2 Bengal Kittens & a Huge Maine Coon

Miss Me?

2010-06-19T13:07:00.007+08:00

Miss me?

I've been gone for SO long - and it completely wasn't planned. I even had drafts ready to go back from 2008. But, life is life and things happen and so I stopped blogging for a while (OK, well, 2 years =)

I'm back and I'll definitely be blogging at least once a week! Although, the pics are starting to be a lot less cute and the boys are all grown up!

BUT! I have news!!! Last year in March I got a puppy! Huge step for me, but I just knew it was the right time. So, I am now the proud mama to 3 cats... not kittens =( and a dog... no longer a puppy!

I'll blog all about it so you can get meet Harry, the whippet! And you get to see pics of the cats all grown up.

It's been so long but I'm happy I'm back.

Can't wait to check out everyone's blogs!

Dodie
x

Yay! An Award!

2008-01-22T08:44:00.001+08:00

Yay! We received our second award ever
from Samantha and Tigger! Thank you!

It's the You Make My Day Award.

The You Make My Day Award is presented to bloggers whose blog brings you happiness and inspiration and makes you feel happy about Blogland. The rules are to pass the award along to up to 10 Kitties.

Now I have to pass it on to up to 10 other blogging cats.
Ok, I'll have to decide and post later who I've chosen!

Thank you once again, Samantha and Tigger! You made my day!

Evil Cat

2008-01-21T18:52:00.000+08:00

This is what Torrey thinks of me taking pictures of him!

He becomes the EVIL CAT!!

My Cinnamon Rolls

2008-01-17T17:40:00.000+08:00

Here are a few samples of my mini cinnamon rolls that I made a few nights ago as a trial for my brother's wedding. They are yummy - secret recipe =)

Iced and ready to go to school!

A close up!

Just before icing them!

The cupcake paper I put each one in.

It's amazing, one batch of dough makes 12 large cinnamon rolls, or 32 (possibly 40) mini ones. I can't believe that I can squeeze three to four times more out of one batch if I make mini ones! I'm hooked and probably won't make big ones again for a while! Mini are the way to make way more people happy!

Thursday Thirteen (#9) - Hanging Out in the Living Room

2008-01-17T17:14:00.000+08:00

Some of the positions Sebastian sits in look uncomfortable and awkward, but for some reason he is able to sit like that for hours! Here are a few of him hanging out in the living room (with a few of Starbuck and Torrey taken at the same time!).

Thursday Thirteen (#8) - 13 Red Bed Pictures

2008-01-10T17:15:00.000+08:00

I only posted a few "Playing with a Straw" pictures,
but the more I look at these pictures, the more I
want to include them in my blog as a memory
of this 'photo shoot'! So, here is this week's
Thursday Thirteen...

13 Red Bed Pictures!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

2008-01-08T16:10:00.000+08:00

Merry Christmas everyone!

I've been on vacation and so haven't been able to post (I can access the Internet from home, but can't post!). So, I'm back at work and am able to post once again! I figured the best first post of 2008 would be one of the boys' Christmas presents! But, they are still on my camera and I forgot to bring my camera to school today so I guess I'm all out of luck!

So, here are some pictures of Starbuck
playing with a straw on my red bed!

Ah! He's found a new toy!

Hmm.... yummy!

This is fun!

Yuck! Not so much fun anymore!

Hmm... just lie and look at it a while longer...

Before losing interest and laying back for a rest!

And so goes a day in the life of a cat!

T13 (Edition 10) - Sebastian's Shower Part 2

2007-12-20T20:15:00.000+08:00

Here are a few more "post shower" photos, which I thought would make a great photo T13. I will be posting more about the cat show soon!

Still all wet!

Drying off a little

Had enough drying off... time to go explore the dining room.

Hmm.... locked doors....

Ok, so, more drying...

And after drying, fish treat, drying and more drying, time to go under the craft table. This is usually not allowed as the folding tables can trap cats... but, as I was watching, I figured it was ok for a few minutes =)

Ordeal over... unless there is another attack
of the mysterious sticky substance!

Cat Expo and Siamese Cats!

2007-12-17T09:00:00.000+08:00

Hong Kong had its 10th Cat Expo yesterday
and I almost missed it! This is the story!

My brother wrote the Christmas Pageant for his church this year, and they held it at the Convention and Exhibition centre (see pics below).

I haven't been feeling well for ages, and so I had decided not to go. However, by 3pm, I was feeling a little better and decided to try to make it. I was 30 minutes late, but figured better late than never!

I had no idea where it was being held in the C & E Centre, but had Hall 2 in the back of my mind, so headed up to Hall 2 (quite a hike up a gazillion huge escalators). When I got there, I couldn't believe my eyes! Hall 2 was the 10th Hong Kong Cat Expo! I had NO idea!

The worst part... I had to pull myself away to get to the pageant as I was already late. After a few phonecalls, I realized it was not Hall 2, but Theatre 2 and so began an even longer trek to Theatre 2 (10 minutes away through tunnels and yet another gazillion escalators - I know... good exercise!).

The Pageant was brilliant! It was so funny (with the angel Gabriel as a knock off of Baldrick from Black Adder: "I have a cunning plan!"). Anyway, the place was packed and I was lucky that my mum and dad were there and had saved me a seat.

The pageant finished and I almost ran back to the cat show - praying it hadn't finished already! It hadn't, and I was able to spend over an hour buying lots of things (I'll post them soon! Christmas gifts are no longer a problem!) and watching the shows. The cats were beautiful!

The highlight of my evening was the siamese kitten and the abyssinian cat. I had never seen either of these breeds in real life before, and was amazed when I saw them! The abyssinian had such a small, petit head - beautiful! And the siamese cat was so long and sleek, with a small, petit head! I enjoy reading everyone's cat blogs and am used to seeing Storm and Latte online, but to see a seal-point siamese in real life was amazing! I didn't expect them to be so small with such a small head! And the colouring is exquisite!

