Full House

Since the cats constantly jostle to rest on their two chairs, EJ decided to add one more chair. These three chairs are popular and usually occupied.

Cinders glared at Tommy when he rested his head and E-collar on her. That glare did not bother easy-going Tommy and he promptly fell asleep. Pebble on the right did not stir when Tommy shoved his butt into her space. Tanya, in the foreground, watched the whole scene. 

Tommy wears the E-collar for about an hour daily to allow the cream applied to be fully absorbed before the E-collar is taken off. He is responding very well to this method.

For more cat stories, please visit http://gattinamycats.blogspot.com

Caught!

It's Sunday!

Tommy caught Winnie doing...

Spiderman, Spiderman Does Whatever a Spider Can...

Yesterday, Christmas day, was Captain Jack Sparrow HAWK's Gotcha Day! 

How he came can be read here. 

Pet Pride

Christmas Decoration Help?

Tanya had been using one of the dining table legs as her scratching post.

Too lazy to put up Christmas tree this year and to deter Tanya from scratching the table leg, EJ took out a tinsel to wrap it round that leg.

It served its purpose perfectly until Kenggy came along and checked it out.

On realising that she was being watched, rotund Kenggy tried to hide behind the slender table leg...

...and attacked when she thought EJ was not looking.

Here she is sharpening her potent invisible claws!

Have you ever had a cat with invisible claws use your legs as a scratching post? EJ had...several times. It's very ticklish!

This was the result after the attack!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone.

For more cat stories, please visit http://gattinamycats.blogspot.com

Love and Tolerance

It's Sunday!

Captain Jack Sparrow HAWK says Sunday is a day to practise love, tolerance and patience as Pebble's bushy tail tickles his whiskers and can sneeze anytime!

Pet Pride

Challenge from Cute Soldier and Winnie Hatted

Since EJ and brother live in different countries, communication is easiest through emails.

One day EJ's brother emailed a picture of a cute squirrel dressed in full combat gear. That sparked off an interesting email conversation which is funny as well.

We are sharing this so that you can laugh or grin with us.

The very cute soldier.

BRO: I hope my backyard squirrels do not dress up in combat fatigues to declare war on me....

EJ: Well, in a way I hope all the area squirrels do dress up in that very cute combat fatigues, hold hands round the trunks of all your fruit trees staring hard at you. And you throwing your hands up in the air in exasperation. Would certainly be a hilarious sight!  Hahaha!

BRO: Squirrels here are pretty aggresive.  If you chase them, they will run but after a safe distance, they will turn around and stare at you, with tails lashing and making noises as if to challenge you to further chase them if you dare....  Quite cute but at times annoying.

Once, I threw an apple at one of them at ground level for doing it and it grazed its side.  It rolled over a few times in pain and slowly got up to a tree and disappeared. I felt sorry for the poor thing and never did it again.  

I am sure if they have the technology, I will never be able to go to my backyard again...or worse, they will evict me from my house or area...and send me packing back to Malaysia in a stretcher.... 

EJ: Next time don't throw the apple, you should roll the apple, the lawn bowl way. Better still If you could put a side spin to the apple and watch the squirrels' reaction looking at the apple spinning round it.

Who knows if you do it often enough, they may line up and beg from you.

*************

Winnie is a timid cat and not exactly very pretty. 

Thanks to blogger cat friends Sammy and Andy and their human mama Judy with her artistic skills and talent  made Winnie look so attractive with that lovely summer hat so fitting for the hot tropical heat! 

You can visit Sammy and Andy here.

Trophy Prize?

The magazines were collecting dust. Some were old issues published in 1974.

EJ decided to go through them before giving it away but will keep a few.

Cinders came to help sort the magazines.

Here she is trying to blend in placing herself in an empty magazine filebox. And she looks like a mini trophy head mount, doesn't she? 

For more cat stories, please visit http://gattinamycats.blogspot.com

Take a Breather

It's Sunday!

Tanya would like to let friends know that when they find the Christmas preparations too overwhelming, please take a breather, put your legs up, stretch a bit and continue later.

Pet Pride

A Gift for Just Because!

