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Friday, December 04, 2009
Repost Friday: How The Tabby Got It's "M"

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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

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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

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



Thursday, September 21, 2006
Market Day

wet market in subang jaya
Scoop is patrolling the fridge area, shouting MEOUW! at regular intervals. He knows I went to the wet market this morning, and he's confirmed I bought some nice fresh chicken liver as well as some chicken legs. Now old fuzzy is demanding an early lunch.

It's always the same on market days. I stagger out of bed at 7AM, drive to the local market, and then try to figure out what we might want to eat in the next day or two. When the sight of even a raw tomato is not quite the thing, this is not easy an easy job.

Luckily I have firm instructions from Scoop. His order is the same each time: chicken of any shape or form, plus a slice of fresh beef just for fun.

Cats: they take over your life - and your shopping basket.

PS a picture of our local wet market.

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posted by katztales @ 10:30 AM (1) comments links to this post | 1 comments



Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Breeders and Pet Shops

Tonkinese cat from Wikipedia
There's a good post on New Cats On The Blog about breeders and pet shops. This is a very interesting topic sure to get all cat lovers excited!

Scoop and Au were strays before they moved in with us, but I did buy a cat in Malaysia once. She was a reject from a Kuching Malaysia (also known as Piawaian Kucing Malaysia) breeding programme. I bought her in Kajang from a breeder who was licensed etc. I can't remember the name of the woman, but when I popped over she sold me the cat - no questions asked!

I literally turned up with the cash and took the cat away with me. Nobody asked me if I knew anything about cats, where I was taking her etc. They also didn't take my name, number or any contact details. I abhor kitten mills and find most pet shops to be modern incarnations of Ancient Roman slave markets (motto: got the cash? take it home!) but my experience says breeders can be purely interested in $$$ too.

FYI: the kuching malaysia kitty in question is living very happily in PJ with another cat companion (a rescued stray)

PS To me Kuching Malaysia look like Siamese but experts say they look like Tonkinese cats. The Tonkinese cat picture here is courtesy of Scott Turner.

For a picture of a proper Kuching Malaysia visit this article: KUCINTA - THE LOVE CAT OF SINGAPORE - AND THE BOBTAILS OF MALAYSIA

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posted by katztales @ 2:36 PM (3) comments links to this post | 3 comments



Monday, September 18, 2006
New Arrivals

We’ve got a heap of kittens at the back. Two are pure black, two are calico. The black kittens are slightly larger than the calico ones, so we’re guessing that they are different litters.

It’s hard to tell who belongs to whom, as the black girls who live in the back lane are all sisters and half-sisters who share everything – from their food bowls to their lovers to the duties of motherhood.

The kittens are just piled on top of each other, with mums popping in from time to time to give them a quick clean and cuddle. We’ve given the kittens a box to sleep in, and are giving the mums some extra food.

There are about a dozen stray cats living in the back lane. When we first moved here they were raggedly creatures, full of sores. Thanks to twice daily cat biscuits, dosed with worming medicine at proper intervals, they now look clean and glossy. But the fact is that there are too many of them.

Even if we could catch these cats, the cost of taking a dozen of them to the vet to be spayed would be prohibitive, especially as almost all are girls who would need to be boarded for a few days.

Kittens and cats are lovely, but we do wish some of our tax money would go to a catch, spay and release programme to reduce the number of strays.

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posted by katztales @ 9:34 AM (7) comments links to this post | 7 comments



Friday, September 15, 2006
Show Off

Scoop and Au in bed
I was trawling the web the other day when I came across a notice of a cat show. I think Scoop’s corkscrew tail and Au’s little stub that's set at a 45 degree angle (see picture to see how cute!) are part of their attractiveness, but I suspect it puts them beyond the pale in cat beauty competitions.

Just as well really, as neither is the type to enjoy a cat show. Au isn't keen on strangers; he takes his time to get to know new friends (except for our friend Usha whom he adored the second he met her). Scoop loves people but he loathes loud noises. Neither likes traveling in cars.

I've only been to one cat show but it was enough to put me off. Too many cats looking upset, too many people milling about poking cages, and far too many kids yelling and screaming.