Now, I have a few questions, how big are seal-point siamese full grown? This guy yesterday was 5 months old so was still quite small. How much do they weigh? How long are they?

And does anyone have an abyssinian that I missed? They really have tiny, tiny heads - so petit.

I searched and searched to see if they had a sphynx cat like Dragonheart, but I couldn't find any - the majority of the cats were exotics, persians or british shorthairs. I think there was only 1 siamese in the whole place! Later I found out there had been a sphynx cat (only 1) at the show - but only one. Ah well, maybe I'll see one next year!

It was so much fun! I love my bengals and maine coon and wouldn't trade them for the world, but I thoroughly enjoyed seeing all the other cat breeds out there! They really are beautiful and unusual and I will definitely consider one of the other breeds if I were to ever get another cat (although, I could never be without a maine coon and bengal).

Hope everyone else had a great weekend, too!

Christmas Toys!

2007-12-15T20:09:00.000+08:00

Christmas is coming and so I'm starting
to think about what to get the boys.

So far I have come up with the two toys below.
Has anyone got these and can give me a review on them?

This one looks like it could get their
attention and keep them occupied!

And, yet another scratcher. Why not...
And this one looks like it could be fun, too!

Any other suggestions?
I would love to hear from everyone!

T13: Sebastian's First Shower - Part 1

2007-12-13T20:10:00.000+08:00

Sebastian got all sticky (I have no idea how!), and so I had to give him his first shower ever! It was an interesting experience, for both of us, so I decided to make it into a Photo Thursday Thirteen!

When he was actually in the tub, I didn't have any free hands (and no one else was home), so I couldn't get any shots. But I did manage some after he got out.

As you can see, I changed out of my work clothes and into a towel robe, knowing it would be wet work!

Overall, he was really good! He let me get the shower head and wet him up good! The shampoo didn't even bother him that much.

He just seemed really bothered whenever he had been sitting for too long. Then he started fussing!

He basically, with some force, stayed in the tub, but did growl and whine for a lot of the time!

He managed to escape a couple of times, only to be met with a door!

After his shower, he dried pretty quickly!

Ah! He sees something yummy and licks his lips!

Hmm.... a treat! Fish! All three boys are on a raw diet and so they get a treat of canned fish whenever they deserve it!

By this time, he had pretty much forgotten all about his shower!

After he had finished eating, he went to dry off a bit more!

I hope never to have to give him another shower again! (although I know that's not possible!). Thankfully, they are indoor cats and keep themselves super clean and so I don't have to hassle... except when an unknown sticky substance makes an appearance!~

Thursday Thirteen: 13 Reasons to Get a Cat

2007-12-06T18:45:00.000+08:00

1. They are fun!
2. They are less trouble than a dog.
3. They are less expensive than children.
4. They don’t depend on you too much…
5. They teach you to love in a different way.
6. They make you less selfish – you have to think about their needs!
7. They’re warm in winter and leave you alone in summer.
8. They can’t talk your ear off!
9. They can be trained.
10. They are clean and don’t smell (as long as you use tofu litter!)
11. They are amazing to watch when doing acrobatics.
12. They don't need to be taken for walks - they know where to pee!
13. No home is complete without a cat!

Trying to Catch Torrey on Camera

2007-12-03T20:19:00.000+08:00

You may think I love Starbuck more than my other two because there are a gazillion more pics of him on my blog, but that isn't true - he's just much easier to take pics of than the other two...
and here is PROOF!!!

Below are pics taken during a Torrey photoshoot. He's pretty skilled at not having his photo taken!

Almost in the frame!

A nice shot of his behind!
Almost in the frame... again!

Almost had him!

Not quite!

This was almost the perfect shot...
(well, almost all of him in it anyway!!)

Getting close!

He's trapped... gotta be quick!
Finally! One of all of him... shame it's not a great shot!

And so it goes!!

I did it!

2007-12-02T13:38:00.000+08:00

Even though the Catblogosphere was down, they still had their links up! Yay! So, I have now included all the blogging cats in a nifty expandable menu (thank you Daisy and Dragonheart!).

I hope I've included everyone! If it doesn't work on your computer, please let me know!

Happy Sunday!

More of the Bottle

2007-11-30T13:42:00.001+08:00

Here are a couple of pictures that I took during the bottle biting play time. I wasn't going to post them as the quality isn't great, but I didn't have the heart to delete them, so here they are!

Circling to get a better view of the bottle.

Bored, after the bottle.

Approaching the bottle...

Thursday Thirteen (#7) - Cat Toys - PART 2

2007-11-29T10:35:00.000+08:00

Here are thirteen toys that I've bought for my bengals and maine coon - without much luck. I've seen other cats play with them for hours, but mine either weren't interested, or they broke too quick! Enjoy!

Name: Sisal Mouse
Description: Name says it all! Boys sniffed it and that was it...
Time to Destruction: Will let you know if they ever play with it!
Enjoyment rating: 1/10

Name: Elevated Sisal scracher
Description: Name says it all! Boys sometimes use it, but I
Time to Destruction: Will let you know if they ever play with it!
Enjoyment rating: 4/10

Name: Curvy Scratcher
Description: Ours is purple and green and it looks great. The boys will hide in it, but haven't figured out to scratch it, yet! I keep trying!
Time to Destruction: Still looking good after a year!
Enjoyment rating: 4/10

Name: Feather Toy
Description: Weighted bottom with lots of feathers. The boys LOVE this toy. Unfortunately, it is destroyed in a few hours and they aren't cheap enough to buy that regularly (especially as I bought mine from the US and had it shipped to Hong Kong!).
Time to Destruction: 4 hours
Enjoyment rating: 10/10

