"Gimme, Gimme!"

Braun takes a keen interest in the food items, especially fruits, we lay on the coffee table. Here, she couldn't resist giving it a go:

Note: Braun of course didn't get to take a bite of the strawberry. We make it a habit not to give the girls any human food.

Sun Worshipper (II)

It never fails to amaze me how well the girls take to warm spots. Here, Mikki takes her power nap on the scanner that is placed next to the study window, right smack under the hot sun:

"A Penny for Your Thoughts"

My Little One getting pensive (a great thinker in the making?):

P/S: Yesterday night, for the first time in the history at the Cove, we managed to clip Mikki's front paw nails all at one go. We just might have discovered what works for her, ie let her hind paws rest on a solid surface instead of having her sit on my lap. And of course, to keep at distracting her with treats. Hurray!

八支脚，打横走

Heading of blog posting: Make a guess what creature this would be? (Ans: what the beans had for dinner yesterday).

English translation: A creature that has eight legs and walks in a sideways manner.

I had a craving for crabs yesterday and Grimlock placed a delivery order for them from Punggol Seafood. Well, we are not equipped with four wheels and we wanted to eat in the comfort of the Cove. The ones sold at nearby eateries in our neighbourhood fail to make the mark. The bill came up to S$85 for 2kg chilli crabs and the golden buns.

Verdict: The gravy is the dry type (I was pleased to see that water/liquid was not slipping out from the gravy). It was a little too saltish though. I didn't find it very spicy (note: I go by 无辣不欢 so my threshold is quite high). The crabs were fresh (口感蛮QQ的!) and one of the crabs had roe in it (ultimate indulgence, yum yum). Overall, it was a craving well satisfied :)

The food were delivered in a nice, sturdy box which Skoda wasted no time in giving it a thorough check (while the beans got down to enjoying their dinner). She and Mikki later turned it into their playground (they exchanged a brief kiss :) in one of the photos ).

心静自然凉 (The Heat is Killing Me!)

Looks like the heat wave has returned and is here to stay. All @ The Cove are trying their best to stay above the weather. By the way, it is 33°C today and the same for the next upcoming three days. And it is now only May...

Perhaps I could learn a thing or two from the girls on how to hold up to the heat: 1) Get meditative; 2) Simply do nothing, ie stretch-out on various surfaces (Skoda seems to particularly take to the granite flooring - cooler?); 3) Sleep the heat away (amazing!); and 4) “以毒攻毒”(get right into the sun - you must be kidding... ):

I came across a website that offers tips on how to keep our kitties cool and comfy during the long, hot summer.

1,000 (Green) Origami Cranes (VII)

Two Saturdays back, we brought Skoda for her review but she couldn't produce an urine sample. The vet technician initially told us her bladder was empty but yet after her consultation, informed us that Skoda peed in the pet taxi. The latter incidence was very unexpected of her. Earlier in the wee hours, she was very urgent but held on (such a good girl!) until we decided to abandon mission and let her use the litter tray. Dr K commented she seems to have put on weight so it is getting difficult to 'feel' her bladder.

Yesterday morning, we self-collected Skoda's urine sample. We reverted back to this method because I didn't want her to get stressed up by the clinic extracting urine direct from her bladder (lest this has anything to do with her peeing in the pet taxi). Her urine sample was brownish in colour and this doesn't look "good" at all to me (it was yellowish orange the last time). Normal cat urine colour should be yellow in colour.

The urinalysis results (17 May 08):

The Waltham prescription diet seems to be working because there are no more crystals in her urine :) However, there is inflammation in her bladder which explains why the protein level and white blood cells levels have gone up and there is blood in her urine (as compared to her last urinalysis on 1st Mar 08). If not treated/managed, the condition would lead to kidney problems. Dr K has put her on a course of Baytril, an antibiotics if administered in an higher dosage, poses 0.01% of causing blindness in cats. Skoda is allergic to Clavamox (the first line of antibiotics used to treat urinary tract infection) so this is her next option. The prescribed dosage is 50mg, half tablet once daily. We're to monitor her closely for any adnormality and bring her back for a review in two weeks' time.

This girl needs to drink up. She only drinks from the water fountain (leaves the other two water bowls untouched) and from the kitchen sink tap, and she is lukewarm towards wet food. We'll be getting another water fountain/dome (all three girls will benefit anyway). The investment cost is insubstantial compared to her heading the dreaded direction.

"What's Up?"

"This looks familiar. The last time, the beans vanished with it and left us behind. This calls for an immediate and thorough investigation!"

Sniff, sniff, sniff.

"Nope, nothing conclusive yet..."

"But hey, I actually am beginning to like this. Not bad at all, quite comfy. The investigations can wait."

Where is the Girl? (IV)

This was the girls' old pet taxi which we improvised into a cat bed (throw in a cushion plus a towel). Grimlock washed it and had put it aside for drying.

Guess who this might be?

"Sssshhhh, don't let the other two know I'm hiding here. Pretend that you didn't see me."

"Surely, I could do with some time-out."

Super Cat

Some time back, Grimlock showed me this comic in the Straits Times:

P/S: Well, it is the cat who keeps people ;)

My Sun-Kissed, Beautiful Babe (II)

Took this series of photos on May Day. The moment was so right. I was there. Skoda was taking in the late afternoon sun, just being herself (read: babe). I kept at taking her photos. Electrifying, awesome...

叫我如何不爱她？

My favourite shot of the lot:

"Watch My Eyes"

Besides being very vocal in making her demands known, Braun recently honed a new, tested "skill", ie dispensing deadly stares. She resorts to this when the Mouse is slow in responding to her commands. Life is hard for the Mouse...... >_<