sat, 15 Dec). Her review is on this Sat, 22nd Dec. She isn't lethargic or anything like that or we'd have brought her to the animal hospital. If it isn't a public holiday today, we'd have brought her to the vet. It is another vet, Dr D on duty tomorrow. We prefer Dr K.

Skoda is still not eating much of her Prescription's Hill C/D kibbles. We're very thankful that she doesn't put up a fight when we feed her the tablet. After I pop in the tablet (while Grimlock craddles her in his arms), she would look at us with her big, 'marble' eyes (such a sweet girl!) and I'll smother her with lots of kisses.

God speed Sat and Skoda's full recovery!

Is Christmas Here Yet?

Woooo, the Cove's first Christmas present!!! But hey, what is that sticking out of the shopping bag?

"Gotcha, it is me lah! Sshhhh, don't tell on me!'

"What is this?!? A present for me?"

"Check on the left..."

"...and check on the right."

"Is this a game! I wanna play, I wanna play, I wanna play..."

"Persistence pays! The bag is now all mine."

Cherry Picker

While we were having some cherries after dinner, Braun decided she could do with some sampling. Skoda wasn't one bit tempted. (Note: No animal's health was compromised in the following photos. Cherries is a no-no for cats.)

Braun: "Ok, sniff test cleared!"

"Time to swing into action!"

"Ha, got one out! That was easy."

"Hhmm, what is next?"

"Darn, the man took my cherry away. Looks like I gotta start all over again!"

"Here I go again..."

"Skoda, sure you aren't curious at all?"

"Alright, I give it a sniff. So what?"

"I'm a Hokkien Girl?"

On Tuesday, 11 Dec morning, I saw a brown-coloured drop near one of the litter trays. It looked like blood to me. I checked my feet for cuts and there wasn't any. Skoda and Mikki were nearby. There was another tiny blood-looking stain on the side of the litter tray and a small portion of the dust (the girls are using PeeWee litter) was blood-stained.

I told Grimlock what I saw and we decided to observe the two prime suspects over the next few days. FLTUD ('feline lower tract urinary disease') flashed across my mind. In a multi-cat household, it is difficult to pin-point who is unwell, and we are most of the time at work. We can only play detective work and be extra observant. We didn't see any change in their appetites nor energy level. The No. 1 suspect would be Skoda because she is overweight. I saw her got into the litter tray, passed very little urine and then got out quite quickly. When we're at the kitchen sink, she would come for her water.

This morning, Grimlock saw a blood-looking drop on the floor again. He woke me up, we examined the drop and took some photos of it to show to the vet later. We decided to get Skoda checked first. The appointments for the day were already full. The nurse "squeezed" us in after I explained the urgency to her. I cannot understate the importance of establishing familiarity with the clinic folks, from the vet himself right to the vetinary technician.

The vet did a urinalysis on Skoda. The results revealed there was indeed blood in her urine; the alkaline level was quite high (normal urine PH level for cats should be on the acidic side); the protein and minerals levels were high too; and there were traces of infection and crystals. If her condition is not put under control, the crystals will turn into stones, which will in turn block up the bladder. Her gender was her saving grace. Male cats have narrower urinary tracts and hence are more susceptible to FLUTD.

The vet gave Skoda a Toldeine injection and prescribed Clavamox tablets (to be taken twice daily) for the infection, and a Hill's Prescription C/D feline starter kit (comprising of a small packet of C/D kibbles and one can of C/D wet food - to see which she prefers and put her on this diet). She has to increase her water intake (my only 'regret' is not having brought the drinking fountain earlier because we do see them drinking more water now) so we'll put more drinking bowls in the house. The vet asked if we're giving her a lot of treats (nope, she is not particularly enthusiastic with treats).

Here is a brochure on FLUTD that came with the starter kit:

Come to think of it, Skoda would "sing" at times when she is in one of the bedrooms (the litter trays are placed in one of them). We thought she just wanted some attention so whenever she calls out, we'll "answer" her back. Was she trying to tell us something (she is experiencing some discomfort in passing urine?)?

The last time we brought Skoda to the vet was back in Jan 2007 for her annual review. She meowed away during our trip to the vet today (it started to rain once we got into the taxi). On a lighter note, we suspect she enjoys Hokkien songs. When we got into the taxi for our trip back home, the driver was initially listening to Mandarin songs and Skoda started meowing away again. Then the driver switched to Hokkien songs and Skoda turned and remained quiet for the rest of the journey - ?!?!? (she was wide-awake). Grimlock and I made the same observation :)

We've to bring Skoda back to the vet next week for review. We managed to feed her the tablets today with minimal struggle (she is a good girl!). She seems to be sleeping more (she is beside me now and soundly asleep). I hope the medication is not causing her any discomfort. She is not eating much of the new kibbles (we mixed a little of it with the Royal Canin kibbles as a gradual switchover). Come Monday, I'll have to get up before Grimlock leaves for work (6am!?!?) so that we can feed her one of the daily two tablets.

Skoda, you must get well!!!