Catifying Your Home

We all grew up with dogs in our home, so we didn't have any experience having pet cats. My Mom didn't like cats because they always ruined her plants.

Fast forward to 2022, when we noticed that our new home came with a cat. For a random reason we had brought home two cans of cat food*. We gave to him and soon enough he had a name, Grey.

Word spread fast and we eventually had other cats visiting to eat and the kittens were born! We scrambled to learn how to care for cats and kittens. Here's what we learned:

1. Feed them at specific times and in specific areas. Remove leftovers so it doesn't attract pests. Make sure their drinking water is always fresh.

2. Bring them to the vet for vaccination and deworming. Spay and neuter them. This keeps both you and your cats protected plus you get calmer cats.

3. Designate cat toilets by placing litter boxes. Keep it clean. Don't put it near where they eat.

4. Boxes are the best beds for them. Don't bother with expensive beds, they prefer boxes. You can use mats or old towels as their bedding. Keep it clean.

5. Protect your plants by placing used disposable forks (cleaned of course), so they don't use your plants as a bed or toilet. Keep poisonous plants out of reach from cats.

6. Playtime is important. Just make toys yourself, they'll appreciate it more than expensive toys.

7. Don't cut their nails. They use it to defend themselves.

8. Respect their boundaries. Not all cats like being petted. Let them take the lead.

Everytime I step outside, I call each of our fur babies by name. I ask them to call those who are not around and soon enough they're all present. 

I ♥️ my kitties 😻 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Brimsley Judging Me

I wasn't supposed to re-pot any plants today, but the weather was so good I couldn't help but tinker around a corner I've been meaning to work on for sometime now.

Brimsley accompanied me for awhile and gave me a knowing look. I think she knows once I start working on one plant it quickly multiplies to whatever is beside it, haha. I took a quick snap of her judging me.

I ended up re-potting my nerve plants and putting some in ICU. After that I cleaned up a few more plants and wrestled with the OG Jack the Philodendron. I let it grow like crazy for over a year, so I gave it a mega trim and topped up the soil with fertilizer. 

I probably cut over 20 feet of philodendron. Maybe I should re-pot and sell it? We'll see...

#BeKind #StaySafe

Cat Care

One of the things we budget for annually are the expenses for our 8 cats. They were all sent by the cat distribution system. The cats are well bonded and have been self-regulating. They are a tight community and chase off intruders. They understand that the pawmily has to live within a budget. 

Every year we make sure they are vaccinated, get anti-rabies, and dewormed (2x a year). We also put anti-flea/tick meds. Each cat has their own "passport" provided by the vet. We're working on getting everyone through the annual requirements and started today with Eevee and Grogu. 

Mama Brimsley Marie

It's not as easy as it looks. Our cats are feral and only semi-domesticated. They live outdoors and sleep on cots, boxes and cat trees we provided for them. They prefer the boxes though, so we change them often since they like scratching it over scratching posts (better than scratching the wheels of our car!). 

Meredith (Photo by Sweetie)

Should we transfer, we'll bring them with us. We'll probably work on enclosing them within our property since we're afraid they might run away and try to go back to our old place. That's going to take time though, so we'll see. We love our fur babies and try to provide what's best for them. 

We did have a huge unexpected spend last year when Grogu got hospitalized for a few weeks. He had a huge wound (dunno where he got it). We almost lost him and had him confined until the wound got better. He has fully recovered and is actually heavier than Eevee now. 

I can't imagine life without our fur babies. I always pray they will all be healthy and live long lives :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Grogu's "You Haven't Fed Me Look"

Our cats are most probably overfed, but everytime we step out to check on them they give us a look like they're starving. Haha.

And here's Grogu today giving me that look when I stepped out to water the plants. He only moved when he heard his furdad step out with the container of food.

After having a quick bite, Grogu followed me in the garden and guarded me while I went around watering the plants. If he's not around, Bailey takes his place and waits for me to move to the garage. Then they all disappear and play outside, haha.

