Scooter can be affectionate sometimes, when he wants to cuddle and lie with us in bed. Today he just licked my eyelids and nose, ticklish! Rather like a dog, but in a less slobbery way. When he wants to lay still, putting in on our lap or chest while we lie down makes him purr.
Sayang is still the ultimate purring machine though. She is totally loving, totally living up to her name. Just today I bought a charm to hang on her collar - a pink heart. Because she really is love. Slinky got a silver colour cat shaped charm, and Scooter got a bright green colour letter S. I bought them for about $1.90 to $2.90 each at Takashimaya.
Scooter's sense of smell - and his greediness! - is highly acute. Today I cooked pasta with tuna in tomatoes and herbs. He was busy scrabbling up our laps to get near the food, even mewing for some. We didn't give him any because there is garlic in it, which is harmful for cats.
But I did save some of the tuna, plain, for the cats. I made the tuna into flakes, soaked in creamy milk, think creamy tuna pasta without the pasta. It is now in storage in the freezer till their current canned food finishes.
Speaking of canned food, Scooter is eating his Omnipro for kittens at the moment, and I have set aside something else for the other two older cats. I mixed some Taste of the Wild kibbles in milk and cheese, and made it into a creamy paste which is similar to the texture of the canned food from Natural Balance. Sayang ultimately still prefers having some wet food in her meal, this way she finishes her meal in one sitting instead of halfway and then going hungry after because Slinky finishes her food for her instead.
Our kitty grass is growing! Also, I am adding to the kitty garden - pandan. We just bought some pandan leaves, another one of Aswat's suggestions. We are supposed to place the pandan leaves in water, till the roots sprout, where we must then transplant them into a pot of soil. The cats will have a great time with it. Hope it pulls through and actually grows...
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
scooter sleeping
It is often hard to get a decent picture of Scooter because he is usually moving around. Here he is, at 8 weeks, asleep on my pillow.
the story of Squirrel
Squirrel is a stray cat around Sayang's age. We noticed her hanging out in the car park near the bus stop, and took her for sterilization. She hangs out with her Daddy, Tiger, and she is Scooter's older sister from an earlier litter of 3.
Once, she was unwell - we noticed her stitches had become inflamed, swollen and bleeding. We took her home to clean her wound and put antiseptic powder. She stayed a day and night till she recovered.
This is her, hiding away from Sayang, with whom she cannot get along.
We returned her, and Andy says he seldom sees her now, perhaps she hides more lately because of the hot weather. Auntie Rose and the other neighbours feed her and Tiger regularly, so we know that she is well taken care of.
Once, she was unwell - we noticed her stitches had become inflamed, swollen and bleeding. We took her home to clean her wound and put antiseptic powder. She stayed a day and night till she recovered.
This is her, hiding away from Sayang, with whom she cannot get along.
We returned her, and Andy says he seldom sees her now, perhaps she hides more lately because of the hot weather. Auntie Rose and the other neighbours feed her and Tiger regularly, so we know that she is well taken care of.
Monday, June 29, 2009
food for kittens
After we have tried most of the options available to encourage Scooter to eat more, here is a summary of our findings.
Dry food is a must as all of the kitten nutrition is in there, including fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals essential for kittens. Buy dry food that is made specially for kittens as the kibbles are smaller. If you are feeding food that is suitable for all age range of cats, crush the kibbles into smaller bits if he is still new to chewing his food. If your kitten is new to solid food, moisten the kibbles in warm water first before serving. You can also moisten the food with animal milk but this must be kept refrigerated until serving. If you will not be at home to feed the kittens throughout the day, keep the kibbles in water out for kitty to eat free choice.
Canned food is more palatable to kittens who are still young and learning to chew kibbles of dry food. There are a variety of kitten canned foods that we have used and enjoyed: Meow!
Fresh homemade food is easy to prepare and cheaper than canned foods. The food can also be prepared in a fashion that is easy for kitten to eat and digest. The key component of homemade food should be protein, which can obtained from animal milk, cheese, eggs, and muscle meats. Examples of simple cooked foods you can try:
Milk is essential for kittens from newborn to 8 weeks of age. From week 4 they are partially weaned off milk and move on to solid food. Some kittens prefer milk more than others - Scooter has had a greater interest in solid food than milk from the time he was 4 weeks old. Some kittens take longer to wean off milk. After 8 weeks, milk should be a supplemental treat and not a key part of their diet.
Kittens can be fed their milk either with a pet milk bottle or a syringe, as if they are only around 4 weeks old they will not have mastered drinking from a bowl directly. Milk can also be added to their food, but if so, encourage your cat to eat all his food in one sitting as milk will go off after awhile.
The animal milk we use is Animalac, in powder form, and not too big a can so it is just nice for us. There are also other brands in the market, such as KMR.
Small meals throughout the day - kittens' appetites differ from cat to cat. We always give Scooter just enough that he can finish in one sitting. He is currently 8 weeks old and he is fed as often as he is hungry, which can be once every 1-2 hours. He eats less frequently during his sleep time, and more if he is active. He now eats 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners, and 2 suppers, with tea and brunch in between if he is awake and hungry. That is 10 meals a day! While he is still growing, we indulge his appetite, so that he will grow up healthy and strong. Soon, we will cut down the meals to 6 a day until he is 3 months old, when he is able to eat more in one sitting than he does now.
Hope this kitten feeding guide helps if you have a small one too!
Dry food is a must as all of the kitten nutrition is in there, including fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals essential for kittens. Buy dry food that is made specially for kittens as the kibbles are smaller. If you are feeding food that is suitable for all age range of cats, crush the kibbles into smaller bits if he is still new to chewing his food. If your kitten is new to solid food, moisten the kibbles in warm water first before serving. You can also moisten the food with animal milk but this must be kept refrigerated until serving. If you will not be at home to feed the kittens throughout the day, keep the kibbles in water out for kitty to eat free choice.
Canned food is more palatable to kittens who are still young and learning to chew kibbles of dry food. There are a variety of kitten canned foods that we have used and enjoyed: Meow!