Name: Cat Glove
Description: Glove that has longer fingers to entice cats! It works moderately ok for the first few minutes, then they lost interest and found something else to play with (the feather toy above, probably!).
Time to Destruction: I've only used it a few times and stiching is already breaking. Then again, I think I got a cheaper knock off of the original so that's probably why!
Enjoyment rating: 3/10

Name: Sisal Feather Toy
Description: Size of my hand toy made of sisal with feathers. Haven't seen the boys play with it yet, although they did pee on it one time I put it in their stroller when we went to the vets.
Time to Destruction: Feathers lost pretty quick. Rest of it is still with us.
Enjoyment rating: 2/10

Name: Sisal Scraching Post
Description: Name says it all! Oh, and there's a hanging, swinging ball at the top. Boys scratch now and again. Not that riveting.
Time to Destruction: Still looks good!
Enjoyment rating: 3/10

Name: Catnip Mouse
Description: I bought this lovely velvety mouse that you fill with catnip more because I thought it was cute and not so much cause I thought the boys would play with it. They did. But lost interest pretty quickly.
Time to Destruction: Can't find it!
Enjoyment rating: 4/10

Name: Catnip Heart
Description: Plastic heart you fill with catnip. Boys played with it for 2 minutes and that was it. Again, I bought it with the hope that my boys would suddently love catnip! They didn't. How did I end up with three cats that don't like catnip? Infact, I'll do a post on it sometime!
Time to Destruction: Pretty sturdy, except it looks like the two halves may start coming apart easier after being refilled a few times.
Enjoyment rating: 2/10

Name: Remote Contol Motorized mouse toy
Description: Mouse zooms around as cats chase it. Only prob, it runs out of battery super quick (1 min. approx.) and the recharger has stopped recharging it so it's pretty useless now.
Time to Destruction: A few weeks before couldn't charge anymore.
Enjoyment rating: 7/10

Name: Pawbreaker
Description: Catnip ball - 100% edible
Time to Destruction: My boys didn't even sniff it and I have totally lost it. Hmm... wonder if they ate it? Disappointing as I got it from a specialist store here and it cost almost $8 US!
Enjoyment rating: 0/10

Name: Super Catnip Ball
Description: Same as above except you fill it with catnip.
Time to Destruction: Same as above. You would really think I had learnt my lesson to stay away from catnip products by now! I just keep trying with the hopes my boys will change!
Enjoyment rating: 0/10

Name: Motorized Mouse
Description: Mouse that starts moving and flashing when touched.
Time to Destruction: Got it from the US - it's still with us as the boys are scared of it!
Enjoyment rating: 1/10 (although a 10/10 from humans watching!)

Last week I did the top 13 toys and can't belive I forgot to include "Da Bird", which has to be the very bestest toy in the whole widest world! This is definitely the 100% best toy out there and all three of my cats LOVE it!

Name: Da Bird
Description: Feathers (or other attachement) on a string on a stick.
Time to Destruction: Have bought plenty of replacements as they have killed all the feathers numerous times and have even broken the string. But, replacements are VERY, VERY worth it!!!
Enjoyment rating: 2/10

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Just Chilling... Almost Wordless Wednesday

2007-11-28T08:39:00.001+08:00

Sebastian and Torrey just chilling on their cat train furniture thing.

And along comes Starbuck for....

Approx. 12 seconds before getting bored and...

leaving the boys to continue chilling!

Playing with a Bottle

2007-11-26T18:17:00.000+08:00

The boys will bite just about anything, except what they're not allowed to. It's weird. The wires that connect their water dome are never touched, but a big of wire on the floor they play with for ages!

Here is one of the few times Starbuck actually played with a non-toy item - a bottle of juice! (plus the before and after pics!).

Bored. Thinking of what to do next.

Something gets his attention...

Ah! What's this???

And, the attach begins.

And he's bored and so comes for a scratch instead!

And off to find something more interesting to do!

P.S. These pics were taken pre-water dome. The pet smart water fountain was ok, but the boys played with it too much and their toys became permanently wet, so I changed it and am very happy with the dome now!

2007-11-24T23:18:00.000+08:00

Another collage pic using the second batch of photos I got from my lovely breeder, just before they arrived in Hong Kong (literally a day before they arrived!).

Psst... Try to biggify it!

Fun in the City!!!

2007-11-23T09:26:00.000+08:00

Here's a shot of the boys having fun in the city! I didn't even know it, but Maggy and Zoey from Zoolatry were following us one night and caught us out on the town!

Thank you, Maggy and Zoey and your mum! It's lovely!

Thursday Thirteen (6) - Cat Toys My Boys Love - PART 1

2007-11-21T14:13:00.000+08:00

Here are thirteen toys my bengal cats love. Sebastian, my maine coon, will also play with a few of them, but not as enthusiatically, or for as long, as Starbuck and Torrey.

Name: Fur Stick
Description: A stick with a ball of rabbit like fur at the top. I use it to play with them and then they usually find where I have hidden it and destroy it by the time I get home!
Time to Destruction: Approximately 48 hours before the fur ball is ripped from the stick.
Enjoyment rating: 8/10

Name: Play-n-Squeak Mouse
Description: Mouse on the end of an elastic string which attaches to the top of your door.
Time to Destruction: Whole thing is pulled off the door every 5 minutes. Mouse separates from elastic after about 72 hours of play. But well worth it to see my cats jumping like maniacs up the door! Very fun!
Enjoyment rating: 8/10

Name: Don't know! Possibly Cataction
Description: Feathers attached to a weighted base that can be swatted. My boys generally grab the feathers and walk off with it growling.
Time to Destruction: 2 weeks before all feathers are separated from the base.
Enjoyment rating: 7/10

Name: Cat Scratcher
Description: Extra large corregated cardboard cat scratcher
Time to Destruction: 1 month, then I flip it and it lasts about another month. I'm too lazy to throw it away (and they're expensive out here so I don't have the heart). So, when they're done, I flip them again, and again until I finally throw them in a cardboard box and let the cats really destroy them!
Enjoyment rating: 10/10

