Feline Founder Slinky

Slinky succumbed to a suspected thromboembulism last night and passed at 8:50pm. We will be holding a memorial service for her in aid of our Stray Cat Fund. Details will be rolled out soon.

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We will be back from a short break, very soon. Promise.

Sorry we haven't been around for the past 2 weeks. Human Elaine was in the hospital, and Slinky our Feline Founder fell even more ill than she already was. She has FIV.

We will resume blogging as soon as possible as Elaine needs to recover after returning from hospital also. Meanwhile, here is a little nugget on FIV:

"FIV transmission is mainly through the bloodstream and therefore is primarily passed from cat to cat through bite wounds.That explained why no one else in my cat household caught it because they never bit each other. Cats that live together don't generally bite each other hard enough to break the skin even when in rough play."

This however does not relate to foster cats as truly, because fosters are entering a new environment and with that and stress they may attack other cats. This is why we try to avoid situations where we have to take in a foster cat with FIV.

Thank you all who have gathered in a #pawcircle for Slinky on Facebook and Twitter. On her new meds, Interferon, she is eating better. Currently her weight has already dropped to 2kg only. Her liver and kidney functions are fine.

This is a reminder to all of you who have cats that are 8 years and older, their veterinary visits should be twice yearly from this age onwards. Slinky is still able to move about, use the loo, jump (slowly) and come to us for affection. Not in pain. Regular vet checks will make sure anything wrong will be caught early, not late. 

Give financially to our cause by depositing to our bank account POSB savings 188-52652-7    
 Sponsor a foster kitten's vaccination through our Sponsor-A-LoveKuching-Cat Scheme    
Give food and litter at charity rates through our corporate sponsor The Water Dish 

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Lockdown

Our own cats have suddenly developed flu' symptoms at the same time even though they are vaccinated, mainly Slinky and Sayang. Normally, if only one cat shows symptoms of cat flu', it is considered normal because vaccinations are not 100% effective. However because two of our cats got flu' symptoms at the same time, we investigated because this is not likely a coincidence.

After researching and consulting with our vets there are two possible scenarios. One, is that they caught a strain of cat flu' known as bordetella, which is not covered under the core vaccinations. Vaccination covers three strains of cat flu': herpes virus, calici virus and chlamydia virus. The second possibility that our vets is that this flu' outbreak is a mutated strain of either herpes, calici or chlamydia.

In any case, this calls for a lockdown so we can contain whatever virus strain it is.

In the meantime, we are treating Slinky with antibiotics (she is suffering worse than Sayang is). Bordetella is easily eradicated with antibiotics (Vibravet i.e. doxycycline).

And as in all 'epidemics' who is Patient Zero?

Napolean, whom we suspected is a chronic flu' carrier. If it is bordetella or a mutation, it might mean he isn't a chronic carrier and can remain flu' free for much of his life.

Breaking out lots of detergent, bleach, antiseptic solution and suchlike during lockdown. Keep your thoughts with us!

Give financially to our cause by depositing to our bank account POSB savings 188-52652-7
Sponsor a foster kitten's vaccination through our Sponsor-A-LoveKuching-Cat Scheme  
Give food at charity rates through our corporate sponsor The Water Dish 

Product review: Taste of the Wild Canyon River

We received a gift of 3 sample packs from our corporate sponsor The Water Dish of this wonderful new formula of Taste of the Wild last month. So we put it to the taste test and saw how the cats reacted to it!

The difference between the new Canyon River formula and the usual Taste of the Wild we feed our cats (and the free-roaming foster kittens who share our cats' food) is that instead of venison and smoked salmon, they are using trout and smoked salmon. There is still a chicken base protein source in both of them, but the Canyon River formula is likely to appeal to cats who like fish more than venison. (Yes, cats can be picky over the two).

As usual when it comes to food we look at our pickiest eater, Sayang. She decides the food choice in the house for the four of our cats. Sayang took to Canyon River in a wow-ee way! She went for second helpings even though she usually eats very little in the first place. Slinky, who eats everything, was fed this when she was having her gum problem, and she couldn't resist it and ate it despite her healing gums.

The foster kittens like all kinds of food - we train them not to be too picky, so they take to it as per normal food. Which means it isn't yucky - some foods we try sampling on foster kittens, even how well trained they are, they don't eat it. 

