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

Cat Leaves a Surprise for Us

It was just the beginning of the year when we got a huge surprise from a stray cat who started visiting us a few weeks ago. We think she was abandoned by her previous owner (they moved out). She's a noisy cat and does not shy away from hoomans. She's also friendly to other cats. She's managed to get in our door a couple of times. That's how we figured out that she's domesticated and not part of the feral colony.  

We aptly named the cat, Meredith. Her markings though are different from Grey since she has spots. Soon enough she allowed us to pet her. The other feral cats that have been visiting us for 2 years now, still don't want to be touched. They would just sniff our fingers and then turn away. Anyway, we soon noticed Meredith had a strange bulge. She was pregnant and would meow loudly whenever she visited to eat. 

On the third of January, Sweetie and I stepped out for some errands. When we got back we were surprised to see something red on the garage floor. It didn't have any hair and wasn't breathing anymore. We were not sure whether it was a bird, a mouse or a cat. Took a photo and sent it to a friend studying to be a vet. She said it was definitely a mammal. 

Check the shadow of her mouth.

I mentioned to her about Meredith, the stray cat that had a strange bulge. My friend said she likely experienced dystocia. CCTV footage showed it was indeed Meredith. She gave birth across the street and carried the baby to our garage when she got spooked when our neighbor went out. She left the baby on the floor and then disappeared for a few days. She probably stayed in the house where she usually disappears to after eating.

When Meredith came back she was obviously unwell. We noticed she wasn't eating her usual pellets, so Miggy gave her some wet food. She immediately perked up and moreso when she was given water with some sugar. I remember that's what we used to do for our dogs whenever they were unwell. We didn't bring her to a vet since we're not sure whether she has an owner. 

It's amazing how animals could bounce back so quickly. The next day, Meredith, gave us a gift. Near where she left her baby were two medium-sized rats. Ugh. They stank! She probably brought it in from another property. The boys immediately removed the "gift". Hopefully, she doesn't bring any more "gifts", haha. 

Meredith is well now. My friend mentioned that dystocia is also risky for the mother. I'm glad Meredith made it. Her noisy nature though seems to have scared Kaley away. I haven't seen Kaley for a few days now. Looks like she's friends with Brimsley since she hasn't been chased out. Will try to bring her to the vet soon so she can be spayed. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

How We are Helping a Feral Cat Grow Her Kittens

When we finally noticed that cats frequented our place, the first thing we did was to determine whether they were feral or stray. The video we watched said that stray cats usually look dirty. They are normally domesticated cats that got lost or let go by their hooman. Feral cats, on the other hand, usually look clean because they are independent and take care of themselves. Also, feral cats don't like being touched. 

Since Grey was always visiting us we started to give him some food. He'd just come and go. It's been 9 months since we let him adopt us, but we've never been able to get close to him. The closest he'd come is about 6 inches while we're putting food in his bowl. We think he has some trauma that's why he jumps away whenever we get close. The same is true with Kaley, a calico cat who also visits frequently. 

Brimsley is a younger tabby cat. We first saw her as juvenile last Christmas. She only came back last summer and has made our garage her home. Kaley has been pregnant a few times, but she always disappears when she gives birth. The only time she stuck around for a long time was after my Mom passed away. I think she sensed I needed a companion and stayed outside my craft room for a few weeks. 

The box where Brimsley gave birth.

Anyway, we didn't expect Brimsley would give birth in the garage. She squeezed herself in a box set to be thrown away. She just disappeared and we got worried. Miggy found her inside the box with a white kitten. We scrambled to figure out how to help her. Feral cats generally don't need help though. They know what to do, so we just made sure she had water and food. It took her 3 days to finish giving birth. We think she had 3 kittens, but only two survived. (No idea where she buried the third one).

Friends advised to give her kitten food. Brimsley didn't like it that much so we mixed it with her usual food. We noticed she only ate small portions of her food, so we made sure other cats didn't steal her food. It is true that feral cats would transfer her kittens a couple of times. We prepared other spaces for her to transfer to make sure it was safe for them. So far she transfers every 4 days. 

Adorable kittens.

We think Brimsley is in transition to becoming a domesticated cat. Since she gave birth she's been very malambing with the boys. She's been allowing them to pet her. We think we'll be able to bring her to the vet soon. One concern we had though is fleas. Brimsley and the kittens have been scratching a lot. Ordered some Frontline Plus and Miggy was able to apply on her easily (whew!). It's been a few days and we noticed she isn't scratching that much anymore. The kittens are too small for it, so hopefully the vet can help. 

If ever, Brimsley will be the first cat we'll be able to get spayed and treated. We arranged the laundry area so the kittens won't fall down the stairs. It looks like Brimsley is happy where they are now since she's allowed the kittens to run around the area. They are less wobbly now when they started to walk. Grogu, the grey tabby kitten,  is very curious and tried eating pellets! We got very nervous about it and we put Brimsley's bowl inside a basin so the kitten can't reach it. Also, reduced the water in the bowl so the kittens don't accidentally drown. 

I remember telling the boys a few months ago when Kaley was pregnant that it was up to her whether she'd choose our home to give birth in. I guess God waited for us to be ready and let Brimsley give birth in our garage. She is still a feral cat and that's what we have to respect. We're in love with them though and hope they'll stay. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Sunday Miracles: Kaley Boo the Calico Cat

Yesterday afternoon, Kaley Boo, a stray cat who's been frequenting our home hung out with us for awhile. It was Grey the Cat who introduced her to us last December. By February she was noticeably very pregnant and we panicked at the thought of having more kitties. My doctor had prohibited me from having pets, so having Grey and Kaley was a a good compromise. They only come to eat and they run whenever we come close. They are our socially distant pets, haha. 

My friends who have been rescuing stray cats and dogs advised that we should bring them to the vet to get spayed. We've never dealt with cats since we've only cared for dogs and smaller pets (hamster/fish). Much as we'd like to bring them to the vet, they never come near us and we're scared to try to catch them. The cats also seem to have trauma from humans, so the most they do is hang out to eat. 

A friend advised that stray animals come to you when you need them. Grey and Kaley Boo came when we needed them the most. They allowed us to show them some love by feeding them. We were originally scared about the thought that we might have to care for more kittens, but I realized it will come if it's meant to be. I thought we could get help from friends who are used to rescuing strays and then get them adopted. 

We set up a bed for Kaley Boo to give her a safe space to give birth. Last weekend she was anxious and we knew she was about to give birth. We watched a few videos to understand how best to help her and to know if she would need a vet. She was gone for two days and showed up on Tuesday, visibly thinner. She looked like she didn't finish giving birth yet. She just came and asked to be fed and then left immediately. It was later in the week when she looked like she finished birthing. Unfortunately, we don't know where the kittens are.

Found her yesterday afternoon peering through the glass door. I opened it to greet her and then gave her a treat. Miggy gave her some food and she ate in her usual makalat way, haha. After eating she settled in for a nap and watched me while I planted some spring onions. The highlight of the visit was she slow-blinked me. Cat experts say that a slow blink from a cat means they love you. Awwww. 

Kaley Boo watching me do some gardening. 

We welcomed Grey and Kaley Boo in our home even though they are strays. We protect them when other feral cats try to attack them (yup, have witnessed scary fights!). Much as we'd like to pet them, we respect that they want to stay socially distant. Well, maybe in time they'll feel safe and allow us to pet them. 

#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