Big Move Coming Up!

Dear friends,

We are currently working on migrating our blog over to Wordpress.

Kindly bear with us.

~5-Cat Style & The Flyer

ACRES Event: Wild, Green 'n' Rouge

~The Flyer

Bye Bye, Brisbane!

Yes yes, I know I promised to update more often. But as a***e luck would have it, my DSL internet has morphed into dial-up and loves disconnecting whenever I attempt to access any website other than the homepage. Ugh! So I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the good luck I'm having now will last long enough for me to finish this post.

Anyway, been busy winding up in Brisbane. Had to make a hundred and one phone calls to notify my change of address plus the loads of packing which I dread doing. Brisbane has been good to me and I'm going to miss it heaps. It seems like not too long ago when I first walked along South Bank, playing paparazzi to the loungin' lizards by the Brisbane River.

Also, can't forget good 'ole Australia Zoo, home of the Irwins. Honestly, I'm not big on most zoos because they seldom deliver what they claim to be advocating i.e. education of animal rights, yadda yadda. There are countless zoos that treat their animals abhorrently so I had always wanted to know if Steve & Terri Irwin were indeed walking the talk. I'm so glad to say that I am all praise for Australia Zoo. The animals were happy, the staff were happy, the visitors were happy... there was not a single sign of any stressed out or traumatised organic being while I was there. It was just happiness vibrating throughout the whole place.

When I first moved into my unit in Brisbane, I didn't know anyone here and I didn't have a tv (which I have not had the whole year), telephone or internet for the first month or so. I would have gone totally off my rockers if not for my books and some amazing little creatures for company. It was moth season when I moved in and now its moth season again.

The only downside to having them around is that they keep putting out every candle that I light. You can imagine how startling it is when you're trying to meditate by focusing on the flame when suddenly you see this gigantic winged shadow come swooping down following by a loud, "ffffvvvvvvoooooott!" as their wings extinguish the flame.

It so happens that the resident giant moth has done that once too many times and now has a gaping hole in his otherwise flawless wings, as you can see in the photographs below. (Mind you, I had to tiptoe precariously on a creaky chair and move as slow and steadily as a sloth just to get these shots.)

Up close and personal with Bruisey Bruce the Giant Moth. See the crescent-shaped gape in his wing? That's evidence of his naughtiness!

Bruisey Bruce again in his full glory. Under normal light i.e. without flash, he looks almost black. Who would've thought he had all these shades and colours hidden on his wings...

This is Little Tucker sitting on the carpet beside my desk.

I love his cute furry head!

This is Little Tucker helping me with the vacuuming!

In other news, there hasn't been any response to Kitty. Please continue to help spread the word and do leave a message if you know anyone who might be interested. Thanks heaps! Hope you all have a splendid weekend!

~The Flyer

Two pigs in the pot...

Howdy again, Folks!

I am writing to you with a dual offering of relief and melancholy. Bad news first:

A friend recently found a kitten abandoned in a flooding drain. After waiting from morning to night to see if perhaps its mother might return to no avail, she decided that her home is afterall big enough for another feline companion. 

Alas, the resident cat did not take to the new addition and despite several weeks on, the war does not seem to be ending anytime soon. So to halt any trauma that might haunt any kittenhood, here’s the SOS message: Would anyone be interested in adopting Kitty, or know anyone who might be interested? Kitty is probably a month or two old. She’s been dewormed and the V.E.T. has given the all-clear with two thumbs up. Anyone who would like to have more details please feel free to leave a message in the comment box and I will be glad to furnish you with more details. In the mean time, here’s more information from the lady:

8 week old female. tortoise shell colour - black with brown bits, three brown paws and one black paw. active, loving, playful, always gets up to mischief and absolutely fearless of my hissing, spitting older cat - it just wants to be friends but resident cat won't have it. 

Healthy appetite, dewormed, eats wet and dry food. purrs constantly, happy to curl up and sleep on or next to you. 

