Auld Lang Syne

From the desk of Mama Piggy:

Wishing all creatures big and small peace and joy in the new year.

Still comatosed

From the desk of Mama Piggy:

The excitement over the visit by Calsifer and btmao this afternoon "disrupted" the usual nap time of the kitties, who promptly fell into a deep slumber after the guests left for home.

It will be a silent night for us as the kitties catch up on their beauty sleep :)

Calsifer and btmao paid a visit

From the desk of Mama Piggy:

The House of Pigs and the KMM gang were honoured to have the chieftains of the Tipped Ear Clan over for tea today.


btmao's pokey-meter cannot get the blubber reading from Kootoo.

We are happy to hear that Kootoo is no match for the likes of Rheilly or Philly in blubber-o-meter reading ;)



Calsifer and btmao had a fleeting look at Milo, who then hid under the sofa for the whole afternoon. Here's a nice pix of the shy boy who finally emerged one hour after the sisters left.



Muffin the spitfire took a while to warm up to the guests, and still hissed, not once but twice, when btmao tried to get cosy with him.

Calsifer - you still owe us a pedicure session with Muffin! Never mind about the bath! :P

Age ...

From the desk of Mama Piggy:

... is really catching up with us. It used to be that we can polish off loads of junk food without feeling stuffed. But these days, we eat like a bird and still end up with a bloated tummy.

Kootoo: I can't reach the remote. The stomach is in the way ...

One of life's ironies, I guess. When you are young, you'd like to indulge in good food but you have no munny. When you are older and earning good munny, your tummy cannot take it anymore ...

Season's Greetings

The House of Pigs wishes all creatures big and small ...

Far from the madding crowd

From the desk of Mama Piggy:

Tis' the season to get far far away from the madding crowd in the malls.

I don't understand why people like to "soak up the atmosphere" and get themselves crushed among the shopping crowd.

Me, I like to chill at home -- do a bit of reading, listen to music and enjoy the company of my kitties.

That, is bliss.

Synchronised sleeping

From the desk of Mama Piggy:



Practise makes perfect :)

Is Christmas coming yet?

From the desk of Mama Piggy:


Muffin: We're tired of waiting!

Little Star

From the desk of Mama Piggy:

Does this kitten remind you of someone??

Twinkle twinkle, Little Star!

Yes, this is Twinkle's younger brother -- Little Star! Senor Achiwawa rescued the emaciated Little Star from his estate and boarded him at Phyllis' cattery where he is being nursed back to health.


Putty in my arms :)

Little Star is an agouti tabby with a lovely ticked coat.

Meanwhile, our friend Twinkle has become a Princeling of sorts, and gets to sleep with Mei-mei and a few other kitties.



Twinkle looking smug in the arms of his Guardian Angel, Mei-mei.

Twinkle must really thank his lucky stars!

A Purrfect Companion

From the desk of Mama Piggy:

In ancient China, the Emperor has a 书童 or study companion who would assist His Royal Highness in getting the ink and brush ready, fetch his books, be the whipping boy, etc etc etc.




In modern day Singapore, Papa Porky has a 茅童 or toilet companion who would keep His Royal Porkers company while he sits on the throne :)



Milo: Geez, the smell can kill a thousand flies!

Da Bird

From the desk of Mama Piggy:

The KMM gang love bird watching at our bedroom window, but recently the birds have stopped visiting, seasonal migration mayhaps?




So we got this bird from Exim Arts for $2.50, and secured it outside our bedroom window to keep the kitties entertained.


Kootoo: I thought I saw a tweety bird! It ees, it ees a tweety bird!


Kootoo: Oh those damn window panes!


Milo: Won't you come on in, little birdie?

Cheep thrill, did you say? :P

Visit to cattery

From the desk of Mama Piggy:

We popped by the cattery this afternoon, it was nice to bump into Vegancat and ChaosCat there!

Our little friend Twinkle is totally living it up at the cattery.


Twinkle: Snzzz ...


Bleary-eyed Twinkle: Oh hi!

He is totally spoilt by Phyllis and her helpers, and even gets to sleep on Mei Mei's bed!


