Poppy's Great Escapes

What has my Pretty Poppy been up to lately?  Well, for one, she made a great escape recently (well, not once...but a few times).....and had the adventure of her life for 3 hours! O_o

When was this?  On a Sunday morning when we went to church and returned after breakfast.  I'm not sure if I was the one who didn't latch the lock properly in her cage or she accidentally pawed it open.  That was a scare.....even though she came running back to the house the moment our car arrived (clever girl to be able to recognise the sound of our car engine or the opening of our gate...Cookie was the same!).

It was even scarier when we learned about the appearance of a black snake from our resident chatgroup.  A resident said it may be a cobra and that they enlisted JPAM to catch the snake but it escaped through the sewer.  Even more frightening was when a neighbour shared that there seems to be less stray cats loitering around our neighbourhood! O_o

The picture of my sweet Poppy being swallowed by a snake sounds really frightening (of course, my husband purposely wanted to scare me more by saying that if the snake crawled into the cage and swallowed Poppy, you know the snake would not be able to crawl back out, right?  Omg, the vision of a bloated snake (think Anaconda or like those we see on Animal Planet) is such a graphic vision that it gives me the goosebumps!)...that I've since added a failproof mechanism onto the latch (an S hook) that'll act as a safety latch to ensure it'll not be opened accidentally however hard she pushes or paws at the latch.

Of course, I can also be the cause of it if I forget to put that safety latch back on...but since that's the second lock (and the S hook is very visible if it's left hanging on the side of the cage and not put on), I hope that'll reduce the chances of it not being locked properly (after all, surely I can't be that unfortunate to not lock both latches).

Actually, this was not the first time that she made a great escape.  She has done it before as there was a previous incident when I didn't put the latch properly.  The next I knew (and heard) was the loud fighting sound of two cats at it.  I rushed out to find both cats under a neighbour's car and tried to break up the fight.  Poppy was cowing in fear in a corner (well, so you know who's the loser here).  Once I managed to chase the all-black female cat away (that's how I know female cats fight one another too), she took the opportunity to run around and enjoy her freedom.  It took me (with the help of my neighbour) like 45 mins before I managed to catch her...adoi!

Her other great escape was when she was in the house and somehow I must have not closed the door properly.  It slide open by itself (probably due to the wind) and opened a small gap in which she escaped.  When I saw the door slightly ajar, I called out her name immediately and when she didn't answer, I knew she must have run out again.

I ran out immediately after her and found her trying to get into the house opposite.  No wonder lah, she chased a female cat into the compound of the house (she didn't know how to get in through the gap at the side of the gate).  She was pawing the gate frantically trying to get in (very clear who was the winner this time!) and I managed to grab her instantly coz she was so focussed on trying to get at the cat.  She meowed so loudly (and tried to make a break from my grasp) all the way home.  She was obviously not happy being taken away when she was having the winning hand (or paw, in this case).  Naughty, naughty Poppy.....lol!  

Well.....and that was that to her few little adventures to the outside world (or were they misadventures).....and her brief taste of freedom.  Glad to report that there have been no more such escape incidents since! ;D

Poppy: Hey, by the way, did you notice my new collar.....cantik tak? ;D

It's custom-made you know (from my mommy's sister-in-law).

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Update on Poppy

Poppy has been with us for about 5 months now.....and she's settling in nicely, I believe.  She's about a year old now (the vet put her unofficial birth date as September 2024)...and has grown into a pampered little young princess.

She has been keeping up with her visits to the vet to get her vaccinations as well as the groomers to have her bath, ears cleaned, hair brushed and nails clipped.  She's a princess after all! :D

Seeing that there are many cat-nappers in my neighbourhood, I've made the conscious decision that she'll be a 100% indoor cat although I wish I didn't have to do that.  I wish I could let her roam free outside but the danger outweighs good intentions (based on what happened to my previous two part-time cats).  Since she's expected to spend a considerable amount of time in her cage (she'll be in the house in the earlier part of the day and retire to her condo in the evenings), I decided to invest in a bigger cage (big enough to house 3-4 cats actually) to accord her a higher comfort level.

