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

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

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

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

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

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   

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.