No News = Good News!

No posts lately? Simply because, all my 4 princesses are doing just great! (Besides growing fatter!) :D Slurpee's fallen hair is growing back, slowly but surely :) Cherry runs around as usual, catching flies and killing lizards daily.

Daddy's darling girl.

Mummy's hot favorite!

Cookie is our gentle angel and she's growing up so beautifully. As for Pepper, she's still busy as usual disturbing Cookie 24/7 besides learning a new trade of killing flies! However, Pepper has been influenced by Cookie and is definitely growing up very well *phew*!

Last Week.

Now that I've narrated much about Slurpee, Cherry, Cookie and Pepper in my previous posts, I'll be doing weekly updates unless something interesting crops up :) Meanwhile, I'm working on baking and my other blog.

Last week, we noticed Slurpee's fur shedding a big deal! I was particularly worried thinking of all the possibilities and probabilities. So, we took her to the vet who did flea test and other checks only to comfort us that she was, otherwise, perfectly fine!

Slurpee at her favorite spot in the kitchen.

Hmm. Anyhow, he suggested we administrate a laxative paste to expel hairball from pets (dogs and especially cats) which is supposed to be a monthly procedure.

Laxapet Gel - RM21

Cookie, as I always mention, rejects any kind of foreign medicine or anything to be taken orally. Somehow, we had to get it into her mouth and she ended up like this!

Cookie with Laxapet Gel all over her mouth!

As for Cherry, she's doing just great though a bit more mischievous these days!

Cherry rolling around... as always!

I managed to spend some quality time with Pepper by letting her be around me while I'm at the computer or in my room. She's growing up well (physically and character) but will still not give Cookie a break! Probably it's Pepper's way of showing her affection to Cookie. Hehe...

Wide-eyed Pepper.

Cookie Finally Well Again.

Cookie's appetite had not been good at all, despite us giving her her favorite fish. This morning she didn't eat either and I began to get real worried. She was extremely quiet and beside herself yesterday. She kept to herself pretty much. Not quite like her! We tried many ways to coax her to eat but she just refused to. So in the afternoon, I called up our regular vet (Hands & Paws @ Aman Suria) to ask what could be causing Cookie low appetite. The vet suggested possible pain, fever or infections. Then my Dad and I decided to take her back to the vet who did the surgery (Yeoh Veterinary Clinic & Surgery @ Taman Megah) for consultation as we began to get really worried.

The doctor on call checked Cookie's temperature which was normal. Thank God! However, I noticed her heartbeat rate was abnormally stainous and fast. The doctor confirmed it. Then, they did a blood test in which her blood was normal; which means no infections! :) What a relief. The doctor then concluded she must be in pain which causes abnormal breathing and low appetite. So, Cookie received an antibiotic booster shot and pain-killer shot. The doctor also administrated antibiotics paste to be given to her once everyday.

Antibiotic paste.

Hardly 5 minutes after the shots, life came back to Cookie. She began climbing my dad as she usually does.

Cookie at her favourite height (this was 3 months ago)

We brought her home and I took her cage into my room and switched the air-con to full speed. Cookie slept while I slept for an hour or so and then she began to mew for food! I brought her some fish which she ate. A huge relief for us all!
Later when my Dad came home and allowed her to be free in the room, she started running, jumping, catching her own tail and playing as she always does! :D It was so much joy to see our Cookie back healthy and happy.

When any one of our cats is sick, it's heart-breaking for us, as they can't communicate their feelings to us and we don't know exactly how to help them. But it is a relief for us all when they're themselves again. :)

Cookie Spayed.

Well, our vet reminds us that the once our cats have their injections for 3 consecutive months followed by spaying (since all our cats are gals), they're healthy enough to not worry about. Slurpee went through her spaying episode a year ago followed by Cherry about 4 months ago.

Cookie just underwent her spaying yesterday! That sure explains why she's away from hyperactive Pepper for now! The usual procedure required her to fast for 12 hours prior to the surgery so we gave her a good feed of fish on Friday night.

Although Slurpee and Cherry underwent the surgery and recovered successfully, I was still anxious and worried about my Cookie. Being the most pampered and 'manja' one, I was very concerned about her being alone at the vet and the aftermath that she would have to endure.
We sent Cookie to the vet at 10 a.m. and picked her back at 4.30 p.m.. It was indeed difficult to pacify her. My Mom, Dad and I took turns to sit with her and try to get her to sleep which was difficult as the surgery was done close to her leg so it was painful for her to sit or bend over. Her cries affected us a lot as well. But we knew ultimately the whole thing is for her own benefit.

That's my baby crying! :'(

Now Cookie has much recovered though there's slight rashes on the part the vet shaved off. Probably because she licked it. But anyhow, we got a antibiotic-steroid cream, prescribed over the phone by the vet. Cookie's appetite is still low although we give her fish. She should be up and about in a couple of days :)

Wonder why they shave excessive fur off?

After 2 Years & 4 Cats!

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart. -- Helen Keller

Almost 2 years has flown by since I first fell in love with 'cats'. Time has indeed passed quickly! 2 years and 4 cats! I just thought to pen down my heartfelt feelings about these adorable creatures after these while.

