1,000 (Green) Origami Cranes (X)

We're two weeks' late with Skoda's review. I was contemplating to postpone Skoda's review but ended up telling myself we had better get an update on her UTI status. The thing with cats is that one can never tell much from the external appearance.

Skoda's review results today, 23 Aug:

All the indicators have gone up, except for Leukocytes and thank God, there is no blood in her urine. Her urine is again so concentrated that the USG indicator has exceeded the normal range.

Dr K asked if there had been any changes in Skoda's diet. I reported that we've increased her intake of Waltham and we've also stopped syringing her with water because we see her drinking more often from the fountains. Dr K asked that we resume the syringing. The method of collection would also affect the results so he said not to put any pellets on the upper tray the next time. He didn't prescribe any medication because he wants us to increase her water intake and see if this is the main cause in the next review. On my query if we should be administering the sub-cuts, he said that can still be put on hold.

We had made some progress in the last review. And now we're back to Square One. Aaahhhhh...what are we to do to increase Her Royal Highness' water intake?!? >_<

"Just look at me and your headache will be gone in lightning speed. What say you?"

A National Day Surprise

Grimlock and I have become accidental fosters.

On National Day, 9 Aug at around 10pm, I heard a distressed meowing sound on our floor, so I asked Grimlock to go check out the sound. 10minutes later, the doorbell rang and Grimlock was at the doorstep with a kitten. Grimlock had found her (yes, it's a she) on the floor below ours. She ran towards him when she saw him and followed him back.

I think the kitty should be around 6-8 months' old. She is very friendly and is in good physical condition. Her ear is not tipped. We gave her some kibbles which she promptly finished up. Our next-door neighbour also heard her meowing and told us she went into their house and sat on their sofa, and asked if she is ours and whether she is the offspring of one of our girls.

We didn't think it was a good idea to leave her meowing away on the corridors (lest she ends up in some nasty hands). We thought of bringing her downstairs to the ground floor but it had rained heavily earlier (wet and cold) and we often see dogs being brought out on walks in the vicinity. We decided to take her in for the night. I prepared the study while Grimlock whisked her into the toilet for a thorough bath.

Isn't she photogenic?

Busy licking herself dry after the bath...

We printed out some posters and went downstairs at 1am plus to put them up at the lift landing, at our block and at the next block. The next morning, the posters at our block were removed so I put one up again. On Monday morning when I was going off to work, the poster was gone again. The poster at the next block remained intact for three consecutive days. We concluded the removal was not the cleaner's doing, and that kitty has been dumped. We had put down an email address on the poster for the owner to contact us - to date, no one has come for her.

The kitty is pretty (I'll let the photos speak for themselves). She is of good temperament; enjoys contact with the beans and her own kind, loves chin rubs and stroking, purring machine and cooperative (she put up minimal fuss with bathing, nails clipping and cleaning of ears). And she is young. She is also litter box trained and takes well to both dry and wet food. We'd think she stands a good chance of being rehomed.

Snoozing away on one-of-a-kind "pillow", ie my hand lor!

ZZzzzzzzZZZzzzzZZZZzzzz

I fail to understand how someone can be so irresponsible... Apparently, kitty has been home-raised, she is so trusting. How is she to fend for herself outside???

We've named her Zapedii for now (not used to calling a cat with no-name). The name is originally spelt as Zapedee - I came across this name some time back in the papers and it sort of got stuck in my head.

Zapedii (Zep Zep, in short) is very keen to hang out with the gang. Initially Skoda and Mikki didn't take too well to the "intrusion". Braun is mostly nonchalant; when Zapedii gets a tad too close to her, she would hiss too, but in a gentle/mild way (this is so she). However, when I hand out treats, Braun is not so tolerant of Zapedii and would swipe her. Skoda is now more agreeable with Zapedii but would not hesitate to put up her Alpha stance should the latter get too friendly. Zapedii has been helping herself to Pinky aka Skoda's throne. Her Royal Highness has been gracious enough to allow her use. Zapedii is a good match with Mikki in terms of energy level - the two have been engaging each other in high-speed chasing and wrestling matches. It can get quite rough with Zapedii ending up sliding across the floor >_< (but rest assured, violence level is well within NC16 rating lah!). Zapedii is a smart girl - when the tension gets a little too much, she would crouch down, get down on her side, flash her belly. I must say her antics are very effective for the other party would ease off.

