Gingers big and gingers small

So many ginger cats are going up on the poster stands tomorrow. Here's a small sample...

There's feisty little Ganoush

And sleepy Ginger Tiger

There's the very photogenic Baby

And his elegant Mum, Mommy

There's an anxious-looking Pumpkin

And a rather chubby Ginger-8

And the absolute youngest we've got has to be...

1-week-old Baby

Awww...

I sure do hope that Baby's foster gets fussy with choosing who she hands this little one over to. He's SO fragile!

~5-Cat Style

Update on Jack, the one-eyed kitty

I'm back! And I'm well! Throat is still a little scratchy, but I'm feeling good. And I'm all ready for the next adoption drive happening this coming Saturday. It'll be at the Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza from 10am to 10pm. So it's posters galore once more!

Speaking of which... I've been wanting to share this update with you concerning a sweet familiar face from the last adoption drive. His name is Jack.

Not being in direct contact with Jack's foster, I begged a very kind adoption volunteer to please please please keep me in the loop of his adoption status. She promised that she would and she has.

From what I understand, it turned out that at the time of the Expo adoption drive, Jack was already out on an adoption trial. I asked the adoption volunteer to pass on my recommendation of that kind father and his family... that if this trial adoption falls through for some reason, to let the foster know that there was a wonderful family who would be perfect for Jack. And if the trail adoption worked out, I asked the adoption volunteer to please break the news to the kind man and recommend him other special cats.

I know that there are many other such cats who badly need good homes. For example...

Brave Brook

... There is Brook, an abuse survivor, with 3 legs...

Dainty Xena

... And Xena, also an abuse survivor, who is blind in one eye.

Unfortunately, the last I heard... neither Jack's foster nor the kind man got back to the adoption volunteer, in spite of her numerous phone messages and e-mails to them. So we really don't now how Jack is doing in his new home, nor can the other cats be 'promoted' to the kind man.

I can't say that I'm not disappointed. The Flyer and I had thought that we had found the perfect family for the little fella. But as long as he is being cared for in a permanent home, it's wonderful I suppose. Still... I can't help but worry a little about Jack. But there's very little we can know or do when the foster doesn't respond. The rest of us have done everything within our power for dear Jack. We can now only hope and pray that the best has happened to him.

I'm sorry this isn't better news that I bring. But this is what is happening.

If I hear anything else about Jack, I'll definitely share the update here.

~5-Cat Style

The Cat With Hands

I'm sorry I've been silent for so long. I haven't been very well... came down with a bad throat infection and a fever that ran for three days.

I'm still a little weak. But I promise to try and blog more tomorrow. There's an update on Jack, the one-eyed kitty, that I want to share with you.

So till my next blog entry, here's a creepy video to make your hair (or fur) stand...



~5-Cat Style

Lotsa lotsa lotsa pix!

Here are tons of photos from last Sunday at the Singapore Expo.

There were cats up for adoption

And there were cats up for show

There were even cats up for sale! But I won't be focusing too much on them

Back to the cats up for adoption... is it just me or is there a story locked behind their eyes?

Some cats played it pretty and they played it cool

Others seemed to be telling a sad tale and begging to be loved

A few of the younger kittens, not used to the noisy crowd, bundled themselves together in fear

Frightened and stressed, they flattened themselves as best as they could. Poor things...

This smart-looking Tuxedo tried to soothe the frightened kittens next to him. "Don't worry, no harm will come to you"

"Are you sure? Are you sure? Coz I'm not so sure!"

"Why are you so worried? Enjoy the day, dude... purr..."

"Purr... purr... purr..."

"Tsk-tsk! The indignity!"

Now let's visit the show cats.

The Expo hall was very cold. Some kitties tried to stay warm under towels in their prettily decorated cages

Others chose to stay warm under towels on their owner's chest

"Would you... please? I'm trying to relax"

Some other cats with fabulously fluffy fur needed no towels at all

"Who wants Garfield when you can have ME!"

This beautiful snow-white kitty was quite camera-shy

But after her owner spent 5 minutes cajoling her to look into my camera, she relented

This kitty has got to be the most photogenic in the whole hall

She looked like she belonged on the cover of Paws Illustrated

This grouchy Gremlin-looking thing just wanted to stay hidden in the darkness of his cage

This one, however, preferred to be shown off proudly like a regal king

This kitty wanted some time-out in his cage that had been decorated like an underwater paradise

"Will I win a prize for my Siamese features?"

