Katz And Other Tales

Katz Tales by Ellen Whyte Book front cover image

Logomania by Ellen Whyte Book front cover image

I have two new books out! Click on the images above for free sneak peeks.

Tuesday, March 02, 2010

COT Cat Wrestling!

It's boiling hot in Malaysia - some 38C and sticky to boot. Nasty. The cats spend most of their time floating upside down underneath the fans, but at night they're wrestling.

Pity we missed the cat-o-lympics!

For more cats, check out Gattina's Cats on Tuesday.

If you want to keep in touch with updates, here are some simple ways:
Subscribe to Katz Tales in a reader
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Labels: Au, Cats On Tuesday, target

posted by katztales @ 7:55 AM (20) comments links to this post | 20 comments

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

COT: Naughty Cat Club Kitties

Au and Target have been wild all day. They're jumping up and down on the table, the sofa and the bed. They're squealing their way up and down the stairs. They are wrestling on their rug, and on the sofa. They are WILD!

The laundry that was on the bed is now scattered on the floor. The papers that were on my desk are also on the floor. Oh, and the rug that was in the hall is now in my office.

Au and Target are living up to their reputation as members of the Naughty Kitty Club!

For more cats, naughty and nice!, check out Gattina who hosts Cats on Tuesday.

If you want to keep in touch with updates, here are some simple ways:
Subscribe to Katz Tales in a reader
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Labels: Au, Cats On Tuesday, target

posted by katztales @ 8:36 AM (29) comments links to this post | 29 comments

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

COT Au Is Comfy

It's hot. In fact, it's darn hot.

It's too hot for cats to walk about on the pavement without burning their toes.

It's too hot for cats to go walkabout on the roof.

It's too hot for cats even to lie in bed!

So Au has taken over the dining room table. He's dragged the fruit bowl out of the way, kicked a box of chocolates to the side, piled the newspaper clippings into a comfy stack, and is now flumped right underneath the fan.

Au knows how to get comfortable.

If you want to keep in touch with updates, here are some simple ways:
Subscribe to Katz Tales in a reader
Follow Au on Twitter

For more cats, check out Gattina who hosts Cats on Tuesday.

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Labels: Au, Cats On Tuesday

posted by katztales @ 8:22 AM (17) comments links to this post | 17 comments

Friday, January 22, 2010

Au Speaks Out: Me An De Fur Brain

Wot did i say back in nohvembur? i sed i will blog wunse for sharon becos she is always very respektful. Wunse, i sed. an here we are, wif me blogging again!

de feemale survunt begged an begged an begged an i sed NO but then she sed dat if i doo, she will make me somefin special. i am thinking ros chikkun or maybee ros beef.

my subjekt today is targut, my fur friend house mate.

targut kame to live wif us abowt 2 years ago. my fur friend scoop, may he rest in peece with bowls of chikkun everywhere always, had past away an i was sad. de feemale playd wif me lots and so did de male but i mist my fur friend. so den won day de feemale goes owt and koms bak with dis big kage an dis little kat. it waz targut.

at furst targut hisst at me. he hisst at me in my own howse! dis shows how stoopid he is. but den he sed sorree an now we are gud frends.

targut is my frend but let me tell yoo privatlee: targut is a fur brain. he has no sense at all. honust. i kan pruv dis.

1. targut invites oddur katz into owr gardun.
2. targut shares owr biskuts wif de kats akross de street.
3. targut is skared of noisus, even soft ones like falling leafs.

targut is also klumsee. two munfs ago he dislohkateud his paw. now he is bettur he is brayking stuff. at krismus he smasht a watur glass. last week he jumpt on de taybul an smashed de feemale survunt's favourite tea mug. an today he almost smasht a plate onlee de survunt kaught it. sumtimes she is kwik like a kat. espeseeally when she gifs me medicine... but dat's anodder storee....

aldough targut is a fur brain he is furry good

at begging. you kan see us in de piktshures, singing at de male survunt to hurree up an are eating owt of de biskut barrel. i am de wun wif de handsome white tummee.

targut is good at begging becos he says MEEP insted of MEOW most times. de hoomans think dis is kute. so wen i want ekstra treets an dey say NO BECOS YOO ATE JUS 5 MINOOTES AGO i get targut to say MEEP? an den dey usually gif in.

dis is kalled peepul managemunt. allso fur brain managemunt.

dis is de end of my post. now i want my treet.

Live in Malaysia and want to win cool cat prizes? Check out the Katz Tales competition! If you want to keep in touch with updates, here are some simple ways:
Subscribe to Katz Tales in a reader
Subscribe to Katz Tales by Email
Follow Au on Twitter
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Labels: Au, Au speaks out, target

posted by katztales @ 8:30 AM (13) comments links to this post | 13 comments

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

COT Naughty Cats!

Au and Target are proud members of the Naughty Kitty Club. They may seem like purrfectly sweet fluffs, but they do have their evil moments.

Au's #1 Naughty No No is to wake us up at 6AM to say he's hungry - even if one of us fed him at 545AM! Au just wants us to get up.