- Omnipro for kittens $2.40 - value for money, easily digestible by kitten
- Natural Balance for cats and kittens $2.80- an affordable premium food brand
- Eagle Pack for cats and kittens $3.40 - slightly costlier premium food brand
- Fish for Cats Salmon Mousse $1.80 - being mousse, this is easy for kitten to eat but is a relatively expensive choice of food as it is around 99g per pack, while the others are 170g.
- Bistro Chicken $1 - half the size of the other canned foods, not made for kittens specially but chicken is more suitable for kittens than other meats. Comes with jelly and not wholly meat like the other brands. Needs to be minced into smaller pieces for smaller kittens to eat.
Fresh homemade food is easy to prepare and cheaper than canned foods. The food can also be prepared in a fashion that is easy for kitten to eat and digest. The key component of homemade food should be protein, which can obtained from animal milk, cheese, eggs, and muscle meats. Examples of simple cooked foods you can try:
- Chicken breast - lightly boiled to remove oil and cooked with little or no salt. The meat should then be prepared in shreds for kitten to eat easily without choking.
- Minced chicken - as above, but already in a form which is easily eaten by kitten.
- Minced beef - this can be served raw or cooked rare.
- Tuna - can be bought in chunks, in cans of water or vegetable oil (which must be drained). Feed tuna in smaller chunks than what is contained in the can.
- Eggs - can be added to any of the above meats in the form of egg drop soup, scrambled eggs, or hard boiled and cut into small pieces.
Milk is essential for kittens from newborn to 8 weeks of age. From week 4 they are partially weaned off milk and move on to solid food. Some kittens prefer milk more than others - Scooter has had a greater interest in solid food than milk from the time he was 4 weeks old. Some kittens take longer to wean off milk. After 8 weeks, milk should be a supplemental treat and not a key part of their diet.
Kittens can be fed their milk either with a pet milk bottle or a syringe, as if they are only around 4 weeks old they will not have mastered drinking from a bowl directly. Milk can also be added to their food, but if so, encourage your cat to eat all his food in one sitting as milk will go off after awhile.
The animal milk we use is Animalac, in powder form, and not too big a can so it is just nice for us. There are also other brands in the market, such as KMR.
Small meals throughout the day - kittens' appetites differ from cat to cat. We always give Scooter just enough that he can finish in one sitting. He is currently 8 weeks old and he is fed as often as he is hungry, which can be once every 1-2 hours. He eats less frequently during his sleep time, and more if he is active. He now eats 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners, and 2 suppers, with tea and brunch in between if he is awake and hungry. That is 10 meals a day! While he is still growing, we indulge his appetite, so that he will grow up healthy and strong. Soon, we will cut down the meals to 6 a day until he is 3 months old, when he is able to eat more in one sitting than he does now.
Hope this kitten feeding guide helps if you have a small one too!
Scooter's eating progress
He is finally learning to eat his kibbles even when they have not been pre-moistened with milk or water. And he has finally learnt how to drink water from the water bowl! So, we have made another progressive change to his meal presentation.
His food is usually served in portion of half a spoonful of fresh or canned food, with half a spoonful of kibbles moistened in milk, which I prepare beforehand and keep refrigerated until his mealtimes. Over the week we have started to add less milk to the concoction. Now, we are giving him a quarter spoonful of kibbles dry, with a quarter spoonful of moistened kibbles. He is about 8 weeks old now, which is about the time kittens are fully weaned off their mother's milk. Hence the decrease of the milk content in his food is congruent with his growth.
I have also mixed in not only his Nutram, but also crushed kibbles of Taste of the Wild and Royal Canin, so that he acclimitises to the taste and ingredients of these foods which he will be eating when his Nutram runs out (which will be very soon).
As for canned and fresh food which is served with his every meal, we have recently bought Natural Balance to try on him too, and he loves it, in fact so do the other cats. We will likely not be making fresh food for him again so soon, as we have in stock canned food for him, not only from Natural Balance, but also from Omnipro and Bistro which he has both tried before and loved. We will likely buy Natural Balance again too. Natural Balance 170g canned food is available at $3.64 at Pet Lovers Centre (before 5% members discount for purchase above $15) and for $2.80 at Little Paws. There are also online sites that sell the food for lower prices but with a minimum order for delivery to take place. We tried asking Aswat to bring in the product for us, but premium canned cat food is not a big taker here in Ubi, as the clientele are mostly senior citizens who feed cats with more commercial brands which contain a lot of jelly. Jelly is good for stray cats, because they don't drink much water. But for our home cats, and for discerning owners that are paranoid about their kittens' growth, we prefer cat food that contains more meat product. In fact, Andy is crazy about Natural Balance, after his taste test (!) and crazy research on canned cat foods.
Scooter is likely to need to eat canned food with his meals for a while, because that is his main dietrary delight, and he eats less if served only kibbles. In order to maximise his growth while he is still young, we probably will have to stock up on canned food for him for a few months at least.
His food is usually served in portion of half a spoonful of fresh or canned food, with half a spoonful of kibbles moistened in milk, which I prepare beforehand and keep refrigerated until his mealtimes. Over the week we have started to add less milk to the concoction. Now, we are giving him a quarter spoonful of kibbles dry, with a quarter spoonful of moistened kibbles. He is about 8 weeks old now, which is about the time kittens are fully weaned off their mother's milk. Hence the decrease of the milk content in his food is congruent with his growth.
I have also mixed in not only his Nutram, but also crushed kibbles of Taste of the Wild and Royal Canin, so that he acclimitises to the taste and ingredients of these foods which he will be eating when his Nutram runs out (which will be very soon).
