Sunday, January 30, 2011

A Tribute to Jackie & Cloey

This is Jackie and Cloey.

Of all the kittens that I have fostered,
they are truly the 2 most affectionate.

Yesterday, I learnt that they had passed away 2 years ago.
Jackie died from kidney failure.
And Cloey from a broken heart.

They were only 4 years old.

I would like to take some time to remember them
and to share with you some memories
that I will always hold close to my heart.

Back in 2005,
I became an official foster for the Cat Welfare Society.
Within a week of volunteering my services,
a box arrived at my door.
As I peered slowly into it,
5 of the sweetest faces looked right back at me.

The smallest and the weakest of the litter were Jackie and Cloey.

Jackie, whom I had named Jackeroo back then,
was the second smallest in size, the skinniest of the litter
and had one badly scratched eye.
I was given instructions on how to
apply a special ointment twice a day directly into the eye.

I was quite nervous about that.
Because at that time, I wasn't just a 1st-time foster carer,
it was my first time EVER taking care of a cat.
I had never even touched one before this.
And now I had to put ointment in a cat's eye?

But Jackie turned out to be the gentlest of angels.
She made me feel like an old-time pro at eye ointment application.
She made it easy for me.
No struggling. No fussing.

And Jackie was a natural-born hairdresser.
She loved jumping up on to people's shoulders
and grooming their hair.

Sometimes, in my own quirky mind,
I picture her as a 1950's hairdresser,
with scissors in paw,
nagging me about the frizzy mop on my head.


Cloey, whom I called Diva back then, was the tiniest of the lot
and sick with the flu.

I hadn't known this at that time,
but the vets were not expecting her to survive.

What they did not know was how feisty she was.
Her minute size fooled them all.
She was a fireball and a very demanding one at that.
She demanded full-on, hardcore, 100%-concentrated attention.

For example, if she looked at me,
it wouldn't be enough for her that I look back.
I had to stare back with the same intensity right into her eyeball.

And if I didn't stare back for a long enough time,
she would mew and mew and mew until I satisfied her time quota.

Here's another example.
Cloey was fussy with the after-meal seating arrangement on my body.
After every meal,
the 5 kittens loved/wanted/needed to sleep on me.
So I would oblige them by sitting on the floor and
letting them nap on my legs.
It wouldn't be enough for her to have a comfy spot.
No, she had to be the one seated closest to my belly.
She would walk all over the other horizontal bodies to get to her choice spot.

See the photos below?

That's her plonking down on top of my tummy.

I cared for Jackie and Cloey till they reached 4 months of age
and then I managed to get them adopted out together.
They were the first to leave me
and how I cried that night.

Even though I had steeled myself for the separation
which is a part of what fostering is about,
the bond and the attachment had occurred.
I hadn't even realised the impact they had made on me until I had to let them go.

The last time I saw them was about a year later.
I had organised a reunion for the 5 kitties and
their adopters were happy to oblige.

Jackie was still thin.
But had retained her confidence, curiosity and loving nature.
Her adopters told us stories of the great affection she would shower on
their pet dogs, rabbits and birds.

Cloey's body had filled out well,
but her face remained kittenish.

How she made us all laugh that night with her fierce pursuit of Bombay,
trying zealously to rekindle the old bond with her brother.

These are the last photographs I had taken of Cloey.

It made me smile when she mewed in the middle of the hall
and her dad tapped his chest.
She immediately flew into his arms and settled down to sleep.
It gave me great comfort and joy to see how in-sync they were.

I have been told that Jackie waited for her Dad and Mom
to be with her before she passed on.
Cloey missed her sister so much that she wouldn't eat.
She passed way peacefully soon after in her sleep on her Dad's chest.
Their deaths have been a huge blow to the family
and they struggle with the pain to this day.

I have shed many tears since last night
recalling all my treasured memories of these two little ones.
They may have been small, but their hearts and personalities were enormous.

Farewell, my Jackie.
Farewell, my Cloey.
I have missed you and will always miss you.

With love, cuddles and kisses...
Your Foster Mommy,
5-Cat Style

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Slash is oh-so vain!

I am pretty sure that Slash knows that he is a handsome cat.

I say this because he is always careful to wait until I am not looking
before he proceeds to admire himself in the mirror.
And should he get caught in the act,
he becomes very sheepish.

So it was a rare treat for me to have caught this on camera.