I really want imagine my life now without our cats. I'm very sensitive when I see them not their usual self or when they have a wound. Miggy is in-charge of applying wound spray, if needed, and contacting the vet. I'm just glad they've all been healthy <3

Happy Friday!

#BeKind #StaySafe

The Box We Can Never Retire

A year ago, I had a brilliant idea. I wanted to make a house for our cats. I got a box and carved out a hole in it. I was planning to paint the sides, but they all scrambled to use it.

The loved it, but ignored the opening. Some tried to stay inside, but they all preferred to lounge on top of the box. 

The cats loves napping on it. They also loved to scratch the top of the box after napping. Eventually, the box started to cave in. We were worried a cat would fall inside the box. We would just add a new cover and did that again today.

Meredith, who was hogging the stool immediately transferred to the box when I added a new cover. She lay there the whole time I was re-potting some plants. It feels nice to have a companion while puttering around my gardening area.

Happy weekend everyone!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Braved the Stairs

I managed to brave the stairs after spending a whole day upstairs. I slept the whole day and just felt I needed to rest more. Six nights at the hospital and then falling down the stairs was just too much for my fragile body. The good news is my surgery got postponed. Pulmo rehab is also on hold until I'm better. 

I'm pushing myself to move hourly to make sure the bruises don't develop into scary blood clots! I'm on blood thinners, but that will only work with movement and lots of fluids. I don't want to have another PE. The boys are watching me like a hawk to make sure I don't have another mishap, hehe.

My motivation to conquer the stairs today was to see Little Grey and August the kitten. There were originally two kittens, August and Ten. They were born on August 10. Their name was supposed to be Marvin Augusten, hehe. Little Grey lost the calico kitten, huhu, so there's just the tabby one. It's complete name will still be Marvin Augusten and I'm calling it August for now. 

August's 10th day

Little Grey finally put the kitten in the nest we prepared for her in the pocket garden. They are well protected from the rain and won't be bothered by other cats. The kitten will also be protected from other possible predators and can quietly grow up here. The boys are preparing another nest in case Little Grey wants to move again. In a few weeks we'll bring both of them to the vet. 

As for my leg, I'm following doctors orders to use warm compress to increase blood flow. My hematologist also told me to eat iron rich food so I can produce more RBC. That will also help break up any clots. 

Missing my other cats and my plants. I hope I'll be more mobile soon!

#BeKind #StaySaffe

Grogu is Home!

After six long weeks at the vet, Grogu is home! His wound was deep and long, so it took a long time to heal.

He meowed like crazy from the vet and during the drive home. He quieted down once we released him in the backyard. He took tentative steps first and smelled everything. His twin, Mando Laura, watched him from behind the palm tree. 

Miggy followed Grogu around to make sure he'd adjust properly. Luckily, the whole pawmily welcomed him back with open arms. He slept in his usual space. We were afraid he might run away since he's still an outdoor cat, but after a short trip outside he soon came back.

We noticed that Grogu is more affectionate now. He was exposed to more people while at the vet, so we're getting extra leg rubs from him and Anakin all day. 

I'm really happy he's home now! There's still a small part of his wound that's still healing, but it's more manageable now. We'll bust out the cat condo soon!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Anakin's First Year Clip Compilation

I finally managed to sit down and make Anakin's first year clip compilation. We think it was Grey who brought him in and at that time he was probably about 2 months old. Grey was probably his father and he probably thought he'd survive if he lived with us.

Surprisingly, Anakin never left. He became fast friends with Bailey. Meredith, who lost her babies due to dystocia, immediately took care of Anakin. She took care of cleaning him and teaching him the ropes of how to be a cat. I think Anakin gave her peace since she couldn't have kittens anymore. She still babies Anakin until now.