As for canned and fresh food which is served with his every meal, we have recently bought Natural Balance to try on him too, and he loves it, in fact so do the other cats. We will likely not be making fresh food for him again so soon, as we have in stock canned food for him, not only from Natural Balance, but also from Omnipro and Bistro which he has both tried before and loved. We will likely buy Natural Balance again too. Natural Balance 170g canned food is available at $3.64 at Pet Lovers Centre (before 5% members discount for purchase above $15) and for $2.80 at Little Paws. There are also online sites that sell the food for lower prices but with a minimum order for delivery to take place. We tried asking Aswat to bring in the product for us, but premium canned cat food is not a big taker here in Ubi, as the clientele are mostly senior citizens who feed cats with more commercial brands which contain a lot of jelly. Jelly is good for stray cats, because they don't drink much water. But for our home cats, and for discerning owners that are paranoid about their kittens' growth, we prefer cat food that contains more meat product. In fact, Andy is crazy about Natural Balance, after his taste test (!) and crazy research on canned cat foods.
Scooter is likely to need to eat canned food with his meals for a while, because that is his main dietrary delight, and he eats less if served only kibbles. In order to maximise his growth while he is still young, we probably will have to stock up on canned food for him for a few months at least.
plants for cats
Cats need greenery. Not just to chew on grass, but for their entire well-being.
We recently bought a plant for Shop and Save which I habitually lay on the floor for the cats to chew and hang out around with. We also discovered kitty grass that actually DOES grow (as opposed to most of the kitty grass products in the market, which don't grow). This one is from Marukan and we bought it from Little Paws, another favourite pet cat shop for us at Telok Kurau. Kyra showed us the grass she started growing herself too, and it looked successful! So we were sold. We also bought the PeeWee litter box from her, which her cat Queenie, resident product demonstrator, showed us how it was like for cats to use.
In the box there were 3 packets of grass seeds that could be used, and we gave one pack to Aswat for him to try. He is more of a plant person than we are, and he has also suggested we buy wheatgrass to add to our kitty greenery collection.
The main reason why we started our greenery collection is because the cats long to look at greenery and to interact with nature. We can tell that is so because the cats run out to the corridor and sit on the ledge (highly dangerous, scares the hell out of their poor owner) to just take in the sights of the Ubi trees and grass. So we decided the bring the greenery into our house for them.
I am not a plant person at all, but so far the plant we bought is doing well. Scooter was born outside a flat which had many potted plants outside, and he seems to enjoy the plant. Both Sayang and Slinky like biting and sniffing at the plant too. Sayang likes flowers too, and in fact recently broke a vase of daisies on our coffee table. She has since been banned from climbing on top of the table. The daisies survived, and are now in another location.
Now to hope my kitty grass will grow, else my green thumb will never ever become one. Most plants have died in my care. We hope our kitty greenery collection won't.
We recently bought a plant for Shop and Save which I habitually lay on the floor for the cats to chew and hang out around with. We also discovered kitty grass that actually DOES grow (as opposed to most of the kitty grass products in the market, which don't grow). This one is from Marukan and we bought it from Little Paws, another favourite pet cat shop for us at Telok Kurau. Kyra showed us the grass she started growing herself too, and it looked successful! So we were sold. We also bought the PeeWee litter box from her, which her cat Queenie, resident product demonstrator, showed us how it was like for cats to use.
In the box there were 3 packets of grass seeds that could be used, and we gave one pack to Aswat for him to try. He is more of a plant person than we are, and he has also suggested we buy wheatgrass to add to our kitty greenery collection.
The main reason why we started our greenery collection is because the cats long to look at greenery and to interact with nature. We can tell that is so because the cats run out to the corridor and sit on the ledge (highly dangerous, scares the hell out of their poor owner) to just take in the sights of the Ubi trees and grass. So we decided the bring the greenery into our house for them.
I am not a plant person at all, but so far the plant we bought is doing well. Scooter was born outside a flat which had many potted plants outside, and he seems to enjoy the plant. Both Sayang and Slinky like biting and sniffing at the plant too. Sayang likes flowers too, and in fact recently broke a vase of daisies on our coffee table. She has since been banned from climbing on top of the table. The daisies survived, and are now in another location.
Now to hope my kitty grass will grow, else my green thumb will never ever become one. Most plants have died in my care. We hope our kitty greenery collection won't.
toilet troubles resolved
Slinky has her own litter box in our bathroom now, which cannot be used by the other cats, else she will withhold peeing and pooing for as long as it takes for me to clean it out for her.
We bought a new litter box for the main kitty area instead, and placed the old one in our bathroom for Slinky. The new litter box is from PeeWee and it looks great. The height is accessible and yet high enough that the cats won't kick the litter from the box all over the floor when they dig.
I figured out the main reason why Slinky doesn't like to share her box, and it is probably because of Scooter. His poo is totally like kitten poo - soft, smelly and lots of it throughout the day. This is because his diet is 50% wet food, and he eats many meals.
This litter box works best with the sawdust type that can be flushed down the toilet, which Aswat is also going to bring into his shop. We are converting the cats to this litter when his stock arrives.
The PeeWee litter system is such that there is a tray beneath the pan which collects and conceals the smell of cat-pee, as well as collects the stray dust particles instead of allowing it to be exposed and possibly trailed along the floor by the cats. So far the toilets are working out well for all our cats.
Except that Scooter's shit sometimes sticks to him and he brings it out of the box and onto the floor. Thank God for baby wipes.
We bought a new litter box for the main kitty area instead, and placed the old one in our bathroom for Slinky. The new litter box is from PeeWee and it looks great. The height is accessible and yet high enough that the cats won't kick the litter from the box all over the floor when they dig.
I figured out the main reason why Slinky doesn't like to share her box, and it is probably because of Scooter. His poo is totally like kitten poo - soft, smelly and lots of it throughout the day. This is because his diet is 50% wet food, and he eats many meals.
This litter box works best with the sawdust type that can be flushed down the toilet, which Aswat is also going to bring into his shop. We are converting the cats to this litter when his stock arrives.
The PeeWee litter system is such that there is a tray beneath the pan which collects and conceals the smell of cat-pee, as well as collects the stray dust particles instead of allowing it to be exposed and possibly trailed along the floor by the cats. So far the toilets are working out well for all our cats.
Except that Scooter's shit sometimes sticks to him and he brings it out of the box and onto the floor. Thank God for baby wipes.
hello kitty!
Being a cat lover it probably comes as no surprise that I love Hello Kitty! Our neighbourhood stray Mommy cat looks like Hello Kitty herself, a true Kitty-Kat! Here are some really cute Hello Kitty pics.