I'm immune but the other slave gets up, goes downstairs, and ends up starting his working before 7AM. Au of course is back in bed by this time.

Target's #1 Naughty No No is sticking his claws into the sofa. He doesn't claw the sofa because that would be too evil.

Instead, he lies on his back, snoozing. When he hears his name though, he wakens up, and begins to purr loudly. At the same time he paddles his paws, sticking out his claws. And of course, some of these end up in the cushions.

If you have a naughty kitty, check out Amy's Naughty Kitty Club, and drop us a note with the blog post!

If you are in Malaysia, don't forget that there is still time to put in your entry for the Weekender Star Katz Tales competition. Check this post for entry guidelines. Remember, participants must live in Malaysia.

For more cats, check out Gattina who hosts Cats on Tuesday.

If you want to keep in touch with updates, here are some simple ways:
Subscribe to Katz Tales in a reader
Subscribe to Katz Tales by Email
Follow Au on Twitter
Follow Ellen on Facebook.

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Labels: Au, Cats On Tuesday, target

posted by katztales @ 8:41 AM (25) comments links to this post | 25 comments

Friday, January 08, 2010

Repost Friday: Racing, Chasing Kitties

This post was originally put up on Friday, 29th September 2006.

Racing Chasing Kitties

It's been a wild morning. Scoop and Au have been chasing each other up and down the stairs, and round and round Au's cardboard box. As it was before 8AM, the earliest hour I'm willing to get up voluntarily, I pretended to be fast asleep. They took no notice of this, and happily wrestled all over the bed when it suited their game.

N

ow that I'm up and ready to start work, our two fuzzies are sitting on the roof of the Beetle, using the height advantage this gives them to keep an eye on our neighbour 2 doors down who is tending his flowers, and Sam next door who's doing interesting things to his car.

If I have to come back, I want to be a cat in my next life. One who lives in a house like ours....

PS this is an old pic of Scoop having a quiet dinner with Au. Au was about 3 months old when this was taken.

Scoop passed away two years ago and I still miss him. Sometimes I think I catch a glimpse of him from the corner of my eye, or that I hear his loud meow in the middle of the night. Scoop was a wonderful person - and an excellent cat!

If you are in Malaysia, don't forget that there is still time to put in your entry for the Weekender Star Katz Tales competition.

As published in The Star last week, check the last post for entry guidelines.

Remember, participants must live in Malaysia.

If you want to keep in touch with updates, here are some simple ways:
Subscribe to Katz Tales in a reader
Subscribe to Katz Tales by Email
Follow Au on Twitter
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Labels: Au, repost Friday, scoop

posted by katztales @ 4:51 AM (13) comments links to this post | 13 comments

Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Katz Tales Competition

Scoop, our old kitty who lived with us for some 12 years, passed away 2 years ago - after a fun filled luxury life that many cats would envy!

Scoop lived in Kuching in Sarawak as well as Malacca and Kajang and Subang Jaya in West Malaysia. He traveled on on aeroplane - and had the man at the airport weigh him twice because he couldn't believe how fat Scoop was! And Scoop made friends wherever he went.

Here he is, snoozing in front of the bedroom window on his favourite box and towel.

A year or so after he passed away, Sook Yeng who was one of the organisers of the Dogathon, sent me a gift for a pet rock made by Suzi Chua, a popular Pet Artist in Malaysia. And here he is! Isn't he glorious?

Suzi is one of the most talented people I know. She really captures pet characters, be it on rock or canvas. So I'm really chuffed to tell you that the 3 lucky people in Malaysia who win first prize at The Star Weekender newspaper this month will be getting one of their pets painted on a pet rock by Suzi.

Winners will also get free copies of Tales, the book, and yummy scrummy pet treats from Addiction. Au's fave are the salmon crunchies. In fact, they are the only shop bought treats he's really fond of. Target also likes the herring and fish crunchies.

Finally, the publishers are throwing in a nice extra in the shape of a discount!

All you have to do is enter the Weekender Star Katz Tales competition. I'm afraid it's for people in Malaysia only. If Tales is ever out in Europe and North America, I'll hold another contest.

As published in Feline Fixation this week in The Star, these are the entry guidelines:

Katz Tales Weekender Star Contest

Katz Tales: Under The Velvet Paw is authored by Weekender’s Ellen Whyte and is based on her column Katz Tales in The Star.

Katz Tales: Living Under The Velvet Paw is available in all major bookshops. The retail price is RM28. If you answer these three questions correctly, you may be one of the lucky winners to win a free copy of Katz Tales: Living Under The Velvet Paw and other fabulous prizes!

All you have to do is answer these questions:
1. Who is older: Target or Au?
2. Who was called Mr Snizzles as a kitten: Target or Au?
3. Who has a white tummy: Target or Au?

Also, Complete the slogan in less than 20 words:

I like Katz Tales because . . . . .

Please include your full name, address, telephone number and email address.