As I mentioned at the beginning of my blog, I was born the dog-lover as I had a pet dog since I was born for some years. Of course, I still love puppies and dogs. I still do yearn to own one but probably when I'm in a better financial situation than now. Dogs need plenty of quality time for attention and walks plus tons of moo-lah in maintaining them! I'm getting there soon! :)
I've heard of cats - Persians and such, being the kinda creatures which dislikes petting and too much attention. I always had the impression that cats only want to be served and pampered. That was my pre-conceived ideas of ALL cats! And boy, was I so wrong!! I own 4 awesome DSH (Domestic Short Hair) cats and I know now, cats were nothing I imagined them to be!
After Slurpee and Cherry came into my life, I began to learn tons about cats, observing and taking care of them. They indeed are so much more lovable than I even thought! All the more when Cookie was born and Pepper was found a short time later, my lessons on cats grew. I'm so thankful for not missing out these beautiful moments in life.

• LESSON #1

Cats are indeed grateful creatures. Cherry would rub her head against our legs whenever we give her food before devouring them - her grateful gesture. Slurpee would not waste one bit of food. If it falls from her plate, she would use her paw, pull it towards her and eat it up.

• LESSON #2

Cats DO love pampering and to snuggle close to you! All our four beauties enjoy us carrying them and being stoked and petted. But that is only when they fully trust you and are entirely familiar with you.

• LESSON #3

Cats can be trained! My Mom proved to me that anyone at all can be taught. My Mom started off with training Slurpee to do stuff like 'turning over', 'shaking hands', 'play & catch' and 'eat' successfully. Then My Dad began to train Cherry to 'turn over', 'come', 'sit' and many more. I tried training Cookie and now she's a real darling! Now Pepper is in the training process.
Though being the only cat who roams around freely, Cherry is the most obedient of them all. You'll have to see to believe!

• LESSON #4

Cats are extremely intelligent. As for this, it varies in each cat.
Slurpee is an alert cat with the knowledge of every new object around her. She always rushed to it to check it out.
As for Cherry, she understands our words just too well. Sometimes I feel she's so human!
Cookie knows when we are going to take her back to her cage, she would run to a corner and hide. Cookie would mew or cry until she gets what she wants. Mischievous but her demands are always reasonable so we give in :)
As for Pepper, she knows exactly when to cry what. Meaning, when we're applying cream or medication for her, she would cry out "Awww!" and when I'm giving her the oral Cod Liver Oil she would promptly shake her head and say "Nooo!" Not kidding! Hear to believe! ;)

I'll continue to update this section when I do recall other lessons I've learnt :)

Photogenic Cookie.

Cookie was born photogenic! Also being the only baby cat we grew up since birth, I had plenty of opportunities bonding with her and photographing her cuteness :) Here are some of Cookie's best shots. Enjoy them!

Cookie observing Dad preparing fish for her.

Baby Cookie sleeping in my hands.

Cookie with her big eyes.


Cookie with her first friend, Eeyore.

Cookie having a fever (but still posing!)

Kittens Unite Again.

Each in their own territory... but not for long!

It was indeed a beautiful moment to watch Cookie and Pepper happy together and un-lonely again. They had so much fun roving and playing around to celebrate their reunion. Pepper is being pampered all over again! But soon... they'll have to be separated for another short period once again... Keep tuned.

It's a bump! No. It's ring-worms!

We found a bleeding wound on Pepper's forehead on 7 August 2008. Actually, Ye En who was over at my house noticed the 'injury' on Pepper's forehead (between her right ear and eye: the size of a 50-cent coin). It was bleeding at that moment and I had not much time to be with her (and also thinking it was an injury due to her running and falling moments), I dabbed off the blood and applied Body Shop Butter on it.

Days later, the bleeding stopped but I continued to apply iodine and gave her Seven Seas Cod Liver Oil orally everyday. Thank God I did! But the wounds did not seem to heal neither did the fur at that spot seem to regrow :(

Then, on 19 August 2008, while carrying Pepper as usual, I suddenly noticed a similar looking wound on her left paw! This one was much smaller (about the circumference of a straw) and one of her fingers were almost eaten up! Mortified was I! Although she lives with Cookie, I knew very well that Cookie had nothing to do with this. Immediately I called up our vet, described everything and he asked me to take her in for consultation. That was when we finally knew it was RING-WORMS attacking our baby! I was totally disappointed with myself for not taking Pepper to the vet any earlier!

Ringworm is an annoying, highly contagious fungal disorder that is curable. The problem with this disorder is that there are 35 different species of ringworm that can affect cats, dogs and be transmitted to humans as well. (Source: http://rubyglen.com/pets/ringworm.htm)

Pepper and Cookie had to be separated due to the infection being contagious. It was indeed a very difficult time for Cookie, Pepper and us as well; to see both of them suffer alone (esp. Cookie being terrified being alone).
The vet prescribed an anti-fungal gel to be applied once a day and anti-fungal shampoo to be applied for 10 minutes before washing it off every few days.