Friday, June 26, 2009
solution to toilet troubles needed soon
I seriously need to get a new litter tray for Slinky to use in our bathroom, one that will not topple over. Money is tight for a brand-new litter box just for this princess cat, so I might just go buy a simple plastic container to convert into a litter box for her. Looks like a visit to the hardware store tomorrow is in order.
Diet and Feeding Schedule - updated
From previous post here.
Lately I begin to realise that Scooter eats more during certain times of day. When he is asleep, during the middle of the night and in the afternoons, he is not likely to wake up to eat. When it is his active time, he is usually ravenously hungry, meowing for food every hour till he gets it!
Hence it is more preferable to feed him two lunches and two dinners, and two suppers, with brunch and tea as optional if he is asleep.
It is really fun to feed him because he meows till he gets his meal, and his food looks yummy...! Slurp!
Lately I begin to realise that Scooter eats more during certain times of day. When he is asleep, during the middle of the night and in the afternoons, he is not likely to wake up to eat. When it is his active time, he is usually ravenously hungry, meowing for food every hour till he gets it!
Hence it is more preferable to feed him two lunches and two dinners, and two suppers, with brunch and tea as optional if he is asleep.
It is really fun to feed him because he meows till he gets his meal, and his food looks yummy...! Slurp!
Slinky is greedy
She seems to know that Sayang and Scooter might have special food compared to hers: Sayang has added Taste of the Wild kibbles to her meals and Scooter's food is Nutram kitten food with milk and canned or homemade food. Slinky often lurks and slinks in to steal Sayang and Scooter's leftovers - the precise reason why I don't like my cats to leave their food instead of eating in one sitting. I have also stopped putting snacks out for Slinky (which would still be within her dietary limit) because she gets her fill of snacking from these leftovers.
I have to find a way to get Scooter and Sayang to learn to finish their food in one sitting. For Sayang, canned food was the way. For Scooter, it is harder because his appetite is erratic, and the temperature of the food has to be just right. All that said, I still look forward to feeding my cats every meal.
I have to find a way to get Scooter and Sayang to learn to finish their food in one sitting. For Sayang, canned food was the way. For Scooter, it is harder because his appetite is erratic, and the temperature of the food has to be just right. All that said, I still look forward to feeding my cats every meal.
batch 4 of homemade cat and kitten food
Today I made spaghetti for dinner, and having bought ground beef, I took the unused portion of beef to make into cat food.
Lean ground beef is comparable to oily fish in terms of its nutritional value for cats. It can be served raw or lightly cooked. I added in an egg, and cooked it only slightly by adding hot water. Think of it as beef cooked rare.
So far, it seems to be a success! Scooter is finishing up his can of Eagle Pack kitten canned food (also a success) and I have begun to mix in the ground beef into his meals today. He has lapped it all up.
As for the two other cats, canned food is not a staple for Slinky. Sayang is choosy with her food, but we have solved the problem of perpetually giving her canned food by buying a pack of Taste of the Wild dry food, samples of which she has tried before and loved. She is still fed her staple diet of Royal Canin Fit 32, but mixed with Taste of the Wild just so she eats her meals properly and gets her nutrition. This way I can save the canned and homemade food for Scooter only.
Lean ground beef is comparable to oily fish in terms of its nutritional value for cats. It can be served raw or lightly cooked. I added in an egg, and cooked it only slightly by adding hot water. Think of it as beef cooked rare.
So far, it seems to be a success! Scooter is finishing up his can of Eagle Pack kitten canned food (also a success) and I have begun to mix in the ground beef into his meals today. He has lapped it all up.
As for the two other cats, canned food is not a staple for Slinky. Sayang is choosy with her food, but we have solved the problem of perpetually giving her canned food by buying a pack of Taste of the Wild dry food, samples of which she has tried before and loved. She is still fed her staple diet of Royal Canin Fit 32, but mixed with Taste of the Wild just so she eats her meals properly and gets her nutrition. This way I can save the canned and homemade food for Scooter only.
toilet troubles
Slinky has been behaving weirdly. She seems to need to go to the toilet, but instead of going to the litter box, she scrambles at toilet doors, and poos on our toilet floor instead. If she cannot get into the toilet she ends up streaking around the house in the night. Finally last night in a fit of stress I set up a makeshift toilet for her in our bathroom, using a plastic washbasin and some cat litter on a rubber mat, on the floor.
We recently made changes to our cat litter tray, using biodegradable cat litter that comes in bigger bits, unlike sand. The transition was made slowly, adding a little of the new litter everyday to the old one till the whole litter tray was finally cleared off of the old cat sand. They seemed to get accustomed to it, and our litter box area became much, much cleaner and more sanitary, as opposed to having a perpetually sandy floor.
We decided that we want to stick to this new form of cat litter. Bigger clumps, easier to sweep the floor. Slinky is not much of a mess toilet-wise, but Sayang and Scooter have the habit of kicking the sand out of the box and they don't kick off the grains of sand on their paws the way Slinky does when she exits the litter tray.
The brand we bought was Green Sign, and subsequently Trustie, which is pricier than sand, bought from Pet Lovers Centre. Our neighbourhood pet shop Angels might bring in a similar, large type of litter for us to try next.
I suspect it might be because Trustie's brand of biodegradable cat litter has carbon fillings to minimise odour, that Slinky has become reluctant to use it because it smells different.
We might consider getting a second litter tray, for our bedroom toilet (the original litter box area when Slinky first moved in). But it would have to be a covered litter box, and I will need to place rubber mats on the floor, as our bathroom floor is usually wet from the air-con piping. The logistical cost for the litter box will be $40 and the rubber mats will be about $8.
As I speak here Slinky has once again slunk to her personal toilet in our bathroom. I have not cleared out her poo yet from it, so that it has her smell that she will find familiar to use again. Unfortunately, she toppled over the makeshift litter box... and spilled EVERYTHING on the floor. Here goes cleaning in the middle of the night...