Here's the video:

https://youtu.be/R8ULzx1CZ7g?si=Sp8mbamkmOMilAMC

Anakin brought us a lot of joy. He's the most affectionate among all our fur babies. We've never seen him fight with anyone, but he's very protective and hangs out with me whenever I putter around the garden. 

Ahh, I can't imagine not having Anakin around. I named him Anakin because he was really dark when we first saw him. Eventually, his beautiful markings started to show. No idea who his mother is and some have said he probably has some breeded blood. Whatever it is he is well loved and part of our pawmily.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Anakin's First Gotcha Day

Three hundred sixty six days ago, we found a black kitten traipsing around our garage. It noisily demanded us to feed it. 

Our first reaction was to find someone to adopt it, but the kitten proved to be the most affectionate. Luckily, no one volunteered to adopt him. I named him Anakin because of his color. 

From the first time we saw him, he never left. We suspect it was Grey who brought him to us. By then, Bailey also decided not to go with his Mama Kaley whenever she left. Anakin and Bailey became fast friends. They became besties and would play all day.

We made sure Anakin was vaccinated and neutered. He's always in the mood to play and would be very affectionate during meal time. We always have a hard time reeling him in whenever we need to leave. He never wants us to go out, haha. 

He made us worry one time when his eye was accidentally scratched by Bailey. We immediately brought him to the vet. Good thing the wound didn't affect his eyesight and it eventually recovered after a month of daily eye drops. 

Anakin, the youngest of our pawmily. Happy first Gotcha day with us. We love you forever!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Grogu Escaped!

The vet messaged us this morning to let us know Grogu Escaped while she was checking his wound. He ran around the clinic, but they eventually caught him. Unfortunately, his wound opened again, so they had to stitch him up again.

We were supposed to visit him yesterday, but our doctor appointment went overtime and the clinic was closed by the time we finished. We immediately visited him today.

Grogu was at the back of the cage. He started meowing when he saw us. The vet said he's been quiet for a few days now. He was probably still a bit groggy, but he pushed himself to the front of the cage to get close to us. I had him smell my fingers and he allowed me to scratch his head. He eventually quieted down.

The vet said he'd only eat at night, but he drank water and ate a little while I was talking to him. The vet was surprised that he started to eat. We should probably visit him everyday, so he'll recover faster. I'll ask the boys if we can visit him tomorrow. He has to be reassured that he's coming back to us and that he's not been abandoned.

When we got home, I had the cats smell my hand. They've been anxious also since Grogu has been missing. I keep telling them he's just recovering and will be home soon. Most affected is Pikachu since they're besties. Mando Laura, his twin, has also been looking for him. 

It's best for Grogu to stay at the vet until his wound heals. He's a busybody and was jumping around and it kept affecting the wound. We hope we can bring him home by Sunday.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Grogu Update

Grogu had surgery at around 11 this morning. It was a simple surgery to close the wound. By afternoon he had fully recovered from the anesthesia and was ready to eat.

The vet will keep him for a few more days to make sure the wound heals. We won't be able to make him stay in one place and knowing Grogu, he'll also remove his cone. He's an outdoor cat and loves to roam around, so at best we make sure he's vaccinated and dewormed. 

Can't wait to have him back!

#BeKind #StaySafe

My Boys

Our boys have been taking turns patrolling the front gate. A delivery rider even said, "Gwardya ah," referring to Bailey who was hanging out on the wall beside the pedestrian gate. They take turns and sometimes there's two who watch over the gate.

In the afternoons, they also take turns watching me water the plants. This afternoon it was Eevee who hang out while I was busy gardening. Bailey and Anakin passed by too. The girls check on me, but they leave whenever I'm waving the hose around.

I haven't gone out for a few weeks now, so my life has been about cats, gardening and sorting Mom's stuff. I haven't even quilted. My doctors said I shouldn't get sick, so limiting outings for now. My kitty cats have been keepinge company whenever I go out to do gardening. Love them so much!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Surprising Cats

Have you ever seen your cat drop its jaw and have eyes as big as saucers? Both Sweetie and I did today. 