Name: Krinkle Ball
Description: 2 inch ball made from sparkly, crinkly material. The boys love playing with them, but lose interest easily so I usually only bring them out a couple of times a month.
Time to Destruction: They get lost, but never destroyed... yet! Great as they don't even die after being dunked in water!
Enjoyment rating: 6/10

Name: Cat Tunnel
Description: Long cat tunnel wtih two holes in the body of the tunnel. Completely waterproof so peeing by accident or being dunked in water not a problem. Can be compressed into a small, flat disc. Great!
Time to Destruction: They are pretty clawed, but still not destroyed! Yay! My boys love these tunnels and dive in them like there's no tomorrow! They play chase at the speed of light and scare me when I don't know they're in the tunnel and suddenly go crazy in the tunnel! Lot's of fun. Even though they are narrow (I have larger tunnels for dogs), even Sebastian prefers these tunnels!
Enjoyment rating: 9/10

Name: Mouse Cat Scratcher
Description: Sisal cat mat scratcher - more cute than functional
Time to Destruction: Not yet - amazingly!
Enjoyment rating: 5/10 (cat's prefer cardboard scratchers!)

Name: Cat Dancer
Description: Funky bits of paper on the end of a wire thing.
Time to Destruction: Not yet! (and I bought spares thinking it wouldn't last!)
Enjoyment rating: 10/10 - cat's love it when I have the patience to get it out to play with it!

Name: Cat-It Spa
Description: Spikes and edges where cats can rub up against. I fill it with cat nip and the boys like it!
Time to Destruction: Needs to be cleaned every few weeks and restocked with cat nip - but other than that, it's still going strong. Whenever the boys pull it all, and I mean ALL apart, I just put it all back together again and voila! Ready to be used.
Enjoyment rating: 7/10

Name: Cat Dancer
Description: Colourful, fleece type material on a stick. Sebastian's all time favourite! This is almost the only toy he likes!
Time to Destruction: 1 year of continuous use. I didn't think I would every wear it out, but I did. Well, it got so knotted I had to buy another one (if I had taken better care of it, it would have lasted longer!)
Enjoyment rating: 10/10

Name: Furry Mice
Description: Large Furry mice (on the right of the pic below). The boys love them! Starbuck growls like crazy when I bring these out!
Time to Destruction: No matter how ratty, dirty, chewed, soaked, and grouse these get, the boys still love them. Infact, the nastier the better!
Enjoyment rating: 10/10

Name: Round Scratcher
Description: Sisal covered tube with carpeted base and a mouse on a spring. Looks fun but the boys lost interest quite quickly.
Time to Destruction: Still in good condition after a year. Even the mouse is still attached!
Enjoyment rating: 5/10

Name: Springs
Description: Plastic springs about 2-3 inches long and an inch wide
Time to Destruction: 6 months before they are bent out of shape. These usually need to be replaced as I can't find where the boys hid them and not because they have been destroyed! They boys play with these for hours on end!
Enjoyment rating: 8/10

Name: Great Balls of Fur
Description: Octopus looking toy with velvety arms, a bell in it's belly and a ball of coloured rabbit like fur at the top. This is Starbuck's all time favourite toy. I buy them in bulk (thankfully they're not too expensive!). They come in all sizes and he plays with them until they are dead - and then some.
Time to Destruction: 1 week to separate fur from octopus. Another day or two to lose bell. Fur ball and octopus part are then played with indefinely - usually until lost.

Enjoyment rating: 11/10

I hope you enjoyed having a peek into the boys' favourite toys!

Next week I'll include toys not so loved!

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More about Hong Kong

2007-11-15T10:07:00.000+08:00

I didn't even think of adding a little explanation to my T13 about life in Hong Kong with cats, so, I thought I would follow it up with explaining a little more about how it's possible to live and keep three cats in a busy, crowded, cramped city! (while answering some questions I received via comments and emails!).

Starbuck, Torrey and Sebastian live in an apartment. By city standards, especially Hong Kong standards, it's a large apartment as it is nearly 3,500 square feet in size. The boys have their own play room, which is almost as big as my bedroom, and it has everything they need in it including their water dome (the smaller one so they can't dunk their toys in it or splash!).

Their 8 feet cat tree, which they love, especially as it's next to a window!

And numerous toys, which I'm thinking of making into next week's T13.

When no one is at home, they have free run of the playroom, hallway and guest toilet. When we're home, they have full reign of the whole house (except the kitchen!).

As for going outside: nope - there is really no way for them to get out. I did consider leash training them and taking them for walks; however, I live in an area that gets a lot of monkeys and that equates to rabies and so they would have to get rabies shots and the other shots, which may lead to cancer, and so I decided to play it safe and keep them inside.

One time, Sebastian managed to squeeze through the pottery wall I have in my laundry area and he ended up walking around the perimeter of the building on a ledge! I almost died! Thankfully he found his way to one of my two balconies and was safe. Whew!

Cats are a popular pet choice in Hong Kong; however, they are mostly the flat-faced cat varieties such as persians and exotics. We also have british shorthairs, a few maine coons etc. but mostly persians. Hong Kong people love their fat faces. They are also quieter and not so active and so suit the "living in a matchbox" style houses we have. Below is an example of a home in HK that has cat proofed the balcony (btw, it is not my apartment- it is an Alley Cats pic I found. Where I live looks over trees and a couple small parks!).

We also have a large stray population, which lots of research has been done on regarding feril population control. It's interesting. I'll have to get some more info on it. We also have Hong Kong Alley Cats, which is deals with, you guessed it, Alley cats! And a Cat Colony Programme run by the SPCA. It's all really well run.

My cats were all brought from overseas (one rescue and two from breeders) as the Hong Kong pet industry is pet shop oriented and not breeder oriented. I find it really interesting that most of the cats in pet stores have been imported, which makes me wonder about the breeders in Australia and the US who actually allow their animals to be sold in this way. But that's another story!