Entries may be emailed to katztales@lepak.com or posted to Katz Tales c/o Marshall Cavendish (M) Sdn Bhd, Bangunan Times Publishing, Lot 46, Subang Hi-Tech Industrial Park, Batu Tiga, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor.

Participants must live in Malaysia.

There are 3 first prizes:
· 1 copy of Katz Tales: Living Under The Velvet Paw
· 1 rock painting of your pet by Malaysia’s pet artist Suzi Chua
· Cat treats from Addiction
· A 35% discount voucher for any Marshall Cavendish titles under General & Reference Publishing

And 3 second prizes:
· 1 copy of Katz Tales: Living Under The Velvet Paw
· Cat treats from Addiction
· A 35% discount voucher for any Marshall Cavendish titles under General & Reference Publishing

The closing date is Friday 29 January 2010. Winners will be announced in Weekender on Saturday 6 February 2010.

If you want to keep in touch with updates, here are some simple ways:
Subscribe to Katz Tales in a reader
Subscribe to Katz Tales by Email
Follow Au on Twitter
Follow Ellen on Facebook

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Labels: Au, scoop, target

posted by katztales @ 1:06 AM (16) comments links to this post | 16 comments

Friday, January 01, 2010

Friday Repost: Hooray for Science

Happy New Year, everyone! May 2010 bring you peace, prosperity, happiness, health, love and luck.

Katz Tales will be out in the print version of The Star, Weekender tomorrow. Buy it to read the latest about Au and Target. There's also a surprise for Tales readers tomorrow... You needn't ask! I'm not saying a word! You'll have to wait and see.... (addition on Saturday: check it out here online)

In honour of our Friday Repost, here is something from Thursday, 24th August 2006. I remember it as though it were yesterday.

Hooray For Science

It's official: Scoop and Au had picked up some fleas. What's amazing is that they were flealess on Friday, and had a bath with anti flea shampoo on Saturday. They must have picked them up on Sunday night or Monday. Me, I blame the Cat With The Dirty Face. Or possibly the black girls at the back.

Good news is that it took less than 5 minutes to rid our fuzzies of those pesky fleas. I rushed over to our local vet, and picked up a bottle of Frontline. This stuff is amazing. You just spray your cat under the pawpits, rub it in, and the liquid penetrates the skin and repels fleas and other pests for 5 weeks.

We used to import supplies of Frontline from Australia ourselves as it wasn't sold in Malaysia. And when we ran out of it a few months ago, I started with the old fashioned controls of flea soap and daily grooming to look for trouble. If I had only popped into the vet to check, I would have known that this miracle spray is now being sold here!

Anyway, my fuzzies are perfectly clean again - but they're not talking to me. After the bath and the spraying, Scoop looks at me as though I'm a devil and Au gives me a theatrical hiss. I've told them it was for their own good, but they're not buying it.

PS the picture from Wikimedia Commons is an engraving of a flea from Robert Hooke's 1665 Micrographia, funded by the Royal Society. Wikipedia says cat fleas are "Probably the most abundant and widespread flea in the world".

If you want to keep in touch with updates, here are some simple ways:
Subscribe to Katz Tales in a reader
Subscribe to Katz Tales by Email
Follow Au on Twitter
Follow Ellen on Facebook.

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Labels: Au, repost Friday, scoop

posted by katztales @ 4:14 AM (9) comments links to this post | 9 comments

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

COT Feline Christmas Feast

Instead of turkey we opted for Christmas beef this year. It was a winner!

Target and Au start their Christmas lunch at racing speed.

Au pauses to appreciate the Christmas beef; a fatal error.

Target finishes first and spots Au still has some food left.

Target has elbowed Au out of the way and is eating the last bit.

Double-checking to make sure all the food is gone.

Food coma!

For more cats, check out Gattina who hosts Cats on Tuesday.

If you want to keep in touch with updates, here are some simple ways:
Subscribe to Katz Tales in a reader
Subscribe to Katz Tales by Email
Follow Au on Twitter

Follow Ellen on Facebook.

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Labels: Au, Cats On Tuesday, target

posted by katztales @ 9:03 AM (22) comments links to this post | 22 comments

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Au Speaks Out: How To Trayn Yor Hooman Survants

As Au's language is too sophisticated for some audiences, he allows his personal servant Ellen Whyte to write the columns and the book in her own way. However, as Ellen has been invited to the NTV7 Breakfast Show today that runs from 830AM to 10AM, (you can see it online here now) Au has agreed very graciously to type his own message…

Helo reederz. i dont do intervoows ewesualee but aftur my big suksess Au Reveals All my feemale survant begged an begged an begged so i sed OK as long as yoo make me a hole rost chikkin. i am a verry kind kat. i no i spoil hur.

Although i am now famus bekuz of the feemale writing storees abowt me al the time, i live a very simpel life. i haf onlee two survants: the male and the feemale. Dey serve me 5 or 6 meels a day plus a few simpel snaks like ham or cheez wen i wan sumfing spesial.

