Too hot, too cold.

The Malaysian weather can't be more ambivalent around this time of the year as it vacillates between rain and shine. Seemingly confused as to whether it'd be more fun to dehydrate the earthlings, or to make them moan and whine over wet laundry. Interestingly, when it's scorching hot, the cats usually sleep outside under the shade of the front porch, between potted plants or underneath cars. They don't seem to mind the heat as much as we do. But when it rains, they scamper into the house. Most of the time they dislike water, but some of my cats would dash through the rain just to escape having to be kept inside when they feel like we're trying to restrict their freedom to party all night. This is especially the case with Jessica. She's quite the popular one on our street as for some reason, the tom cats in the area are so attracted to her even though she can't fulfill their "needs" and she doesn't have an affable personality either. In fact, she's quite the catty bitch and if you get on her bad side, she will be very persistent about chasing you into the ditch and then walk away with a piece of your ear as a trophy. Heck, she'll nip you even if you're on her good side so you can go ahead and label her crazy. Despite being Medusa, she's got a boyfriend or two ever so willing to be at her beck and call. And we humans love her nonetheless which may be why she's developed a bossy 'my way or the highway' attitude.   

"This slab of concrete is MINE. This plant I'm basking under is also MINE. Along with everything else you think you own" - The Tuxedo Princess

While Jessica won't surrender her well-guarded territory even in a hailstorm, the rest aren't so keen to stay out if the sky is weeping and throwing lightening tantrums. The older ones are particularly sensitive to bad weather. Too hot or too cold, they'll surely start to show signs of illness.

Kiki has been having health problems for awhile now due to her age. But lately she's been feeling more and more inclined to sleep all day. She's less alert too causing her to act and look more like a drunken sailor/senior cat as the days go by. Even so, Kiki still has an appetite and she hasn't dropped her duty as our personal tummy masseuse just yet. This one can't resist kneading our bellies when we sit or lie down in the living room. Sometimes, she makes sure she warms us up too by sitting on our stomachs like a warm loaf of bread. She doesn't expect anything in return other than maybe a shoe to sleep in when she feels like it. It's true, she likes to sleep in shoes although she's much too big to actually fit in any of ours but she'll try. A little fur on our shoes is just a small price to pay for all the love and attention Kiki showers us with. 

Napping through an episode of American Horror Story.
Kiki will likely sleep through  any blood-curdling scream no matter how high the octave but the minute you attempt to take a picture of her snoring, she will open an eye and let you know she's been watching all along. 

The Tangle Tango

As of late, the fancy-smancy grouch above has found his fur to be of high maintenance now that its growing wild like some odd growth spurt in old age. His fur didn't use to be as long and fluffy as it has gotten in the past few years and because he's a senior kittyzen, he's finding it harder to groom on his own resulting in some twist and knots here and there especially around his armpits. Thank God he's an AXE man by nature so fear of an unwelcoming after-hours body stench is unnecessary :p

In the past, I've had to bring Parsi to the vet a couple of times to deal with matted hair as to comb him over myself would be an experience Parsi would rather avoid for all the touching it involves and how we'd have to be in close proximity for more than 5 minutes. You know he is a grumpy grandpa, right? Never forget it. And just like one, you kinda have to force him to see the doctor and you can never point out his mistakes or ask him to change his ways. But unlike a real grandpa he wont' tell you war stories or how it was like in the good old days. What can I say? He's also a snob.

His fur has gotten particularly thick in the chest and belly area. For the most part, the belly is not the source of his woe. It's the other hard to reach places that puts a strain on him. I've recently purchased a proper grooming comb to help him out a bit because he gets extra frustrated when the knots form and pinch his skin. I've also noticed that he gets tired more quickly when he's cleaning himself. Of course, the handful of times I've attempted to smooth his fur out, he would snap at me like a tortoise minus the beak, blood, protruding bones and missing fingers. Parsi's bites are quite harmless considering how he doesn't have a lot of teeth to hold on to your skin. Even so, he'll try. Fiercely. If that doesn't work to loosen your grip on him, he will use his hind legs to kick like a kangaroo. Does he watch Nat Geo to study the many ways animals attack/defend themselves? Maybe, maybe not since he hates being in the living room where the TV is located. It comes with no surprise that you must hide the comb while approaching him for if he sees it, he's going to jump the gate without a second to lose. He may be old and fat but he's a nifty sprinter. You wouldn't think it but he'll show you to judge him by all that extra baggage he carries on his sides.