Thursday Thirteen - Hong Kong

2007-11-14T13:56:00.000+08:00

.

I thought I would make this week's T13 about our home! I was made in Hong Kong. Grew up in Hong Kong. And now live and work in Hong Kong. My parents and brother and sister are also here and I have no intention of leaving. In the past I did leave for university in Canada and then the UK as well as for humanitarian trips to different places, but I am back to stay. For good! I'm 31 years old and am sure this is where I am going to be for the rest of my life.

So, how did I get my three wonderful, incredible, super special kitties to Hong Kong? Sebastian came from the UK. I fostered him there and then fell in love with him and had to bring him back. It's a miracle that he managed to get on the plane with me and off the place with me and no quarantine!!!! (very unusual as HK is very fussy about what they let in!).

Starbuck and Torrey also had no quarantine as they came from Australia from a breeder.

All three settled into their new home with no problem. Now Hong Kong is their home and they will never leave either!

So, here is this week's T13 - a look at the home of Sebastian, Starbuck and Torrey!

At 8pm everynight, we have like a mini lights show.

Another pic of Hong Kong at night.

This is my local mall called 'New Town Plaza'.

Nathan Road. My doc is down here, but our vet is not.

One form of public transport... the Star Ferry.
I was on a ferry two nights ago.

Another pic of Tsim Sha Tsui. Our taxis are red.

We have lots of crowds.
I took this photo a few years ago with my phone.

HK has the island part and the peninsula part. This is the island.

Our clock tower in Tsim Sha Tsui
by the Space Museum.

Hong Kong at night.

One of our bridges.

A photo taken from the Peak, showing most of Hong Kong.

The bridge out to the airport.

I hope you enjoyed seeing a little bit of where we live!

We LOVE it!

P.S. I still have flu but am feeling better! Thank you everyone who dropped me a lovely note to let me know you were thinking of me! The boys were great while I was sick - didn't knock anything over!

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Collage of Torrey

2007-11-13T14:59:00.000+08:00

I did a few collages a while back and so thought I should post a few. Here is the first taken of Torrey when he first arrived in Hong Kong back in the summer of '06.

P.S. If you biggify the pic, you'll see it close up! Thanks Lux for the tip!

P.P.S. I'm feeling a little better. Still have flu, but at least I'm functioning =) Thanks everyone for dropping me notes and comments to let me know you were thinking of me! They really cheered me up!

Flu

2007-11-08T16:35:00.000+08:00

I have flu and am feeling very sorry for myself and so won't be putting up a T13 today.... =(

Hopefully I'll feel better soon! Had to take 150 students to the Space Museum today and am beat! Not fun.

Will try to post tomorrow!

P.S. I have found some pics to post and I have some new ones!

Ran out of photos!

2007-11-05T10:13:00.001+08:00

I can't believe it, but I ran out of photos. Actually, as I write this it is dawning on me that I had started to blog all the photos from before the summer that I had gotten behind on and hadn't finished. Ah! So there are photos out there!

Anyway, here are the four last photos in my 'TO BLOG' folder.

Stealth Cat Starbuck

Stealth Cat Torrey

Ah! Da Bird! Not so stealth anymore!

Ready to pounce!

Thursday Thirteen - The Bathroom Door: PART 3

2007-11-01T12:23:00.002+08:00

This is part 3 of my three part Thursday Thirteen! I can't tell you how hards it's been to make sure I get it up each week as I've been having trouble with my Internet connection at home and at work! But I made it! I haven't been able to post anything else, but at least I've got this up each week (fingers crossed for this week!).

Ok, so here it is. It all started with
Starbuck on top of my bathroom door.

Contemplating whether or not to jump across
or the shower curtain rail or jump down.

He did neither! He managed an acrobatic feat across!

Well... sad to say,
I missed his jump down from the
shower curtain rail, but I did
catch him after he had made it down!

At first he seemed to want to go back up the shower curtain!

But soon he found other things to grab his interest!

Mum had different ideas and decided to him him a hug instead!
So, this week I only had 7 photos for my photo T13. So, here are a few more things I hate and love about Starbuck and his jumping.

8. He loves being up high, but will always jump down if I come into the room.

9. He never jumps on people! Thank goodness!

10. My furniture is relatively scratch free, even though I have three cats; however, the tops of my doors are very scratched up! I rent, so this could work against me when I move out (unless the government inspectors don't look up=)

11. To get on top on the doors (or other high areas including tops of cupboards, cabinets etc.) Starbuck will usually jump from an adjacent higher area i.e. a table, large vase. If nothing is available, he will use the door handle as leverage.

12. It's not always a clean jump - there are times he is hanging on to the tops of doors with his front paws. He somehow pulls his body up (great upper body strength *ha ha*).

13. Only Starbuck climbs doors. Torrey and Sebastian are quite happy to stay on earth with the rest of us!

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Thursday Thirteen - The Bathroom Door: PART 2

2007-10-25T08:25:00.000+08:00

And the story continues! Starbuck was on top of the bathroom door, contemplating whether or not to jump! Well... he didn't! He gingerly manoevered a paw over the expanse to the wall to investigate further!

Hmm... didn't like the wall...maybe the
shower curtain rod? Is he going to jump?

Nope... No jump.But he does commit two paws to
the rail & wonders what's on the other side!
Contemplating whether or not to jump down or keep going!

Shot from the side as he balances on a swinging door!

Shot from underneath. Still balancing!

Taking his sweet time deciding what to do!
Checking out his other options!

All the while, the door is actually
swinging with his back legs on it!

Yay! He commits to the shower curtain rail!
Not a jump, but an acrobatic feat instead!

Wow! He didn't realize there wasn't
anything on the other side and almost
swings 360 degrees around the rail!

Whew... he finds his balance on the showerhead.

And then looks quite proud of himself!

