We Have Our Own Pendant!

Our servant made this today! It's a handmade glass pendant on a handmade stretchable beads necklace. 

Please ignore the reflection from the light. 

A "Cure" For Catty Black Moods

Blackie is moody this morning. A typical morning sees him jumping onto tables, chairs, bed and dashing from one end of the apartment to the other end, much like a mini horse in a horse race. But this morning he just sits there glaring at anyone who passes by. None of the games and toys interest him. 


He was in a black mood since yesterday evening, too. Usually, he is rather docile around Yin, although he does like to play rough with her. But when Yin has enough and hisses at him, he would stop. Yesterday, he didn't. Instead, he continued to whap her with his paw. And this morning, he pounced on her shoulder and pulled another large tuff of fur from the back of her neck. Gosh....I'm beginning to see a small, tiny bald patch there....I first noticed it -- less fur at the back of her neck, just between the shoulder blades -- when I got back from my holiday in Cherating. So, how to bring him out of the black mood?


A catnip pillow! It's supposed to be cat ecstasy, right?  And it worked! Blackie picked up the pillow and ran off with it. The only thing he has shown interest in this morning.

When Yin tried to grab it from him, he whapped her hard. I could hear the loud thud as paw landed on skull. Ouch. Poor Yin, she isn't used to being whacked by Blackie, or having Blackie fight with her over anything. Blackie has always let her grab toys or food right off his paws. 

I'll have to get another catnip pillow from sillylupie so they'll have one each. Anything to keep them happy and out of black moods.

Bersih Kitties

Hello everyone, this is Blackie. I've tied my human slave up and taken over her computer. I think it's time we kitties are bersih (clean in the Malay language). Now listen up, and listen well.


Humans wear coverings on their two hind paws when they go out, don't they. So, why shouldn't we felines have the same privilege of having our four paws covered when we go out? Who died and made humans king that they should be different from us, huh? Imagine our paws tracking all the dirt humans leave behind, not to mention doggy pooh. Yeee-uck!! We want to be bersih, too.


On 9 July 2011 we held a rally for some bersih household rules reform. We ordered our human slaves to get us some paw-coverings so we can be bersih. The male told the female that they should just sit in front of the idiot box. You know, the one where some humans and animals are captured inside and they talk to you, but can't hear you. Yes, you got that right. Being the incompetent fools that they are, they misunderstood us. They thought we asked them to get us some Bersih news coverings. From 9am to 6pm, they were glued to the idiot box and the computer. And then the female blogged about it, which was hacked and tampered with the very next day. Tsk-tsk. But that's another story, to be covered by the female slave after she catches up with her 101 chores.

To cut a long story short (we felines are not chatter-boxes unlike our canine friends), the female finally understood what we want, and went out two days ago to get us some paw-coverings. I suspect she forgot to pee along the way to mark her trail and got lost. She spent the entire day away from her chores and returned with only......some cans of wet food, a tube of tuna-flavoured molasses (the slave said it's pronounced as laxatone) to help us eliminate our hairballs, a pair of sneakers and two pairs of socks. A pair of sneakers?? Are we supposed to share the sneakers????!!!  Hmmmp!! 

The female said they're called socks. Do you like my socks?

That's me with the female slave. I got her hands tied above her head with one of those square box that captures one of your souls when a button is pressed. Those white dots you see on the bottom of the socks provide a non-slippery grip when I walked. I could jump onto the dining table without slipping and falling.

Kitty sneakers

The slave said those are called sneakers. I'm not sure why or how paw-coverings sneak up on you? Anyway, she came home with only one pair. I hope she's not expecting Yin and I to share that pair and walk on only our two hind legs like them??


She said the socks and sneakers are available in various patterns and colours. She said there are plastic sandals, too, but she didn't get them. 

The top part and the bottom part with non-slippery grip'

She had meant Yin to have the red socks, but Yin's paws are too big to fit in. I'm not surprised. Yin's more like a cow than a lady to me. She's bigger than me, and when she walks, you think of a big elephant that somehow manages to stomp quietly. 

Socks - RM14.80

Sneakers - RM49.90

Tuna flavoured laxatone for elimination of hairballs - RM30

The above products could be purchased from:
Home Pet Food and Care
No. 41, Jalan 1/149J, Sri Petaling. 
Tel: (03) 9059 - 3191
URL: http://www.facebook.com/HomePetFoodandCare
Business hours: Tuesdays to Sundays 11am to 9pm


While you are there, perhaps you would like to take one of the many adorable rescued kitties home? Your house is not a home until you have a feline companion.  ;)


Warning:
For those who don't know cats well, cats sweat through their paws and wearing socks and shoes for more than a few minutes (short photoshoot only!) can lead to heat exhaustion and heart attacks, esp in this climate. (Thanks,  Ellen, for this timely warning!)