I sleep on the sofa or on the bed or on the rug. Yoo kan see me sleeping in the pikchure. My onlee luksury is that i haf 3 kardbord bokses of my own. One upstairs, one downstairs and a small garden boks.

Although i like the simpel life, i heer that sum katz kannot get even one proper devoted survant. i haf herd of katz hoo DON EVEN GET MEELS SERVED ON DEMAND!!!

So tooday i want to share with thos poor katz sum tips on how to trayn yor hooman.

In this furst lesson we will diskuss how to get yor hooman survants to feed yoo wen yoo want it, not wen dey feel like it.

Hoomans ar stoopid so be payshunt. i dont believe in ewsing the klaw bekos it's kruel. Hoomans kant help not having brainz like katz. Insted, ewes purrs to enkourage dem wenever dey get sumthing rite.

Keep it simpel. Start during the day wen yor survant is awake. A good time is wen dey ar kwiatlee watching TV or reeding a buk.

First, rub an ankel to get attenshun, then look up, purr loudlee, say meow follow me, and take a step towards the kitshun where the big white boks with the food is.

Wen yoo start to walk to the kitshun, look behind yoo to make sure the hooman is following. If yor survant dusn't get the message, go bak and start again. Meow and purr until dey look yoo in the eye. Think food thots at them.

Yoo kan also be kunning. Purr nicelee. This will make dem want to stroke yor soft beeowtiful fur. Wen dey reech for yoo, step a little bit away. Wen dey half stand up to touch yoo, meow loudlee in praise, purr again, and take another step away. Always move towards the kitshun.

Yor hooman will then say sumthing stoopid like, what do yoo want then littel fuzz? Dont hiss at dem in temper! Remember, hoomans ar not klever like katz. Just meow payshuntlee, purr to enkourage, and walk dem firmlee to the kitshun.

Once yoo haf yor hooman in the kitshun, tap the big white boks where the food is with yor paw. Yor hooman will say, do yoo want sum food then? Again, dont hiss sarkastiklee. Dont klaw dem in frustrayshun. Praise yor hooman with purrs and meows for getting the messsage. Remember: yor survant kan't help being slow.

Important poynt: wen the survant puts down the bowl of food, remember to reeward dem. Rub an ankel and purr loudlee. This is not a waste of time but forwurd thinking: the better yor survant feels abowt dooing this simpel task, the eesier it is to get dem to repeet it.

Once yor hooman is trayned to get up and feed yoo during sun time, yoo kan start dem on dark time.

Hoomans ar funny abowt dere sleep. Start by wakening dem an hour before dey ewsuallee get up. Jump up in the bed, and follow the rooteen. Be payshunt but firm! Purr dem awake and then meow dem owt of bed.

If dey hide under the pillow, insert a paw and tikkel dare nose.
If dey kover dare face with dare arms, give dem friendlee enkouraging hedbutts.
If dey hide under the blankett, walk up and down onn dem.

A badlee trayned survant may throw a pillow at yoo. That's OK. Just stand round the korner of the bedrum door and meow from a posishun of safety till dey get up. Then reward yor grumpy hooman with ekstra purrs.

Yoo kan get bak at dem later for the pillow by waking dem at 1AM, 2AM and 3AM the nekst night, demanding food and then not eeting it.

I sed don ewse the klaw. I didnt say yoo shud spoil dem!

Katz Tales, Living Under The Velvet Paw is out in bookshops now. Price RM28 ISBN: 978-967-3035-64-9. For a free sneak peak and free sample story, visit http://www.lepak.com/katztalesbook.html

Au says, "buy the buk! Not only is it filed with wunnerful stories al abowt me but 10% of the feemale's share wil go to help owt kitties hoo ar living withowt the benefit of pershunal servants."

If you want to keep in touch with Katz Tales updates, here are some simple ways:

Subscribe to Katz Tales in a reader

Subscribe to Katz Tales by Email

Follow KatzTalesTweets on Twitter

Follow Ellen on Facebook.

For more cats, check out Gattina who hosts Cats on Tuesday.

Labels: Au, Au speaks out, Cats On Tuesday

posted by katztales @ 2:37 AM (19) comments links to this post | 19 comments

Friday, December 11, 2009

Friday Repost Get What You Want: Cat Style

I've been invited to the NTV7 Breakfast Show on Tuesday, 15th December at about 9AM to talk about Katz Tales: Living Under The Velvet Paw. If you're in Malaysia, please tune in. If you're not, you can catch it on the NTV7 web site on the Breakfast Show Page the next day. I'm soooooo excited!

As I'll be busy on Tuesday, I have convinced Au to speak once more. After his debut on Sharon's Bibliobibuli site with Au Reveals All, His Royal Catness will hold forth on How To Train Yoor Hooman.

This Friday repost from Thursday, June 15, 2006, is rather appropriate as it's Get What You Want: Cat Style. Enjoy and see you Tuesday!

As any ailurophile will tell you, living with cats is a truly humbling experience. Cats are the epitome of sensible living. They never, ever overeat and make themselves ill - even at Christmas.

