new cat litter!!

We are converting the cats permanently to pine pellets for their litter tray, similar to that used for PeeWee which is odourless, biodegradable, flushable.

I am absolutely sold by this cat litter.

It really smells better. I hardly smell cat pee at all. And the pee makes the pellets turn to dust which will then filter down the tray when the cats dig the litter box. This makes the area literally dust free, and the big pellets means no more stray litter all over the kitchen floor!

The best part is, Angels sells it to us cheap, at $34 for 20kg worth (the PeeWee one sells for $55 for 9kg worth), which will last a long time because it does not need to be changed as often, as only the poo and the dust tray needs to be cleared. Superb!!! I love the new cat toilet!

scooter mania

When he is not moving about and trying to attack my phone, I manage to get Scooter-pics!



"I has the big ears..."


"...and the big behind..."

this orange stray cat...

There is one particular stray cat that loiters around Blk 301. She is a mother of at least 3 kittens in that area, one of which is crippled from a car accident. Aswat and Auntie Can want to catch this particular stray because she is suspected to be pregnant already, and any later stage abortion will be dangerous for the cat.

She and her kittens are being fed by the bicycle shop owners in that block. However, when Aswat asked the shop owners to catch this cat (Angels loaned them a carrier), they have refused. This cat had been caught for sterilization once, but the shop auntie wanted to release the cat to feed it, and it ran off. She is extremely shy of human contact, and while she can be fed, she will not be stroked or even approached. We tried again recently, tempting her with food, but 4 of us could not even get a hold of her.

This orange cat is the only stray entire female left in our area. All the other female cats in the area have been neutered. If we manage to catch this one, we will bring in the male cats too (whatever we can catch), at the same time.

Sterilization is a much more humane way of dealing with stray cats, even for those in early pregnancy.

We might have to find a way to sedate the cat humanely, in order to catch her...

non-pet-shop products

There is a whole list of things that we buy outside of pet shops, which work just as well, and are more economical. Here is a laundry list of kitty supplies that can be bought outside pet shops:

• Litter pan liners: These are plastic sheets/bags that can be used to line the bottom of a litter box (with or without a tray). An example is here; this one costs $7 for 12 pieces. We bought ours from SKP Packaging. This one is a 22inch square plastic sheet, the kind that you can find in takeaway tze char boxes. The size fits our PeeWee litter box perfectly. It costs $7.50 for 5pounds worth for this size, which is the biggest. 5pounds of these plastic sheets roughly a few hundred pieces worth.
  
• Wet wipes: Useful for in-between baths, there is a large variety of non-pet wet wipes in the market. I specifically use Pigeon disinfectant wet wipes (blue packaging, 60pieces for $3.50), which is safe for use on baby teethers and toys, which means it's safe for pets when they lick themselves. Plus it kills germs, and is cheaper than the pet store variety, which costs $20.42 for 40 wipes.
  
• Powder: We use powder on our cats sometimes, in between baths, especially when we suspect they might have fleas. For this we buy Prickly Heat powder, which comes in a large can for about $3. Aswat recommended to us as he uses it for his pets.
  
• Cat-friendly plants: We have 2 plants that are not pet store purchases, both of which are from Shop and Save. This one, of which we don't know the name of except that it is not poisonous, costs $6. Pandan costs $0.30 a bunch, here are two bunches shown in a vase, where I am waiting for the roots to sprout before transplanting it into soil.
• Collar jewellery: Well, not jewellery as such, this one is a charm, the kind found on charm bracelets. It comes with a clasp that can be hooked on anything. This one found on Scooter costs only $1.90 in the shape of a letter S from Takashimaya Level 1.
• Collar bells: When a bell comes loose and goes missing, we now know that our local hardware store sells them for only $0.35, instead of $1.50-$2 for the kinds that are usually sold at pet stores.
• Food!: of course, this is pre-prepared food, not like canned food that is easy and balanced in nutrition. However, fresh food can be added to the cats' diet, and is cheaper than canned food. More on that here. Canned tuna costs about $2.20, and minced chicken at $0.89 per 100gm from Giant.
• Toys: these can be virtually free. I make cat toys from things around the house like old socks, unused bolster case strings, cloth, cardboard boxes, bubble tea straws, small plastic bags, rice (to make noise-makers or beanbags), leaves from our plant, hand towels, buttons. All you need is a needle and thread, scotch-tape or glue, and maybe a rubber band or two.
• Bedding and pillows: I use old pillow cases, and stuff them with seat cushions which originally cost me $1.90 each from ValueBuy. Slinky and Sayang both love my handmade pillows and spend lots of time snoozing in their baskets lined with their pillows.
  