"Talk to the paw..."

Would the beans want to consider granting Zapedii PR status at the Cove? I must confess her charms are quite irresistible BUT we're already committed with three cats. Four would be too much to handle. I believe in quality care - as it is, I've just enough attention to give to three (not forgetting Grimlock, hee hee). With how she comes altogether (pretty + sweet + young), we won't be hoarding her for ourselves. Zapedii deserves a home where she can be No. 1 or No. 2.

This is our maiden attempt at rehoming. I must say the sense of responsibility is tremendous. Zapedii has been dumped once - thank God she emerged unscathed from the experience. We're going to take extra care and time in screening potential adopters. We'll do all that we can to help Zapedii find her special someone; one who would be committed to caring for her, is patient and accepts her for who she is (well, looks are not forever).

Zep Zep, a penny for your thoughts?

"My New Sleeping Bag"

When I saw the freebie (a tote bag) that came with a magazine I bought, I immediately knew what to use it for. It became the girls' new sleeping "bag" (or rather, mat). It has a surface (like sack material) which they, especially Skoda, would like. Skoda is a smart girl. When I first placed the bag on the sofa, she promptly did her manicure on it.

Face-Off

Though Skoda and Braun aren't the sort of pals who would snuggle up to or groom each other, their relationship has been a cordial one. Over time, they've learned to respect each others' space and how to square-off. They've had their share of quibbles, tiffs and petty fights - quite mild, nothing that gets the adrenaline pumping. I happened to be right there during one of their confrontations. Braun adopts a defensive mode right from the start, while Skoda waits for the right time to strike. And as if in a act to show who the boss is, Skoda gives her toes a good lick after "finishing Braun off".

The City that Never Sleeps

We were in Hong Kong (HK) for a five-day break, starting Fri, 11 July (‘7 Eleven’) which marked our 4th wedding anniversary. This was our third trip together to HK. We are fond of HK – my dialect group is Cantonese, and we both love the shopping, the vibrancy of the city and the food.

We took the first flight out on Cathay Pacific. The sky was pitch dark when we set out from our house…

A bird’s eye view of Singapore:

We stayed at the Stanford hotel located in Mongkok. The view from our room (no zoom was used to take this shot). It was that close to the next building.

Some flavours of potato chips which are unavailable in Singapore. They tasted just like the usual flavour.

We didn’t forget to get something for the girls. We were at a stretch of pet shops in Causeway Bay and came across the Temptations treats (costs about S$3.20 per packet). I wonder why this is not sold in Singapore. Initially only Braun likes them, now Skoda and Mikki have taken to them as well. They are not crazy over the treats though. While in one of the shops, I saw this blog link being featured on a notice board – Ding Dong Foundation, a shelter for stray cats.

An animal welfare group, Rescue Centre for Abandoned Pets also put up a stall in the area. Its volunteers were raising funds through the sale of merchandise and distributing brochures on what the Centre does and to seek support.

We bought these publications from a roadside newsstand and a convenience stall respectively. I wonder when we would have a local cat magazine.

On our last day, we took a late lunch at a Delifrance cafe that was well tucked away from the busyness on the streets. Just look at the human traffic…

Hong Kong is truly a city that never sleeps. People hang out on the streets late into the night and shops are open till 10-11pm. The weather was similar to Singapore’s (ie some sun with interim showers).

We shopped to our hearts’ content, covering shopping malls in Mongkok, Tsim Sha Tsui, Nathan Road and Causeway Bay. This might explain the lack of photos taken of the trip. It was summer sales’ time. The mainlanders are the ones who keep the cash registers ringing. We usually don’t go for branded stuff but the discounts proved irresistible. Common sizes were fast running out of stock. My haul included three pairs of jeans, three pairs of shoes and 13 tops (hee!) in total. The things in Hong Kong are not necessarily cheaper as compared to Singapore (HK$5.45=S$1), but the variety is a lot more interesting and more to pick from. I won’t need to go shopping for some time to come.