So - taste test - picky cats and greedy cats alike, like this Canyon River formula!

It is already available on The Water Dish website so try out a small pack, or ask for a sample pack with your next order to test it out. We usually try testing new foods out as treats, before putting it in a bowl to see if they eat it. Taste of the Wild tends to give big sample packs, one pack fills a good sized cat bowl.

We also reckon that it can be alternated between the regular formula as well, for variety, without causing much stomach upset as food changes usually do because the other base ingredients are the same. Still, if alternating food, always change it slowly.

Have fun trying out the new Canyon River!

(The humans? Good cat food tastes bland to us because there is no salt and sugar added. So what do we know? Let the cats decide!)

Give financially to our cause by depositing to our bank account POSB savings 188-52652-7  
Sponsor a foster kitten's vaccination through our Sponsor-A-LoveKuching-Cat Scheme
Give food at charity rates through our corporate sponsor The Water Dish 

Slinky, our Feline Founder, and her encounter with gum disease

Slinky recently exhibited symptoms of what we thought was peridontitis, an irreversible gum disease. She refused to let us check her mouth, and exclaimed in pain when we touched her left cheek. She also started to eat less fervently, sometimes staring at the food bowl and not eating. All these are signs of gum disease of some kind. Because we couldn't check her gums on our own - not recommended to do at home as it will be very painful if there is pus - we brought her to the vet.

Slinky, as photographed by Furry Photos

When we went to the vet, thankfully Slinky only had advanced gingivitis in her molar areas. There was no structural damage (peridontitis causes that) so no x-ray was needed. Her teeth were clean, no calculus i.e. plaque and tartar buildup which we believe is due to her mainly kibble diet and our brushing of our cats' teeth. Phew, the vet cleared Slinky of most of our worries and saved us poor cat owners some dosh!

Slinky was given an anti-inflammatory jab of Depredil and a 10 day course of antibiotics - a blend of spiramycin and metromedizole called Stomogyl. Spiramycin is an antibiotic specific for mouth and gum problems. Pilling Slinky hasn't been easy!

We also learned about a new gum disease. We mentioned in our tooth-brushing post about gingivitis and peridontitis but there is another one, apparently also quite common. It is called ensinophilic gingivitis stomatis, related to lmyphomatic/plasmacytic gingivitis stomatitis. This disease causes a recurring case of what Slinky went through, and requires regular Depredil jabs. Its behaviour is similar to seasonal allergies, not always there but happens regularly in bouts.

We hope Slinky's case is a one off one and not ensinophilic! Will be monitoring her - she has been eating well again, and no longer hurts and yowls when we touch her cheeks. Then we will be resuming tooth-brushing for her to keep gingivitis at bay.

In the meantime, us pet owners go paranoid about it all. So yes, we know what you go through when your own pet gets sick!

Give financially to our cause by depositing to our bank account POSB savings 188-52652-7  
Sponsor a foster kitten's vaccination through our Sponsor-A-LoveKuching-Cat Scheme  
Give food at charity rates through our corporate sponsor The Water Dish 

Pet Photography session with @furryphotos

Nicholas, who is a professional pet photographer from Furry Photos - Photography for the Modern Pet, also does pro bono photo shoots for shelter animals in his spare time to raise awareness for the needs of animal shelters and to promote pet adoption opportunities. One of the shelters he does pro bono work for is Mutts and Mittens - check out his site featuring MnM's adoptable pets. He has also done photographic work for Zeus Communications and Noah's Ark Cares.

We sent word to him that we have a full capacity of 10 foster cats at the moment and thus many kitty-picture opportunities. He visited us last Saturday to take - amazing - photos of the foster cats, and of our own 4 cats who are the founders and helpers of our work at Love Kuching too! Here are some of the pictures Nicholas took that day.

Bob, available for adoption very soon!

Palette, who was still inactive post-vaccination

(As of today, Palette is not drowsy from his vaccination anymore! Also more independent now, will be up for adoption this week!)

Wine & Seven adopted by Fiza, going home this Thursday

Woody, waiting to be adopted

Lana, still waiting for her forever home too

Woody and Lana playing - non-stop kitten action!

4 foster cats didn't want to take part in the photo-shoot - Mary Lou and her 3 babies. She is still so feral! Else all 10 foster cats would have Furry Photos to their name!

Here are our four furry ICs.