Twinkle: What to do? I am sooooo adorable!


Video courtesy of Vegancat.

Papa Porky was pleasantly surprised by this sweet ginger boy when it jumped onto his lap for cuddles. (Papa Porky has always complained that the trio at home NEVER do nice things like this.)



I found out subsequently from Mei Mei that this ginger cat is Goldie. He is truly lovable and pliant, hope he finds a good home soon ...

Everybody loves kittens, but can you really take care of them?

From the desk of Mama Piggy:





Lovely, aren't they?

Emails enquiring for the Fantastic Four came fast and furious after their adoption notice went up on the Cat Welfare Society adoption bulletin. But we were very selective - we wanted to make sure that the kitties go to good homes and responsible owners who would give them a forever home and take care of them, in sickness and in health.

Two potential adopters were interviewed and short-listed. But BOTH parties decided to back out just before the viewing session. The first potential adopter, a sweet Malay lady, found an abandoned kitten and decided to keep it instead of adopting our kittens, fair enough; the second potential adopter, an expat lady, decided that she and her partner needs more time to settle down before getting a pet. OK, at least they were serious about adopting a pet and actually gave it some considered thought.

The other interested adopters just didn't make the cut. Some had wanted our kittens to replace the cats that they've "lost". One insisted that cats must be let out of the house to roam as it is "in their genes". Another even dictated that she wants the cats ASAP without even asking me some basic questions about the kittens. One tried too hard to impress me about how much he know about keeping cats and that backfired on him (Sorry dude, you just didn't come across as real). And a couple of those who emailed me were young kids who didn't even have their parents' consent to bring home a pet! SIGH.

If only the cats could sniff out the good adopters from the not-so-good ones, we'd have less headache!

Dell

From the desk of Mama Piggy:



This is Dell, the two-month-old Tortie girl who was found injured and abandoned in a Dell computer box at the void deck in my mum's area.

Thank goodness she is recovering well from the injury - the vet said she was in pain as her stomach region was tender, most likely due to trauma. Someone probably hit or kicked her.



Dell bears more than a passing resemblance to Brownie Tortie, the kitten my mom picked up five months ago. They both have the same white patches from the neck area down to the belly. I agree with Calsifer that someone is "making" Torties in my mum's area. And dumping them too :(

Rub-a-dub-dub

From the desk of Mama Piggy:



Lardball in a tub!

Kootoo finally has a tub to call his own.



I took pains to make sure that the tub is not too small for Kootoo, so that he doesn't spilleth over, unlike poor Bamster from the Tipped Ear Clan ;P

Anyway, I've got plenty to update.

My sister has decided to keep the Fantastic Four. It had been tough finding good adopters this time round. Guess we had been rather picky too. Will talk about this in another post later.

Yet another kitten has found its way into my sister's care. Somebody had kicked/injured a 2-3 month old Tortie girl and then dumped her in a box at the void deck of my mom's block. The poor thing is in pain and is passing out blood in its pee and poo. Vet prescribed some antibiotics. Hope the little one will pull through. Will try and post story and pixs tomorrow.

We apologise ...

From the desk of Mama Piggy:

... for the break in transmission from the House of Pigs.

Had been extremely busy and super stressed out for the past couple of weeks.

Thank goodness the project at work has been completed and I can now take a breather.

My poor kitties have seen so little of me, must make up for lost time and give them lotsa sayang!

Are you the one?

From the desk of Mama Piggy:

Kittens have no problems when it comes to finding adopters. We all know this.



The Fantastic Four are a precious bunch of kittens and we want to look for a responsible adopter who is able to look after the kiddos for life, in sickness and in health. It will most certainly break our hearts should anything happen to the Fantastic Four.

So dear potential adopters, while I thank you for the interest you have shown in the Fantastic Four, I beseech you to ask yourself: Are you the one who can provide a good and forever loving home for the cats? It is not as simple as it seems.

4,543

From the desk of Mama Piggy:

I guess I should be "glad" - the number of cats that were "humanely destroyed" at the SPCA in FY06/07 went down by 9.4%, compared to FY05/06. Still, the thought of 4,543 cats being put to sleep (PTS) just because they were found to be a "nuisance" depresses me -- a lot.