The Mouse Loses

It is with much sadness that I report the mouse was caught at 11:31am on 23 June 2011 and destroyed. It never had a chance. Our home is now mouse-free......

Cat and Mouse Game

While ambling down the boulevards of downtown KL last Sunday, I spotted a Malay pak cik with two mice on strings. He was tugging and releasing the strings like one would with a yoyo and the mice were scampering around with tails swishing left and right. I stopped and watched.


The pak cik said he made the mice himself. On closer inspection, I could see that he spoke the truth. Nevertheless, I knew my kitties would enjoy a game of cat-and-mouse. A few minutes later, RM5 and a mouse changed hands. 

Yin picked up the mouse by its tail and ran off with it. I wish I had managed to capture it before she dropped it. She was too fast for me. Blackie was not interested in running off with the mouse. He only wanted to tug and chew on the tail. A toilet brush in a different form???

Toilet Brush For Dessert, Anyone?

Blackie is a rather strange cat. He likes to chew.....no, not bones or fingers, but on toilet brushes and hair. He used to go into our bathrooms and chew our toilet brushes. After he developed a bladder infection, all bathroom doors are closed off to him, although occasionally, the little rascal managed to slip in with my mum unnoticed. And when she leaves the bathroom and shuts the door with him inside, that's when he has a party.


So, what do I do when I see a scratch board with a toilet brush bristle arch? Buy it for the little tyke, naturally.

This product, at RM46, can be purchased from:
Home Pet Food & Care
No. 41, Jalan 1/149J
Bandar Baru Sri Petaling
57000 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03 - 9059 3191 / 3192


Home Pet Food & Care does not sell livestock and rescues abandoned and stray cats. If you'd like to adopt a cute and friendly kitty, do give them a call. They have more than 30 beautiful and adorable cats and kittens waiting to shower you with their love and affection.

Cats On Ecstasy

Help! My kitties have been drugged! Or not.

You know the world has come to an end when your cats got their own mail. Yes, you read that right. A mysterious brown package arrived in the post for Blackie and Yin this afternoon. 

After the Secret Service vetted the package safe from any explosives or harmful virus and bacteria, it was carefully opened to reveal...........

.......a pretty floral pouch with C.A.T.N.I.P.!! For those who do not have cats, this is the equivalent of kitty ecstasy drug. And to protect the scent from escaping, my friend Lupie has put it inside a plastic zip bag. 


Look at how potent this kitty drug has on my two masters............

They were both sleeping when I placed the pouch on the table. Blackie's nose started wriggling, then both kitties got up at the same time and started sniffing the pouch.

They were not interested in sitting still for photos. Both were trying to rub their heads on it.

Yin, the better catcher when it comes to playing games, snatched it from Blackie while he was still trying to pick it up. Poor Blackie. If he had to catch his own prey for food, he'll loose out to all the other cats and become a thin, hungry kitty.

Yin, gripping the pouch with one paw and wiping it on her face in the same manner a human would apply the roll-on deodorant on their armpits. She's making herself smell nice....for who, I wonder.

Blackie tried to snatch it back, but got a smack on the paw from Yin. My camera is one of those compact ones and wasn't fast enough to capture the motion.
Both kitties very high now. Yin has dropped the pouch from her paws and lolled on her back while Blackie kept rubbing the table (and edge of pouch) with his head.


Thank you very, very, very much, Lupie, for the wonderful gift. For those who'd like this catnip pouch, I believe it is available for purchase from Lupie's website at www.sillylupie.com or email her at sillylupie77 [at] gmail [dot] com. Please contact her if you'd like one or a few for your kitties.  :) 


Related post:
A "Cure" For Catty Black Moods

Much Ado About Cat Litter

Just like humans with their toilet rolls, cats have their preference when it comes to cat litter, and yes, they prefer the more expensive ones, too. My cats do, at any rate. And so they protest when I switched to a cost-effective cat litter nearly four months ago. Which brings me to this blog post that should have been titled The Benefits of Pine Wood Pellets if I had been in my right mind, which I hadn't. 

I'm not one of those disciplined writers, who never go off-topic, just focusing on the salient points of the topic title. Rather, I'm more like a little doggie, preferring to amble around, and sniff at every possible trees, tyres, lamp posts and ground before deciding which spot to settle on. Which is why I could never earn a living as a writer....my editors would throw up their hands in despair, if they don't strangle me first.


Back to cat litter, I've never used the sand or crystal type from day one as I don't fancy having soil or bits of sticky crystal tracked all over my home, furniture and beddings. I've only used wood based litter, and the one my cats really love is Cats Best OkoPlus Cat Litter. (Bear with me while I ramble on about the previous cat litter first.)