This time round, we entrusted our girls to C, a cat sitter with KittyCare. Here were the daily updates:

11 Jul: “Cats are fine. Skoda under sofa, Mikki in the room and Braun is on top of the fridge.”

12 Jul via MMS:

13 Jul: “The girls are fine. They let me touched them today :)” I expressed my surprise that Braun was “touchable” and C replied: “Yes Braun was a bit scared but did not try to run away.”

14 Jul: “Just to let you know that the girls are fine :)”

When we reached home, Skoda and Mikki were near to the door. Braun had gone into hiding under the sofa but she emerged shortly. They looked just the same. When I went into the master bedroom to put my things, Braun sneaked into the room and plopped herself on the floor – this is her way of “demanding” for chin rubs, which I promptly dispensed. Coming home couldn’t get any better.

Beauty Bloom (III)

While we're at our wits' end on how to make Skoda drink up, Mikki, on the other hand, drinks quite a bit (in terms of frequency and amount). We often see her lapping up water from the water fountains and bowl. She is also a non-fussy eater, taking readily to both dry and wet food. I checked with Dr K on her drinking habit and he said drinking up a lot is less of a problem than not drinking enough.

Back in April 2007, a blood test revealed that Mikki's liver enzymes exceeded the normal range by like three times. Subsequently, the condition was under control, as confirmed by her last blood test in Jan 2008. She was due for her review so I brought her to the vet yesteday, 5 Jul. She howled from the moment we put her into the pet taxi until we settled down at the vetinary clinic >_<

Her blood test result:

Mikki's liver and kidney indicators are within the normal range (WHEW!). I'm reminded by the test result printout that this girl is now one-year-nine-months old.

This time, I made sure I got the nurse to unbandage Mikki's feet (where the blood extraction was done) before we left the clinic. The last time, she put up a good fight for 30 minutes before we finally managed to remove the bandage.

After her spaying, Mikki has developed a habit of getting down on her side on the floor and rock from side-to-side and at times, throw in a good stretch as well. And here, My Little One (Mikki's nick) was at it again:

1,000 (Green) Origami Cranes (IX)

Brought Skoda for her review on last Sat, 28 June:

As you can see, it was termed as a bad urine report. Infection and crystals were present in her urine. Dr K asked whether we want to administer subcutaneous infusion of Hartmann's Fluid (found out from ST what this is called) on our own for Skoda. We opted to try syringe-feeding Skoda first. Dr K requested that we put her on 100% Waltham and to review her urine in one week's time.

It turned out that syringe-feeding isn't easy. We only managed to syringe-feed like about 7ml. Skoda runs out of patience quite quickily. We increased her Waltham intake to about 70%. The gang share a common bowl (it is ineffective to be feeding on separate bowls because they would end up stealing from the other's bowl). Braun doesn't like Waltham that much, Mikki is a non-fussy eater while Skoda will eat Waltham only if she is really hungry. We changed our feeding arrangement to mixture of Royal Canin Indoor with Waltham for their breakfast, with just enough RC for Braun and Mikki (usually Braun will eat first, followed by Mikki and then Skoda). Dinner is 100% Waltham. We've cut down on the amount of free-feeding - no topping up after breakfast and we leave out a small supper (100% Waltham). They get wet food on alternate days. I'll continue to source for a wet food that is palatable for Skoda (Braun and Mikki love wet food).

I read from a website earlier this week that prescription food to treat FLUTD or UTI aims to "acidify" the cat's urine, and so it is not advisable to feed it to cats who don't need such a prescription diet on long-term. The website also mentioned this is contrary to what vets would say. I've decided to take an in-between stance and will give Braun and Mikki their RC and just a little RC to Skoda, and give them wet food on a regular basis.