She has since moved into her multi-storey condo from her previous single-storey apartment...hah..hah!  It's equipped with a scratching post and toy ball besides a cooling mat on the ground floor for hot days and cotton cushion mats on the 1st & 2nd floors for cooler days.  The top floor is pretty much for gazing and (perhaps) bird/people-watching (lol)....if we draw the sitting room curtains, she can actually look in. 

She has progressively put on weight since the day she came (as a skinny little kitten above)....though I wouldn't call her a fatty bom-bom yet.  She eats quite a lot...3 meals a day for now as she's still a young cat.  She gets wet food in the mornings and kibbles for the afternoon and night meals.

She eats grain-free Cindy's Recipe Wet Cat Food Pouch (70g) @ RM2.70/pkt for breakfast...and she licks the plate clean.  This is the meal she looks forward to the most as wet food is every cat's favourite.

For lunch, it's kibbles and I give her Egocat Salmon @ RM16 (1kg repack)....and for dinner, it's Egocat Weight+ (original pack) @ RM21/kg.  This was what Cookie used to eat too.  I actually switched back to this brand when I realised she didn't like the Snappy Tom kibbles (which is what I give the cats that strayed into my home) coz she would never finish her kibbles.  With Egocat, she finishes her food.

With the amount she eats (and she usually finishes all 3 meals), I'm surprised that she hasn't put on more weight.  That was when I decided to introduce the Freeze Dried Pet Food which is touted as a Booster Gemuk (fattening booster) that helps increase appetite...and she loves it! ;)  You can choose either freeze dried chicken cubes, liver cubes or chicken egg yolk or a combo mixture of all three (which I chose at first, the 3 in 1 Booster @ RM18/200g).  There are also other flavours like duck, beef & salmon.  You just have to put a few cubes over his kibbles to enhance appetite.  At first, she would eat all 3 types of freeze dried cubes but then started to avoid the egg yolk (and carefully leave them on the plate uneaten).  It was a way of her telling me she doesn't like the chicken egg yolk. >_<

So, now I just buy the flavours separately....the chicken cubes to be exact.  But I'm also trying out other flavours like liver & salmon coz the chicken cubes are always the first to be sold out in most stores.  Since starting her on this freeze-dried food, she has clearly put on more weight (even the groomer said she now has a tummy).

Seeing how much my dearly departed Cookie once loved chicken, I also tried giving her more protein-based food like Masti Steamed Chicken Breast @ RM1/pkt but she didn't tuck into it with gusto.  She's clearly not into fresh chicken (though she loved the freeze-dried chicken)...so I won't feel so guilty about not making fresh chicken breast for her (like I did for my late Cookie).  Poppy is a fish lover...I've given her freshly fried kembong fish before and she loved it (finally, a cat who loves fish!).  Since having a taste of human food, she now circles around me when I'm eating, waiting for a handout and hoping that fish is on the menu...lol! ;D

I also supplement her feeds with Ishtar Creamy Cat Treats @ RM0.20/stick which she took to immediately and was very excited each time I take out that treat.  Unfortunately, that initial excitement has waned and she now rejects it completely.  I now have leftovers Snappy Tom kibbles and this (don't know what to do with them as the strays also don't come now that I've a resident cat).

I've since introduced a new snack, Sheba Melty Creamy Cat Treats @ RM1.50/stick (which my sister-in-law first bought for her...notice the price difference!).  This atas princess of mine knows the good stuff...I guess there's no going back to the cheap stuff now! O_o

So, that's typically what Poppy eats in a day....living like a princess...and eating like one too! ^_~  Pretty much similar to what my late prince used to eat (except with the additional freeze-dried food and creamy treats).  It's not cheap to upkeep a cat...let alone one with an atas taste! ;D

I love this girl to bits.....and I hope she's happy in her forever home! ;)

Meet Poppy!

For those who have followed my blog long enough, you'd know that I once had a pet cat named Cookie and was heartbroken when he died...vowing that he'd be my first....and last pet.