Although expensive at RM146 for a 40L bag, which lasts two months, it is very effective in covering up the odour, and doesn't track too much. Because my cats sleep with me in my room at night, they do their business there, too, and it's of paramount importance that I do not need to scoop the very minute they poop or pee in the middle of the night. 


I've also tried Breeder's Celect Recycled Paper which my cats didn't like and neither did I for the simple fact that it is not effective in covering the odour and I had to get up to scoop each time they poop or pee (I'm a light sleeper and the slightest smell and sound would wake me up). 


So, when I was first introduced to pine wood pellets, I was hesitant to try. No, I wasn't skeptical, as the people who recommended it are Jimmy and Amanda, two friends whose opinions I value. Just hesitant, because my two kitties are extremely fussy. They have very defined likes and dislikes.


However, the pine wood pellets is only a fraction of OkoPlus, and it seems such a waste to spend RM146 on something that is going to be flushed down the toilet. The money saved from the cat litter could be better used to buy more sashimi treats for them. After much thought, I decided to give it a try.


First, for the pine wood pellets to be effective (no tracking and long lasting), it needs to be used in litter boxes that has a "sieve".

See the holes in the sieve where I pushed the pellets aside? When the cats pee, the pellets will absorb the liquid and break into sawdust. To clean, just lift up the sieve tray and give it a few shakes, and the sawdust will fall through into the tray below. 


For bigger cats like the Maine Coon, the regular litter boxes in the market might be a tad too small. Jimmy said that he gets two large plastic boxes of the same size, drill holes into one of them, and stack them together with the one with the drilled holes on top. 


Initially, I balked at the idea of drilling holes into a plastic box. I'm not the handy type, and drills and I don't go very well together. Amanda, the sweet, kind lady that she is, offered to drill them for me. Thanks, hun, I really appreciate that!  :)  Below is what the top tray with drilled holes look like.


Now, nearly four months later, and I still haven't finished the first bag of pellets. That is one massive saving, as a bag is less than RM30. Although I've passed down the savings to my cats by buying more of the sashimi treats for them, they don't seem to be mollified.


They do not like the feel of the pellets on their paws, and have resorted to doing their business on the edge of the litter box. See how Yin balances herself precariously on the edge with her four paws. 

Sorry for the poor quality of the photos, I did not have the time to rush into my room to get my camera, so the handphone, which was next to me, was the next best thing. The lighting was too strong, too, as the box is beneath the window, which didn't help to improve the photo quality.


Her body would be swaying to and fro as she poohs, and once, the box nearly flipped over. But somehow, the little finicky empress managed to learn to hold her balance. If only I could snap a photo of Blackie, who waves a paw in the air for balance!


Well, while my cats aren't too happy with the pine pellets, I am satisfied with its performance. It doesn't track, nor does it leave a sticky feel to my cats' paws. This is especially important to me, as Yin has a habit of washing her two front paws after using the litter box if I don't catch her in time to clean her. Yes, she washes her 'hands' after using the toilet, in her water bowl. Some cats are just too fastidious about cleanliness. 

The pine wood pellets can be purchased from:
Home Pet Food & Care
41, Jalan 1/149J,
Bandar Baru Seri Petaling,
57000 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: (03) 9059 3191 / 3192
Business hours: Tuesdays to Sundays, 11:00am to 9pm

Blackie's Onboard Signs

Two packages awaited me today when I opened my mailbox. They are gifts from Clement, a friend in Penang who makes onboard signs and sells them on the internet.

The first one is a DIMB Petfinder Award. To find what this award is, check out this link.

Custom-made Onboard Sign

This second one is a private bet between Clement and myself. We had a private game and if Clement won, I would buy him a drink when he visits KL, and if I won, he would give me a Black Label Limited Edition.

Black Label Limited Edition

Aren't they beautiful? So, if you guys see a car with either of this sign, you know it's me behind the wheel. Just give a short, soft honk and wave at me, yeah?  :-)

If you'd like to order these signs, just visit Clement at www.petmysite.com

You Can Make A Difference

It took a post from Sillylupie to make me realise that I can make a difference to the numbers of abandoned or stray cats by vouching and recommending for pet shops that have a heart. 

And you can make a difference, too, by only buying from these pet shops. And shun those petshops that buy and sell pets, especially pets without certificates, because:

1)their pets are housed in very dirty and unhygienic condition 

2)you would be supporting the irresponsible backyard breeders and kitten or puppy mills

One pet shop that I know and support is none other than Home Pet Food & Care. Although Jimmy, the owner, is a Maine Coon breeder, he does not sell any pets in his pet shop. He is a VERY RESPONSIBLE and SELECTIVE breeder, and will only sell his cats to you if he knows you, or if he's comfortable with you.  That is why you could never buy his cats from his pet shop.