But that's not all. Cats who enjoy human company, find themselves a family they like, move in and live a life of luxury only enjoyed by multimillionaires. They command the most comfortable spots for snoozing, regular meals supplemented with delicious titbits, twice daily massages and recreation on demand.

This black cat by Theophile Alexandre Steinlen painted in 1896 is clearly making a demand for service!

One question is: how do they do it? Better still: how can we live life as comfortably as cats do? According to Joseph Wood Krutch, literary naturalist, the answer is simple, "Cats seem to go on the principle that it never does any harm to ask for what you want."

When cats want something they consider is due to them, such as breakfast, lunch, dinner, supper, cuddles or a fresh bowl of cool water, they will ask for it with the loud RAH-OW!!

Au demands his bowl of kitty crunchies to be filled up regardless of time of day, if he feels the level is too low. He's dragged me out of bed time and time again at 4AM without the slightest hesitation.

But when a cat is asking for a special favour, the approach is quite different: they turns begging into an artform. Purring vigorously a cat wanting a favour will caress your ankles and pose in the most appealing attitudes until you give in.

When Au decides he needs a treat, he specialises is a sweet look, a loud purr and the most affecting pose of starvation - even if he's just had a huge bowl of biscuits. I know it's a con but it works 99% of the time.

Cats really have it sussed; I'm going to try their methods for a week and see if it works for us non-cat people too. Fingers crossed!

PS the black cat is courtesy of Wiki Commons.

If you want to keep in touch with updates, here are some simple ways:

Subscribe to Katz Tales in a reader

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Follow KatzTalesTweets on Twitter

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Labels: Au

posted by katztales @ 1:58 AM (6) comments links to this post | 6 comments

Friday, December 04, 2009

Repost Friday: How The Tabby Got It's "M"

We're trying to make sure the feed works properly. It seems to be fine with the usual feedburners and Blogger is also showing the update but if it's not working for you, can you drop me a comment and tell me what you're using? THANKS!

Subscribe To Katz Tales in a reader

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Follow me on Twitter as KatzTalesTweets, on Facebook or on the Katz Tales Blog.

Katz Tales is out in the print version of The Star, Weekender tomorrow. It's all about Target, his accident, and how Au is making capital out of the situation.

And now, it's Repost Friday - cos I'm too busy to write something new! This one appeared on 20th May 2006. Hope that you all haven't seen it before...

How The Tabby Got It's "M"

There are lots of cat legends, but while talking in the pub the other night (Kusar Cabana in SS15!) I heard one that's new to me the other day on how the tabby cat got it's "M", the typically have dark markings on their foreheads.

Christian legends say the Virgin Mary marked the tabby with an M for Maria as thanks for warming the baby Jesus in the cold stable at Bethlehem, while Muslim legends say the Prophet Mohammed bestowed the mark as thanks for a timely warning from his pet cat Muezza that a poisonous snake had crawled into his coat sleeve.

Photo taken by Bernard Landgraf; courtesy of WikiCommons http://commons.wikimedia.org

Many of the jungle cats, such as tigers, cheetahs, and ocelots also have the M marking. Wonder who was brave enough to pet those big kitties!

This tiger was snapped by Bernard Landgraf; the Ocelot was taken by someone working for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Both pictures are in the public domain. Source: WikiCommons

Labels: Au, katz tales, target

posted by katztales @ 4:10 AM (1) comments links to this post | 1 comments

Tuesday, December 01, 2009

Dirty Little Secret

I'm checking why some of you don't get my update. Hope to have it fixed SOON!

I was invited to talk about my book Katz Tales: Living Under The Velvet Paw on BFM radio yesterday. I wrote a special Tale for it, so for those of you who didn't catch the show, here it is...

Dirty Little Secret

A few weeks ago I went out to a party across town. Usually I'm out early and back early but this was an exception: my taxi pulled up outside our gate just after midnight.

As I paid the driver, I saw Au sitting bolt upright on the garden wall. His ramrod back and half flat ears were clear signs of our senior fuzz's disapproval. When I opened the door, Au gave me a hard look and shouted, "MEE-OW!" The taxi driver turned to me and said, "You're late! Oh man, are you in trouble! When's your curfew?" Then, this man who had been morose and silent during the entire journey, talked enthusiastically and charmingly about his two cats.

We could have chatted for hours but as Au's censure was patently clear, we shook hands, exchanged cards and agreed that the next time I needed a taxi, I'd give my new pal a ring.

The thing is, we love to talk about our pets. Cat lovers can talk for hours about how little Smokey can't stand tuna anymore and has developed a passion for turkey, or how Snow fell into a storm drain and had submit to a bath afterwards.

For the cat lover every detail of every catty story is fascinating, wonderful, inspiring, appealing. This pathology is so well-known it has an official name: we are the ailurophiles.

However, as other people become rapidly bored with cat chat, we have to be careful not to introduce our furry friends into the conversation. And that's a tough proposition because for people like us, cats are part of our family.