It's really quite adorable. Was hoping my cats would learn to get along or i'd have to give up the little one - which is why i'm looking to do so now. The hostility in the house is driving me nucking futs! hahaha

Now the better news:

MY ACADEMIC YEAR IS OVER!!!!! Woo hoo! \m/ 

I’ve handed in my thesis. 21, 137 words in all after 7 months of blood, sweat and tears. Final exams are over as well and its time to smell the roses and roll with the kitties once more. You know what this also means? BACK TO BLOGGING!!

No more waiting a thousand and one years for updates and random musings of the meaningless kind from The Flyer, for I am now here! Muahahahah! So to get on with it...

What’s been up with 5-Cats, I hear you say? Well, the sister has been busy with preparing for her finals as well. She currently preparing a report/expose on genetic modification in the pet trade, a.k.a. designer pets. From teacup doggies, stunted cats and zebra-horsies, to white lions and tigers and what not, and the untold horrors behind it. I can’t wait to read it when she’s done!

5-Cats and I will also be headed back to the sunny island in a coupla weeks, with me heading home first. I’ve got plans to lend a toe or two to the new sanctuary that should be opening soon (if they’ll have me) and I’ve also gotta find a part time job (ugh!) and some professional volunteer work (will I ever be paid to do what I do?). Also, have got to catch up with the community cats, and this time I promise not to lose the photos and will definitely be putting up profiles on the furlebrities!

For now, I’m gonna unwind a bit with a good scrub and a dabble with clay. See you in a while, feline erotophiles! ;)

~The Flyer

Dita Does the Peta Tease

Just came back from visiting 5-Cats in Melbourne and I'm totally swarmed with work. (My thesis is due in 10 days and I'm so dead!) 5-Cats is doing great and she's excited about studying genetics this semester.

Apart from pigging out on Krispy Kreme's with 5-Cats, I also made a trip back to my alma mater on a shiveringly cold, spring Sunday afternoon. Found a dog tied to the tree, but other than that, everything still looks and smells the same at uni.

Beautiful tree bark that litters that uni walkways.

My feline companion before philosophy classes.

Belles in front of the Botany Building.

In other news, I found out that the gorgeous Dita Von Teese has done a campaign for Peta. Marilyn Manson was a fool to have let this one go!

Learn More at PETA.org

~The Flyer

ABC: Animal Birth Control

Hey Little Sparta

*wiggles butt in excitement and sings*
"Hey Little Sparta, what's with all the fight? Little itty bitty kitty wanna fight fight fight!!!" ;D


Hope you're all having a beautiful, catnippy weekend!

~The Flyer

Update on Toffee

Hi, All!

Just wanted to share the good news: Toffee has found a foster home! He's out of the danger zone and is now happily waiting for November when he joins his new family in California. [If you recall, he was at very very high risk of being sent to the pound to be put down!]

Many thanks to those who responded and for everyone else for keeping Toffee in your wishes and prayers. Another life has been saved! ;)

Wishing all of you a beautiful, lovely week!

Lots of Love & Light,

The Flyer

P.S. Ace, if you are reading this, thank you so much from the bottom of my heart, and from others who have been helping to look for a foster home for Toffee and following up on his situation. Thank you so much for reaching out and opening your heart (and home) to a fellow being in need! Its caring folks like you that truly make this world a better place! ;D

That's Ekka!

I recently went to the Ekka Show in Brisbane, Australia. Its an annual carnival and trade show that features all local trade (from farm cattle to solar panels) as well as roller coasters, carnival rides and the legendary Showbag Pavillion!

Cows on Parade: Who knew there could be so many different breeds of cows. From the Brahmins, to Anguses, to Reds, and even woolly, curly and silky ones!

Big Horsies!

A prize-winning rooster digs into lunch.

A Purty Pheasant!

I never saw a more glamorous pigeon!

~The Flyer

Egyptian Baby Tortoises!!!

SPCA seeks help in cat abuse case

Aug 21, 2007, The Straits Times Interactive

ITS head was cut off, and its front legs too.

The worst part, no one knows whether the cat was alive or dead when it happened - except the person who did it.

The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is hoping that there are other witnesses too.