But most of all, Jimmy rescues strays off the streets of Sri Petaling, and house them in his shop. He feeds them with Royal Canin, a super premium cat food, as well as multi-vitamins and immunity boosters if the cat's condition calls for it. He gives them the best care & attention that he can until permanent, loving homes are found for them. And he is very thorough in questioning you to make sure you are genuine before he gives away the rescue cats.

I have personally seen with my own eyes how he fed the booster and multi-vitamin gel into a 6-month-old kitten that he had rescued. He had taken this kitten to be spayed as its heat cycle was very frequent. After the procedure, the kitten did not eat for 2 days, despite their attempt to tempt it with various canned food. I was so touched to see how he was so concerned about the cat.

So, please support Home Pet Food & Care because their profits goes towards helping the strays. Thank you.

Their address is:

No. 41, Jalan 1/149J

Bandar Baru Seri Petaling

57000 Kuala Lumpur

Tel No. 03 - 9059 3191/3192

N.B. This is not an advert, nor am I receiving any payment in kind for posting this.

What Does 1-Utama Shopping Mall And A Virgin Forest Have In Common?

Nothing really. Except that last Sunday we needed to get a pair of outdoors shoes with a good grip.And 1-Utama has it.

Hubby's employer, for some reason, likes to put his staff through some tough survival activities in his jungle resorts once every few months. 

On the last trip in Belum, hubby slipped and nearly fell to his death. It was pitch dark, and they had to go into the jungle without any lights so as not to disturb nature. He couldn't see where the land slips down and with his existing shoes being worn out, he couldn't get a good grip on the earth bed when the land "disappeared".

Since he has to go to Bukit Merah (again!) tomorrow, for a 3 days 2 nights trip, we decided it's better for him to buy a new pair of shoes.

Hubby's new shoes

A good grip. We tested it at the shop.

Chinese New Year deco at 1-Utama

Sitting around a fire in a shopping mall? (zoomed in view)

No, it was just a red silk cloth (zoomed out view)

By the way, I bought Blackie the CAT this collar & leash at Pet Safari, Ikano 2 weeks ago for Chinese new year - it's good to wear red for the new year, even for cats.  :)

Happy Birthday, Blackie

Blackie turns three today. To celebrate his birthday, I got him a Doraemon cake and a packet of Shiloh and Lester salmon treat. 

The Doraemon cake. I'll have to scrape off the chocolate rice and chocolate topping before Blackie can eat it as chocolate is toxic to cats.

In the background is Blackie's favourite treat, the Shiloh & Lester salmon treat. It is real salmon, cut into small pieces and freeze-dried. And it's not cheap, at RM12 for 25g.

Where's the birthday boy? Ah, here he is, sound asleep. 

Singing a birthday song to Blackie. My mum has to hold Blackie on her lap as he got spooked by Doraemon. What???? Yes, he was really afraid of Doraemon!! Lols....!!!!

Salmon and Milk Drops Treats

I bought a couple of cat treats, Angel's salmon and Milk Drops, for King Blackie, my master, at the Merdeka Cat Show for RM7 and RM5 respectively. I haven't opened the Milk Drops yet, but Blackie loved the salmon treats and has whalloped all of them.

Where I Get My Cat Products

If you own cat(s) at home and are a Petsmore member like me, you will find that most of their outlets have more products for dogs than cats.

However, one or two years ago, they opened an outlet in Carrefour, Kepong. There is another Petsmore in Kepong, not far from Carrefour, in a 4-storey shophouse along the main road, so don't confuse this one with the one in Carrefour. It is the Petsmore in Carrefour that carries more cat products, not the one along the main road

This outlet has everything that a cat needs for its happiness...........cat trees, beds, toys, litter boxes (various designs), food.......the list is endless.

But what I find most amusing are two little cat beds that are smaller versions of the human beds, complete with the bed headboard, 4 legs, mattress, all the works. I would have bought one had my cat been able to fit in it. My cat is extra long, and I was looking for something that he could comfortably stretch out in.

In the end, I settled for a blue cat chair, one of those 1-seater sofa but smaller, and without 4 legs.

What is a Cat Tree?

This is the question my cousin asked me when I mentioned cat tree. I don't normally buy greeting cards, preferring instead, to make my own cards for friends and relatives. This is a photo of my cat that I made into a birthday card that generated this question.

And.........for those who don't own cats, below is what a cat tree looks like. I bought it from PetsMore just before I moved to my new home. I had worried about Blackie not used to a new place, and wanted to distract him with new toys. He has a habit of getting tired of his toys quickly and is constantly looking for new things to play.

The cat tree comes with scratching posts as supporting columns for the structure, which is perfect, as Blackie has been using the sofa in my old home for a scratching post. And that's not all. There are two furry toys hanging on strings from the different levels of the tree, which kept Blackie entertained for hours.