There have to be cats and people who love that sort of thing, but we'll just stay at home and wait till some enterprising TV manager realizes pretty cats are much nicer to look at than Miss Earth/Mr Universe or whatever.

PS Katz Tales is out tomorrow in the Weekend section of the Malaysian Star. Buy it, send in a picture of your cat and win a hamper!

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posted by katztales @ 9:48 PM (3) comments links to this post | 3 comments



Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Indoor and Outdoor Cats

We had a long discussion yesterday in the pub on whether cats should be inside or outside creatures.

I know Scoop and Au would be miserable if I locked them up in the house, but I can see why people (especially those living on busy roads) worry. So I'm sitting on the fence on this one (one reason why the human bottom is shaped the way it is!)

I let Scoop and Au decide whether they should be indoor or outdoor kitties. The sliding door is always open, so they can go in and out as they please. And being cats, they enjoy the best of both worlds.

Our fuzzies spend most of the day at home, lolling around in bed and on the sofa. They're out late at night, but I think they spend most of their time in our own garden because when I nip downstairs for a drink of water, there's a small fuzzy asking me what I'm doing up the second I reach the kitchen.

In and out, they seem to be having a ball. And that's what a cat's life should be.

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posted by katztales @ 9:18 AM (6) comments links to this post | 6 comments



Monday, September 11, 2006
Breakfast Battles

Scoop and Au having breakfast
Every morning Scoop and Au come upstairs at dawn to ask Tom to get up and serve breakfast. When Tom stumbles downstairs, they open a sachet of cat food together, and dump it into 2 dishes. Au then moves from one dish to the other, pushing Scoop out of the way each time. Scoop being a patient, peaceable person doesn’t mind.

This is pretty standard cat behaviour. Every cat always thinks the food is better in the other bowl. What blew me away though is that Tom tells me he puts food in 2 dishes even if Scoop is having a long lie. Apparently Au doesn't really enjoy breakfast unless he can dance between the bowls.

Weird, isn't it?

PS here's Scoop and Au having breakfast.

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posted by katztales @ 10:48 AM (3) comments links to this post | 3 comments



Saturday, September 09, 2006
The Cat with the Dirty Face Returns

he cat with the dirty face
He's back! The cat with the dirty face marched up to the front of the house, and tried to break in. Unfortuneately for him, Au was standing guard. When I heard the ritual exchange of insults turning into a big furball fight, I went out to break it up.

Imagine my surprise when Scoop shot out past me, and dived into the scrum. When Scoop gave the cat with the dirty face a big wallop with his paw, the invador realised two against one are bad odds.

My appearance was the last straw. The enemy took one look at the united front, turned tail very slowly, and marched off with both fur and dignity intact.

When Au came in he pretended to be annoyed at the interference but the way he licked my hand when I checked he was OK showed he was secretly quite relieved.

This morning the dirty faced kitty turned up at the back door asking for biscuits as though nothing had happened. Let's hope he stays there!

PS The cat with the dirty face eating breakfast.

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posted by katztales @ 10:20 AM (3) comments links to this post | 3 comments



Thursday, September 07, 2006
Pincushion Cat

Taking Scoop for his inoculations is easy. I put him in his cat carrier, trundle off to the vet, and hold his paw while he gets his shots protecting him from nasty diseases like cat flue and leukemia.

Au is an entirely different kettle of fish. First off, he explodes out of the cat carrier as soon as the car starts moving. Mr kitty is so big and heavy that he broke the hinges off the door. Second, I find it very hard to hold him steady when he spots that needle.

Luckily we have a nice vet nearby who does housecalls. I scheduled him and Tom to be here at the same time yesterday, and turned my back while Au, crying pitifully, had his shots.

Although Tom says Au didn't even notice when the needle went in, and the whole process took less than 2 minutes, our little fuzzy made the most of his traumatic experience by demanding extra treats last night.

Cats really know how to milk every situation!

PS curious about cat inoculation schedules? Check this link on vaccinations.

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posted by katztales @ 8:19 AM (1) comments links to this post | 1 comments



Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Crikey! Steve's Snuffed It!

