Stillborn :'(

17 Days to 50

We were heading to bed last night. Sweetie was doing a last check around the house when he saw a kitten beside the driver door of the car. It wasn't moving. Little Grey probably left it there and hid under the shelf with her other kittens.

Sweetie called Miggy to verify the state of the kitten. It was stillborn. I quickly did some research to understand what to do next. It was already past midnight and no nearby vet would be open. We observed Little Grey, she was okay and even ate a bit. The boys buried the kitten in the garden.

We've been observing Little Grey the whole day. She only comes out to eat. Miggy and I cooked cat food last night, so all the cats could have broth and freshly cooked healthy food. We hope it will help Little Grey recover faster. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Two? Or Three?

18 Days to 50

We are not sure if Little Grey has two or three kittens. She squeezed herself in a Goldilocks roll tray (yes that small!). The tray had some of my gardening tools and we were worried for her.

We knew she was stressed already from giving birth and tending to her newborns. She wouldn't move from the small space, so we made a contraption to feed her. We're also making homemade cat food, so she can have broth.

Miggy and I worked on moving some stuff around where she was. I noticed she kept looking at the gap and realized she dropped one of the kittens. As soon as we removed the umbrellas she immediately went down to look for her kitten. While she was away we took the opportunity to remove the gardening tools and moved the other kitten to the crate.

We left her alone to rearrange the kittens. We thought she'd move them to the crate, but she moved the under the shelf! Arghhh. We re-positioned the box and hopefully she'll use it as a nest. We're just really not so knowledgeable yet with caring for cats.

The kittens look chonky and healthy. We'll let Little Grey adjust as needed. It's been raining and we don't want to scare her since she might bring the kittens to an unsafe space. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Full Time Pawrents: Mando Laura and Grogu's 2nd Birthday

Two years ago today, Brimsley made us full time Parents. Grey brought her to our home a few weeks before we went on a trip to celebrate the birthdays of Sweetie and Miggy.

We named her Brimsley based on a character from Bridgerton because she was quite irritable. Well, we thought she was male! So it was a huge surprise when she went missing and we found her with a newborn kitten. The day after she had another one.

We named the kittens Mando and Grogu because we were watching Mandalorian when they were born. As usual, we made a mistake with Mando's gender, so we added Laura to her name. 

Here's Mando Laura and Grogu's first month:

We haven't been able to go on vacation since Mando Laura and Grogu were born and since then Eevee, Pikachu, Meredith, Bailey and Anakin came. We became full time Parents. We love them dearly and can't leave them alone and it would be too expensive to book them at a hotel. I guess it's God's way of telling us to just stay home for now.

They are now 2 years old

After we missed the opportunity to get Brimsley spayed, we made sure to get her spayed after she gave birth to Eevee and Pikachu. Everyone else have been spayed and neutered too to keep them healthy and avoid adding more to the brood.

It hasn't been easy and we've just been closing our eyes whenever we bring them to the vet, but they bring us so much love and they are our little angels. We pray everyday to be blessed so we can continue to take care of them.

Happy birthday Mando Laura and Grogu. Thank you Brimsley for making us into parents.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Double Cuteness

Pikachu and Grogu ❤️ 

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Eevee and Pikachu Coming Out of Their Shell

Brimsley's second litter, Pikachu and Eevee, are finally coming out of their Shell. They are 19 months old now and are finally interacting better with us.

They both learned from their older brother, Grogu, who loves getting belly rubs and scratches. Pikachu started subtly by brushing against my leg. I would lightly rub her back to her tail whenever she did. She did this for a few weeks and now voluntarily approaches me for scratches especially when Grogu is around.

*Pikachu looks more like Mama Brimsley when she first came to us. Eevee looks like his Papa Grey 🩶 

Eevee, on the other hand, still needs a bit of work. At least he now comes to the garage area to mingle with the other cats. Lately, he's been coming near me and doesn't run away anymore. I think in a few more months he'll be like Pikachu. He accepts rubs when he's seated closely with his elder sibling, Mando Laura. They're both very introverted, but I'm happy they've been exploring the rest of the house lately.

We've learned a lot living and helping raise feral kittens. They can be quite shy, so any progress is something we celebrate at home.

#BeKind #StaySafe

5 Months After

I just realized that it's been five months since the cat distribution system gave us two kittens, Bailey Boo and Anakin.

Bailey came to us originally a week after he was born. His Mama, Kaley Boo, brought him together with 3 other litter mates. They stayed for 3 weeks and then disappeared. Kaley Boo brought the brood elsewhere. We just prayed someone was helping take care of them.