Slinky, founding member, ex-stray cat

Sayang, mascot of Love Kuching

Scooter, ex-kitten-IC

Sealy, current kitten-IC

Sealy was happy that proof of his Kitten-IC work was captured on Furry Photos because he kept interrupting the kittens' photo shoots to join in the playing -

Woody playing with Sealy's tail

Nicholas told us he had a great time at our foster home! Thank you Nicholas for taking such great pictures of the cats!

Want to get Furry Photos for a photo-shoot of you and your pets? Create albums, framed pictures and scrapbooks of your beloved furry companions? Furry Photos specialises in location photo shoots at your home where your cat can be most comfortable, outdoor shoots for doggies, or covering special pet events like birthday parties. A basic package starts at $360 for 2 pets, comes with a CD of the photographs taken - email nicholas@furry-photos.com for more information and rates for additional packages. Visit Furry Photos website to see more of their pet portraits. Don't forget to 'Like' Furry Photos on Facebook too!

Our Sealy is growing up!

Our Sealy, the first rescued foster kitten ever we fell in love with and decided to adopt is turning 5 months old in February!

The reason why we love him so is because he is a bit silly, his nickname is Gong-gong which means dumb. He is named Sealy also because of his seal point - his mother is a Burmese cat and his dad a British Shorthair (both his parents were sterilised in our TNRM project at Upper Boon Keng). He's very similar in character thus to our Slinky who is also a cross British Shorthair.

He had a rough patch after his first vaccination. Because he came from Upper Boon Keng, which is flu' ridden, he harboured the flu' virus which came into full force after his vaccination. His flu' persisted for a long time, and he had to go on 2 rounds of antibiotics to get well.

Then he started having diarrhoea that resisted medication. When he went for his second checkup, Dr Hsu told us that Sealy's diarrhoea is probably the chronic kind that will go away on its own after a few months, as long as he is eating fine and active, it will be okay for him. So he is just on probiotics for now.

He is now the new official small-kitten IC in our house, helping to socialise and play with the foster kittens we shelter in our home. Scooter has retired from that post!

He is like our Queen Slinky in so many ways. He hates dirty litter boxes to the core - and both of them retaliate the very idea of a used litterbox very strongly! He had a behavioural problem of pooing on our bed many times, but he no longer does so after much training. He is also extremely greedy. And likes to be alone. Also not very keen on jumping high places. Very Slinky!

He will be going for his sterilisation operation very soon! We can't wait for him to grow up!

It's #Caturday! pics of sleeping cats

Rare moment of our Slinky and @sayangthecat snoozing together -

"Wassup, we be sleeping. Zzz..."

Orion, who is free-roaming the house, has been a good boy! Listens to instructions about house-rules. We grabbed him for an afternoon nap with us -

Orion asleep in our pillows

Dusky also joined us in our room for an afternoon nap -

Dusky asleep in our cat's basket

The rest of the foster kitties Whitey, Sapporo, Kirin and Helga are all asleep too! Have a great Caturday!

dry food review: Addiction Salmon Bleu

Last month our sponsor @thewaterdish donated Addiction products for the foster cats. One of the Addiction cat foods we tried was Addiction Salmon Bleu grain-free kibbles.

A grain-free food means that it contains no unnecessary fillers such as corn which is indigestible for cats.

Here are our thoughts on this brand of food, compared with our own favourites, Solid Gold Indigo Moon which the foster cats are eating, and Taste of the Wild which our own cats are eating. Both brands we know many of you have tried and liked because of our endorsement. Let's see how Addiction Salmon Bleu measures up.

One of the key benefits is that Addiction Salmon Bleu is made of salmon meal and smoked salmon, which provides Omega 3 fatty acids as a nutritional benefit. While Omega 3 is not an AAFCO necessary nutrient, it promotes healthy skin and coat and prevents shedding, thus less hair balls too. We have found that when the cats are on Addiction Salmon Bleu, their coats are shiny. This is good news for those of you who have cats that shed a lot.

Another good point about this food is its kibble shape. It is shaped like a 3-pointed star. Why kibble shape is a good point is that this shape of kibble has more abrasive action when your cat is chewing, which means cleaner teeth. Most cats don't chew their kibbles enough, resulting in puking, or bad teeth. Addiction Salmon Bleu's kibble shape helps in this regard. It is good for mature cats who often regurgitate their food due to a weaker digestive system. It is also good for teething kittens.