When cats move in with you, they take over your life. For one thing, cats are very social creatures. They take a very close interest in everything you do, which makes them wonderful companions.

Better still, they are very intelligent companions. Cats have strong likes and dislikes, and they are not shy about making their opinions public. It's great if they approve, but if they don't you've got a problem. When you live with a cat, you are living with an equal. If there's conflict, you and your cat have to negotiate mutually agreeable terms.

And that's the cat lovers dirty little secret. Dog lovers, rabbit connoisseurs, guinea pig fans, and other pet people who are used to animal companions that obey rather than pets who command think that cat lovers are a little bit nuts. As a consequence, we cat people tend to keep quiet about certain compromises we make. In fact, some of us go to extraordinary lengths to spare ourselves public embarrassment.

One very senior executive (let's agree to call him Hairul, it's not his real name but it will spare his blushes) pretended to have out-of-office meetings, doctor's appointments, and even car trouble, rather than confess to his secretary that he wanted to be home by 6 at night because his wife was away and he was worried the two cats were lonely.

Another pal, (we'll call her Grace) told her family she had subscribed to Animal Planet because she wanted to improve her general knowledge, rather than tell them that she had signed up because her cat likes watching wildlife documentaries.

Then there's John who learned to cook so that his cat Chloe could have boiled fish and roast chicken with her biscuits; Lesley who moved apartments because her cat Bottles needed more floor space; and Wati, Evelyn, Lim and Faisal who call home every day when they are outstation so they can talk to their cats.

Recent American and European studies show that cats are becoming more popular than Man's Best Friend, the dog, so hopefully in a few years time we cat crazy folk can come out of the closet and talk openly about our obsession. But until then, we have to draw a discreet veil over our foibles - or make assignations with likeminded folk when we want to blow off steam.

Me, I'm lucky because I get to indulge my passion by writing the Katz Tales column for The Star. Because of that, I've met lots of fellow feline fans who blog, Facebook or Tweet.

But my favourite time is the Cat Girls Breakfast, where half a dozen of us meet up for thosai, roti canni, and catty talk.

We can really let ourselves go at these gatherings because the café owner is also a cat fan. He doesn't mind when Cathy meows to show us how Cosmo's voice is different from his sister Ling's; when Sharlene imitates the way Ginger's whiskers twitch when he's having a spot of his favourite type of yoghurt; or when Faridah hisses to show us how her very senior fluff Chichi chastises Puddles the kitten.

He didn't even turn a hair when I described how our brave senior cat Au had chased off Yow

Yow, the big street cat bully of the neighbourhood who was threatening our little Target, and enacted the story complete with hisses, yowls, growls, yargles and paw waving.

Mind you, I have noticed other customers giving us wary sidelong glances. And some of the waiters seem to be avoiding us. Clearly they think we're crazy, but I know we are the lucky ones: we live with cats!

Katz Tales is published every first Saturday in the print version of The Star, Weekender section. The book, Katz Tales: Living Under The Velvet Paw is available in bookshops and online. Check out free previews by clicking on the picture.

Labels: Au

posted by katztales @ 7:50 AM (14) comments links to this post | 14 comments

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Au is happy

Au is an indoor kitty as Target has a sore paw but our senior fuzz quite likes being indoors.

First of all, it's monsoon. Au doesn't like wet paws. And secondly, he enjoys being given extra treats in compensation.

Here he is, hanging out.

Check out more

by visiting Gattina.

Labels: Au

posted by katztales @ 5:45 AM (18) comments links to this post | 18 comments

Friday, November 06, 2009

Au speaks as guest blogger on Bibliobuli

While Target and I rushed to Kuantan for emergency help, Au was holding court. He guest blogged at Bibliobuli, Malaysia's most popular and best known book blog. Of course, Au talked all about himself.

Helo reederz. i dont do intervoows ewesualy but as Sharon sends homidge often i haf graceeousli agreed to tak two yoo. And too tipe it myself. There is no need to fank me; just send a rost chikkin.

Sharon aksed me to shair my eksperiences as a faymus kat. Wel, what kan i say? i have always been a top kat so i am used to kontinual adorasyun."

For the rest of Au's post, visit Bibliobuli

Labels: Au, Au speaks out

posted by katztales @ 7:49 AM (4) comments links to this post | 4 comments

Thursday, November 05, 2009

Target Getting Better

Thank you for the purrs and the prayers. I was touched that friends said prayers in church, the mosque, Buddhist and Hindu temples, and also thought for us, and otherwise petitioned the universe on Target's behalf. IT WORKED! Target is whole and fine again.

As it turned out, Target had a dislocated paw. The elbow bone had come out of its socket completely. Our vet was away, so we visited another vet - one who has an xray machine.

Dr Vijay of Healing Rooms was great. He was kind to Target, diagnosed the problem, and told us it was so bad, we'd need a specialist.

The local specialist was abroad, so we traveled 300 km to Kuantan to visit Dr Puah at the East Coast Medical Centre. He examined Target, knocked him out and managed to fix it without an operation.