Such sad news to hear about Steve Irwin's fatal accident yesterday. I loved the Crocodile Hunter's boundless enthusiasm, and enjoyed the way he brought the daily details of the lives of snakes, tortoises and other creatures to the screen – although I still don’t want to hug a crocodile!

Irwin reminded me of one of my childhood heroes, Gerald Durrell, the British conservationist who revolutionized zoos and founded Durrell Wildlife in Jersey.

(If you've never heard of him, Durrell rejected the pitiful jails zoos used to be, and campaigned to turn them into the vibrant breeding centers. He foresaw that we would make such a mess of this planet that many animal species would need safe breeding places if they were to survive. )

Irwin was a master at creating powerful television shows; Durrell's best work was in books. Inspirational and hysterically funny, I think I’ve owned three copies of My Family And Other Animals and read each to bits.

People like that fascinate me because they have done so much to bring us closer to our animal friends. Watch the life of a croc with Irwin and his camera crew, and you'll think twice before draining a swamp and running a motorway through it. Durrell's tales of hairy frogs in the Bafut Beagles, and catching bats with the aid of jackfruit in Mauritius in Golden Bats And Pink Pigeons are equally unforgettable.

I think what made them so appealing and persuasive is that neither preached like so many ardent greenies do.

I’m going to re-read all my Durrell books this week, and I’ll look to Animal Planet who should be putting on a tribute in the form of a Crocodile Hunter marathon.

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posted by katztales @ 10:21 AM (1) comments links to this post | 1 comments



Monday, September 04, 2006
Sleep Deprived

It's not even 9AM yet and I'm already tired. No, it's not Monday morning syndrome, it's the influence of evil Au.

Au woke me up at 4AM with a yikyikyik to say he was out of cat biscuits. That's OK. I stumbled out of bed, filled up the bowl and managed to stay asleep during the whole exercise in that nocturnal zombie-like trance that seems to be the province of most cat servants.

But at 5AM mr kitty hopped on the bed with a loud AAAAUUUUU, a sure sign he wants to talk. I hid under the bedclothes and pretended to be dead. Au tried again. MEEEOUW-WOW! He cried.

I extended a hand from under the covers, put fingers to his shoulder and pushed. Taken completely by surprise, Au tumbled out of bed.

You should have seen his face. At first Shocked and Appalled, he quickly became Outraged, Furious, and finally Incensed.

Now he’s sitting on his rug with his back to me to show he Isn’t Speaking.

I have no problem with the servant-to-the-master thing cats insist on, but surely we're allowed an uninterrupted night's sleep?

I can try and reason with him but in the end the most important thing is to make up. Otherwise he’ll waken me at 2AM, 3AM, 4AM, 5AM in sheer catly revenge.

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posted by katztales @ 9:07 AM (2) comments links to this post | 2 comments



Sunday, September 03, 2006
Crashed Out Cat

Au in bed
There is something up with our junior cat: for the last week Au has been getting up at 2AM, going out for his rounds until 6AM and then going back to bed for the rest of the day.

He surfaces at about 6PM, has dinner, goes for a walk, destroys the newspapers under the coffee table, and then marches back up to bed around 8PM. It's not like him at all.

He's got a healthy appetite, his eyes are bright, his nose and paw pads are just the right temperature. He looks fine, but I was worried about him, so last night I went upstairs to have a chat with him. Just to see if everything is OK.

Au was lying in bed, curled up on the sheets, with a bit of blanket held tightly in his paws. He looked like a rugby player who’d fallen asleep in a scrum. As I came in he looked, yawned, stretch and moved over. When I petted him, his purr started up and he turned over to have his tummy tickled.

As Au is awfully ticklish, this peaceful scene lasted mere seconds. He grabbed my hand, bit my finger, and we ended up having a wild game of hide and seek that took us from the bed to his favourite cardboard box in the hall.

There's nothing wrong with mr kitty, he's just taking it easy.

PS: This is a pic of Au in bed. As you can see, he's so sleepy, he can't even keep his eyes open!

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Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Cats and Dogs

SM's comment that sent readers to a page of costumed dogspictures got me thinking about the relationship between cats and people and dogs and people. You know, the bit about "who's boss".