Kootoo: Huh? Who says we are a nuisance? You people who dump your unwanted flyers and mailers at the void deck are the real nuisance! Four legs good, two legs baaaad!

SPCA's latest annual report also showed that cat adoptions went up by 12.5% - 403 lucky cats found homes in FY06/07 compared to 358 in the preceding year.


Muffin: We are a good companion in any home - HDB or otherwise. We are quiet, fastidiously clean and do not caterwaul after being de-mojoed. And hullo, we are DOMESTIC, NOT nomadic!

A quick check of AVA's annual reports also pointed to a "positive" trend - the number of cats impounded (with the vast majority being PTS) by the AVA in the last 3 years has been decreasing steadily. There were 4,790 cats impounded in FY 06/07, a 15% drop compared to FY05/06, and a decrease of 17.6% against the 5,810 reported in FY 04/05.

So what do all these figures mean? I certainly hope the latest statistics show that Singaporeans are now more aware of animal welfare and the proper management of community cats; that more people realise that culling is only an easy way out, an inhumane act which serves no purpose except to achieve a quick-fix "solution" in the short-term.


Milo: Have mercy -- love us, not hurt us!

But I am being rather optimistic here. The road ahead to greater awareness and tolerance is fraught with ceaseless difficulties. When people who cannot see beyond themselves continue to be self-seeking, and bring up a generation of self-serving, selfish children, the hope for a more compassionate and caring society dims.

Reflections

From the desk of Mama Piggy:


Miss Piggy, circa late 1970s.

My mother tried to abort me, not once but twice, when I was a one and a half month old foetus. There were just too many of us. I was the fifth child. Obviously, I clung on to dear life. (Maybe the herbal preparation my mom took was not "powderful" enough to get rid of me. She subsequently went for a jab at the Women's Clinic which didn't do its trick either.)

At age four, I got hit by a pickup truck at my kampong one evening. I had followed my brother across the road to the provision shop, without him knowing. On other days, I would have been too scaredy-cat to cross the road. But that night, I remembered vividly, the lights at the provision shop seemed especially inviting and bright, and it seemed to beckon me to walk over to the other side. BANG! The impact sent me flying some 20 metres across the road. Except for some bad grazes on my limbs and face, I had no other injuries. Amazing, no? But the pickup truck's bumper was badly dented, according to my mom. The poor driver, he must have been frightened out of his wits.

As the saying goes, 大难不死，必有后福. Maybe, as a friend said, good karma had ripen during both instances.

Whatever it is, it is great to have made it to this world. And while I am here, I shall make it a point to help others, to relieve others of their suffering wherever I can, and to not contribute to the suffering of others.

* * * * *

35 years ago on this very evening, a piggy was born to the household of Lee in a kampong called Lorong Halus, off old Tampines Road.

What a difference ...

From the desk of Mama Piggy:

... two weeks make!

The Fantastic Four have grown so much, and are sooooo adorable!


Darling of the lot - Cappuccino.


Big brother Latte is a classic ginger.


Sweety Tiramisu has a perfect, long tail.


Milk Tea is an imp. Notice his socks?

Must find them good homes soon.

Sigh, am sure it will be tough for my sister to give her 'babies' away ...

Brownie and Scout revisited

From the desk of Mama Piggy:

Selamat Hari Raya!

We paid a visit to Senor Achiwawa and his family today, and are pleased to report that Brownie and Scout look very happy!


Brownie has blossomed into a beautiful girl.


Scout has the most gorgeous eyes, complete with kohl eyeliner!

As you might recall, Scout is sick (suspected FIP) and is now on steroids to keep his respiratory problems at bay.



Now (top, taken on 12 Oct 2007) and then (below, taken on 10 March 2007).



He looks small for a nine month old kitty, and is quite bony despite his voracious appetite. We really hope this little boy, or Small Fry, as Senor Achiwawa's mother calls him, gets better with time.

Scout doing an impression of Suckling Pig for the guests.


Frontal view.


Plane view.


Zonked out by the festive celebrations.