Brought Skoda's urine sample for review yesterday, 5 Jul:

Hurray, there are no more crystals and her urine is less concentrated. Previously, her urine was so concentrated that it couldn't be measured - it is still on the high side though. So, diet does play a part. Dr K asked us to go for 100% Waltham and to continue syringe-feeding her. He said the subcutaneous infusion can be put on hold and the next review is one month's time.

A compilation of Skoda's urinalysis results since Jan 2008:

"Oh no, the beans are gonna continue to syringe-feed me..."

When I'm at the vet's, I'd also go next door to the pet supplies shop (my supplier too) and seek Shadow out. Most of the time, he is not around (somewhere in the neighbourhood). When I stepped into the shop yesterday, there he was. I squatted down and was quite tempted to stroke him. I asked the shop owner if he takes to patting by strangers. Just when I finished my question, Shadow came over to me, did a head-bump and laid down at my feet. You can imagine my delight, it was as if he had read my mind or understood what I just said. I had a good time stroking him. His fur is smooth (has a nice sheen too) and "solid" (Shadow weighs about 11kg, he is three years old).

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Braun is the undisputed 'grooming queen' of the three; nothing less than a thorough job. Mikki is fairly diligent and merticulous too - she is small-sized so the movements are cute to watch. For Skoda, the mood to groom comes by as and when. And if she does get into the mood, ONE area is of particular importance and calls for all of her efforts.

"For My Tum-Tum Fan(s)"

A funny and cute video clip. Watch out for Skoda's fanning tail while she grooms her tum-tum.

A Father's Sorrow

I took a cab to work today morning. About 10 minutes away from reaching my office, the cab driver and I started to talk. I was surprised he could speak fluent English (he is 69 years old). He used to be a white-collar worker and when the economic downturn hit in 1985, he was retrenched. He was unable to find a job (due to his age) so he became a cab driver.

He has three children. The youngest, a daughter, is a teacher who gets in touch with him once a year and doesn't give him any allowance. His eldest, a son, recently passed away in his sleep. He is currently staying with his second child, another son who is single. This son will soon be heading to China for work for a month. He said he would be able to retire if only each of his children would give him $200-$300 a month. I listened all this while when he shared with me part of his life story. I think he just needed someone to listen to him. Sometimes, less is more and well, 家家有本难念的经 (each family has its own tales to tell of)

When I was getting off, he wished me a good day ahead and in the same breath, he said he'll try to. To cheer him up a little, I teased him for being so specific and he laughed.

Spaced-Out

On one hot summer's day, Skoda settled down comfortably in PG2 ('Pinky Generation 2'*)...

* Having served the gang well and long, PG1 had decided to call it a day permanently. PG1, thanks for all the fond memories.

Much Ado About Nothing

叫我如何不爱她？

"Please Drink Up" Campaign (II)

A status update on introducing flavoured fluids to Skoda:

We started first with milk because no preparation is required (a packet of Cosi pets milk costs S$4.50). We were a little afraid that the girls might put on weight if we give them milk daily so we took their weight. Skoda tipped the scales at 6.5kg, Braun at 3.7kg and Mikki at 3.5kg. I didn't expect Mikki to weigh that much (she looks petite).

(Thanks again, ST)

Both Braun and Mikki took very well to milk. That rascal Skoda wouldn't try any bit of it; she didn't bother to humour us, not even a little. Uuuurrrggghhhh... Braun and Mikki ended up finishing the packet of milk.



I'm not keen on feeding the girls fish on a regular basis so chicken stock was next. We bought two packets of chicken bones:

Her Royal Highness (aka that rascal Skoda) "responded" to chicken stock with much disdain. Braun and Mikki LOVE the chicken stock. I gave them the boiled chicken meat - Braun and Mikki chomped up all of their share; Skoda left hers untouched. If Skoda had shown any enthusiasm towards the boiled chicken meat, I'd let them have it on a regular basis.

The beans were now down to the last option, ie fish stock. In fact, they were optimistic that might just be it. When the cooking was done, the stock smelled so fishy that the Mouse kept chuckling away (so overflowing with confidence).

"Humph, I no like fish stock TOO yah! Mousie, I can almost see smoke coming out of your head..."