Since then I didn't want any permanent pet but had a series of part-time pets, notably strays in Gone Girl, a ginger male cat, a grey/white cat and all other cats who have come my way since...but they all disappeared and left.  Perhaps I was destined to not have any pets, part-time or otherwise! :'(  

Even a little frog that strayed into my porch ended up leaving...lol!  It was here for a good 4 weeks, believe it or not.  It would hide in a certain corner in my porch and when I sprayed/washed my porch I made sure I didn't flush it down the drain...hah..hah.  But one day, it too upped and left.  P.S.: But just a few days ago, I saw a larger-sized frog in my porch and wonder if the same frog (which grew in size) came to visit! ;D

In truth, of all the colours in a cat, I've always had the softest spot for a pure white cat.  I've always regretted not taking in an almost white stray (with blue eyes) in the past but that was when I had Cookie.  So, when a pure white kitten (also with the most beautiful blue eyes) was presented to me recently, I couldn't...and wasn't going to say no to my dream cat.  Yes, I've decided to open my heart to another cat.  So, say hello to Poppy, the latest addition to the family! ;)  But it was touch-and-go for a while.  Well, here's the story.........

This is yet another stray cat that strayed into my arms.  But it didn't find its way into my porch...it found its way into my sister-in-law's porch...lol!  And my sister-in-law knowing how much I adore cats approached me to see if I wanted it.  She sent me some photos...and there was no going back after that aww moment! ^.^  How can you not fall in love with such a pretty little thing?  All white and pure...so cute and sweet!

The stray kitten has been hanging around her porch for days (wanting to go into the house), so it was pretty easy to catch.  She loaded it into her car and sent it to my place.  At first look, I think it's a "she".  I sent her to the groomers the next day and they confirmed that it's female...yay!  She was quite a skinny little kitten when she came (in early March 2025) but looked much better after she got cleaned up.

She's all sweet smelling and fluffy after her bath.  Immediately I could tell she's quite the affectionate cat as she likes to plonk herself on some part of my body (when I'm seated on the floor or the sofa).  She doesn't seem to have that fear and aggressiveness of a cat born on the streets (she can't be a thrown away cat coz my sister-in-law said she had seen her with other kittens, probably her siblings).

Two weeks later, she made her first visit to the vet (to get deflead, dewormed and vaccinated)...and that was when her name was picked too.  The vet told me that she's between 6 months to a year old.  Therefore, on her medical card, her unofficial birth date is listed as September 2024.

Less than two weeks later, she was at the vet again, this time to get neutered.  I wasn't planning to neuter her so early (as she still looked like a kitten) but a male cat has been "disturbing" her + she also started to show signs of being on heat.  But unlike my other two part-time female cats who would display signs of being on heat by rubbing themselves on the floor (and on the street) + walking with a raised butt, this little kitty instead was meowing loudly for days on end (she was so vocal that I think the neighbours could hear her from afar).  When I googled, I realised that this was also one of the ways female cats let the male cats know by calling out to them that she's ready to mate.  Her incessant howling drove me nuts (I thought I got a cat with anxiety issues!).  Luckily, the vet confirmed that she was on heat and I ended up paying RM150 + RM20 (extra) for her neutering.

I was also just trying to delay her neutering for fear that she'll end up being kidnapped catnapped like my other two previous part-time cats right after they've been neutered.  But it's something I can't avoid forever as I live with some unscrupulous neighbours...but I took extra precaution this time for my son said let's not let her out outside until her belly hair grows back (hopefully, this can mask the fact that she's been neutered).

Now back to the story of why I said it was touch-and-go for a moment.  You see, I had a bad flare up of my asthma recently which coincided with her adoption.  I experienced wheezing and shortness of breath for 4 nights and had to rely on medication to open up the airways.  I'm not sure if it was really due to the cat or some other allergy that triggered it.