Part 3 coming next week!

After the big jump turned acrobatic feat!

My First Award

2007-10-20T14:59:00.000+08:00

Yay! I received my first award this week from the beautiful and mystical Lux! Thank you! I'm honored! I'll keep working hard to blog often with as many pictures as possible!

P.S. A couple people have asked when I'm going to put out PART 2 of the bathroom door saga: I've decided to do it as my next T13. Check back if you're interested!

Thursday Thirteen - The Bathroom Door: PART 1

2007-10-18T16:23:00.001+08:00

.
I was lucky enough to walk in on Starbuck trying to make his way from the bathroom door over to the showerecurtain rail and so I grabbed my camera and managed to catch the whole thing on film (well, SD card!). Here are the first 13 pictures taken on top of the door and so I thought they would make a great Thursday Thirteen!

Relaxing

Checking out the bathroom

Trying to walk to the very edge of the door!

Taking a walk

Checking out the ceiling (which needs serious repainting!)

Sniffing around to see if there's anything good to eat!

Hmm.... what's that? Is that a shower curtain rail over there?

Hmm... contemplating whether or not to jump!

Or possibly jump into the sink...

Or maybe just jump back down?

Decisions, decisions, decisions!

Any other choices?

Definitely the curtain rail! Here goes!

Part 2 coming soon! The jump!

WSPA: World Society for the Protection of Animals

2007-10-16T09:30:00.000+08:00

It's our 100th post!!!!
I can't believe it's been 100 already!
It may look long, but please read on!
It'll be worth it!

To mark my 100th post, I thought it would be only too fitting to bring the attention of anyone visiting to the WSPA - the World Society for the Protection of Animals. Little did I know until I visited their site recently, that the 4th - 10th October '07 was World Animal Week. I missed it, but I didn't miss signing in support of the Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare (UDAW) and I would love it if everyone could do the same! This is a really important declaration that would help to protect the rights of animals worldwide.

Here's the WSPA blurb: It's a time when we can join forces and make that extra effort to help animals everywhere. By working together we really can reduce animal suffering worldwide and bring the end of animal cruelty that little bit closer. We can do this best of all by supporting the Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare. (UDAW)

The UDAW is an agreement among people and nations to recognize that animals are sentient and can suffer, to respect their welfare needs and to end animal cruelty - for good.

Do you agree?

If you do, click on the banner below to go to the site to sign the online petition, or just get more information!

If you're interested in getting more information about the WSPA, click on the banner below.

This is a great opportunity for us to span the globe to do something for our animals! It's not just pets that this declaration is aimed at but also farm animals, ocean animals and more! It would be great if everyone could head over there and sign the petition! It's a really, really, really worthwhile cause!

It would also be GREAT if you could put a button or banner on your site to help raise awareness of the declaration and of the WSPA in general. It's an amazing society!

So, this is my 100th post! Yay!

I hope it's been meaningful!

I would like to say a HUGE thank you to
Maggy and Zoey over at Zoolatry
for making the two amazing banners
and tags for this post! They're perfect!

P.S. If you missed the Animal's Asia post yesterday,

please keep scrolling down. It's important!

Eating Cats and Dogs: Help Stop It!!!

2007-10-15T13:22:00.000+08:00

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We've just been organising for Animals Asia to come into school to do their "Professor Paws" programme with our Grade 1 children and it got me thinking that I should let everyone know about how wonderful they are! Animals Asia is a Hong Kong-based charity, dedicated to ending cruelty and restoring respect for all animals in Asia.

The veterinary practise I go to was also started by the same amazing woman who started Animals Asia. You may have heard of the Animals Asia Moon Bear Rescue programme that goes into China and rescues bears. So far they have rescued 500 farmed bears and are trying to end bear farming forever. That is just one of their many programmes.

The main issue that they are trying to change that is of special interest to me, is they are trying to stop the practise of

EATING CATS AND DOGS!!!

This is not a joke!

Thankfully it doesn't happen in Hong Kong: it's illegal as we were a British colony; however, in China the practise continues. It's horrible and I can't think about it!

If you're interested in finding out more, head over to the Animals Asia site by clicking on the banner below or above to get more info. It would be great everyone could put one of the banners on their blog to raise awareness, too! It's horrible and we need to work together to put a stop to it!

http://www.animalsasia.org/

P.S. If you're wondering if it's just a cultural thing, you may be interested to know that eating a carnivore is actually unhealthy. We shouldn't even eat pigs if they have been fed meat! Also, this is more of an issue regarding animal cruelty as the way the animals are bred, handled, caged and sold is deplorable. I won't post pics as I think that if you're really intersted you can head over to Animals Asia.

Desktop Meme from the Cat Realm

2007-10-12T13:26:00.000+08:00

I got tagged for this meme by Karl over at the Cat Realm! Yay!

This is my desktop as it is on
Thursday, 12th October '07.

Needless to say, it is this picture of Starbuck that caught my eye while searching for a bengal breeder. I fell in love with him and didn't imagine for a minute that he would still be available. He was and now he's mine and he's more than I could ever have hoped or dreamed of! And little did I know at the time, but I was going to be getting two! (P.S. I checked numerous countries, breeders and even breeds i.e. Savannah before deciding on my boys. It took months and months! I was amazed that I came back to the very first pics I saw! I was even on wait lists and everything before I saw him and I was immediately hooked!)

P.S. I got my days mixed up and posted my T13 on Tuesday by accident! Sorry!

Here are the meme rules:
Upon receiving this tag, immediately perform a screen capture of your desktop.It is best that no icons be deleted before the screen capture so as to add to the element of fun. Here’s how you can do a screen capture:
1.Go to your desktop and press the Print Scrn key (located on the right side of the F12 key).
2.Open a graphics program (like Picture Manager, Paint, or Photoshop) and doing a Paste (CTRL + V). If you wish, you can “edit” the image before saving it.
3.Post the picture on your blog. You can also give a short explanation on the look of your desktop if you want. You can explain why you prefer such a look or why it is full of icons. Things like that.
4.Tag five of your friends and ask them to give you a Free View of their desktops as well. I'm so late to be doing this, I think everyone must have already done it! If you haven't, I TAG YOU! I'd love to see more desktops! Let me know if you do it!