And again, Braun and Mikki finished up the boiled fish meat, Skoda left hers untouched. Mikki LOVES the fish stock, while Braun seems to prefer chicken stock better.


What else can we do to make Skoda drink up?!?! (Help...anyone has any method/tips to share?)

I went to the vetinary clinic one evening to pick up a packet of Waltham kibbles. I had a chat with Dr D on our attempts to make Skoda drink up (and the failures). She suggested trying IAMs canned food which has some gravy - to entice her to drink by mixing the gravy with water (gradually increase the water portion). I went to a few pet supplies shop - they have IAMs dry food but not the canned food. Aunty P passed me two cans of Fussie Cat - Skoda was lukewarm (the other two love them though). I also bought Burp! salmon in gravy - Skoda was more enthusiatic to it as compared to Natural Balance wet food.

We'll be bringing Skoda for her review next Sat, 28 June. I'm gonna update Dr K on our failed attempts. Fingers crossed that her urine indicators are within the acceptable range. I'm already at my wits' end >_<

Must remember to check with Dr K if it would be alright to be feeding Burp! salmon in gravy on an ongoing basis. There is no country of manufacture indicated and no breakdown of what the gravy is made up of (ingredients label: 52% salmon and 48% gravy).

"Please Drink Up" Campaign (I)

A "Please Drink Up" campaign has just kicked off at the Cove. Main target, as you'd have guessed it, is Skoda. Of the three, she is the only one who drinks off the dome of the drinking fountain so we decided to get a CatIt drinking dome. It also costs less than the fountain ($56.80 before discount). I picked up the dome from PLC (Bugis Junction branch) and Grimlock immediately set it up when I got home. The unit kept making a vibrating sound which isn't a good thing at all because the noise puts the girls off.



After several failed attempts to fix the noise, I brought the dome back to the shop. The sales assistant accepted my account and promptly facilated the exchange. We also decided to switch back to the drinking fountain. PLC stuff are overpriced but so far, I've found their service satisfactory.

The new drinking fountain is completely quiet, just like the other unit. A few days later Skoda was due for her review and I was disappointed to hear of her urine being very concentrated (see post dated 8 June 2008). The quest continues to make Skoda drink up >_<

1,000 (Green) Origami Cranes (VIII)

Skoda was due for her review on Sat, 31st May. At 6.30am, she started singing at the top of her lungs. I managed to distract her until about 7.30am (vetinary clinic opens at 9.30am and the urinalysis has to be done within two hours after collection). Then she stepped into the kitchen sink and got into the squatting position. I immediately whisked her into the room where the litter tray had been kept away and she wasted no time (that was how "urgent" she was). Here was how her urine looked:

I was relieved to see that Skoda's urine was no longer brown in colour and crossed my fingers this would mean better news. And we bought another water fountain on 26 May.

Urinalysis results as follows:

The inflammation had receded; protein level has returned to normal; no presence of blood; and the white blood cells level has come down. Skoda need not continue with Baytril. HOWEVER, her urine is very concentrated (in fact exceeded the parameters) and crystals are present again. She has got to drink up so Dr K said to introduce flavoured fluids such as milk or chicken/fish/beef stock. Other options would be to "run" fluid under her skin (there is a home kit for this) or syringe-feed water - both of which we're not keen (nope, we don't want to stress her up) or sprinkle pan salt into her kibbles so as to induce thirst. We're to bring Skoda back for her review in one month's time.

"What, get me to drink - what's that again?!?! You wait and see lor..."

As Busy As a Bee

I've become a weekend blogger.

There had been one event after another at work, and I'm juggling a few other projects at the same time. Thank God that I enjoy my work; for good health, the energy level and the mental capacity; and things are going well so far. The pace and volume will possibly be as such for me for this year. I'll take things one at a time and keep counting on God for His wisdom, grace and strength.

I've lots of photos and video clips to upload - I'll find time to do this. This is another of my favourite things when I get some me-time.

The tortise almost instantly came to mind when I was thinking of an image to accompany this post. To me, the tortise symbolises forbearance and being able to take things at its own pace. Very often I think of animals in describing a state of mind.