EJ has many mugs. Most of them were gifts. One of the favourite is this cup and saucer, Arthur Wood, made in England.

Almost 14 years ago one afternoon in the office, EJ was pleasantly surprised when three young colleagues presented a gift. It was neither EJ's birthday nor Christmas. They explained that they went shopping and the moment they laid eyes on this cup, they immediately thought of EJ. They simply just had to buy it.

This is precious to EJ and do not use it daily. It is only used whenever EJ thought about the old work place and colleagues.

Here it is filled with cappuccino ready for sipping while reminiscing the various expressions, appreciation, laughter, differences and love shared with colleagues.

Thank you PohLing (Malaysian Business), Nazatul (Malaysia Business) and Anis (Her World) for this lovely set and memories.

Kenggy is Cross!

Most of my roommates cross their legs often. It is hard for Kenggy to do so because her two front legs are shorter. When she does that, EJ would quickly grab the camera to record those moments.

*****

The weather is perfect and my stomach is full. It is nice to relax on the mini rug and watch the outdoors as we are not allowed to go out at all.

Huh? The flash thing is here again!

My morning relaxation is interrupted. I am annoyed!

I am leaving this spot now!

For more cat stories, please visit http://gattinamycats.blogspot.com

Stretch!

It's Sunday!

Winnie says giving yourself a good stretch after being in one position for some time is good for you. It helps in preventing body aches and pain.

She would like to remind all blogger friends to stretch regularly while blogging.

So streeetch!

Pet Pride

Tommy Wants Two

With so many comforting and healing purrs received, Tommy is getting better and says 'thank you'. Skin has formed on those sores on the legs. The ones on his face will take a longer time.

As EJ is a vegetarian due to allergy, the cats usually eat kibbles. Occassionally wet canned food is  given as a treat or to entice as well as reward an unwell cat in taking medication.

EJ found out that Tommy possibly could not eat fish. He vomitted when fish was given with his antibiotics. EJ tried the same thing again the next day, Tommy vomitted again. From then on Tommy took his antibiotics after eating the usual kibbles; no vomit. So Tommy do not need food treats.

He wanted something else. He want to rest and relax comfortably.

Wearing the E-collar, resting on the chair seems to be his favourite. The chair is also Cinders' favourite.

Inspite of the squeeze with the E-collar taking up more space, Tommy was relaxed enough to cross his legs.

With Cinders, who is 16 going on 17, pushing intruding Tommy back, he still kept his crossed-legs position.

Tired of sleeping uncomfortably, Cinders left. Finally Tommy got what he wanted...and splayed across two chairs.

Tommy Collared and Captain Jack Sparrow HAWK hatted

EJ had trouble digitally camouflaging Captain Jack Sparrow HAWK's missing right eye globe and asked for help from blogger friend Sammy and Andy. Their mom did it wonderfully. Our Captain look so very sauve and dashing, doesn't he? The Captain is also featured in Sammy and Andy's blog http://samandy007.blogspot.com

To EJ's horror, a number of sores suddenly appeared on Tommy on Sunday morning but could not go to the vet as an appointment was made to visit an elder relative.

Journey to the clinic was yesterday, Monday, and as usual Tommy wailed all the way there and back. Tommy meowed so loud that he could be heard through the wound-up car windows. Traffic was smooth. It was only while waiting for the traffic lights to turn green that drivers of vans and lorries would grin and meowed back at Tommy.

His vet checked him and found that the possible cause could be environmental allergy. A course of antibiotics for two weeks and topical cream was prescribed. Cleaning of the wounds and application of the cream must be done three times a day.

Now it is Tommy's turn to wear that E-collar to prevent him from scratching and licking.

The pink arrows shows those wounds where the cream has been applied.

Tommy being checked out by his roommates.

He tried hard to remove the E-collar.

Angered by having to wear the E-collar, Tommy transformed into a stegosaurus - a mini albino stegosaurus. Can you see the wound on his leg?

A very unhappy Tommy.

PS: To see whether it helps, EJ stopped using floor cleaner and is now using just plain water to clean floor.

For more cat stories, please visit http://gattinamycats.blogspot.com

Visit

It's Sunday!

