A touch choice to make

Pisase is a 14 year old cat. She is my first pet and first cat. She's had arthritis in her front paws for the last 4 years and it has hampered her movements. Despite being less mobile, Pisase has been generally healthy. Yearly checkups showed a clean bill of health. She ate normally and in fact, often snuck to Ody's food bowl to lap up his chicken stock. Despite the food, she's been losing weight as elderly cats do but not drastically that it was cause for concern. 

This weekend however, we noticed that her food bowl seemed always full. It took a while but we realised that it was full because she was not eating. Not a bite. That really scared me. Some years back when she was diagnosed with arthritis, I was advised to euthanise her if she deteriorates. She shouldn't be suffering, and suffering manifests in a lack appetite and an even more prickly than normal temperament.  Trouble is, Pisase has always been prickly. She has terrorized everyone except Dan and I since the day we brought her home. Strangely, she's gotten less feisty since being diagnosed and I thought, "She's ok". 

Today, I find out that she is not ok. Worried about her lack of food intake, we took her to the vet and I discover how NOT ok she is. Pisase has kidney failure. She is slowly but surely, wasting away. 

We were given a tough choice - save her possibly for a few weeks more with treatment or end her suffering today.  I have to admit that I am selfish and I do not have the strength of character to say goodbye. Not without a fight, and not today.. I've opted to try for a chance that she may improve and start to eat a little over the next few days.  It has given me time to make hard decisions but it has also taken my friend of 14 years away from her safe haven - home. 

As I sit here and type, I am looking at her usual perch and wondering how she is now at the hospital. She would be confused and afraid, and worse, she's bereft of the company of those who love her. I hope it is only for a few days. I hope I can take her home soon. I can only hope. 

Growing older...

This was Ody and I in 2008. I snapped this using a timer on my old camera. It was taken in our apartment in Beijing for a magazine in Singapore that was doing a feature on cat food. Yes. Cat Food. I use to buy cartons of Fancy Feast from Singapore and lug it back to Beijing because Pisase and Ody loved it.

This is Ody now at 10 yrs old. And me... well...a good 8 years older. Unlike Ody who seems to look even better close-up, I mush prefer the camera further away from my face!

6 years ago

6 years ago, in September, I felt my heart crack into little pieces. It was the first time I had to experience the death of a pet.

It was the day I woke up to find the cold body of my cat Paws in the bathroom. Paws was the second cat I adopted, after Pisase. Paws lived for almost 2 years with us after we brought her home as a kitten from a catwelfare society adoption drive. She wasn't a very strong kitty, falling sick every month at the beginning and being subject to all sorts of medication. She got better and with better food, a loving home, she got healthier. But she never grew to her full adult size, remaining the size of a kitten all through her short life. That made her look adorable.

But what really made her a favourite around the house was how loving she was. Paws was a lap cat who enjoyed curling up with us as we watched TV, worked , ate dinner or went to bed. Paws was the best alarm clock I could have. She woke me up at the same time each morning by standing on me and meowing - telling me that it was time to wake up and feed her.

ays leading up to her death, growing skinnier each day. I was planning to take her to the vet the next day after she seemed disoriented and refused to eat that night. She howled in the middle of the night and I woke up to see what was wrong. She wanted water and wanted to huddle in the bathroom - a place she seemed to like, probably because the floor was cool. I pet her, gave her little head a rub and told her we'll be going to the vet in the morning.

Morning came. Paws left. Till today I still think of her. September, the month of her death anniversary is when I think of her most. This year particularly, memories of my furry friend are more vivid than usual. Because after 6 years, this is the September I'm actually in the house where she lived and died. I have to say, it still hurts to think back to that day

Ody's 5min of fame

Hee hee Ody was in the 6 Aug issue of 8 days as part of an advertorial for Fancy Feast. Isn't he just so super cute! 

Having a pet..

...is very therapeutic. It's a great responsibility too. Pretty much like looking after a small child except that this one will likely depend on you for the rest of its short life.  Whether it's food in a bowl, fresh water, clearing poop, trips to the vet - a domesticated pet is relies on you to keep it healthy and safe. More than that, a pet also depends on you for love and attention. In return, they devote themselves to you. That devotion manifests itself differently in different pets. Dogs lick you, cats purr when you rub them, rabbits hop excitedly to you, birds sing...How ever this devotion is demonstrated, its sure to give you that tingle of pleasure, knowing that someone ; or in this case some other creature; loves you too.  

That's why I think having a pet is good for modern city dwellers who constantly stress about work, money, life. A pet helps you stop and remember to enjoy the little things in life.  And that makes you a happier person. My 2 cats have certainly helped me enjoy mine a little better. 

While your pet lavishes you with love, don't forget to reciprocate. A pet is not a toy you can play with  for a while then chuck in the cupboard.  They need company and loads of loving attention too! 

My favourite cat

Note: This entry has Cat pix. Not suitable for the cat phobic.
Dan's dad has the cutest cat ever! His name is Chubby. Chubby is the cat that made me fall in love with cats. I never used to like cats much. More then 10 yrs ago, Dan's dad brought Chubby home as a kitten. He was the most adorable little furball who followed you all around the house, run up and down the stairs on his short stubby legs... then panting like a dog because it was just too tiring for a small kitten to keep up. He would sleep with Dan on the pillow, sit in front of the PC monitor while you're using the PC and attempt to drink beer. As a kitten of 3 months, Chubby was about the length of a tissue box and the width of a conventional mouse pad. He was huge, hence the name Chubby. The only reason he looked so huge is from all that long fur.



Now 10 yrs on, Chubby has mellowed - doesn't run around much, seldom meows, never bites or swipes and mostly spends his time chilling on his tackle box by Dan's dad's feet. AND he has grown. Chubby is these HUGEST CAT I've ever seen ( and hugely cute too!!). How huge? See for yourself. P.S he's not fat by the way... not like my cats.

ROAR!!!

You may kiss the paw
Put me down slave!
No one's face is bigger than mine!

Weed... I haz it

Ody again... eating oat grass. If you're wondering about the strange captions, you gotta check out http://icanhazcheezburger.com/ to understand. Warning: You need to be an animal lover and mainly cat person to enjoy the site.

Cat humour

Managed to catch Pisase in one of her favourite poses and Ody lounging on the bed.

Ody at the fast food service counter

My very own yoda

As you can obviously tell, I have rediscovered photoshop AND I have a library of cat photos to tweak.. hahaha

Ody's nom nom nom

Well i guess you'll only get it if you've visited icanhazcheezburger.com
I love the site for my dose of cat cuteness

My fat cat Pisase

Pisase is a severely misunderstood cat. People don't like her much because she's such a grump, swiping anyone who crosses her path. But she's loyal, no doubt about that. She recognises the hand that feeds her ( more often than not, she also bites the hand that feeds her!) and is able to tell the good guys from the bad. Aka who feeds her and loves her vs who doesn't. That's why Pisase never fails to run up to me for a rub whenever I come home. Even after 6 weeks away, she recognised me and came running to the door for her customary rub. She's been following me around the house for the past 2 days... which is rare given how she usually avoids people, and being vocal about getting her rub down. She's MY special cat because she's only ever this sweet with me. Everyone else in her little cat mind is probably a bad person. That includes Daniel :P

finding the right skin

is like finding a little part of you... something that represents who you are, what you like. And is clear from this blog skin what I like!! Still trying to find one that fits me right...