Target was an angel throughout the whole thing. His paw is a the proper angle although a little swollen. He's now recovering in bed.

Thing is, Target has to be an indoor cat for the next 6 weeks. He is not allowed to jump up and bash himself about. So this means Au is housebound too. This is how Au looked when we told him the bad news.

More about sore paws and travels with Target on Friday. In the meantime, here are the guys that Target owes his paw too....

East Coast Medical Centre A615, Ground Floor, Jalan Beserah, 25300 Kuantan, Tel: 09 568 7168, 013-349 3920, Fax: 09 568 7168

Healing Rooms Vet Clinic, Lot 29,Ground floor,Wisma Dicor,Jln SS17/1A,SS17 Subang Jaya,47500 Petaling Jaya,Selangor. Tel:03-5637 6166

Labels: Au, target

posted by katztales @ 7:15 AM (16) comments links to this post | 16 comments

Friday, October 23, 2009

Kitty Collapso

Au has been running around all night. He was guarding the gate last night when we went to bed, sitting bolt upright on the garden wall like a miniature soldier.

When I looked out of the window at about 3AM he was still there. I know he had a biscuit break just before dawn (because the little so-and-so woke me up for it!) and then he was back outside.

I have no idea what was going on, but as we passed a peaceful night, I guess our senior cat took care of whatever potential trouble was out there. Maybe more firecrackers???

Anyhow, he is now crashed out on the sofa with all four paws in the air, too tired to even open his eyes. I'm squizzling him just to say hello, and to get back at him in a subtle way for making me give him breakfast at dawn.

Yes, living with cats has put an evil streak in me too.

Please note: Dog Talk is out tomorrow in the print version of Weekender in The Star, the Malaysian national daily. It's all about grooming and how a bad haircut can threaten your dog's health.

As an extra, here are some great videos with great basic grooming tips.

How To Groom Your Dog

How To Groom Your Dog

How to Deal with Bathroom Breaks while Grooming Your Dog

Labels: Au

posted by katztales @ 6:43 AM (13) comments links to this post | 13 comments

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Toctober Au

In honour of Toctober, here is a view of Au's bottom. As you can see, he is a very prosperous cat.

I'm deadlining today so this is a short one. Long post on Friday, and Dog Talk will be out in Weekender, The Star, this Saturday. Print version only so you have to buy it!

Pelf will be saving turtles with a blogathon where she and her friends will post once per hour beginning at 9pm on Oct 25th, for 24 hours. Check it out, here.

Labels: Au

posted by katztales @ 9:00 AM (23) comments links to this post | 23 comments

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

COT Food From Heaven

I dropped a bag of cat biscuits the other day in the kitchen. Au was disgusted and stalked off. He likes his kitty crunchies in a bowl.

But Target thought that throwing biscuits all over the flood was a brilliant idea. Tail up, he hoovered up a vast amount in just a few minutes. And he was actually disappointed when I helped gather up the rest!

We're back from our break and ready to go but we've got tonnes of email! So this is a short one and we'll be back on Friday with a Formerly Feral post. We'll visit you all in the next day or so.

For more kitties, visit Gattina.

Labels: Au, Cats On Tuesday, target

posted by katztales @ 7:01 AM (24) comments links to this post | 24 comments

Friday, September 11, 2009

Feral Friday Au's Tale

So many of us cat fans in the blogosphere have rescued strays, that I thought it would be nice to tell some stories of how our kitties found their way to our homes. Today is Au's turn.

Au looks a rough and tough man-cat now but when he first moved in with us, he was a tiny little scaredy cat.

Au had a nasty start in life; his first family wrapped him in an oily rag and some plastics bags, then threw him out of a moving car. Our friend saw the bag move, picked it up, and gave Au to us.

It took Au some days to get over the fright. He wouldn't eat or drink. Then he became brave enough to venture out from under my T-shirt and from Tom's lap. He took one look at Scoop, our big cat from Kuching, and decided he liked the big cat.

Here is baby Au having one of his first meals in our home with his big pal Scoop standing next to him.

Scoop passed away two years ago but we still miss him. He was a wonderful person. Next week, I'll dig out some old pics of Scoop and tell you how he was a real street cat who joined our home.

If you've got a rescued fuzz in your home, drop a note in the comments box and join in a Feral Friday?

Labels: Au, scoop

posted by katztales @ 1:41 AM (21) comments links to this post | 21 comments

Tuesday, September 08, 2009

COT Cat Stand-Off

For the last two days Au and Target have been out all night and asleep for most of the day. But when it's twilight, our two fuzzies battle each other to see who is king cat.

Good times!

Happy Cats on Tuesday. We're posting a long post on Friday with a feral cats theme to honour kitties like Au and Target who are rescued strays. Join us?

For more kitties, check out Gattina or the friends listed in the menu on the left.

Labels: Au, target

posted by katztales @ 6:11 AM (28) comments links to this post | 28 comments

Friday, September 04, 2009

Snoozle-Bug Fluffs

The monsoon started last week. It's been raining every day which is great as all the fires the farmers set to burn down the forests in Indonesia and Malaysia have been doused. We saw the morning sun for the first time last week in ages!