We recently made changes to our cat litter tray, using biodegradable cat litter that comes in bigger bits, unlike sand. The transition was made slowly, adding a little of the new litter everyday to the old one till the whole litter tray was finally cleared off of the old cat sand. They seemed to get accustomed to it, and our litter box area became much, much cleaner and more sanitary, as opposed to having a perpetually sandy floor.
We decided that we want to stick to this new form of cat litter. Bigger clumps, easier to sweep the floor. Slinky is not much of a mess toilet-wise, but Sayang and Scooter have the habit of kicking the sand out of the box and they don't kick off the grains of sand on their paws the way Slinky does when she exits the litter tray.
The brand we bought was Green Sign, and subsequently Trustie, which is pricier than sand, bought from Pet Lovers Centre. Our neighbourhood pet shop Angels might bring in a similar, large type of litter for us to try next.
I suspect it might be because Trustie's brand of biodegradable cat litter has carbon fillings to minimise odour, that Slinky has become reluctant to use it because it smells different.
We might consider getting a second litter tray, for our bedroom toilet (the original litter box area when Slinky first moved in). But it would have to be a covered litter box, and I will need to place rubber mats on the floor, as our bathroom floor is usually wet from the air-con piping. The logistical cost for the litter box will be $40 and the rubber mats will be about $8.
As I speak here Slinky has once again slunk to her personal toilet in our bathroom. I have not cleared out her poo yet from it, so that it has her smell that she will find familiar to use again. Unfortunately, she toppled over the makeshift litter box... and spilled EVERYTHING on the floor. Here goes cleaning in the middle of the night...
Monday, June 22, 2009
all about kitty nutrients - part 1
A compilation of cat nutrition basics we found in the journey of our lives with our cats.
Proteins
Neutered adult cats' diets need to contain 25% protein. These are contained in meats, fish, cheese, milk, eggs. They are necessary for (1) growth and repair of body tissue, (2) making hormones, (3) supplying essential amino acids especially taurine, arginine and lysine - in total they will need 11 of the 23 amino acids available, (4) energy.
Fats
Cats are capable of digesting fats in a diet containing up to 25-30% fats. Fats are contained in vegetable oils, butter, and other animal fats such as oily fish. Fats are essential to the cat for (1) energy, (2) essential fatty acids for total body health and healthy skin and coat, (3) vitamins A, D, E, and K.
Fibre
This is especially important for indoor, sedentary cats. Fibre can be found in cooked grains and vegetables.
Dry diets tend to have higher concentration of fibre compared to canned food or homemade meals, as they tend to contain vegetables and grains. Grains also supply carbohydrates, which cats have no major need for energy as they obtain most of it from proteins, but grains and/or vegetables are still essential for domestic cats for a healthy digestive system. If you are feeding grain-free diets, look out for other fibre-sources such as fruits and vegetables.
to be continued
Proteins
Neutered adult cats' diets need to contain 25% protein. These are contained in meats, fish, cheese, milk, eggs. They are necessary for (1) growth and repair of body tissue, (2) making hormones, (3) supplying essential amino acids especially taurine, arginine and lysine - in total they will need 11 of the 23 amino acids available, (4) energy.
Fats
Cats are capable of digesting fats in a diet containing up to 25-30% fats. Fats are contained in vegetable oils, butter, and other animal fats such as oily fish. Fats are essential to the cat for (1) energy, (2) essential fatty acids for total body health and healthy skin and coat, (3) vitamins A, D, E, and K.
Fibre
This is especially important for indoor, sedentary cats. Fibre can be found in cooked grains and vegetables.
Dry diets tend to have higher concentration of fibre compared to canned food or homemade meals, as they tend to contain vegetables and grains. Grains also supply carbohydrates, which cats have no major need for energy as they obtain most of it from proteins, but grains and/or vegetables are still essential for domestic cats for a healthy digestive system. If you are feeding grain-free diets, look out for other fibre-sources such as fruits and vegetables.
to be continued
Friday, June 19, 2009
Update on Batch 3 homemade cat food! (Written about here.)
Sayang loves it! First time I see her beg for dinner early today, so I gave it to her - two spoons of chicken with egg - and two spoons of her regular Royal Canin. She ate it all in one sitting! Good girl!
Sayang loves it! First time I see her beg for dinner early today, so I gave it to her - two spoons of chicken with egg - and two spoons of her regular Royal Canin. She ate it all in one sitting! Good girl!
feeding troubles
Feeding the cats is so frustrating sometimes. Sayang and Scooter are both extremely picky with their food. Variety seems to be important to them but yet when fed new canned foods with their dry diet they seem not to like it. It is tiring to have to feed them canned food with every meal just to make sure they eat, since both are growing and are rather small in size for their respective ages. Milk has to be force-fed to them to make sure they get their nutrients because they eat so little, and they don't seem to be greedy for milk at all. Slinky eats up all their leftovers when they choose not to eat all of their meals, hence she is not given her full 4 kg diet daily since she gobbles up the other cats' food behind our backs.
Having become exhausted from choosing, buying and opening cans of cat food I have started to make my own home made cooked food for them, comprising of simple ingredients such as chicken, tuna, cleaned ikan bilis, eggs, cat milk - all so to serve alongside their dry diet just so they get their nutrients, because the dry diet is where the real, complete nutrients are.
So far my first batch of cat food has earned the accolades of the Ubi cats after I tested out my first batch on them. They all really loved it and even asked for second helpings. The main ingredients were tuna and dry food with cat milk - and a whole host of other protein giving ingredients such as scrambled egg, cheese, and some kitty treats for texture. My second batch - which is simply their kibbles soaked in cat milk - not so fanciable, even by Slinky, especially if it's Nutram + milk, because Nutram sucks at the taste test for all my cats. Today I made my third batch, my cats having long finished my first batch of food.