We also feel that Addiction Salmon Bleu is very suitable for adult and senior cats because its crude protein level is at 35%, which is a healthy level for seniors, adults and kittens. Kittens should have more protein though, so do supplement their diet with canned food for additional protein.

Taste-wise, we find that the most of the cats prefer the taste of Addiction Salmon Bleu! Unfortunately the cats are now back to their usual diets because we have finished the bag that was donated by The Water Dish.

Here is a video of our cats and the foster kittens trying out Addiction Salmon Bleu for the first time.



Now, what is not so great about this food?

One downside to this food is that it does not have probiotics. It does have natural fibre in the form of berries, but compared to Taste of the Wild which contains 3 strains of healthy digestive bacteria, Addiction Salmon Bleu has none at all. This is also true for Solid Gold Indigo Moon. For young kittens and senior cats, the impact will be that poo may be soft and diarrhoea may occur. Adult cats won't suffer much for the difference unless they have sensitive stomachs. In order to feed this food and make sure that your cats' digestion is well-maintained, we recommend that this food be fed with probiotic supplements. Recommended probiotics supplements include Azmira Acidophilus, Solid Gold Seameal, or Multidophilus from GNC (meant for humans, give half the human dose).

Our other grievance about this food is that it only comes in a 4lb size. Not so good if you are a multiple-cat household like us. This means we are unlikely to switch to this food permanently, save for the occasional treat when we add some to their regular diet for variety, because 4 pounds of kibble won't go very far in our foster home! But some owners do like buying smaller bags for easier storage, and small bags as Addiction Salmon Bleu does comes resealable, which means no need to transfer into air tight containers. We reckon the 4lbs-only quantity is a downside only for those who have more than 2 cats. Or you can choose to buy this food once in a while to add small quantities to your cat's current diet for variety.

In any case, do remember that when changing a food brand, do so very gradually, slowly mixing in the new food in increasing quantities daily. A sudden change, even if it is a good brand of food, will likely cause digestion problems such as diarrhoea.

Addiction grain-free kibbles also comes in a venison formula. (We tried it before, only our picky Sayang loves it!)

we love our cats so we take pictures of them!

Scooter on the highest level of the cat condo, grooming his paws

Slinky in the igloo section of the cat condo's second level, snuggling in there for peace and quiet

A very contented Sayang in Andy's lap while he is at the computer

watch tv together!

Sayang loves laptops, and she also enjoys cuddling up next to me watching my TV shows on my laptop in bed -
Purring in response to the warmth of the laptop and my nearness to her.

socialising your cat at an older age...

...is still possible. It is never too late!

Many cat owners feel that their cat is overly wary of or aggressive towards humans and other animals, and feel that they have somewhat failed to socialise their cat at a younger age.

Granted, cats are stubborn animals especially when they are adults. But can their unfriendly behaviour towards others be changed when they have grown up?

I witnessed the change in Sayang this past year in her response towards humans. At first, when she less than a year old, she hated human children. Many cats do, because they are louder, and smell different. Sayang was so scared of two of my students - her first experience with younger humans - that she hid under the sofa the entire time the visitors stayed at my place. Eventually we got her out and she was shivering as we tried to let the strangers cuddle her.

Now, she is totally different. She approaches younger humans on her own accord, even allowing them to carry her and fawn over her or play with her. She even purrs in response.

The process was simply letting her be and exposing her to the thing she was scared of, slowly. And she is now a cat that is considered 'good with children', even towards younger humans she hardly knows.

Slinky is my first cat, and has been very antisocial towards other cats. But she has improved her outlook towards other cats, though it has taken her time as well just like Sayang did. She is now willing to sit at the dining table on a chair next to the one Scooter rests on, almost touching him, without her recoiling or slapping him like she did when she first met Scooter. When we have foster kittens over, she looks at them less glaringly and no longer gets overly aggro when they approach her.

Some cats are more prone towards being anti-social, for example, cats that have been alone for too long, cats that are ill, and cats that have been handreared from early kittenhood, are all more likely to develop anti-social personalities. If your cat is unwell or undernourished, he is likely to be a grumpy cat. Likewise cats that have been spoilt by their owners because they are the only one, and kittens who grew up getting their way all the time because they were hand-fed milk growing up.