Pepper took the treatment very badly as the lotion smears her skin due to alcohol content and she hates being wet (which cat likes being wet anyway?)
All of us took turns taking care of her and it sure paid off! Today Pepper officially recovered! How do we know? My Dad bought the Wood Lamp to check out her wounds for the worms and when we used it to check her wounds this morning, it was all clear! Thank you, Jesus! :)

Notice the improvement at that spot? :)

After showering Cookie and Pepper today, we put them back together again! And you should see how crazily happy they are together now. I'm bliss. *phewww*

Cookie Chews Leaves.

Now about Cookie and chewing. I guess it's pretty much a cat's hobby-chewing on things as I noticed later that Cookie too enjoyed chewing! But Cookie loves has the fetishism for leaves and hair! Anything that dangles mid-air :) Here Cookie conveniently chews on a pot of leaves in the kitchen. Tsk tsk tsk...

Cookie Chasing Tail!

Cookie has an outstanding long tail and chasing it has become her constant and consistent chore. My amusing cutie.

Hot & Spicy Pepper.

There's BLACK pepper and WHITE pepper.
But my lil one is GREY Pepper :)
Nah... Take a look!

That's our littlest baby kitten on the very day she was added into our growing family of cats.
29 June 2008 was a rainy Sunday. It was pouring since the time I woke up, the entire day! I went to church in the morning, had lunch, rested in my warm cozy bed and headed out for night market with Dad.
When Dad parked his car, he said he heard a cat mewing loudly under a car. I ran to investigate!
There Pepper was, lying in a pool of water, under a car, unable to move as she was too tiny and weak to jump to the pavement. And even if she did, she would have been further soaked!
My heart shattered! This poor child was in the cold, dirty water since morning. I lured her out, grabbed her and ran home. I quickly got warm water and a cloth and wiped her. [Til today, whenever I recall that incident, it still causes a sharp pierce in my heart]
Pepper had the naughtiest face you could ever imagine of a cat! Noisy too was she! Cookie and Cherry who were indoors then, started hissing at baby Pepper.
That day, Pepper officially became the baby of the family. Much to Cookie's initial annoyance. Today, the story has changed entirely :) Both Cookie and Pepper just can't bear being apart! Cookie plays big sis to Pepper and sure is playing her role real well! Lovely twosome chasing tails and climbing bars. Amazing entertainment most of the times! Here's Pepper's first video on her first night with us.

Lil' Cookie Growing Up.

Cookie at 27 days old.

Cookie is unlike Slurpee and Cherry in countless ways. Cookie constantly needs to be carried, pampered, adored and given attention to. Well, we did try our best! Now at 6 months old, Cookie is already as big as her mommy but weighs less. Cookie's the most photogenic among our 4 kits and therefore, I'll be posting up lots of her pics :) Cookie is very much afraid of being alone (too spoilt, I guess!). A second alone and she goes wailing ever so loudly til our ears drop off! However, she has definitely inherited her mommy's loving ways and gentle spirit.

That's Cookie; in a bag!

'Freshly Baked' Cookie.

That's MY Cookie!

Cookie was exactly a month old in this perfect picture. There were many reasons why we decided to keep Cookie:

• Cookie strongly resembled her mommy Cherry whom we adored.
• Cookie was the closest and most attached to her mommy.
• Cookie was the youngest and was born a day later than her 2 older siblings. Therefore, she was often left out :(
• Cookie needs attention ALL THE TIME (until now!)
• Cookie refused to eat solid food and only demanded fish until our 4th kit came along!
• We all just love her to bits! Too much to let her go... :)

Cookie grew up pretty fast and well. Often naughty but promptly received discipline which molded her into the darling she is now. Who says cats can't be trained? Cookie is the most pampered one, so says everyone. And I agree too! She doesn't tolerate heat, dirt, nasty smell (even her own poo) and noise! During her first 4 months, we had to bring her in every morning and take her out at nights so she stays in her cool and optimum temperature. As mentioned earlier, she only consumed fish til somewhat lately. I guess doing the extra-s for Cookie made us love her all the more.

The Arrival of 3 Lil'Stooges.

Cotton (white, left) and Candy (white, middle) arrived on 29 February 2008. Cookie (tricolor, right) arrived on 1 March 2008. The picture portrays our 3 newborns when they were 24 & 25 days old.
Cherry's little babies were my very 1st experiences of kittens born in my home. Cherry taught me tons of virtues and values just by being a supermom to her lil ones. She never left her 'nest' for the first 70+ hours just to nurse them. Cherry was very protective but she fully trusted us to play with them. Loving as Cherry is, she patiently brought them up with all she had.
Cotton, Candy and Cookie were very playful and mischievous kittens. They often bullied their mommy for milk every time she came around.
After 8 weeks, we handed Cotton and Candy to a family who were cat-lovers too. We were devastated to part with the both of them but we could not keep all 3. Of course, Cookie stayed with us. Cookie was my favourite, ours and Cherry's too.

When Cotton, Candy and Cookie were 7 & 8 days old...