It is offering a $1000 reward for information leading to the apprehension of the cat killer who likely struck in the wee hours on Tuesday.

The cat was discovered on Tuesday morning at the West Coast Car Mart, with its head dumped beside its body.

Its corpse was also missing two front legs, which were no where to be found.

'We don't know whether the cat was alive or dead when it was done, either way it's horrifying,' said Ms Deirdre Moss, executive officer of SPCA. 'To know that someone in our midst can have such a cruel mindset is frightening. It reflects a disturbed mind.'

A vet from the SPCA who examined the body, said the killing occured in the early hours of the morning.

And the cruel act was likely done by someone skilled with a knife.

The clue: the clean cuts where the cat had been decapitated and its legs severed.

As there was very little blood on the scene, it is also likely that the killer had cut up the cat somewhere else before dumping its body, said Ms Moss.

The current penalty for animal abuse is a jail term of up to 12 months and a fine of up to $10,000.

Witnesses may call the SPCA at 6287-5355 during office hours.



I really hope they catch this monster soon... :(

~The Flyer

URGENT APPEAL FOR FOSTER HOME!

We just got a very sad and urgent email from a personal and very dear friend of ours, who has a pet dog in danger of being put down at the SPCA if a foster home cannot be found for him.

Please have a read of the message she has sent, below, and inform as many people as you know. Contact details are listed below as well.

Thank you all!
_________________________________________________________________

RE: Looking for a loving home to foster, Toffee, the Jack Russell

Hello!

My sister and I are looking for a foster home for Toffee, our Jack Russell. Unfortunate incidents at home, unrelated to Toffee, have created the need for her to be fostered out for three and a half months (September to mid December).



Toffee is female and has been spayed. She is 9 years old (this is a rough estimate as we adopted her too) and is a very gentle and good-natured little lamb. She is house-trained and loves being around people. Meet her and she'll melt your heart!



We are willing to cover the expenses for food, shampoo, etc.



Please do not hesitate to contact us my email or cellphone:
Dawn Wee: dawnwee@gmail.com
June Wee: junewee@gmail.com, HP: 9848 1901

Thank you so much!

Sincerely,

Dawn and June Wee

Cat or Dog?

Was sifting through some old photos in my hard drive and came across these pics of a strange cat I met 5 years ago around Jalan Kayu (a part of Singapore famous for roti prata and other famous supper feeds!).



As we were walking back to the car, this friendly, loving cat came out from the shadows and kept rubbing itself on our legs. We also realised what a bad condition the cat's fur was and started to pet it and play with it. But we realised that while the fur was a little dirty and a bit matted, it actually wasn't so bad. What was strange about the fur was well... the texture of the fur!



We realised that this cat's fur was essentially split neatly and nicely in a perfect line right in the middle of its body, such that the front half of the cat's fur was short and grey, and the bottom was SHAGGY and BROWN! This cat looked like it was half cat and half dog!



One of my crazy friends suggested that maybe some mad scientist had joined the top half of a cat with the bottom half of the dog, resulting in this kuppy/pitty/dat/cog creature.

No camera tricks here! This is exactly how the cat looked like! Can you see the distinctive separation right down the middle?


At that time I had just got my first ever camera and so my photo-taking was extremely horrendous, and so the photos aren't that clear. But at the very least, from the photo above you'll be able to distinctly see the peculiarity of this cat's (whom I named, Dr. Seuss).

I don't know, maybe its just be... but isn't doesn't his fur look bizarre?

~The Flyer

The Case of the Purple Frog

The Centre Fold of this Month's issue of "Queer Creatures" (no sexual pun intended!) is the one and only prehistoric purple frog, Nasikabatrachus Sahyadrensis. "Nasika" means "nose" in Sanskrit, "batrachus" is "frog" and Sahyadro is the mountain in Kerala, India, on which it was found. This living fossil was thought to have become extinct millions of years ago, and some even suggested that it never existed, until it was discovered a few years ago.

Its amazing what curious creatures of the deep and land animals inhabit our planet. Sadly, there are also many that we lose everyday, like the Yangtze River Dolphin which has been declared extinct in December 2006.