Kaley would still visit us to eat, but towards the end of May, she started bringing a white kitten with her. We knew it was one of her kittens. After two weeks the kitten refused to leave with Kaley and he would hide and ignore his Mama's calls. It took awhile, but eventually he allowed us to pet him. That's thanks to the clingy kitten who just came and stayed.

That kitten is Anakin. He just came inside our gate, kept meowing and refused to leave. We have no idea where he came from and since he became fast friends with Bailey we just let them stay.

We already had Brimsley, her 4 kittens (Mando Laura, Grogu, Eevee and Pikachu) living on our property. Then there was Grey (Papa Cat) and Kaley who'd come just to eat. We knew adding two more kittens was crazy, but they charmed us. How can you resist kittens who were more affectionate? 

Fast forward five months later, Bailey Boo and Anakin have grown a lot. They're both healthy and have been neutered. We love them to bits and refused when someone wanted to adopt them. Nope, sorry, they're part of our family now.

We think the cat distribution system sent them because it's been a month since we last saw Kaley Boo. Grey has been missing too the past two weeks. We hope wherever they are they are being cared for by someone. Hugs to these two cats who brought us the kittens we all love.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Day of Mishaps

The past two days have been a struggle. Yesterday was a day of mishaps. It was stressful and I just want to forget about it.

I've just started taking my meds. Things were delayed because of the mishaps. Luckily, we have our cute fur family to cheer me up. 

Here's Anakin being his super cute self today:

He's such a sweet kitten. Bailey though shows his sweetness very subtly. Since Meredith's been staying on her throne, Bailey has taken over her place on the bench. He sits because me to get extra treats, haha.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Adjusting for the Cats

Eversince feral cats decided to "adopt" us, we realized it required a lot of adjustments. Sweetie recently put together a video showing some things that could get affected in your home (outdoors) when you have cats. Luckily, we only have feral cats and they prefer to be outdoors. They've taken residence in our laundry area. We can't have them indoors because of my health and our home isn't pet (and child) friendly. 

Here's the video:

And here's a list of other things we've had to adjust:

• Garden and plants - biggest adjustment we had to make was with our side garden. It was the best place to grow veggies since it would get morning sun. Unfortunately, the kittens had been sitting on the pots (see photo above). RIP my veggies. I have since removed all my potted plants from the area. We also had to put spikes on the planter to keep the cats from using it as a litter box. 

• Goodbye vertical garden - I really wanted to grow veggies so I had a vertical garden installed. I would find my pots on the ground and soon realized they were using the grids as a ladder to reach the roof. I had it uninstalled last week. 
• Spiked water tank (and washing machine) - since we removed the vertical garden, the kittens have been using the water tank as a jumping board to get to the roof! We're afraid they might damage the pump and the pipes, so Sweetie had to put spikes on top of the water tank to prevent them from going on it. 
• 
  Helmeted faucet - we thought there was a ghost using the water since we hear the water pump working even without any of us using it. The kittens have been jumping on the faucet and have accidentally turned it on many times! Sweetie put a box on it when I was in the hospital, but I suggested to use a water bottle so it's waterproof. It looks like a helmet now, haha. 
• Fortified walls - Kaley Boo had been hanging out on top of our front wall. No harm about it, we thought. Apparently, she scratched off the top of the wall and exposed a pipe. Of course, we're having it fixed. 
• Dressed up car - the cats absolutely love hiding under the car. Good thing we decided to add on a cover for the engine. We wanted to make sure cats/kittens won't be able to hide in the engine area. Well, they like hanging out on top of the car. After some surveillance, we finally saw who was going on top of the car, Meredith and sometimes the Intruder. Sweetie found a cover on Lazada and this has helped keep them away. That's also why I got Meredith a cot, so she can enjoy being on higher ground without having to go on top of the car. 

We love the cats even with the adjustments we had to make. They give us so much joy and love. I just 

remind them to stay out of my pocket garden since they already own the side garden (haha). 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Kaley and Her Kittens Moved Out

Woke up to the sad news that Kaley and her kittens moved out. Sweetie was surprised to see the nest empty early this morning. Gary, one of the workers, said he saw her with the last kitten leaving.

The house was strangely quiet save for the hammering of the tiles. No cute kittens meowing. There was also a lot of leftover food since Kaley didn't eat her share.

 

We know it's normal for Mama cats to move her kittens if she doesn't feel safe. We had a lot of people coming the past few days for house works, so maybe she felt it was time to move. She's a feral cat and they really like hiding.

We miss the kittens already. They gave us two weeks of additional joy. We still have six cats, Brimsley, Mando, Grogu, Eevee, Pikachu and Meredith. I'm sure we'll eventually see Kaley and her kittens again. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

My Garden Shelf was Evicted

We thought Kaley mightove her kittens since Brimsley used to move her kittens every 3 to 4 days. It's been ten days and Kaley hasn't moved the kittens.