I was seated on my desk when Sweetie said a cat was about to pass by behind me. I parted the curtain and saw Grogu beside the plant box. I immediately opened the door and said hello. He was so surprised to see me come out from a place where I usually don't appear. His eyes were so big and his jaw dropped. He was so surprised, hahaha. 

We surprised Pikachu and Grogu today, haha.

The same thing happened this morning when Sweetie saw Pikachu resting on the firewall. He opened the window to say hello and she was so shocked to see him. I guess our cats are so used to seeing us in specific areas, they get surprised when we suddenly appear in other areas of the house. 

I played with the cats and gave them some treats when I stepped out. It's been awhile since I played with them in that area. They were still kittens the last time I played with them in the side garden. We usually play in the garage or the pocket garden upstairs. I had been avoiding the area because of the ongoing construction beside us. Now that most of their work is done, it's safer for me to visit them again in the area. 

Thank God and the cat distribution system for sending us our babies.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Double Cuteness

Pikachu and Grogu ❤️ 

#BeKind #StaySafe

She Gave Us a Scare

When I woke up, Sweetie told me he didn't see Meredith all morning. That was really strange since she usually hangs out all day. She also only goes out if we open the gate.

I got really scared. A few months ago she refused to come home and would stay at neighbors garages. She would only come if we called her to eat. She eventually came back when we bribed her with treats. I didn't want that to happen since she got sick when she moved out.

I checked the CCTV and saw she went out just before 5 in the morning. It was a full 12 hours since she left, so I was really worried. I asked Bailey, Anakin, Pikachu and Grogu to tell her to come home if they saw her. 

It was almost 5 in the afternoon and I finished watering the plants. I was about to go back inside when Meredith suddenly came inside. I felt so relieved when she came straight to me and rubbed herself against my leg. I guess she was relieved too. We immediately gave all the cats some wet food. 

I'm really glad Meredith came back. I saw a lot of posts the past few days about missing pets and that's probably why I got paranoid. I hope we'll be able to keep the cats happy :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Vet Day: Eye Check and Vaccination

The boys brought Anakin and Grogu today to the vet. Anakin's eye had pus the past few days. We were worried that he had another infection. He ha his left eye closed all week. We've been gently wiping away the pus. Grogu has been randomly coughing. Miggy finally got an appointment for them today.

The vet said, Anakin either got in a fight or scratched himself. She looked in his eye and saw the scratch. Poor baby. He was given eye drops and antibiotic to help heal the eye. We hope it will heal properly and go back to normal like Bailey (his Mama Kaley scratched him when he was a kitten). 

Grogu, on the other hand, is fine. The vet said it's likely hairball causing him the cough randomly. I've witnessed it twice in the last few weeks ans it's scary. Vet said to just observe for now. His vaccination was also updated.

Anakin and Grogu also got micro-chipped. You can have this done either at the Paranaque Veterinary Center or at a accredited vet. Our vet just did it and they both now have microchips. We'll do this for the rest of our cat family too.

Oh, and both Anakin and Grogu gained weight. Anakin is now 3.2 kg. Grogu at 3.25 kg. They're both very active and so far not getting chonky unlike the others, hehe 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Happy 1st Meredith

Meredith first visited us a year ago. She looked like she was someone's pet since she didn't look like any of the regular feral cats that visit us. She wasn't really friendly and didn't come back until the end of December.

By the time she came back, she was visibly pregnant and looking for food. The tabbies were also very territorial and chased her away. By January she came back, left two fetuses in the garage and left. Few days later she came back looking very sick. None of our neighbors responded to us when we asked if anyone lost a cat.

She wasn't eating solid food, so we gave her some broth. She perked up, became affectionate and never left. We figured out she was abandoned by the neighbor who moved out. And that's how she became part of our pawmily.

