All in the Room

An ex-classmate, Linda, asked EJ, "Have you ever taken a picture together with all your cats?"

EJ explained that it would be difficult as the cats could not be gathered to sit or stay still in the same room at the same time.

There was once recently and only once when all the eight cats were in the same room. And EJ managed to catch it.

It was during a heavy thunderstorm with lots of lightning and very loud thunder. The house electricity tripped several times and kept EJ busy walking round the house checking for roof leaks which is the best time to check.

This was when EJ discovered that none of the cats were at their yard. Though the cat yard is indoors, it feels outdoor as the sunlight can come through and at certain parts the cats can see the sky through the transparent polycarbonate roof.

Perhaps the cats feel more safe in their room. Can you see all eight of them?

In another thunderstorm, as usual the two biggest and supposedly macho man-cats went to hide in their room.

Though the female cat, Pebbles, was sleeping in the cubicle before the storm started, Tommy didn't care, he wanted to squeeze in.

All he managed was just his fat rump shoved in with the rest of the body outside. Poor Pebbles was looking rather uncomfortable. The next cubicle was occupied by Tortie who is even afraid of a loud sneeze.

Tanya the Terrible

It is bathing time.

Of all the cats, Tanya does not like to be disturbed and is the most snappy.

Though she had three operations to fix her face and a broken leg, her first vet said she is pretty like a poster girl. And EJ bet Tanya knows it as she is surly, grouchy and obnoxious.

She demands for her food and will call non-stop, not loud and crude but in the most lady-like way. Her calls are even more insistent when her toilet trays are soiled. EJ has to drop whatever that moment and attend to her demands.

When it comes to her bathing time, it is almost like war. Luckily Tanya does not bite or scratch. She hisses, wails and protests very loudly, making her housemates wide eyed in horror and scurrying, thinking in their little brains that she is being horribly tortured.

EJ uses two towels in double layer to wipe Tanya dry and by now her anger is at its height. She would be twisting and kicking; and kicked a hole in one of the towels.

She would put on her most angry and sourpuss face when being blown dry in the cage.

When her fur is dried, Tanya is loving and purred non-stop while being combed. But not too long or she will start snapping.

Ugghh! Tanya is obnoxious...endearingly obnoxious!

Eyes Wide Open

All the cats' eyes stared wide open unblinking at the plain white wall. EJ saw the look of disbelief and shock in those eyes and wished a photo could be taken to capture that moment. Soon they scurried to their room to find a comfortable or favourite spot and stayed there.

Since last Monday, there was an incessant banging from EJ's immediate neighbour.

Yes, that house is being renovated, again, after only a year. Work is being done on the neighbour's side on the entire 18-feet length common wall which is the cat yard on EJ's side.

The workers used the backlane to put their tools and work on as well. Cats, curious as they are, wanted to know the goings on in the backlane.

Having two good eyes, they kept alternating their eyes to peep through the tiny gap between the wall and the metal back door. Their bodies kept swaying left and right.

But not Captain Jack Sparrow HAWK. He is a definite winner here. With his missing right eye globe, his left eye is sharp. He just zoomed in, used his left good eye, stared and stayed unmoving for a long time.

Here, Tortie watched Captain Jack Sparrow HAWK peeping through the gap.

The old cage blocks the small gap at the bottom of the metal back door to prevent stray cats, free roaming neighbours' cats and other animals from sticking their paws through.

This is the second week with drilling and hammering still going on. With their better sense of hearing, the cats seems to handle the noise better than EJ.

The Morning After

The celebrations and fireworks during Christmas and New Year bothered EJ. It was slightly too noisy for EJ's liking.

Though EJ did not really celebrate, EJ believes the eight housemates did - in a way. These were the evidences the morning after.

Tanya was knocked out.

So was Kenggy.

Including Captain Jack Sparrow HAWK with the tongue slightly sticking out.

Cinders got a splitting headache.

So did Pebble.

Winnie was still dazed and could not lift a paw.

Best of all was Tortie. Perhaps he had one too many drinks.

Tortie's numbed tongue getting in the way when he tried to eat.

So are these convincing enough to say the cats played when EJ's asleep?