For their safety, we removed my garden shelf. Kaley kept the kittens under the shelf and since they're growing bigger everyday we were concerned items on the shelf might fall. I just remembered, Brimsley also used the shelf when it was in the laundry area. 

So today, the boys moved the shelf to the garage for the safety of the kittens and Kaley. We got a new house for Meredith, but decided to use it for the kittens. Meredith didn't like the bigger cat house either and is so far happy sleeping on a mat. 

Have a blessed Holy Wednesday everyone.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Simple Joys

I'm still recovering from the infection and I've been feeling woozy today. I tried fixing our parol, but my body reacted immediately so I'm resting for now.

First thing I wanted to see when we got home were the kittens. They came to the side garden as soon as we parked. I got to peek at them from the barrier and they kept meowing at me. It felt like they were telling me they got worried and they were glad to see me back home. I was worried for them too since we haven't left them alone since they were born. 

My gumamela plant also bloomed a beautiful flower the next day. I had been treating it since mites were taking over. I'm glady efforts paid off because they are recovering now.

Our home is currently very messy. We were in the middle of decorating for Christmas and sorting through some boxes. Fixing things will have to wait for now. Will rest for now :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

An Extraordinary Week

We've been puttering around our house a lot more lately. I got to spend a lot more time gardening and cooking last week. My endurance seems to be improving a bit because of pulmo rehab. I think I'm finally starting to enjoy retirement. There were days though that were not good and I missed my second pulmo rehab session. My Fitbit says though I moved much more this week than last week. 

Achievement unlocked!

Cooked four times in the last 7 days. I don't remember the last time I cooked more than once a week. I told my therapist that I'm usually only able to do one major activity a day. I'm usually too tired after and can't do anything else. If it's a major activity, the next day is normally set for rest. Well, I'm happy with the progress I've made. I really want to be able to prepare our meals, so I'm also studying new recipes. 

Gardening

I got to spend three days gardening last week. Spent two days working on reviving the orchids. Then another day organizing my plants. The kittens have been exploring the garden a lot more, so I had to move the veggies to the pocket garden. Sweetie and Miggy helped me since I had a lot of pots to move. 

Kaley Boo gave Birth!

Kaley grew a lot in the past two weeks. We knew she was due already last week since she had become more lethargic, hungrier and selosa. I posted a short video of her sleeping. She seemed really anxious though, so I felt she was about to give birth. I was right because she went MIA the next day and only came back 3 days after. We have no idea where her kittens are since she only visits us during the day. We think Kaley and the other two calico cats (Cheyenne and Sandra) live two houses away. Hopefully the kittens are okay.

Brimsley was pretty stressed out this week. We came home late twice and she didn't like it since her routine was disrupted. Ahh, the cat has been spoilt, haha. We're usually just around and rarely go out. She was so cross she refused to go to the vet! Only the kittens were able to go and get vaccinated. We'll stay home this week to make it up to her (haha). 

Hopefully things get much better! Just believe and pray!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Brought Brimsley and the Kittens to the Vet

The kittens are now two months old. We wanted to bring them earlier, but Brimsley hasn't weaned them away. We arranged though to bring them now since we're also wary that Brimsley might get pregnant again soon. 

Well, we never had cats before so it was our first time to bring cats to a vet. We watched a couple of videos on how to put them in the crate. We followed Jackson Galaxy's advise. Miggy left the crates in their area for a few days so they identify it as a safe space. It worked and Miggy just put some food inside to get them to go inside. He then covered the crate with a towel so they wouldn't get agitated. 

The boys took care of bringing them to the vet. Brimsley and the kittens were well behaved. The vet and her assistant also handled them well. They weren't fussy at all while they got their shots and treatment. The vet said it was common for her to treat feral cats. 

Brimsley though underwent a blood test to determine if it's safe for her to be spayed. Results show she has liver damage and has very low platelet count. We will have to give her supplements and check again in a month if she can be spayed. The vet also said that Brimsley is still a kitten based on her size. The poor kitten is a teenage mom. That's probably why she stayed with us eversince Grey brought her to us. 

Brimsley Marie

The kittens are healthy. They were just treated for ear mites (also Brimsley). The only other cat they so far interact with is Grey (their father). We'll probably get Grogu spayed before Mando since the vet advised to wait for 5 months (or when she reaches 2 kg). 

Grogu

Mando Laura

So far Brimsley stays with the kittens most of the day. She only steps out to go to the toilet and rarely goes out of the premises. She's very protective of the kittens and she still breastfeeds them even though they've been eating solid food already. Her maternal instincts are very strong and she's very territorial. We closed up the side garden to keep the kittens in. Of course, in time they'll probably reach the gate. By that time we hope they complete their shots and de-worming. 