I had my first bad attack of asthma when I returned from a month-long holiday to the (west coast of) United States (that included Hawaii), Mexico, Canada & Japan...and another time when I came back from Hongkong & Macau.  They say changes in weather can be a trigger (that's why I don't travel anymore).  But that was so long ago and I've not had a bad flare up for many years.  Occasionally, I may experience a mild episode when I've a cough or some inflammation in my throat but other than that, I live an asthma-free life.  So, I don't know what brought this on.  I've had Cookie for 9+ years and I was alright.  I believe getting Covid 3 years ago (from my husband) may have triggered it again as I had a severe flare up when I got Covid.

My doctor advised me to give up the cat (he was not the only doctor who had said so over the years) but I can't find it in my heart to give her up after I've taken her in.  One look at those mesmerising blue eyes and it'll melt any heart.  I'd try anything rather than give her up.  If I've to limit her time running free in the house, be careful that she doesn't cozy up to me too much, wash my hands after I've touched/patted her, wear a mask if I have to when carrying her, confine her to her cage (I intend to get a larger, multi-storey one) for more hours...I'm willing to try anything if it means keeping her.  Glad to report that I've not had another episode since.  Maybe she wasn't even the cause to start with and I had some throat inflammation or something.

I gave her time to familiarise herself with the smell of her surroundings (for about 3 weeks) so that she knows where home is.  The first time I let her out of the house, I was in for a shock!  I would check on her periodically for the first 2 hours to ensure she's still in the vicinity.  But when I called out to her at lunch time, she didn't come back for her feed.  I walked around my neighbourhood (twice) to look for her but she was no where to be seen.  By 4 pm, I took a drive around my neighbourhood to see if she had wandered further off but couldn't find her.  In my heart, I thought I've lost her forever (and tears flowed that I lost her so soon).

Came 5 pm, I opened my doors to collect my clothes (that were hung out to dry) and, to my delight, she was sitting right outside the door! O_o  She missed her lunch feed coz she was probably too busy exploring the surroundings and came back only when she was hungry.  I'm happy that I can now let her outside and know that she knows where home is (though I've not let her out since).

What did I say before...when one door closes, another one opens....and that's so true!  She's set to become a permanent feature in my home...and I hope she doesn't get catnapped like the rest before her!  The only thing I can do is to limit her time outdoors.  If I've to confine her indoors or in her cage for more hours, so be it...if that's the only way to keep her safe.  I leave it to fate for whatever will be, will be.....but for now, I'll just enjoy the company of my precious little princess with the most beautiful blue eyes! ;)

P.S: She's rather skinny and isn't the prettiest looking kitten for now as she's been with me for less than 2 months.  Wait till I fatten her up with good food and loving care...lol! ^_~

To All The Cats I've Loved Before.....

To all the girls cats I've loved before

Who travelled in and out my door

I'm glad they came along

I dedicate this song post

To all the cats I've loved before

To all the cats I once caressed

And may I say I've held the best

They live within my heart

I'll always be a part

Of all the cats I've loved before.....

(What a befitting song and lyrics...lol!)

For those who follow my blog, you'd know that many furry, four-legged friends have crossed my paths over the years...one I was privileged to call my own (a stray who found a forever home with me), some became my part-time pets (strays that I neutered, fed and looked after) while some were just passing through.

It had been a series of Hellos...and Goodbyes to my BFFs (Beloved Furry Friends).  So, let us remember the ones who have come...and gone! ^_~

First was my very own cat, of course...my dearly departed Cookie.  He was with me for 9+ years before he passed in 2022.  This reminds me...I was supposed to write a post (for someone) on how/why he died (and I probably still will some day).

You may say I'm biased...but I think Cookie was the best looking cat that had crossed my path.  Well, to a parent, their child is always the cutest or prettiest, isn't it?  Male cats tend to have a more squarish jawline and an almost mane-like appearance that make them look very dapper.

Then there was Gone Girl, a stray that was lucky enough to walk into my porch in.  My husband said she looks like a little tiger (because of her colours).  She also happens to be the most fluffy cat that crossed our paths (especially her furry tail) coz she was a long-haired species.

