Friday 30 September 2011

The story of Jebat...

A few days after the Petknode fiasco, we decided to follow the KTAJ's group to round up or rescue stray cats near the Petknode office in view that there were still owners looking for their cats. Although we did not manage to catch any of the cats seen at the area, the main group managed to rescue more that 20 cats that night. KTAJ informed those present that night that we could foster the cats for two weeks giving the owners time to claim their cats before putting them up for adoption. So that is how we ended up bringing Jebat home that night.

Photos of some of the stray cats found on 8 Sept 2011:


Coco on his first night at our house
We were very apprehensive as we have five cats at home, all of them placed indoors. Based on advise from some friends, we quickly cordoned off the drying area behind our kitchen and placed a cage there for him. We named him Coco initially in view of his colouring. We were told that we are to foster him for two weeks and KTAJ will advertise for owners to claim the cats before returning him to KTAJ for adoption.

Since we took him home in the middle of the night, we could only bring him to the vet for a check up the following morning. Thank goodness, apart from a forehead scratch, he was fine. We were advised by the vet to keep him separated from the rest for at least two weeks in view of the potential infection so in the end, we decided to keep him where he was.

Cute Coco
Coco was a very loving cat, he loves to come up to your legs and snuggle. He does not try to run away even though we let him out of the cage whenever we are home so it makes me think that he used to belong to someone who loves him as well. Maybe he is a runaway or maybe not, we will never know as no one came forward to claim him.

Coco lazing on the carpet

Liza and Coco aka Jebat
Two weeks later we contacted KTAJ on the next step in view that no one had come to claim him. We could not join the main group to neuter him so we took him to our vet for neutering.

One of our friends also had indicated interest in adopting him so we asked her to contact KTAJ. Suffice to say, everyone was happy with the arrangements so in the end, after almost 3 weeks with us, with a heavy heart, we had to let him go to his new home. Liza was especially upset as she had grown very attached to Coco.

He is now known as Jebat Hebat or later to be renamed Jebat Bentayan. Thank you Linda for taking care of him. We hope both of you a long and happy relationship.

Handing over of Coco to his new mum, Linda
Goodbye Jebat

Tuesday 27 September 2011

Where to house the cats?

When I first started on this road to feline world, I had all the intention of housing all my male cats in the same room so that they can safely mingle and play around in the room and I have the ease of having everything in one place whereas the two girls were to stay in Sara's room.

When we were renovating our new house, I quickly converted one of the rooms downstairs (which was meant for my mum whenever she comes to visit us - sorry Mummy) into the Cat's room. The room is located next to the dry kitchen and my son's room, both of which are accessible by a glass door. We moved into the new house on 23 July, a day after Putra's birthday. Suffice to say, things did not go as planned so read on.....

The Cat's Room on day 1. Picture taken from the door leading to the dry kitchen looking towards my son's room. The two cages were initially stacked on top of the other but we decided to join them horizontally to give Putra more leg room.

Initially, we placed Putra in the Cat's room during the day so that he can have friends to play with (the other two boys have been neutered) and would bring him up to our bedroom at night to sleep. When we were home, the male cats would be free to roam the house and after a couple of hours, Putra will be brought to my bedroom when the female cats were also let out of Sara's room to play.

Unfortunately, Putra started spraying at a few locations in the house, including on my bed (yikes the smell!!!) so we had cage him in the Cat's room. But, after a few more spraying incidents, we took him to the vet whereby we were told that it could be that he has some issues with the boys. So we decided to separate them and  placed him in our room but still confined to a cage. However, I could not stand seeing him being confined to the cage so after a few days, we placed at our balcony area which thankfully has been closed up with windows.

Putra and Citrus having a supervised date in Putra's room aka balcony area

Pearl who cannot keep still long
Other factors have also affected the our fur-kids sleeping arrangement. Citrus is now staying in our bedroom whereas Pearl has been placed in Putra's cage in the Cat's room. Pearl, our ladylike girl, had to be separated from the two boys as they always seem to bully her (pouncing on her etc). We have not allowed her to be with Putra despite her insisting (loudly and sooo absolute unladylike) that she is ready as she has lost weight again (she is now back to 2.9kg). I find that she tends to eat more if she is caged up so hopefully, at her next calling, she would have gained the necessary 1/2kg weight. She is very active and tends to run all over the place.

Boboy and Dusky do not seem to mind the new arrangement, as long as they get to go out of their room in the evening.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that this arrangement works. :)

Monday 5 September 2011

Pet Boarding Fiasco

After the long Raya break, I was looking forward to going to the office with vigour but on the way to the office on Monday 5 September, I heard over the radio regarding the Petknode fiasco. When I reached the office, I quickly scan the news for more details. I really hope the owners of all the cats affected have taken home their pets and I am sorry for those whose cats have died.

I was there at the Press Conference (PC) later that evening and although most of the cat owners present were in support of the PC and the NGOs involved, there were some whose emotions overcame them and started finger pointing and blaming each other. You can view the PC at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HM1HAxkiGs8

Emotions running high during the Press Conference

Link to more photos

I do not want to be dragged into the fiasco but feel that we need to unite to stop the abuse. So please follow the link and sign up if you feel the same :

http://stopanimalabuse.petfinder.my/

You can also follow the Petknode story at the following links:
For those who can stomach the actual photos during the initial raid at the boarding house, please go to :