Sunburnt

I stepped out around five in the afternoon to water the plants. It took me longer since I had to water down the rice water Miggy prepared for me. I slathered on Off lotion, but forgot to put sunscreen on. Whoops!

By the time I went back inside, I realized my face and neck were smarting. Sunburn. Ugh. I quickly drank a lot of water and showered. My cheeks are a bit red. Not the kind of Rosy cheeks I want to have.

The cats are also feeling the hot weather. They've been lethargic and prefer to drink a lot than eat. Poor kitties. I've been moving plants so they have more areas to hide from the sun. Some of my plants are getting burnt too, so I'm moving most of them. I'm thinking whether I should install a net to provide more shade. 

Hope and pray the weather doesn't get worse. It was reported today that Los Baños reached 50'C heat index. Yikes!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Is Grey Back?

It's been five months since we last saw Grey. He is the first cat who adopted us. He came with the house when we moved in, so he became part of the family. He was probably still a kitten when we discovered him and from him our cat brood grew to 8.

Well, Grey went on an adventure and we haven't seen him since October last year. I've been telling the cats to tell him to come home.

In the past two weeks, a scraggly kitten who looks like Grey has been visiting. It even has Grey's tail. The tabbies haven't been minding it, but Meredith has been chasing it away. I would just say hello to the kitten whenever it visits.

I was able to take a closer look at the kitten today. It hung around while I was re-potting some of Mom's plants. I really believe he/she is one of Grey's kids. It may even be one of Kaley's. We have no way of confirming, but what we can do is bring it to the vet when we can.

I've been pining for Grey, so maybe he sent us this kitten. :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Found this Little Guy in the Garage

I went out last night to check on the cats and give them some food. I called Grogu since he was outside the gate. As he came in, Sweetie went out and noticed I had so many cats surrounding me. He was helping move the cat plates when he noticed a round green moving object.

It was tiny and he almost stepped on it. We both exclaimed, "Turtle?". I immediately grabbed a pot plate and Sweetie covered the tiny turtle. There were 5 cats milling around and they were already curious, so we had to protect it first.

Finding an exotic animal in our premises is nothing new. Last year's surprise was a hedgehog! Luckily, a neighbor approached us a few hours after looking for their lost cat. We asked if they happen to be looking for a hedgehog. They were looking for their pet for more than two months already and were so glad to be reunited with it.

I pinged a friend for advise and she said to put it in water with rocks. We don't have any turtle stuff, so we made do with a container, new rocks and bits of lettuce.

Baby turtle was so happy when we put it in water. It put itself on the side and it's resting. Maybe it had a huge adventure before finding itself in our garage. I suspect one of the cats probably picked it up somewhere and brought it home. I hope it's not traumatized. We'll figure out what to with it today.

Welcome to our home, Donatello ❤️

#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

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

She Didn't Like the Cat House, Fluffy Bed and Box

Brimsley's family isn't fussy. They so far like everything we provide for them. Meredith though has been very choosy. We got her a house and tried out best for her to go inside. She's been using the furry bed, but not as often as I expected. I guess it's been too hot. She used to have a box with a rug, but she preferred to just lie down on the floor. 

I had been eyeing a cot on Lazada. I was hesitant though since they only had it in wood. Meredith is our biggest cat. The sizes available were too small. I saw one made of steel and big enough to fit puppies. I thought that would work so I got one for Meredith. It soon arrived and it was easy to set-up. 

As usual, I was excited to give it to Meredith. We set it down on the garage where she usually eats. I sat a few feet away from her to observe her reaction. She looked at it. Smelled it. Circled it. Then ignored it. Since nothing happened, we decided to let her be and went inside. 

Few hours later we checked the CCTV. She warmed up to the cot an hour after and stayed on it for almost two hours. I was so happy that she liked it! Friends said that cats like hammocks and staying on elevated places. We see Meredith going on top of the trash can and that's the reason why I've been trying to find her a better bed. I'm glad the cot worked! :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Wellness Wednesdays: A Cat Adopted Us

There are a number of stray cats on our street. We normally encounter two cats prowling in our property, orange and gray cats. The gray cat used to just hang out in the garden or under my car. When I sold my car, it started to sleep in our laundry area. I used to see the orange one often, but I guess it found a new home. 

When we found out that the gray cat has been staying in our laundry area at night, we realized it has moved in permanently in our home, haha. We had 2 cans of cat food which I accidentally bought in Singapore. I was supposed to give it to a cat-parent friend, but his cat passed away. We decided to feed the cat. 

Grey the Cat. Photo by Sweetie.

Since we don't really have pet accessories, we learned new things from taking care of Grey. Apparently you're not supposed to use a deep bowl to feed cats. They don't like it when their whiskers hit stuff. We never had a pet cat, so I asked advise from a friend who rescues cats and dogs. 