I provided food and shelter (but not a forever home) and did my civic duty to neuter her (in July 2022)...and just as she gained weight and looked beautiful, someone in my neighbourhood catnapped Gone Girl and she disappeared some 2 weeks before 2023 CNY.  I got to enjoy her affection and companionship for about 9 months.  I will remember her for how she loved to curl up in my basket to sleep. ^.^

Even before Gone Girl came, this ginger male cat was already a stray in our neighbourhood.  He came as a kitten (was born on our street) together with his two other siblings (both males).  He's a true street cat and isn't very affectionate (as in you cannot carry him) but would come for his daily feed.

This was one cat that I know 100% was not kidnapped for the simple reason he was not neutered, I believe.  One day he stopped coming for his daily feeds and I knew (in my heart) he has died.  That's because a few days prior to his death, he was not eating nor grooming (he looked very scruffy and smelled).  This was the clearest sign that the end was near (the scent of death, the same scent that Cookie had before his demise).

 

The ginger cat was bullied to death...and I'm quite certain about it.  He was so stressed in the days and months leading to his death due to the many fights he had to endure with this culprit (the bully, a black & white dominant male cat) who is super aggressive and well-known amongst neighbours, even the security guards!  Me and my neighbours tried our best to help by breaking up the fights whenever we see it (one of my neighbours told me she saw him being grabbed and flung into the air by the big bully)! O_o

The most recent was this grey/white stray cat that wandered into our neighbourhood and followed my husband in.  She could not possibly be a stray as she was rather affectionate from the get-go, so she was most likely abandoned or discarded by someone.

She was between 1 - 2 years old according to the vet when I took her to be neutered (in mid-Dec 2024).  She appeared around June last year and disappeared about 3 weeks after she was neutered (again 2 weeks before 2025 CNY).  This grey/white cat was here for just 7 months...and was an absolutely adorable and affectionate cat.  I will remember her for how she loves to chase her own tail! ;D

Then there were those who were here for a fleeting moment, just passing through or whom I chanced upon when I was out.  One was this little grey/white kitten who was very playful (bosom buddies) with the grey/white cat.

She was here for a real fleeting moment...about 2 weeks and then she stopped coming for her daily feeds.  Not sure what happened to her but my guess would be that she was adopted since kittens easily get forever homes because of their cuteness at a young age.

This heavily pregnant greyish sweet-looking cat I saw her only once and fed her some kibbles.  She came around the time of Gone Girl.  Never saw her again...I guess she was just passing through.

Then there was this brownish cat that came up to my table at an eatery I frequent.  I was tempted to take her home...but no, I resisted.  Luckily so, as I was later told, the cat is still around (adopted by a neighbouring shop) but has an aggressive demeanour.  The cat scratched one of the eatery's customer when patted.

And also this friendly Siamese look-alike that came up to me for a pat on the head at a food court.

This white/orange coloured kitten I chanced upon when at the same food court above.  The shop owners are compassionate about strays and set up a dedicated place for the strays that they were feeding.  The white/orange coloured kitten looked so cute that I found it hard to walk away.

I asked the shop if they could tell me the gender but they couldn't (they even asked a customer) as I can only adopt a female since the insanely aggressive black & white male was still terrorising our street then.  But I took a chance...and took it home only to find out that it was a male when it was sent to the groomers for a bath.

Not wanting the same fate to befall him as it did the ginger cat, I reluctantly took him back to the shop (it was very difficult to give him up even though he was here for just a day).  But all's well that ends well, I found out the following week (when I went there for breakfast hoping to see him) that he had been adopted...I'm relieved that there was a happy ever after for him.

Even if it led to a tinge of sadness with each one leaving, I'm still glad they came my way...even if it was just for a fleeting moment! ;)  These were not the only cats that have crossed my path, there were others which I've written about in the past.  I still think of them every now and then...and look back at their photos with fondness.  Cat lovers will always be cat lovers.

I'm a firm believer of when one door closes, another one opens!  Well, I guess you'll just have to stay tuned for more cat stories to come. ^_~