Scoop and Au are very traditional in their outlook: they rule and we serve. Their dignity is palpable, even when things go disastrously wrong. Last week, for example, Tom went to sit in his chair, not realising Scoop was in residence. Luckily only feelings were hurt. Scoop spent the next few days scolding Tom for sitting on him, and when he had received his thousand apologies, old fuzzy agreed to forget about the incident.

I just can't help but think that a dog in similar circumstances would assume being sat on was some sort of punishment that required lots of loud panting, whining, paw offering and other doggy signs of apology...

Dogs are irresistibly sweet, but it can be hard to respect them.

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posted by katztales @ 8:49 AM (1) comments links to this post | 1 comments



Sunday, August 27, 2006
Catnap Fest

Scoop fast asleep in front of the window
If you had a choice, would you be a cat? It's a tough life is you're a street kitty, but if you have a home or at least access to free meals twice a day, life isn't so hard. This is especially true in Malaysia where there are no frosty winters to deal with.

Today is hot, sticky, muggy, and the sky is grey with either pollution or rain cloud - it's hard to tell. As Scoop and Au are wearing fur coats, the weather is suffocating. Both cats had a long lie this morning, a late breakfast and are now fast asleep.

The outside cats have flaked out too. The black girls are lying in a heap under some bushes; their kittens are lethargically chewing each others ears and tails while lying down in the shade.

I'm sitting in the office, trying to work up enthusiasm to get two pieces done before the deadline. Would I want to be a cat? I'm thinking it may not be a bad thing.

PS The picture is Scoop fast asleep in front of the window.

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posted by katztales @ 11:10 AM (4) comments links to this post | 4 comments



Thursday, August 24, 2006
Hooray For Science

flea
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 Siva, 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 mircle 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".

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Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Is It Moving?

I was stroking Mr Brown last night when I noticed his tummy was full of black specks. Paranoid, I hauled him up under the reading lamp, and stroked anxiously through his fur. Surely it couldn't be fleas? My clean Scoop? And just 2 days after a bath?

Nothing moved in his coat, so I conceded it's possible he's just been rolling through the earth at the bottom of the garden again.

But to be sure I checked Au as well. He was furious at being turned over and being prodded in the paw pits, but realising I'm bigger than him he let me have a look. Again, lots of black specks but no movement.

It's probably nothing but I'm taking no chances. I've just bought some heavy-duty flea shampoo and they're both in for another bath.

This is turning out to be one hell of a week!

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Saturday, August 19, 2006
Bath Time!

Scoop having a bath
The haze continues to choke us all in Subang Jaya but Scoop and Au aren't feeling the heat - they were given their semi-annual bath this morning.

It was an affecting scene. When put in the sink and soaped up, Au howled as though his heart was breaking. When it was his turn, Scoop did his best impersonation of Early Christian Martyr cat being tortured by Nero's troops.

Now the bathing ritual is over, both cats are sitting in the sun, rearranging their coats. They are also muttering quietly to each other, and shooting me filthy looks.

No doubt about it, I'm going to suffer for the indignities they've suffered. And as cats like to take their time putting together the perfect revenge, it's bound to be a dilly.

I'm on tenterhooks...

PS: the picture is Scoop doing his utmost to keep his tummy out of the sink. Old fuzzy is wriggly, but he doesn't stick out claws.

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posted by katztales @ 1:36 PM (2) comments links to this post | 2 comments



Thursday, August 17, 2006
Hazy Days

The cat with the dirty face is nowhere to be seen, and the kittens have been moved on to a new home down the road so the place is very quiet. Scoop and Au have heaved a sigh of relief at the sudden peace, and are lolling about on the sofa.

The heat and air pollution have been particulalry punishing these last few days. There is an oily smell in the air, and the smog is so thick that we can't even see the building complex down the road clearly.

The Malaysian government won't share API figures with the public, but this smog is almost as bad as it was last year when a national emergency was declared. Thanks to the Internet, we can get hot spot and haze information from the National Environment Agency in Singapore. It looks like we're in for a nasty few weeks - again.

This poisonous fog is making us all (cats and people) cough. Also, both kitties have rather grubby coats and not enough energy for a good wash. We try not to bathe the cats as its not good for their fur (and it's also a stressful experience) but I'm seriously thinking of giving them a bath on Saturday morning.