Torrey Up Close - T13 (My First)

2007-10-09T08:21:00.000+08:00

The three boys were on my bed a while back and sleeping soundly. I quickly grabbed my camera and took some shots of them, trying to get some close-ups of my very shy boy, Torrey - a marbled bengal.

Torrey is tricolored, meaning he has three colours that are filled with amazing 'glitter' - which doesn't show on any pictures I have except for when he was a kitten (this pic was taken of Torrey at 8 weeks).

His pattern is swirly and very pretty! Lots of sparkly colour!

Whoops! He woke up so I backed off until he started snoozing again!

Torrey is unusual as he has rosettes starting to form within his pattern, even though he is a marbled bengal and rosettes are usually only seen in spotted bengals. The rosettes are getting more and more defined as he gets older (even though you can't see them properly in the pics!) and are now tan coloured in the centre, gold around the outside and dark brown around the gold. Very funky.

But he doesn't have any rosettes on his right side, only his left!

Here are some pics of Torrey as a kitten! The first one is the earliest pic I have! I think he's two weeks old in this pic!

These pics show you his coat at 5 weeks!

He's a really, really, really shy boy, but he's lovely! I have used some techniques on him that are used by those working with Asian Leopard Cats and they have really worked!

So, while Starbuck may look more like an Asian Leopard Cat, Torrey's personality is much more like his wild ancestors than Starbuck's! It truly is like having an Asian Leopard Cat living with me!

P.S. This was a T13 as I have included exactly 13 pics of Torrey! I hope you enjoyed them!

P.P.S. Remember to visit my friend over at her new blog, Fate of the Animals!

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A Couple of Starbuck

2007-10-08T09:25:00.001+08:00

Here are two pics taken during our 'photo session' on my bed that I particularly like! More coming tomorrow as I've prepared a huge photo T13 of Torrey up close!

I like these two pics of of Starbuck (although I know the second one is out of focus, I still like it!). I should probably have saved the first one for Tuesday Tummies, but ah well... I case you're wondering, Starbuck in the first pic has jumped up and grabbed a tambourine. What can be seen in this pic are the tambourine ribbons as the tambourine falls on top of him! Ha ha... it was funny to watch!

"Hey! What are you looking at! I'm still a little dazed and confused from being hit on the head by a big noisy wooden thing!!!"

SNEAK PREVIEW!!!
....................................................
And here is a preview of a post I'll post later on this week. Starbuck has figured out how to jump onto the top of my bathroom door and across to the shower curtain rod. I've got the whole escapade in detailed pics! I'll post soon! I love these pics!

Evil Cat (a.k.a. "Sick of Being a Fashion Model cat!")

2007-10-05T12:31:00.001+08:00

Leave me alone! I'm sleeping!!!

Hmm... maybe if I ignore her she'll go away!

These pics were taken of Sebastian, on my bed, in the middle of what can only be described as a 'fashion shoot'! The boys had been sleeping and I thought I would get some great shots of Torrey's coat while he was sleeping (I did and will post them soon!).

This shot is of Sebastian as he tells me he is sick of being a model and would like some peace and quiet!

P.P.S. Remember to go and visit my friend over at 'Fate of the Animals'. She has a "Art Cat Revelation" on her blog today! She is an amazing artist and loves cats!

Psst... she would really love some comments, too!

A New Blog!

2007-10-04T21:17:00.001+08:00

A friend of mine has just started a new blog and I thought you may all be interested in visiting! It's called 'Fate of the Animals' and it has a beautiful pic of a kitty that she saw in Cyprus!

Go visit! It's fun!

P.S. I can't post pics at all from home. I'm going to have to be content with words from home. How boring!

Ah well, go over and check out the new blog!

P.S. Please leave a COMMENT for her! It's a long post so you'll have to scroll down a way to comment. Thanks!

Wordless Wednesday on Thursday

2007-10-04T16:36:00.000+08:00

Took me half an hour to post this one pic.
Needless to say, today will be wordless.

Top 100 Cat Sites!

2007-10-02T15:31:00.010+08:00

Yay!!! Look! I got into the top 100 cat sites! I've been waiting for a few weeks now and, today, I finally got in! It's a nice surprise after not being able to post for a while!

I went in at 148 when I first joined up, and I've gone up everyday. I'm going to keep blogging and hopefully I'll keep going up! Yay!

I can't post pics!!!

2007-10-01T13:50:00.001+08:00

I don't know what's wrong but I can't post any pics!!! I sometimes have this problem from home (I usually post from work). I guess I'll have to wait until tomorrow (Tuesday) to post the posts I've prepared! How annoying! No posts since Thursday! Oh well... check back tomorrow.

Chim Chim - Part 2

2007-09-27T02:13:00.000+08:00

So, Chim Chim is now happy with a family that has four children and a big house! But he still comes to visit from time to time when his new family are on vacation, which is fantastic as I get to see him! He's still fantastic and is maturing nicely.

Anyway, the first time he came to visit, the cats were freaked. They were not ready for a visit and so it ended up with three accidents on the sofa and one or two on my housemate's bed. Not fun. So, this time he came to visit I dedicated the dining room and living room as his area, and everything behind the hall door as the cats area. Life was good! But I had to take these pics of my lovely cats trying to figure out what was on the other side of the door! They could smell him but they couldn't see him. So, they camped out by the door. These pics were taken at 2am and so the quality isn't great as I had to modify them. I just thought they were too funny!

If you look carefully, you can see Chim Chim's sillouette through the door!