This third batch of food is actually very yummy - made wholly of human food. It is concentrated egg drop soup with chicken breast meat, the chicken shredded and boiled twice (to remove excess oil) in ikan bilis broth. With only a tinsy bit of olive oil and salt to taste, so healthy it can be hospital food for convalescing children. Slinky loves it, even if it is just the broth I give her. Sayang has not tried it yet - she will later. Scooter refused to eat his teatime meal and had only touched a sliver of it - mainly the chicken - at lunch. I had to force-feed him milk to replace his teatime meal. If Sayang and Scooter totally refuse my egg drop shredded chicken, I shall have to open yet another can of cat food for them, which hopefully, they will enjoy. Slinky can have all my egg drop shredded chicken instead.
Tinned cat food we have tried this year with our cats:
Having become exhausted from choosing, buying and opening cans of cat food I have started to make my own home made cooked food for them, comprising of simple ingredients such as chicken, tuna, cleaned ikan bilis, eggs, cat milk - all so to serve alongside their dry diet just so they get their nutrients, because the dry diet is where the real, complete nutrients are.
So far my first batch of cat food has earned the accolades of the Ubi cats after I tested out my first batch on them. They all really loved it and even asked for second helpings. The main ingredients were tuna and dry food with cat milk - and a whole host of other protein giving ingredients such as scrambled egg, cheese, and some kitty treats for texture. My second batch - which is simply their kibbles soaked in cat milk - not so fanciable, even by Slinky, especially if it's Nutram + milk, because Nutram sucks at the taste test for all my cats. Today I made my third batch, my cats having long finished my first batch of food.
This third batch of food is actually very yummy - made wholly of human food. It is concentrated egg drop soup with chicken breast meat, the chicken shredded and boiled twice (to remove excess oil) in ikan bilis broth. With only a tinsy bit of olive oil and salt to taste, so healthy it can be hospital food for convalescing children. Slinky loves it, even if it is just the broth I give her. Sayang has not tried it yet - she will later. Scooter refused to eat his teatime meal and had only touched a sliver of it - mainly the chicken - at lunch. I had to force-feed him milk to replace his teatime meal. If Sayang and Scooter totally refuse my egg drop shredded chicken, I shall have to open yet another can of cat food for them, which hopefully, they will enjoy. Slinky can have all my egg drop shredded chicken instead.
Tinned cat food we have tried this year with our cats:
- Angel - Sayang eats it, the meat is in small chunks with lots of jelly.
- Snappy Tom - Smells good, but somehow makes Sayang's poo smell bad, and contains artificial colouring, although the fish looks yummy in huge chunks, especially the sardines, which Scooter gorged on when he first came to our house.
- Bistro (Chicken) - Scooter was fed this at the pet shop when he was fostered there. He likes it very much. Mainly chunks of chicken in jelly as it is not primarily made for kittens.
- Omnipro for kittens - palatable and digestible by Scooter, contains not only meat but also other ingredients like grain products.
- Avoderm chicken formula for cats and kittens - Scooter hated it at first, but he now tolerates it. Contains chicken as well as liver, and is in a paste for easy digestion by kittens.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Diet & Feeding Schedule
I drafted a comprehensive diet and feeding schedule for all three of our cats, and here it is!
About our cats' appetites and nutritional needs: Slinky is a sedentary cat who lies around for most of the day. She has not much of a desire to play or run around nowadays, compared to a couple of years ago. Obesity might become a problem for her if we do not monitor her diet. However, after researching, I found out that we have been under-feeding her. On this new diet, she is slightly happier, coming to our room to hang out more often rather than just sleeping on the kitchen chair all day, and with a slightly less stressed demeanour about her.
Sayang is very skinny, and extremely active. We have tried to feed her more but she is a picky eater, only finishing her food if it is mixed with palatable and tasty tinned cat food.
Scooter is a picky eater too. At his age he should be drinking more milk, but he doesn't seem to enjoy it as much as yummy tinned kitten food. In fact he loves wet food - chicken, fish etc. - so much that he often growls in greedy contentment when he is being served it! On his first day at our house he ate so much tinned food he vomitted. He is still unable to chew dry food on its own, and will only eat a little of it, even when moistened with milk or water. He should be growing at a faster rate than he is now, so nutrition despite his picky appetite is a major concern.
Hence, the research, and the feeding chart, done with much calibration and measurement, using measuring cups, feeding guides from our cat textbooks, and our cats' abilities to eat in one sitting. Our cats mainly eat Royal Canin Fit 32 dry food. Our kitten food is from Nutram, not as tasty but supposedly very nutritious, and it comes in smaller kibbles.
Slinky, adult cat @ 4kg
Requires up to 185g / day
(Previously on 120g / day)
Breakfast: 3 sp. Royal Canin
Dinner: 3 sp. Royal Canin + 1 sp. canned food
Snack: 2 sp. Royal Canin / Nutram, served between meals as all-round snack
Total = 170g /day excluding treats
Sayang, kitten @ 7 months
Requires up to 200g / day
(Previously served with less canned food and no in-between snacks)
Breakfast: 2 sp. Royal Canin
Lunch: 2 sp. Royal Canin + 2 sp. canned food
Dinner: 2 sp. Royal Canin + 2 sp. canned food
Snack: 2 sp. Royal Canin / Nutram, served between meals as all-round snack
Total = 200g / day excluding treats
NB: Sayang should ideal cut down to 185g/day in 2 meals by the time she is 1 year old, but given her current hypermetabolic rate, we are serving her the diet of a 6 month old kitten until she starts to become less active.
Scooter, kitten @ 6 weeks
Requires up to 140g/day by the time he is 10 weeks old
Breakfast: 1/2 sp. Nutram (w/milk or water)
Brunch: 1/2 sp. Nutram
Lunch: 1/2 sp. Nutram + 1 sp. canned kitten food
Tea: 1/2 sp. Nutram + 1/2 sp. canned kitten food
Dinner: 1/2 sp. Nutram + 1 sp. canned kitten food
Supper: 1/2 sp. Nutram + 1/2 sp. canned kitten food
Total = 110g/day
NB: Scooter can only eat his Nutram pre-moistened, and he doesn't seem to enjoy milk anymore, hence his Nutram is served moistened with milk (refrigerated until serving time to keep it fresh) so that he can chew on the kibbles easily and he still gets his nutritional intake from milk. If no one is at home to feed him during the day, Nutram will be served out in the same portion but moistened with water only, so that it will remain fresh for hours.