It may invigorate them for an hour or so, but it won't be a popular move!

PS Another installment of Katz Tales will be published in the Malaysian national daily The Star in the Weekend section on Saturday. Check it out, send in a picture of your cat and win a basket of cat treats!

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posted by katztales @ 4:10 PM (0) comments links to this post | 0 comments



Monday, August 14, 2006
Absent or On The Run?

commando kitty
The cat with the dirty face has been absent for three days. I'm worried he's wandered on to the main road and had an accident. Many of our neighbours drive like maniacs along our narrow lanes, only to slow down when they are close enough to home to run over their own offspring. Some don't even slow down when they see a cat!

Alternatively, it's possible our dirty faced fluff has skipped town for a day or two as the stray black girls at the back have produced a litter of very loud kittens. They're squeaking their little heads off, and keeping their mum and aunts on the run 24/7. Fingers crossed he's OK - and that the kittens settle down soon!

PS the cat on the right is one of the back lane kitties practicing his commando tactics.

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Friday, August 11, 2006
The Cat with the Dirty Face

We have had an intruder the last few weeks: it's an orange and white cat with a dirty face - and dirty ears, tail and paws too.

This orange kitty is a creature of stealth. He has broken into the house to steal cat biscuits from the kitchen. I've got him red-pawed on several occasions and suspect he's been in and out without being caught much more often.

Scoop is seriously alarmed at the invasion. Au is fuming. I don't like a strange cat wandering in, but his dirty coat suggests he's starving. So when he turned up at the back door a few days ago with our group of stray black girls we feed I was quite pleased.

As it turns out the dirty faced kitty has excellent manners. He waits to be invited to join the girls in their morning and afternoon biscuits and he says MEOW before eating. Yesterday he came right up to me to ask for a cuddle before breakfast.

I don't mind rubbing his chin for a moment but he's still far from clean. I wonder how he would feel about a bath?

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Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Getting Better

Scoop on his favourite box
Scoop is feeling better. He's suffering from a fungal infection that caused two sore areas over his temples but his new sporanox medicine is really knocking back the bugs. In just two weeks the sore bits have shrunk from 50 Sen coin sized areas to one Sen coin size patches. We hope he'll be his handsome self again in a week or so from now.

In the meantime our recovering kitty has taken up position on his favourite box in front of the window in our bedroom. He spends most of his mornings there, lying in comfort on his towel, keeping an eye on the birds that flutter about outside.

Life is good!

For some questions and answers about cat skin care, check out VetInfo Cat Skin Care. PS This is heavyduty medicine for cats, so if your vet prescribes sporanox, remember to ask about supplements that protect your kitty's liver.

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Friday, August 04, 2006
Double Trouble

Kitties Collapso after a hard day's mischief

Au is downstairs, trying to force open the door of the cupboard where I keep board games and interesting things like tablemats. He must have been a burglar in his last life; he still has a very clever paw when it comes to doors. Unfortunately he's also a bit clumsy. Last time he went in that cupboard the heavy-pawed little fuzz broke my saltshaker.

Scoop was snoozing on top of my pirate's chest in front of the bedroom window but Au’s frustrated yikyikyik as the door hinges stick woke Scoop up. Old fuzzy is healing fast and his sense of mischief is blossoming. Now he's on his way to see how he can contribute to the project.

Both Scoop and Au have been incredibly busy the last few days. When I came back from the wet-market this morning they had brought back a frog and were watching as it hopped around the living room floor.

While I put the frog back outside, the cats took the opportunity to go through the marketing. They had carefully opened all the bags, just to see what was in there that might be interesting for cats. Scoop was admiring the chicken livers I bought for him, and Au was busy rolling onions over the kitchen floor.

Sitting in my office upstairs, I can hear them talking to each other as they cooperate to wedge open the cupboard door. Normally I would go and tell them to go play outside instead of creating havoc, but today I don’t care if they break every dish in the house. They're healthy, and they're happy. After weeks of illness and worry, it’s great to have everything back to normal.

PS Another instalment of Katz Tales will be published in the Malaysian national daily The Star in the Weekend section tomorrow. Check it out, send in a picture of your cat and win a basket of cat treats!

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