The cats are quite enjoying the rain.

Au takes it in turn to snooze in his downstairs and upstairs boxes. His outside box got drenched and has to be replaced. His majesty's ears were set back with displeasure when he realised this morning I haven't been able to set up a new one yet so I'd better hop to it tomorrow.

Target decided he wants to be a bed pig. He spent all of yesterday in bed and has been in bed since 6AM today. When I walk in, he wakens, shows me his tummy, and yawns luxuriously. I call him my little snoozle bug fluff while I pet him, both of which he adores. It's just as well nobody can see or hear us; it could kill a diabetic.

One good thing though is that as Target has no intention of getting up, I have no intention of making the bed. Now we're both winners!

Katz Tales is out in the print version of The Star tomorrow. Check it out and read all about Tam's visit to the vet, and a new cat I meet called Za who is up for adoption.

Za (pictured left) is cute, lively, very friendly and looking for a good home. She's staying with Naemah who was Target's foster mum. If you are in Malaysia and want to adopt her, buy tomorrow's newspaper for details.

Ee Lynn is also looking for a home for three adorable kittens nicknamed the Mouseketeers. Check them out at her blog.

If you're looking for dogs, check out these pages: one and two.

In the meantime, here are some great resources about cat inoculations:

Suite 101 cat vaccinations

Wikipedia's cat vaccinations

Labels: Au, katz tales, target

posted by katztales @ 7:22 AM (17) comments links to this post | 17 comments

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

COT food for thought

Au is a picky eater, something I think he learned from me. Unfortunately, the cat food he likes can be hard to find. To ensure a constant supply, I ordered 5 boxes from the manufacturer. We now have some 300 packs of cat food in the house.

Here is Au, sitting on top of the stash and looking rather militant. Even though he's rolling in the stuff, he still thinks he has to guard it. Target teases him by sitting on top of the boxes that are now parked in the store room.

Cats! I love the fact that they are sooooo wicked!

I also wanted to say...

Katz Tales will be out this Saturday in the print version of The Star, the Malaysian national daily.

To all of you who complain to me that they can't get their cat and dog fix every week anymore I would like to say I'm really grateful you like my work. I love writing my pet stories and it's really good to know so many of you do too. THANKS!

Cutting back on publications was not my idea. The Star made cuts at the start of the recession. This means that Katz Tales is only out on the 1st Saturday of the month while Dog Talk is out on the 3rd Saturday of the month. Sorry, it's beyond my control.

If you want to complain about this change, send a note to the editor so she can forward it to her bosses! You can find her at weekend@thestar.com.my.

If you want your regular cat and dog fix, there is this blog. And as Cathy has persuaded me to write on Tuesdays and Fridays instead of just Tuesdays, there are now more updates than before. I'd write more, but as I write for a living I will only do so if I can get a blog sponsor. So far that hasn't happened.

Good news is that my book Katz Tales: Living Under The Velvet Paw is ready to be distributed. It will be in all major bookshops about 8 weeks from now. I'll announce when you can buy it via the column and here. I'm donating 10% of what I make to Friends Furry Farm and will use the rest to deal with the stray cat tribe in my back lane.

That's it for today. See you Friday! For more fuzzies visit Gattina.

Labels: Au, Cats On Tuesday

posted by katztales @ 1:21 AM (32) comments links to this post | 32 comments

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Au's New Box

Anyone who knows Au knows how passionate he is about his box. his upstairs box has been a fixture all the years we've lived here. Recently Au acquired an outside or garden box too.

Now I am pleased to tell you that Au has a third box. This box is the downstairs box or living room box. It's new, cosy and has flaps to ensure a cat can have his privacy.

A cat and his box: now there's a sight for sore eyes!

Happy Cats on Tuesday everyone. For more kitties, check out the friends list on the left or visit Gattina.

Labels: Au

posted by katztales @ 3:42 AM (29) comments links to this post | 29 comments

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

COT Cat Fight!

When Target is bored he challenges Au to a duel.

Target starts off the fight by growling, I'm going to GET YOU!

Here I come! I'm coming to get you!

I shall keep you away by sticking out my powerful back paw!

But Au is a big boy and he pounces on our baby fluff in a blur of wicked speed. Luckily for Target Au is a nice cat who never takes rude advantage.

We love to watch them play. It's so mock violent it's like watching the best combat scenes from a Jackie Chan movie - except live in our own home!

On another topic, I'm updating my links. I've removed the Cats on Tuesday blog roll list in the side menu because many of the people listed don't appear to be taking part anymore. Also, many of the people I visit blog about cats but don't take part in COT.

So I've made a Cat Friends list. This list consists of the visitors who come here frequently. If I've missed anyone out, please bug me about it!

If you like Cats On Tuesday, check out Gattina's page.

Labels: Au, Cats On Tuesday, target

posted by katztales @ 1:07 AM (22) comments links to this post | 22 comments