"Will I win a prize for my deep blue eyes?"

"Will I win a prize for my sweet face and pink nose?"

"Will I wi... What? I won? I actually won?!"

"Thank you! Thank you! Now... for a picture of me with my prize"

What a day it has been for all the cats. By 6pm, they were completely tired out from the bustle and excitement.

Here's a show cat sneaking a snooze in his carpeted cage

And here's another who has fallen asleep on a tiny pillow

And to all the cats who were up for adoption... Sleep well, my friends. May you wake up to find yourself loved in your Forever Home!

~5-Cat Style

Would you take a one-eyed kitty over a gorgeous cutie?

Adoption drives are always fun and interesting. And Sunday's was no different.

The new poster stand, sturdy and impressive-looking, unlike the old one that was just a styrofoam board held up by strings

The Flyer and I enjoy meeting and talking with the people. We feel that it is important to educate them on the proper caring of cats and to help clear up any misconceptions they may have about our feline friends.

Potential adopters taking in all the info on the different cats

Two of the questions that I am asked most often are:

• Why does my cat pee and poo outside the litterbox? How can I get it to break that habit?
• want to adopt another cat. But I am afraid my unfriendly cat will fight with the new one. What can I do?

The answers are simple ones. And by the time I am done explaining them, the people are often surprised at how simple the methods are. It pleases me immensely to be able to offer solutions to these families to help them live more happily with their cats.

The CWS merchandise booth did very well that day

The questions that despair me are:

• I picked up a stray kitten at my void deck. Now I want to adopt that long-haired Birman cat. When my kitten gets older, can I leave it at the void deck?
• I want to start travelling more. But that means my cats will be alone at home for many days. What can you do to help me?

Guess who I saw huddled into a furry bundle inside one of the cages… CatDonna's Hazel! The poor thing was one tensed up ball of fur. I petted him on his nose and was greeted with a soundless hiss

I would always have to stop my face from contorting into a look of utter shock and horror... then take a deep breath to calm myself down... and finally launch into the necessary lecture without sounding like a total nag.

It is these people that exhaust me completely. So I am always very glad to meet the sweet folks whom the angels have sent down to love and protect the cats.

The new reference flip book for kittens and special-needs cats

There was this family at the adoption drive. They were looking to adopt a cat for a family pet. As they studied all the posters and flipped through the boards, the kids were drawn to a very cute white kitten. "This one! This one!" they cried out excitedly to their parents.

The father took one look at the sweet-looking kitten, he shook his head and said, "No, this one is very cute. Many people will want it. It will have no problem finding a home. We should take one that nobody will want."

"Huh?!" gasped the children in disappointment. "So we have to take an ugly cat?"

"Yes, an ugly cat," the father said.

"But this one is SO cute!" the kids cried out, pointing furiously at the white kitten.

"Er... yes," the mother said quietly, looking pleadingly at her husband. "That one really is quite cute."

"No," the father said firmly. "Only an ugly cat," and he made them look through the posters of the special-needs cats... the ones with only three legs or some kind of deformity.

Who will the family take? Cute little Jellybean (left) or one-eyed Jack (right)?

The father took an instant liking to Jack, a dear little kitten who had to have one eye removed. The kids didn't seem so enthusiastic, but they followed their father's lead.

Jack won over the hearts of a good man and his family

As the father filled out the adoption application form, the eldest daughter kept returning to stare at Jack's picture. She would study his photo carefully as though memorising his face. Then she would go away, only to return to stare at his poster again and nodding her head ever so slightly. It was as though she was firmly deciding that he was now the cat she would love always.

It was all so sweet.

~5-Cat Style

Other blog entries on the Cat Show:

• My day at Singapore Expo - Coboypb
• Little boy staring at the posters - Coboypb
• "Save lives, Sterlise" brochures - Coboypb
• Hard at work - Dawn
• New adoption panels - Dawn
• Cat advertisements - Dawn
• Sterilistion brochure - Dawn
• Sunday outing to Cat Show 2006 at Singapore Expo - Jennifer