~The Flyer

Save the Bears, Say "No" to Bear Bile Farming!

Hey, Furdes & Furdettes!

Did you know that there are kitties on a campaign to save bears? Yes, Bears!!! 

Sadly, in China, Korea & Vietnam the bear bile trade is still a thriving industry despite the fact that herbal substitutes have been found to have the very same medical properties that bear bile is supposed to have. 

Bear bile is obtained from a variety methods, including daily puncturing of the gall bladder to extract the bile, making a permanent open incision to the bear's bladder for daily drainage of the bile, and slaughtering of bears in front of customers to ensure 'authenticity' of the bile. For more information please visit this link: Bear Bile Industry.

Please help to spread the message of Animals Asia's campaign to stop bear bile farming in China, as well as those of other animal welfare organisations. 

Simply tag your friends with Animal Asia's permalink using the button above.

Friends I've tagged (You're it!):

1. Parker
2. Daisy
3. Benjamin Fuzz
4. Faz
5. Kaze

~The Flyer

*red-faced and offering kibbles*....

Hello, Dearest Furriends and Beans!

I would like to tell all of you... how very, very sorry I am! I have just been looking through this blog and realised how atrocious I have been with postings! I must admit I have always been better at maintaining the site and coming up with ideas for posts than actually writing them. Hence, actual posting was always something that was more or less left to 5-Cats as she is infinitely more brilliant at writing. But now that she's still unavailable in a cyber sorta way, I've had to do this solo... and man, *shakes head* she's gonna cry when she next visits the blog and see what I've done... or rather not done! I blame it on the fact that I could very possibly be a human-goldfish hybrid: I honestly do have a memory and attention span of 2-seconds! *flaunts fins*

Thank you for patiently waiting for 5-Cats' return to the cyberworld to bring more great, warm and fuzzy happy tickles to our tummies, and more adventures of Bombay, Bangles and our other furrntastic furriends! I want to say a BIG thank-you to those who have been kind enough to still visit and even leave comments. THANK YOOOOOOO!

And so here again, I, pathetically, offer you yet another comic poster. This White-Out special comes with a heave of a sigh of relief in face of the recent posts of the strange and bizarre! Enjoy! *tosses kibbles in the air like confetti*

~ The Flyer

Lost World!

~ The Flyer

Sea Side Special!

~ The Flyer

Urgent Appeal: Liquid Love Needed!!!

I just got an urgent email appeal from one of the members of the lovely Project JK team about a furkid in need. Please do pass the message on if possible:

I am an owner of a golden retriever and my dog is currently in critical stage suffering from heat stroke and would need a kind blood donor.

I would really appreciate if you could help to spread the word.

Criteria would ideally be above 20-24kg (big dogs only)

I can be reached at 9368 2138, thanks!

*Note: This dog has already undergone one blood transfusion but is still very weak, and urgently needs to undergo another. If you have a big dog and are in Singapore, or know of anyone in Singapore who has a big dog who is willing to be a donor, please do contact the owner at the number above immediately. The dog and his/her family would be so grateful!


I pray everything will work out...


~The Worried Flyer

Sayonara Singapura!

Dear Friends,

I am sorry I disappeared for such a long time. The past days have been wildly chaotic. And in just 5 hours, I leave my little sunny island in hot pursuit of my dreams to become a Vet.

But before I go, here's a quick update for you on those last few mad days:

2 days before my driving test, I had to be 'blessed' with an ingrown toenail

The Doc didn't want to remove it till after the test for fear that it would affect my driving

In spite of the pain, I passed my driving test! Yaaay!

I was a little too cautious on the test route and didn't overtake a stalled car quickly enough. That earned me two penalty points

At the very last cross junction just before the test ended, I made a big boo-boo and earned myself a whopping 6 points!

The tester almost popped a vein, but he let me pass my test. And so here is my temporary driver's licence. My photocard should arrive in about 3 weeks

Alrighty. I really have to run now. I'll be blogging soon from Melbourne, Australia!

~5-Cat Style