I've not allowed to have pets, but Grey has provided us happiness as a family. We just figured out today that he's male. I think he was injured before because his tail looks like it was cut off (poor kitty). He still keeps his distance from us, but at least he doesn't run off anymore when he sees us. He just does a slow walk while staring at us, haha. 

One of his favorite places to hang out

The American Heart Association says that pets help with anxiety and stress. I was devastated when I couldn't accept the chihuahua JD was giving to me. My doctor said no and the boys said no too. It was the right decision since I need to focus on recovering. I wouldn't have been able to take care of it properly. 

Grey coming into our lives has been a good compromise. We've been able to provide it a safe place to stay and provide him some food (we're still figuring out how much food to give him). We're not able to pet him though, maybe that will come when the time is right (it will probably freak out my doctor). I'm happy already I'm able to say hello to him. I also feel safer that he's around because he'll be able to chase away rats and maybe even snakes. 

We'll see where this goes. Grey is welcome in our home as long as he wants to stay. Maybe in time he'll trust us and we can bring him to the vet to have his tail checked. <3

#BeKind #StaySafe

The Basement Cat, a Short, Short Story

Our community has a group that takes care of stray cats. The group was created mainly to help control the stray cat population and make sure they were fed. My neighbors have done a great job and the cats have been living comfortably. 

There's a cute "tortoiseshell patterned" cat who lives in our basement. He/she usually hangs out by the stairs and Miggy said it also likes standing by the elevator acting like a doorman. I'm not sure if it's friendly since it only stares back whenever I greet it. 

I had a chance to take some photos of it yesterday and here's what happened. 

The cat got annoyed when Sweetie joined me in taking photos, haha. It stood up and left in a huff. I haven't been allowed to have pets because of my allergies and it's a lot of work taking care of one. I always had pets growing up and I miss having one. Maybe I'll get some fish next year :)

Update: I just found out that the cat's name is "Charm". Also read that tortoiseshell cats are usually female.

#Home25 #NewG221 #Xmas27 #StayHome #BeKind   

I Wish I had a Puppy

I regularly watch pet vlogs and I can't help but wish I have a puppy. I had to give up the last puppy I had because I got very sick. Her name was Jolly.

Jolly was the cutest dog ever. She was black, but had a white streak on her chest. Her eyes were bluish and she had the most amazing smile. She moved to our neighbor and I visited her every so often. I'm grateful they took her in and loved her for many, many years. I couldn't keep her because my lungs suffered a bit hit after having pneumonia. I was allergic to everything. My Mom decided to put her up for adoption so she can be cared for better. She never forgot me and was always happy to see whenever I visted. She passed away I think around the time I had my heart surgery.

Jolly.

My first dog was named Bullet. I don't remember who named her, but she was a really cute brown askal*. I must have been just 4 or 5 years old when we had her. After Bullet, a cute tiny dog followed us from church. We tried to find her owner, but nobody came from her so we ended up keeping her. I'm not sure if she was a shitzu, but she was small and was a real sweetheart. It took me awhile to recover when Lemon passed away.

I was so affected with Lemon's passing, my Mom did not want me to have another pet. My Dad though got my Mom a super cute parrot. She named her Maggie. She was a darling and would say hello to everyone. I've been watching a pet vlogger who has a parrot and I now realize that we probably did not take care of Maggie properly. We nonetheless loved her a lot.

With Jolly at the park.

Eventually my Ate's boyfriend gave her a Japanese spitz. She was named Cotton. My sister eventually left for the US to take her MBA and I inherited Cotton. I never learned how to train the puppies. It's my Mom who's good at house training the dogs. I don't know how she does it, but they all follower her. I was just a regular kid who played with the dogs and cuddled them regularly. It tooks years after Cotton passed away before I could have another dog. I took in Jolly because I wanted Miggy to learn how to take care of pets. Aside from Jolly we also had hamsters and fish. When I got sick they didn't allow me anymore to have pets.

This is Whisker's (Tappy's cat). He would sit on me whenever I visited them. I now like cats too because of him.

So that's probably the reason why I watch pet vlogs. I still wish I could someday have a pet again. I still believe my lungs would eventually heal and I'd be strong enough to have a pet again. For now I have my plants. I check on them like I would a pet haha. I guess I just need to nurture something constantly (Miggy's far away so the plants will do for now).

What about you? Did you have pets when you were growing up?

CB//107 #StuckAtHomeDay/137 #WFH78  #StayHome #BeKind

Meet Tabby

Meet Tabby, the fat cat. I'm not really sure if Tabby's his name, but it kinda fits because he's so far the healthiest cat I've seen in our neighborhood.