Brimsley and the kittens are still very much feral. They don't behave like domesticated cats. The most Brimsley and the kittens would do is brush up against your leg, but they'd never voluntarily approach you to be petted. What's important is they know they are safe with us. We hope Brimsley's health would improve so she can be with the kittens until they become independent. We'll take care of them as long as they want us to. 

You can watch the adventures of Grey the Cat and friends on his channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GreythetabbyCat (lots of super cute shorts!).

#BeKind #StaySafe

Someone to Love

I really miss having a pet. Early this year, a friend offered to give me a puppy. The boys though vetoed it since I wasn't stable, our house was being renovated, and it was just not a good time. There were so many things going on and adding a pet was a huge responsibility. 

At that time we were just getting to know Grey. We noticed he slept a lot in the laundry area. He's a feral cat and he'd run away whenever we got close. We started feeding him, but he still kept his distance. He gave us joy just being there. We realized he adopted us and allowed us to feed him. We were just happy to see him everyday and gave him a box with a rug to sleep on. 

Grey

Then came Kaley. We initially shooed her away, but noticed that Grey would allow her to eat his food. Eventually she also adopted us. One day we noticed she was growing bigger. The three of us had no experience caring for the cats, much less a pregnant one. I told the boys back then that if Kaley gave birth within our property then they were meant to be with us. She's now on her third or fourth pregnancy this year and she's always given birth somewhere else. 

Kaley Boo

It was summer when Brimsley came to us. It was Grey who brought her to us. Brimsley was smaller than the other cats, obviously younger. We thought she was a he originally. We eventually noticed she grew bigger over a span of a few weeks. We didn't think much about it since the other cats would come and go. Brimsley though stuck around.

Brimsley Marie

One night in July, Brimsley disappeared. We got worried because of her condition and she hadn't eaten that day. Late in the evening, just before we moved to our bedrooms I heard a kitten like sound. I told Miggy to try to look for Brimsley and he found her inside a box that was going to be discarded. She had squeezed herself in the box to give birth. In 48 hours, she had two kittens. 

Grogu and Mando

The kittens came when we were all ready. I had just finished a medical review. The house was more or less done (no more workers zipping around). We also did not plan any traveling since it's the rainy season. Brimsley, Mando and Grogu have been a source of joy for us. Miggy is their main fur parent. Sweetie takes the morning shift with them. My role has been to spoil them and make sure they always have food. 

I realized the cats started visiting a lot more when Mom went to heaven. I remember Kaley stayed the whole day outside the craft room until I got better. That was the time Brimsley also stuck around permanently. I know realistically I can't be a full time fur parent, my condition doesn't allow me to handle pets directly. I'm happy though since Papa God sent us some cats who adopted us. They came at the right time when we were ready. 

No need to look far for someone to love. They may be just under your nose. <3

Also, happy 109th birthday to my Mama Lola. Have a blast celebrating up there with Mom and Dad and my titos and Titay. 

Happy Sunday everyone. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Grey Grew Up

Grey the Cat we think lived in our property even before we moved in. Almost a year ago, we finally noticed he would sleep in the laundry area. We placed a mat for him and he immediately claimed it for himself. 

It was about a month later when we got some cat food. Left it for him to eat. Sweetie placed a camera to see whether he'd eat it. He was very skittish and jumped away whenever he heard someone coming. It took several more months before he became comfortable with our presence. He'd just hang around whenever we were doing the laundry or do gardening. 

He still keeps his distance from us. The closest I've been to him is 6 inches and that only happens when he's watching me pour some food for him. He has Jedi senses and immediately moves away when he feels someone is trying to pet him. We think he has trauma because the other feral cats aren't as jumpy as him.

I thought about Grey today because I noticed he's grown so much. He is bigger, brawnier and he is more experienced. He fights with Mang Tux a lot since he's very territorial. He keeps away other cats from our home and just allows his girlfriends to hang out (haha). 

Sweetie has been posting videos about the adventures of Grey. We didn't mean to care for a cat, but he managed to wrap his paws around us. He comes and goes as he pleases, but we hope we'd be able to bring him (and his girlfriends) to the vet. You can watch his adventures here.

Grey's the father of Brimsley's kittens. We know because he's the one who brought Brimsley to us. He is the only cat she allows to get near to her kittens. Plus we caught them kissing the other day! Haha. Here's a photo of Mando meeting his/her father (she stepped on him and they both go frightened hahaha). 

Do you have a cat?

#BeKind #StaySafe