About our cats' appetites and nutritional needs: Slinky is a sedentary cat who lies around for most of the day. She has not much of a desire to play or run around nowadays, compared to a couple of years ago. Obesity might become a problem for her if we do not monitor her diet. However, after researching, I found out that we have been under-feeding her. On this new diet, she is slightly happier, coming to our room to hang out more often rather than just sleeping on the kitchen chair all day, and with a slightly less stressed demeanour about her.
Sayang is very skinny, and extremely active. We have tried to feed her more but she is a picky eater, only finishing her food if it is mixed with palatable and tasty tinned cat food.
Scooter is a picky eater too. At his age he should be drinking more milk, but he doesn't seem to enjoy it as much as yummy tinned kitten food. In fact he loves wet food - chicken, fish etc. - so much that he often growls in greedy contentment when he is being served it! On his first day at our house he ate so much tinned food he vomitted. He is still unable to chew dry food on its own, and will only eat a little of it, even when moistened with milk or water. He should be growing at a faster rate than he is now, so nutrition despite his picky appetite is a major concern.
Hence, the research, and the feeding chart, done with much calibration and measurement, using measuring cups, feeding guides from our cat textbooks, and our cats' abilities to eat in one sitting. Our cats mainly eat Royal Canin Fit 32 dry food. Our kitten food is from Nutram, not as tasty but supposedly very nutritious, and it comes in smaller kibbles.
Slinky, adult cat @ 4kg
Requires up to 185g / day
(Previously on 120g / day)
Breakfast: 3 sp. Royal Canin
Dinner: 3 sp. Royal Canin + 1 sp. canned food
Snack: 2 sp. Royal Canin / Nutram, served between meals as all-round snack
Total = 170g /day excluding treats
Sayang, kitten @ 7 months
Requires up to 200g / day
(Previously served with less canned food and no in-between snacks)
Breakfast: 2 sp. Royal Canin
Lunch: 2 sp. Royal Canin + 2 sp. canned food
Dinner: 2 sp. Royal Canin + 2 sp. canned food
Snack: 2 sp. Royal Canin / Nutram, served between meals as all-round snack
Total = 200g / day excluding treats
NB: Sayang should ideal cut down to 185g/day in 2 meals by the time she is 1 year old, but given her current hypermetabolic rate, we are serving her the diet of a 6 month old kitten until she starts to become less active.
Scooter, kitten @ 6 weeks
Requires up to 140g/day by the time he is 10 weeks old
Breakfast: 1/2 sp. Nutram (w/milk or water)
Brunch: 1/2 sp. Nutram
Lunch: 1/2 sp. Nutram + 1 sp. canned kitten food
Tea: 1/2 sp. Nutram + 1/2 sp. canned kitten food
Dinner: 1/2 sp. Nutram + 1 sp. canned kitten food
Supper: 1/2 sp. Nutram + 1/2 sp. canned kitten food
Total = 110g/day
NB: Scooter can only eat his Nutram pre-moistened, and he doesn't seem to enjoy milk anymore, hence his Nutram is served moistened with milk (refrigerated until serving time to keep it fresh) so that he can chew on the kibbles easily and he still gets his nutritional intake from milk. If no one is at home to feed him during the day, Nutram will be served out in the same portion but moistened with water only, so that it will remain fresh for hours.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
herro I ish Scooter boy boy!
I am four weeks old! I like yummy fish with jelly but it makes me pukey, so now I don't get anymore. I didn't puke last night. I was a good boy and didn't mess up the bedroom again. But I have been drinking my milk and now I smell milky. Mew!
This house I am in is really big! I am allowed to go to the bedroom, the kitchen where the food and toilet are, and the living room where there is a nice cat-house and some dangling things that are fun to bat at. Just now I decided to sleep under the sofa, but I didn't stay there long in case that fierce looking broom-thingie comes and sweeps me out again. Mroar.
Right now I am trying to take a nap but the bed is empty with no one in it, so I looked for my human mommy and meowed my heart out. She doesn't seem to want to sleep so I keep meowing, but all she does is pick me up and stroke me. She is not comfy to sleep on when she is not lying down in the bed.
Will meow more later when I finally get some sleep and warmth! Mriaow you later!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
and then there were none
All the kittens - Scooter's siblings - have been successfully adopted! Meow!
Bling Bling!
Our girls have new name tags!
We bought them from Little Paws at Telok Kurau. Each Uniqtag has a key ring for attaching to collars, and owner's name or telephone number behind. Our cats are wearing the largest size tags, two smaller sizes are also available.
We ordered them on Sunday evening, and we got them in the mail today!
Slinky's name tag is silver in colour.
Sayang's is in gold, and in cursive font; since she has a Malay name we made her name tag more Oriental in design.
The name tag is a good idea not just for pretty's sake, but also because Slinky went missing once before, and Sayang likes to roam outside our flat when we open the front door.
Scooter is still too small to get a collar, and we bought the tags before we made Scooter our newest addition to the family. The tags come in bright primary and secondary colours too, and lots of manly looking designs, we will get one for him when he can wear a collar!
We bought them from Little Paws at Telok Kurau. Each Uniqtag has a key ring for attaching to collars, and owner's name or telephone number behind. Our cats are wearing the largest size tags, two smaller sizes are also available.
We ordered them on Sunday evening, and we got them in the mail today!
Slinky's name tag is silver in colour.
Sayang's is in gold, and in cursive font; since she has a Malay name we made her name tag more Oriental in design.
The name tag is a good idea not just for pretty's sake, but also because Slinky went missing once before, and Sayang likes to roam outside our flat when we open the front door.
Scooter is still too small to get a collar, and we bought the tags before we made Scooter our newest addition to the family. The tags come in bright primary and secondary colours too, and lots of manly looking designs, we will get one for him when he can wear a collar!
Scooter's diet
Scooter insists on sleeping with us in our bed at night, which we allow him to, since he's been cleaned and showered. However, last night he vomitted in bed. It is partially our fault, because when he came we fed him very yummy tinned cat food alongside his milk formula. Turns out he can't digest the tinned food, and neither can he the dry kitten food either, even though we moisten it with milk and the kibbles are smaller in size.