Tabby's my daily companion at home. He usually hangs out on our wall beside the narra tree. I wonder though if he could smell Pork & Beans (my fighting fishes). They're located near the window by the sala. Well, I hope not since I've grown fond of my pets.

I've been wanting to leave some food for Tabby, but hubby says I shouldn't because this would attract more cats to hang out at our place. Maybe I should just do what my Dad does -- leave out some bigas for birds. Our village is after all a bird sanctuary. 

Giving Up Jolly

It's a very sad day for me.

Remember Jolly?

We had to give her up even though we did not want to. She grew so big and we realized that we cannot give her the proper care she needs (regular walks at the very least). I haven't even been able to play with her for the longest time since I've been having daily bouts of asthma. Miguel's out during the day because of class and it really pains us to have her in a cage most of the time (she keeps uprooting my Mom's plants and ransacks everything in site). 

She's now with a family friend, just down the street and we can visit her anytime. But it's not going to be the same. I'll miss hearing her play with her squeaky toy late at night. And I'll also miss hearing her thrash around her bowl (a kaldero since plastic and regular dog bowls only last 3 days with her).

I wasn't even able to hug her before she left. Mom made sure Miguel and I were not home when she was brought to the neighbor =(

Sometimes you just really need to give up someone you love so that they could be happier =( 

A New Bundle of Joy

I've waited for her for quite some time and have been waiting and waiting and waiting. And then my Tito called yesterday to say that we could already pick her up.

Presenting... Jolly!

She's probably thinking about her mom here.

She did a round of "beautiful eyes" and promptly conked out by my door.

Such a sweetheart isn't she? We're off to the vet this weekend.

Thanks to everyone who gave tips via Twitter.

A Puppy, Coming Soon!

I just finally managed to dig deeper into Tappy's blog and read her post, "To all the dogs I've loved before". Awwww!

I feel sad. My pet fighting fish, Beans, jumped out of his bowl yesterday, just like Pork. I arrived late afternoon from the IFEX show and thought the little strip on the floor was a piece of electric tape. Ignored it and only realized it was Beans when I looked at his bowl.

Noooooooo!!!

Sigh.

I was telling Gail a while back that the last time I had a pet was years ago. You see, I get too attached to them and I oftentimes end up mourning for quite a while. The last time I had a dog was about 7 years ago. Hop-hop was Charlie's (Tappy's dog) daughter. We had to "assign" Hophop to our factory in Cavite because she was quite a bundle to take care of and Miguel was still little back then. I haven't seen her for quite a while, but I hear she's got lots of puppies already.

Before Hophop I had Cotton, a japanese spitz. My sister left her to me when she left Manila to take her masters degree in the US. I had Cotton for quite a while, but when she passed away it took a long while for my Mom to convince me to eat again. Get the picture?

I have Patch now, a retarded askal. Funny how my colleagues thought that an askal was a new breed and they all just had to groan when I said an askal is an asong kalye, a streetdog. You see, Pornthip has a poodle, Francisco owns a labrador and I'm not sure if Hanson has a dog too. Anyway, they had a bowl of laughs when I finally revealed that I have a retarded streetdog and not a dog with an exotic breed. So, I don't really play with Patch anymore coz sometimes he forgets who I am and ends up growling at me. Almost bit my hand off a few weeks ago.

Anyway, Gail's supposed to give me a new puppy in a couple of weeks. I'm sure my Mom will hit the roof when she sees him. Gail said that the puppy looks a lot like Sasha's rascal dog, Oscar. I hope the puppy won't be as spunky as Oscar! :p

I am quite nervous about it, but excited to have somebody else (other than Miguel) annoy me. I'm also hoping that Marc's other pregnant hamster doesn't get murdered so I can have one of them too.

Well, the most exciting thing to think about right now is... what should I name my new puppy?

Any ideas?

Meet Pork and Beans

I didn't realize it's been a long while since I had a pet. You see I have this problem of getting too attached to my pets. And when they die (gulp) I end up mourning till I'm literally blue from crying. Oh well, sometimes we just really don't grow up at all.

It's been 4 years since Oscar, my Oscar, died. Snakey, the snake fish, soon followed and my Mom just dumped Johnny, the janitor fish, in the creek behind our house because he was the culprit in Oscar and Snakey's death. I then had Ham and Egg, hamsters, but they got away while I was cleaning their cage and then Pork & Beans, black mollies who fell in the sink in the office (waaaaah!). Sigh. I then tried with Lucky, my fighting fish inspiration behind Luk4, but the janitor overfed him when I went on Christmas vacation. After that I thought it was too much to have a pet. Sigh.

Anyway, since it's been a long time already, I thought it's about time I get another pet. So I'm starting with the basics - 2 fighting fishes! Meet Pork and Beans -
















I guess Pork and Beans wouldn't be intriga at all than displaying someone's photo on my desk.