We brought her to the vet and she's been spayed. She's now a chonky cat, sometimes sweet, oftentimes maldita. She's the princess among the tabbies. She gets extra scratches since she has the softest fur among everyone. Just be sure to pull your hand out immediately since she might nip you. 

We love you Meredith! Happy first year with us! ❤️

#BeKind #StaySafe

My Afternoon Companions

Every afternoon my cats accompany me while I water the plants. They greet me and ask for belly rubs. When I get busy with the plants they wrestle or run around. Sometimes I get surprised when they do zoomies and brush against my leg as they pass by.

This afternoon, Meredith sat beside me after I finish watering the tea tree plant. I sat on the top step beside her and just hung out. The weather has changed and it's pleasant to stay outdoors towards sunset. I'm glad the old Meredith is back. She became aloof for awhile and even moved out. She came back when she realized no one else is going to feed her. I guess she now understands that they are one huge cat family and we love all of them just the same.

I went out again late evening to check on the cats. They were all napping, but soon woke up when they heard me. Anakin was missing. We heard him running on the garage roof and wanted help to get down. Last time that happened he jumped ten feet to the ground. Good thing he wasn't injured. This time his paw daddy held a box for him to go down. He still fell, but managed to land properly. 

His body was stuck in a plastic bag. We suspect it came from the construction site beside us. We immediately removed it and checked if he was okay. The handle of the plastic was pretty tight. Good thing I checked on the cats and saw what happened.

I love our cat family, all 8 of them and I'm grateful Papa God sent them our way.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Hello Eevee

Mama Brimsley finally weaned her kittens last month after she was confined. We were very worried about her when she got home because she wouldn't eat. Miggy had to chase her around to get her to eat and drink some water. Eventually she started eating again, but started staying in the garage. She chose to stay in the original spot where we first saw her. 

We noticed she stopped visiting the laundry area where she used to stay with her kittens. She would hiss at the kittens whenever they approached her. It's been a month and she still doesn't interact with her kittens. It's like she's forgotten about them and she prefers to be solitary. She hangs out with Meredith, but I don't see them interacting. At least she doesn't hiss at Meredith anymore. 

Eevee. Photo by Sweetie

When we changed the polycarbonate that used to divide the garage and side garden to a gate. The kittens started to explore outside their usual area. Brimsley used to prohibit them from going over the divider. Without Mama, the kittens became more adventurous. Well, except Mando. The most she does is go on top of the gate and watch her siblings. She only comes out when I open the gate. 

It's Grogu who's been leading his siblings in exploring. We're a bit worried now because Pikachu and Eeven haven't been spayed/neutered. The Intruder has been courting Pikachu. We hope she doesn't get pregnant before we get her spayed. She needs to gain a bit more weight before she can be spayed. So far, she's been running away from the Intruder. We'll ask the vet if she can be spayed sooner than later. 

Eevee has so far just been mimicking what his Kuya Grogu does. He allows us to pet him if Grogu is around. He usually hangs around the sliding door wherever we are. It's like we have a guard dog, haha. We hope he'll be a bit more socialized soon. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Mama Cat Brimsley is Sick

She went MIA for a day. We know cats do that sometimes. We started to worry when she wasn't back the next day. Sweetie eventually found her hiding behind the water tank. With Miggy they managed to get her to come out by giving her a treat. 

While waiting for an available schedule with the vet, Miggy fed her by hand. She ate very little. Luckily, Miggy got a schedule and they brought Brimsely to the vet today. She had a 40.2'C fever and was dehydrated. Blood test results showed she had an infection. The vet still needs to do additional tests to determine the type of infection.

We left Brimsley with the vet. She'll do additional tests and they will put an IV for meds and nutrition. She hasn't been going out of their area, but we saw her the other day go out. She must've eaten something outside. The vet noted that her stomach is also bloated. 

I hope she'll be better soon. Her kittens eagerly await her homecoming. 

#BeKind #StaySafe