When we adopted Sayang she was already about ten weeks old, twice as old as Scooter is now. She could eat adult cat food by then, although her appetite was small because she was sick when we adopted her.
Feeding Scooter is a learning journey for us: he seems to eat and drink very little, no more than 20ml of milk a day, and today he has barely touched his kitten food. Four-week-old kittens hardly seem to have an appetite at all. But he seems to be healthy in all other aspects. He is beginning to play, has the energy to roam around the house, seems to sleep well during his naps, and is pooing normally (for a kitten).
When we adopted Sayang she was already about ten weeks old, twice as old as Scooter is now. She could eat adult cat food by then, although her appetite was small because she was sick when we adopted her.
Feeding Scooter is a learning journey for us: he seems to eat and drink very little, no more than 20ml of milk a day, and today he has barely touched his kitten food. Four-week-old kittens hardly seem to have an appetite at all. But he seems to be healthy in all other aspects. He is beginning to play, has the energy to roam around the house, seems to sleep well during his naps, and is pooing normally (for a kitten).
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
more Scooter!
Isn't he a sweetie? Here he is lying under the dining table. Hard to take a decent shot of him because he is constantly on the move.
Here is a video of him playing with my foot. He enjoys being close to us and will meow for human contact sometimes. He doesn't yet know how to play with our collection of cat toys, but slowly and surely he will!
that litter of 9
Remember the new mother cat we found with nine kittens?
The kittens were, at four weeks old, already peeing and pooing around the neighbours' houses. Hence, Aswat brought the eight remaining kittens into his shop to hand-feed and put up for adoption. He has been feeding them soft kitten food and kitten milk formula in his shop.
The kittens are doing more than all right! There are only two left for adoption; the others have been taken.
And one of them, by us...
Scooter is the biggest boy of the litter. He is affectionate, not overly noisy, easy to feed and clean, and we hope he grows to become a big, lovable cat! Sayang and Slinky are still on hissing terms with him, but Scooter is so brave he has no fear of them at all, not at all exhibiting timid behavioural traits such as hiding or running around the house. We feed him kitten food, canned food and of course kitten milk formula.
He still does not know how to play yet, and is still discovering his new home. More on him soon!
The kittens were, at four weeks old, already peeing and pooing around the neighbours' houses. Hence, Aswat brought the eight remaining kittens into his shop to hand-feed and put up for adoption. He has been feeding them soft kitten food and kitten milk formula in his shop.
The kittens are doing more than all right! There are only two left for adoption; the others have been taken.
And one of them, by us...
Scooter is the biggest boy of the litter. He is affectionate, not overly noisy, easy to feed and clean, and we hope he grows to become a big, lovable cat! Sayang and Slinky are still on hissing terms with him, but Scooter is so brave he has no fear of them at all, not at all exhibiting timid behavioural traits such as hiding or running around the house. We feed him kitten food, canned food and of course kitten milk formula.
He still does not know how to play yet, and is still discovering his new home. More on him soon!
new cat condo!
Apologies for the lack of kitty-posts - my camera phone refused to sync with the computer, so had little impetus to blog, because I know people want to see kitties!
We bought a cat condo!
This was last month, when we felt that the cat paraphernalia were lying all over the place. We decided to install a cat-HQ in our living room.
After a lot of shopping, and saving money, we found the right cat tree in Simei, at Pet Safari by Pet Lovers' Centre. We had to find one which had the right cosy corners and would fit in size and decor with our living room.
As you can see, three cats fit easily in the cat condo, although Mommy cat is only a guest in this picture, since she is a stray cat. I placed her there after we had just bathed her in conjunction with our major de-flea-ing project we had around this time.
The highest level is good for cats who want to feel safe, able to see everything, and not liable to be pounced upon by any other cat.
The igloo portion is comfy - Slinky is in the igloo in this picture, although she is so black she is hardly visible!
Sayang has so far slept in both the igloo as well as the circular hammock portion she is lying in in this picture. Although her favourite corner is still in a corner behind my bookshelf, sometimes she can be found napping in the condo.
This cat tree also is immense play fun! I use the dangly toys to drape around the columns for Sayang to play hide-and-seek with, else I throw the toys into the igloo and and hammock for Sayang to jump in and pounce on. Because of the design of the tree it is also good for playing 'where's that sound?' by hitting and rubbing various parts of the tree for Sayang to trace and hunt after. Slinky usually uses the tree for stropping her claws; being lazy, she hardly climbs the tree. She still would rather snooze in the kitchen, most of the day, and well, night.
We bought a cat condo!
This was last month, when we felt that the cat paraphernalia were lying all over the place. We decided to install a cat-HQ in our living room.
After a lot of shopping, and saving money, we found the right cat tree in Simei, at Pet Safari by Pet Lovers' Centre. We had to find one which had the right cosy corners and would fit in size and decor with our living room.
As you can see, three cats fit easily in the cat condo, although Mommy cat is only a guest in this picture, since she is a stray cat. I placed her there after we had just bathed her in conjunction with our major de-flea-ing project we had around this time.
The highest level is good for cats who want to feel safe, able to see everything, and not liable to be pounced upon by any other cat.
The igloo portion is comfy - Slinky is in the igloo in this picture, although she is so black she is hardly visible!
Sayang has so far slept in both the igloo as well as the circular hammock portion she is lying in in this picture. Although her favourite corner is still in a corner behind my bookshelf, sometimes she can be found napping in the condo.
This cat tree also is immense play fun! I use the dangly toys to drape around the columns for Sayang to play hide-and-seek with, else I throw the toys into the igloo and and hammock for Sayang to jump in and pounce on. Because of the design of the tree it is also good for playing 'where's that sound?' by hitting and rubbing various parts of the tree for Sayang to trace and hunt after. Slinky usually uses the tree for stropping her claws; being lazy, she hardly climbs the tree. She still would rather snooze in the kitchen, most of the day, and well, night.
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