Understanding where your cat is coming from helps you to assess the reasons why for his anti-social behaviour. If health is the issue, treating your cat's health is the foremost important thing to do. When his health improves, so will his personality. If your cat is healthy, then introducing him to strangers - humans and other animals alike - slowly, with positive reinforcement such as treats or affection or gentleness with each introduction - will help him realise that not all strangers are bad.

It is not impossible to change a cat's behaviour towards others even when they are adults. But the important thing is to not expect them to change too much, just them learning to rein in their nastiness a little is good enough for us, it is the way they learn to cope with their environment anyway, to be nasty or hidden from unknown visitors. But It is likely never too late to socialise your cat.

our cats' response to seameal

So I blogged about Solid Gold's Seameal supplement and our order arrived via The Water Dish on Tuesday evening.

We bought the 1lb size, which costs us only $24.50 after discount from our membership's rewards $10 voucher.

It comes in powder form, which you dispense with a teaspoon and mix with a little warm water before adding it to food. I reckon it mixes better with canned food than dry food, which our cats don't enjoy moistened. Which means for us, more canned food for the cats, something they will probably be elated about.

Concerned for Scooter who is still having bad digestion - he keep spitting out the antacid syrup I try to feed him with, though we persist and get scratched by him to keep dosing him with it - he took to the seameal readily, which means good news for his body and for us. Hopefully I won't have to put him through the ordeal of medication for too long since he hates syrups that much. Giving him loperadamide for his diarrhoea is far easier since it is a tablet, I just have to risk getting bitten by him.

So far, I have tried mixing the seameal with Addiction's Hunter Venison Stew (which our cats love, by the way), and today, Nutripe with Chicken. Scooter is eating both happily. Sayang shunned the food with the seameal in it. Slinky eats everything so I guess she has been picking up whatever is not eaten by Scooter.

Here he is, busy chomping away on Nutripe with Seameal -



In any case, will keep on medicating Scooter so he can recover from his digestive issues soon. Combined with seameal I reckon he will recover really soon! Otherwise he has to go to 'that scary place' which he really, really hates going to, shivering and peeing all the way I reckon, I really hope we don't have to put him through that.

Scooter, time for medicine! Else we have to go scary place!

if you are awake before dawn...

Try watching your cat.

Cats are crepuscular animals, that is, active during dawn and dusk. They are not nocturnal as most of us believe. This means that they get hungry and playful during these hours. Cue bells ringing around the house in the wee hours of the morning.

For sunset, it means dinner! And most of us feed our cats at this time.

In the mornings, it also means you have a natural alarm clock. Our Scooter gets hungry as early as at 4 am. So, setting some food aside the night before for them to eat before and after dawn will save you some precious minutes of sleep before work.

I woke up this morning at 5 a.m. for no particular reason. As I sat in my kitchen on my laptop, I realised that Misty and Sayang are playing catching, Scooter is scrounging around playing pounce with whatever he can find, even Slinky is busy raking Andy's slipper with her four paws. I saw Misty finally drink a lot more water than I have ever witnessed during day time. I also realised that she has been misleading me all along into thinking that she doesn't eat dry food on its own - I saw her eating the Indigo Moon kibbles a couple of times from the cats' food bowl. I fed the younger foster kittens an fresh meal, they lapped it up.

The sun has now risen. Suddenly the house is quiet - the catching games, pouncing and raking activities have taken a rest. Misty is drinking water again, after all that play.

Now you know why you wake up to messy mornings with your things all over the house.

solid gold for cat - Indigo Moon

Solid Gold dry food has been very popular with dog owners and now they are poised to conquer the cat owner market too, with their new grain-free range of kibbles for cats. Reputed as a value-for-money brand of food because their large quantities are really affordable, Indigo Moon is possibly the most affordable grain-free dry diet in the market now.

We tried it out recently, with free samples from The Water Dish. Our cats liked it! In fact, putting both Taste of the Wild and Indigo Moon down, Slinky and Scooter went for the Indigo Moon and finished it up before going on to their Taste of the Wild, which has been to date their favourite brand! We couldn't leave enough out for Sayang to do the same 'test' on her, but when I added it to their dinners, they all ate it, so I reckon Sayang the picky eater wouldn't say no to the brand.