To make matters worse, recently he's been making one too many ditch expeditions much to our dismay. Obviously, the drain is not the most hygienic place you'd want your cat to be napping in and he often emerges from the "underground" caked in mud. I think he just finds some kind of comfort lounging and exploring the drain. It's his own tunnel network and I picture him surveying the grounds like one would do in a cave guided by the light of a hard hat except he's got eyes well equipped to see in the dark instead. Since he's a smart one, he knows that we can't catch him if he's in there and whenever he feels like messing with us, he'd run off into the drain to avoid being put indoors or hugged. Occasionally, he'll get really stubborn and stay in there for hours or overnight. Irked by being outwitted, we thought we'd teach him a lesson --so we gave him a good scrubbing in a "bubble" bath and after we've had him satisfactorily clean and smelling faintly of mango, we fixed him with a collar attached with a bell so we can keep track of his whereabouts. Also, admittedly, to annoy him with the humiliation of being "owned" in such a manner. The cat knows that a neon green collar printed with white hearts and dangling with a shiny bell in fuchsia would indeed jeopardize his street thug image but that's what you get when you (sorta) bite the hand that feeds.I made sure it was as flashy and flamboyant a collar that can be :p He was none too happy but he can live with it. Makes it easier to track him down since you only have to listen out for the bell to know where he is. Surprisingly, with a collar on, he's more well behaved and so long as it doesn't hurt him, he'll tolerate a bruised ego, having to appear more "domesticated" and always inadvertently making a grand entrance with the jingling. 

The bright green brings out his eyes, no? A touch of fuchsia in your outfit can do wonders! A must-have accessory :p
And of course, that's Maggie in the front, photo-bombing.

Truth is, I have mixed feelings about collars. I'm afraid they might harm the cats more than serve any kind of purpose. I'll admit that it's just more of an aesthetic accessory. But it is effective when it comes to signaling their presence and warning small prey they might be after. And in Parsi's case, a behaviour-correcting tool. However, I won't subject my cats to wearing them unless they can tolerate it. Out of all the cats I've ever owned, only 2 can manage a collar while the rest become a ticking time bomb the second it's on. They can't help but be consumed by agitation for having a piece of cloth around their necks let alone one with a dangling, tingling bell. They will literally go crazy. Sakura would have her eyes dilate like she's on acid and would run endlessly around the house, ready to lose her shit. The rest would claw at their necks and writhe around as if some unseen force is riding on their backs. This attempt to free themselves of the collar will quickly turn into a safety hazard as they risk choking and injuring themselves one way or another.

Sakura on the verge of of losing her temper. Full-blown agitation would look crazier than this and in this picture she's about to get pissed because I've chosen to take her picture instead of scratching behind her ears as she has demanded.

When we had our first cat (Mama Ayeow) many years ago, we tried putting a collar on her and all was fine for the first few minutes. But then she ran off and an hour later she came home looking very odd. Upon inspection, we found that one front leg was tangled up in the collar and to our horror, the ring that attached the bell to the collar was stuck between two of her bottom front teeth so her head was forced downwards! It was a wonder how she managed to get home and we quickly cut the collar off. That was the first and last time Mama Ayeow wore a collar. After that, we swore never to make them wear one again but a few years later we tested each cat to see how they'd take it. Making sure to observe them within an enclosed area to see their reaction. If all's calm, I make sure that the collar is the right fit. Wouldn't want it to get caught on a branch or the spikes on the gate. This is a great worry of mine so I don't take it lightly because the thought of having Parsi choke or hang to death horrifies me.

As much as I like to see cats dressed up in pretty collars, it is never at the expense of their safety and sanity so I make sure they won't be in danger or experience discomfort. Parsi may not love it but he tolerates it and as long as it's safe, he'll survive wearing something so '80s in fashion.

PS- Just a tip, when choosing a collar make sure the bell is not attached to it by a big loop ring as this can get snagged on something and choke your cat. I always make sure there is not a lot of room between the bell and the collar. The bell should be hanging at the shortest distance possible from the collar. It is also advisable to use snap collars instead of belt collars. The best would be breakaway collars but those can be hard to find around here.