Is Mommy here?

No? Good!

Because I have been waiting all day for this...

To gaze upon this breath-taking, tail-shaking, claw-curling beauty!

Okay, just a quick double-check....


Before I caress and embrace the beauty that is ME!

~5-Cat Style

Friday, January 28, 2011

A BIG Thank You To Our Blogger Friends!

Bronzy and I humbly share with you 3 pieces of news.


ONE
The very brave and the very gorgeous
Sam and Lucy have awarded us
the Stylish Blogger award.

TWO
We have been featured for the 6th time on
the very talented Wendy's LOL-Spot.
You can see us here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

THREE
Our explorer friend
Huffle Mawson has put us in the limelight
in her Friends on Friday feature.


Bronzy and I would like to thank them for
bestowing such honour on us
and to say...

WOOOOHOOOO!!!



As the proud recipients of the Stylish Blogger award,
Bronzy and I will now share 7 things about ourselves
and then pass the award on to 7 of our kitty blogger friends.

Here are 7 things about us we don't think you know yet:

1) I am the biggest scaredy cat you'll ever meet.
I run away at everything new and strange.
Except when it comes to dogs.
I love to beat them up.
Once I even tried to beat up a German Shepherd in a train.
Lucky for him, I was in the carrier
and only managed to scare the bejeezus of out him.

Most of the time, I practice my kung fu on Casper.
He is a doggy friend of Mommy and sometimes comes to visit.
I enjoy thwapping him squarely on the head.

2) Bronzy is extremely playful
and that often gets her into trouble.
There was one time she ran very quickly
to pounce on Mommy's hand.
She couldn't stop in time and rammed head first into
the metal edging of the couch.
She had sexy lips for a couple of days after that.


3) At the last World Cup,
Mommy used me as her personal Paul the Octopus.
Before each match, she would place a handful of kibbles
in 2 separate mounds about a meter apart.
Each mound would represent a team.
For example, the right mound would be Germany and the left England.
Then Mommy would place me in the middle
and let me decide which mound I want to eat from.
I predicted 3 out of 4 matches correctly!
One time, I confused Mommy by eating from one mound first
and then changing my mind and eating from the other.

4) Every winter, Mommy makes Bronzy wear a jacket.
When Mommy isn't looking, Bronzy will tear it off and hide it.
And she does a great job with the hiding.
It can take days for Mommy to find the missing jacket.


5) I had a haircut once and hated it.
I was humiliated and angry with Mommy for a whole week!


6) I enjoy using Mommy's neck as my pillow
and her legs as my leg rest.


7) This is how we travel at home.


And now, we are very pleased to pass on
the Stylish Blogger award to 7 of our friends:

1) Chase
2) Victor & Nina
3) Hannah & Lucy
4) George Clonney & Neytiri
5) Huffle Mawson
6) Rosie & Cheeto
7) Margs Pets

We hope you have enjoyed learning a bit more about us
just as we have always enjoyed learning about you!

Purringly yours,
Slash

~5-Cat Style

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Yawning in Slow-Mo

I have 2 hobbies.

The first is staring at Mommy.
And the second is yawning.

Today, I'll share with you photos of my yawning.


This is me before the yawn.


This is me feeling that irresistible urge...


To stretch open my mouth...


And give a terrific yawn.


Wow! That felt good!


Have I made you yawn too?

~5-Cat Style

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Tongue Trouble










~5-Cat Style

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Bronzy Goes Belly Up

You may think that I look uncomfy here.

But I assure you...
I am very comfortable.

This is because my favourite position
is the Belly-Up!

I do everything belly-up.
So much so that Mommy thinks
the belly-up is my default position.

For example...
I sleep belly-up on the carpet.

And I sleep belly-up on the cat tree.

I play games belly-up.

And I chill out belly-up.

Whether I am wearing my plastic bag cloak...

Or my postal envelope belt...

I am guaranteed to be belly-up.

Can you guess my most favourite place to be belly-up?
It is on Mommy's legs!

Mommy says that while she enjoys it...

She also thinks that rather than lying there like a dead log...

I should try to be useful.

So Mommy and I have stuck a bargain.

From now on,
whenever I go belly-up on Mommy's legs,
I will also multi-task as...

A book holder.
(Is this abusing cheap cat labour or what?)

Okay, I'm off now to enjoy a well-deserved nap.

Belly-up, of course!

~5-Cat Style