The kibbles are small, which makes it good for cats that are prone to vomitting due to not chewing, a common behavioural trait of cats. The ingredients are less sumptuous sounding than Taste of the Wild's smoked salmon and venison, focusing mainly on chicken and fish. Also, it contains potatoes, like brands such as Addiction. The only thing I see lacking in Indigo Moon is lactobacilus bacteria which although is not a requisite supplement as dictated by AAFCO, would have been a nice bonus.

What Andy and I like is the price - at $65.50 for 15lbs (about 6.8kg) which makes it $9.65 per kg. Very affordable indeed! We placed our order for it last night and it is arriving tonight.

if our cats could sing...

So, cats can be stress-relieving, and I am not talking about purring and their furry companionship. I took out my guitar, tuned it and sang a song about them.

It's a spoof of the Eagles song 'Love Will Keep Us Alive', entitled 'Food Will Keep Us Alive', music video staring our cats Slinky, Sayang and Scooter.

I was standing
All alone against the world outside
I was searching
For a place to hide

Lost and hungry
Now you've given me the will to survive
When I'm hungry...your food will keep us alive

Dont you worry
Sometimes you've just gotta let it ride
Your curtains tearing
Right before your eyes
Now Ive found you
Theres no more emptiness inside
When Im hungry...your food will keep us alive

I wont die for you
But I would, climb the highest bookshelf
Human, theres nothing I wouldnt do

I was standing
All alone against the world outside
I were searching
For a place to hide
Lost and hungry
Now youve given me the will to survive
When were hungry...your food will keep us alive
When were hungry...your food will keep us alive

vet visit today for slinky and scooter

It was a heavy lifting day for me, trying to carry my two heaviest cats for a vet visit for their annual checkup and vaccines. Both cats' weights added together totals more than 10kg.

Sayang was undeniably very emo being left alone at home without her cat-family. She refused to talk to us for leaving her alone earlier. We are trying our best now to try to cheer her up. She even ignored us when we try to attract her with her favourite toy. After a lot of coaxing she is finally at least talking to me when I call her.

Anyway after nearly breaking my arm from lifting Slinks and Scoot around in carriers, we got to see our vet Dr. Hsu. Apart from getting their flu' jabs - flu' means herpes and chlamydia viruses, the most common illness group as well as the most contagious in the fosters we care for, hence the jabs extremely necessary - I asked if we needed to deworm the two again after having already put them on Revolution. Revolution doesn't kill one of the intestinal worms, tapeworm, but Dr Hsu said that deworming them from tapeworm wasn't necessary for them because they didn't have the symptoms of tapeworm, and that they were unlikely to get it since they don't share a litter box with the fosters, most of the time. I also asked about their easily-dirty ears, a problem Sayang doesn't have, and doctor said that it was merely ear wax, not mites, especially since being on Revolution ruled that out. I just need to clean their ears more often, especially Scooter's, because he has larger ears. I also asked about Slinky's teeth, since she is older, her teeth need to be checked more. That and she doesn't chew her food. Doctor said her teeth were fine, which was a relief. Slinks is 6 years old, estimate, this year.

I also picked Dr Hsu's brain a bit about feline health. He said that kittens between 4 to 6 weeks of age die easily because they are weaning off mother's milk, and therefore their mother's immunity, so the sicknesses that come to them are sudden, and death can be sudden too. I had mentioned Kelly and Tigi's cases to him. Kelly's death was due to sudden drop in blood sugar level during passing out the worms, and intestinal obstruction from the parasitical worms. Deworming is necessary, but sometimes this kind of death cannot be helped. I also asked about kittens' reactions to flea treatments and whether there are any symptoms that can be watched out for in cases of adverse reactions to flea treatments, something that is often stated on flea treatment labels. Apparently, adverse reactions are rare, and there are no discernible symptoms that can point to a diagnosis of flea-treatment reactions. As for Tigi, he was the one that treated her, and he actually is quite baffled by her case too, just another case of sudden kitten death.

Understandably for us as rescuers and fosters we are daily being stressed by the kittens we care for, they really do fall ill and die so easily. Thankfully the kittens Coffee, Macy, Totty, Layla, Misty and Velvet are old enough not to die on us suddenly. The young ones - the litter of 6 are doing well because they have their mother's milk with them; Pie, Bun and Tabby girl are orphans so I fastidiously watch, medicate and supplement their diets daily. Hopefully we don't have to rush any kittens to Dr Hsu anytime again soon because of suddenly-really-ill kittens.