On such a day with fine weather, less traffic on the road, a leisurely drive to visit old friends and elderly relatives is most fitting.

Pet Pride

Curtain Calls

EJ never bothered with curtains till the new neighbour did major renovations to the house from front to back and top to bottom. 

With all foreign workers working and staying in, EJ felt a little insecure and decided that it was time to put up curtains on the two front windows.

Lugging this borrowed old drill that weighed like 16 tons to EJ up the low ladder on creaky knees wasn't easy. Holding the heavy drill above eye level, drilling was not exactly accurate. EJ took many tea breaks. Frequent climbing up and down lugging that ancient drill was tiring. It was a vicious cycle.

Putting up these curtains up probably take a couple of hours for professionals; EJ took days. 

Soon the weight of the curtains and the rod took its toll on that amateurish drilled part. The whole curtain threatened to fall.

Down came the curtain and the rod and up went EJ again on the ladder. This time EJ took the easy way out. All EJ did was stuff white cement at where the screw was and hope it would hold after the cement dried.

So far so good and hope it stays that way.

Labour Over Box

Wanting to make sweet corn pudding in cute teddy bear shapes for the grandniece's belated birthday, EJ had to go to the supermarket to get the ingredients.

It was a Saturday. And imposed on every Saturday in Selangor state is "No Plastic Day". Free plastic bags will not be provided to customers by participating shopping centres and retailers. This is to educate and encourage shoppers to bring their own bags and change their habit of excessive use of plastic bags which are environmentally harmful.

EJ clean forgot about this "No Plastic Day" but was pleasantly surprised when a free cardboard box was offered at the payment counter to contain the stuff bought.

On reaching home, this free cardboard box became the cats' property. This was what happened.

Captain Jack Sparrow HAWK peeked with his one good eye from the box.

Tommy came along and decided that the best way to conquer the box was to just pounce on it with Captain Jack still inside. He's that dark patch just below Tommy's belly.

The minute Captain Jack jumped out, Tommy guarded the entrance.

Not giving up easily, Captain Jack made a turnaround and confronted Tommy. A staring contest ensued. Tommy stood his ground, more of sat his ground, till the fur on his spine spiked up like a dinosaur (stegosaurus). Those spikey furs did its job well.

In the foreground is Kenggy who did a perfect timing of shoving her butt at the camera just as EJ clicked.

Just as written on the box, Tommy laboured and enjoyed an all stretched-out relax.

For more cat stories, please visit http://gattinamycats.blogspot.com

Games Watch

It's Sunday!


Cinders plonked herself in front of the TV with EJ to watch the 16th Asian Games live.

EJ was impressed the opening ceremony held in the middle of the Pearl River on Haixinsha Island and can't wait to see the closing ceremony on 27 November.

Pet Pride

Neighbourhood Meet

EJ opened the front door early one morning and was greeted with this sight - a neighbourhood meet.

Can you see four cats? 

These cats belong to various neighbours. EJ believes they concregate here to escape the rough handling and disturbance by their owners including children. These cats are not neutered nor spayed and EJ doubt they were not even brought to a vet.

Since these cats are not exactly healthy, EJ would not touch them for fear of bringing parasites and diseases into the house and then transmitting them to the indoor house cats. It is sad that their meals are not exactly regular and EJ has seen these cats drinking from puddles on the road.

On seeing EJ, they moved on. One went up the roof. They roamed everywhere.

This little fellow rested on the pot of plant placed by the neighbour on top of the shared common wall.  EJ recognises this plant as ZZ plant.

Please do take note of this plant especially pet lovers as it is poisonous.

Also known as the Aroid Palm, the ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) is a tropical perennial plant that originated from the eastern portions of Africa. Other names include Zanzibar Gem, fat boy, eternity plant and Jin Qian Shu.

All parts of the ZZ plant are poisonous. The ZZ plant is part of the Araceae family and contains insoluble calcium oxalates, which are toxic when high levels are consumed.

In pets, insoluble calcium oxalates can cause varying degrees of toxicity. Some pets may experience mild oral irritation while others can require hospitalization or in rare cases when extreme levels of the plant are consumed, die.

Source: http://www.ehow.com