Hope this list helps you with economical ideas for your cat!

growth

Scooter has grown by around 5cm since he first came.

It has been 4 weeks; he is now 8 weeks old.

Still almost impossible to get a nice picture of him, because he is always moving. Will try to catch him again when he is asleep!

"I am ending their suffering for them"

There is this "Self-righteous Cat-killer" about.

He keeps rabbits as pets, and catches stray cats to euthanize them in order to "end their suffering".

I feel like telling him, "Give me your rabbits. Let me end their suffering."

I have no problems killing rabbits; they would make good cat food too.

update on kitty grass

Our Marukan kitty grass is growing!

Here it is when we first bought it:


Here it is today, on its 4th day!



I will be planting a second pouch too, it just germinated today. The two pouches will be planted side by side in a rectangular pot and soon, there will be yummy kitty grass! Gambatte!

cats' dry food review - Royal Canin Fit 32

Andy has been busily researching cat foods like a crazy daddy cat. He then shares his reviews with me based on what he reads. Here is a summary of what he has found:

• Royal Canin: has mixed reviews because while it is a good, affordable premium brand of cat food, some say it contains far too much grain. It is true it contains grain, it is among the top 5 ingredients on the list for Fit 32. However, we feel that despite this, our cats need the fibre for a balanced diet. Plus Slinky is especially prone to constipation.
• Innova Evo is the best dry cat food brand in the market, according to reviews. It is especially high in protein.
  
• Natural Balance is the most value-for-money premium canned food brand.
  

Before Royal Canin, when Slinky was still a partially outdoor cat, I used to feed her Aristocats cat food. It is the best low-grade cat food in the market, available even in supermarkets. I converted her to Royal Canin shortly after she became a full-time house cat. <3

We buy our Royal Canin from Angels Pet Shop, at 15kg for $110 after a friendly discount :D. It is truly value-for-money! It however does not come in a resealable bag in the 15kg quantity. While we know Aswat can re-pack the food for us, I would rather save the environment and store the food ourselves in reusable containers.

Even stray cats like Fit 32. When we feed other brands, the cats seem to sniff around instead, as if asking us, "Where's my Royal Canin?" I guess this brand of food passes the taste test. It smells good too, like brown rice.

Except for Sayang, who is picky and will not finish her meal of Royal Canin unless it is supplemented with canned food. But that is just her, finicky cat!

more Manja and Boy!

Manja likes SCRATCH! Meow!



Manja likes to be carried too!



Manja also likes STROKE! Mriaow!



Boy loves his mother... awww...



"Please stroke me!


To visit and adopt Manja and Boy, call Aswat @ 93378211.

manja and boy

Recently a customer of Angels Pet Shop placed her 5 cats there for boarding during her daughter's wedding.

Turns out that, after the wedding, this auntie would be moving to her daughter's place, who is allergic to fur because she has asthma. Her daughter gave in to her mom and allowed her to bring 3 of her 5 cats to stay with them.

The 2 cats left behind are Manja and Boy, a mother and son couple of cross-Persian cats.




Manja, the brown mother cat, is really nice. Shy at first, when she sees us now during our visits she meows hello and wants to be stroked. She loves being scratched all over!

Boy is quieter, and has really nice fur, glossy black on top, brown soft fur on his tummy. He is only 1 year old. He is really gentle.

We visit them every time we go to the shop, and let them out of their pen to roam and play.






Manja and Boy need a new home, preferably together. Do contact us if you know of someone who wants Persian cats!