So after that, we went home, and I fed them some sardines with chicken canned food from Fussie Cat, smelly enough so that they love me again. Sayang is finally now not that angry with me, and is curling up next to me finally assured that she will never be left without her family again. Yes, I think the next time, I will bring all three together - 15kg worth of cat - to the vet.

should I get a second cat? my experience

I got my second cat Sayang when I had kept Slinky for a while. Slinky was already an adult cat when I adopted her, and it had been wonderful having her fluffy companionship. Frustrating at times because Slinky hates hugs, doesn't purr, and scratches us. We had just got to know Aswat at the time, and he told us that if we got a kitten as a second cat, it would go over well with Slinky as compared to adopting another adult. Eventually we took his advice and I brought Sayang home the minute I saw her alone in a pen at Angels, sick.

The kind of cat Slinky is is not uncommon. Many cat owners with one cat say their cat is anti-social, likes to be alone, doesn't get out much, is already an adult. This kind of cat probably likes to lie around, sleep through the day, perhaps play a bit or not at all. Oh, and hates grooming. Sounds like your only cat?

Well, our integration of Sayang with Slinky turned out well. Granted, they are not best of friends - Sayang prefers us humans to anyone in the house, loves Scooter the youngest out of responsibility. We have witnessed them grooming each other before but it is not common, Slinky doesn't really enjoy mutual grooming. They definitely don't sleep together or play together. Slinky's favourite exercise is streaking around the house like a mad cat, Sayang prefers other play-activities.

But having the second (and third cat) in the house definitely provided interest to Slinky's life. She enjoys watching the other two play. Watching, instead of getting in the action, is a British Shorthair characteristic, as is mad streaking (and crazy sleeping positions). They enjoy watching.

We coped with Slinky's unwillingness to share toilets with the new cats by setting up her own. Slinky is a fussy cat when it comes to her toilet. She didn't mind sharing with Sayang, but Scooter was a no-no for her. So we adapted.

In fact, I think Slinky is happier for it when the other cats arrived. We stopped needing her for hugs, which she totally loathes. I give her the attention she wants instead of forcing my own on her - she enjoys a good behind-the-ear scratch but that's it. Oh and being fed, she never says no to that.

I think we might have been a bit too late in adopting the second, but it still worked out. Sayang was about 3-4 months old when we adopted her - not too crazy for Slinky as opposed to the very young under 2 months old kitten.

In short, should you get a second cat? If you can cope with the extra costs (food-wise, not as much since you can buy bigger quantities for lower prices) in terms of veterinary care and sterilisation and the extra attention, the answer is yes. Just take note of these pointers.

• Think of your cat's personality type - is she the playful type or the lounge-around type? Don't get a second cat that clashes too much in their personalities. For example, getting a super playful kitten to accompany your rather-lounge-around cat is probably not the best idea. Get an older kitten that is more independent just like your own cat.
  
• Your cat will still view older kittens as a non-threat. Only adults, especially unsterilised ones, will be considered threats. Any kitten under six months of age are considered safe to adult cats.
  
• Be prepared to set up a new litter tray in case they don't want to share.
• Supervise the first interactions. They will hiss and spit first, then make friends later. When the hissing and slapping stage is over you can allow them to interact on their own.
• If they do end up playing together, it will look violent, but their claws will be sheathed, and that is how they bond.
• It is easier when your cat is not that old yet, the older he gets, the less likely he will start playing like crazy with a new kitten companion.
  

Just be warned, most never stop at two... But giving a new cat a new lease of life off the streets and away from the needle, in your own home, is rewarding. That and it will definitely add to your life and your cat's. Your second cat may never become best of friends and fall in love with each other, cats are guarded that way, you need to be prepared for that. But at least you know that you have done an amazing thing by opening your home to another cat.

today's cat-happenings at our home

Short of posting a live webcam feed to the cats in my house, here are videos of our cats and of our foster cats.

sayang wants to be guest blogger

So I go AFK for a moment and return to see Sayang perched on my laptop -

She has this 'Go away I'm buzeh blogging!' kind of look on her face. Maybe I need to get her on board to guest blog for us since she is already the mascot for Ubi Kuching Project...