I'll post some pics of Chim Chim grown up soon! He's a darling!

Pictures for Maggy and Zoey

2007-09-26T17:44:00.000+08:00

Yay! We got funky pictures made by Maggy and Zoey over at Zoolatry! I hope you all like them as much as we do! We think they are wonderful! Thank you, Maggy and Zoey!

Starbuck

Torrey

Chim Chim - Part 1

2007-09-24T16:54:00.000+08:00

Before getting my wonderful bengal kittens, I had decided to get a dog instead as a companion for Sebastian. I did my research and finally decided on a long haired chihuahua (spelling?). You may think strange choice, but for an apartment in Hong Kong - perfect! And they get along well with other animals and, if trained properly, do not make lots of noice. I didn't actually know if any of this was true, but, for Chinese New Year, I got a tiny, black and white chihuahua named 'Sooty'. He was beautiful! A ball of fuzz! And he didn't make a noise! Yay! I had searched all of Hong Kong for him and he was perfect!

(Doesn't he look just like a toy! He loved being on his back!)

Little did I know, that I am NOT, in any way, a dog person. Growing up in Hong Kong I had pets, but all small enough to fit into a cage or a tank i.e. hamsters, fish, turtles and rabbits. Even getting Sebastian had been an experiment to see whether or not I was cut out for having pets (and I never, in a million years, expected to keep Sebastian and bring him all the way from the UK to Hong Kong!).

Anyway, I'm rambling. I got Sooty home and set up his area in my toilet until a vet could check him over - especially as I had bought him from a pet store (TERRIBLE!!! I will never do this again! Only, Hong Kong's pet industry is pet store oriented and not breeder oriented and I didn't know better!). To cut a long story short, I thought he was beautiful and perfect and lovely, but I just knew I couldn't live with him. I thought life had come to an end!

Thankfully, it was one of my student's birthdays coming up and a puppy was a perfect gift! So, my student is now Sooty a.k.a. Chim Chim's mum and he is doing great! He is still tiny and over a year old! And he is still as beautiful and as perfect as when he was a puppy! Ok..... To be continued in another post!

Sebastian on the right. Chim Chim on the left. Hmm... aren't the dogs supposed to be bigger than the cats in this world?

Fast asleep in his bed.

Torrey Close Ups

2007-09-22T02:00:00.000+08:00

Trying to get close up pics of Torrey can be challenging as he doesn't like cameras! Usually pictures are from afar and then cropped and zoomed to get closer!

But on this day, Torrey was more interested in playing with his mouse than avoiding the camera! So, I got a few pics - awful background (my boxes of teaching resources which I store in the dining room!), but at least I got some Torrey pics without having to do the hold zoom and crop!

I still haven't mastered light and so you can't see any of his contrast or glitter. If you get up really close, he has rosettes and what looks black is actually three colours - black lined with shimmery brown and then light brown. I'll try to get some close ups so everyone can see it more clearly.

A Big HELLO!!!

2007-09-21T00:10:00.000+08:00

A big hello to everyone in the Philippines! My dad let me know that you'd be dropping by my blog and so I thought I would say a big hello! I'll have to come and visit you all soon!

Tagged Again! Not TMI Meme...

2007-09-20T13:32:00.000+08:00

I've been tagged again, by the black and white beauty, Willie. Yay!

Ok, here goes... random, weird and fun facts...

1. During my first meal in Hong Kong, I made the weirdest noises like a wild animal! I don't make those noises anymore, but it sure did make everyone stop and watch... wondering if everything was ok!

2. I play with water. Love it! Especially the water fountain! My favourite is dunking toys in the water and leaving them there for later!

3. I growl... a lot! Especially when carrying feather toys... It has woken everyone up wondering what the noise was! A little scary!

4. I am scared of NOTHING!!! (except the vacuum and hairdryers!!)

5. My favourite food is pork floss (from Thailand). This weekend I grabbed a bag and clawed my way into it! (very worrying as it is so dry it can easily make him choke!)

6. I follow my people around like a dog!

7. I was born in Australia and came to Hong Kong with my brother and sister when I was 12 weeks old. My sister now lives with another family in Hong Kong!

Ok, that's all I can think of for now! Hope you enjoyed the random facts about Starbuck!

I'm tagging Sylvester a.k.a. Sly, Honey P. Sunshine and Latte the Meezer.

The guidelines for this tag:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules
2. Write some facts about yourself: some random, some weird, some just plain fun.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them)
4. Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.
Keep it interesting without making us think “Um, too much information…”

How they got their names!

2007-09-19T08:09:00.000+08:00

I got tagged by Sylvester a.k.a. Sly for this meme about how my cats got their names. Here are the three stories:

Torrey

My breeder named him! I hadn't anticipated getting two bengals and so hadn't put any thought into 2 names. When the breeder told me she had already sent in his papers with the name Torrey, I didn't change it because I wanted him to be called the same name as on his papers. I have considered changing it to China, Echo etc., but never have. So, until I decide any different, it will stay Torrey.

Starbuck

Starbuck's name was given lots and lots of thought (as you can see, I get again ignored solid Internet advice and named him a 2 syllable name with an 'S' sound!). In the end it was Starbuck off Battleship Gallactica and my love for Starbuck's, combined with my love for Moby Dick that did it.

Sebastian

I had thought and thought about what to name him and simply couldn't decide. I don't even remember what the choices were! Anyway, I went to pic him up and at the time wasn't even thinking of a name - I just couldn't get over how this "kitten" was so BIG! Maine Coons are big! You never really get a kitten stage with them - they come out big!

Anyway, I walked into my home (I was living in Swansea, Wales at the time on a one year sabbatical from my job in Hong Kong) and put the carrier down and said something to him about being home and instinctively called him "Sebastian". I couldn't believe the words had come out of my mouth! It wasn't even a name I had considered (read online and you'll find out you are 'advised' to use something one syllable, not beginning in an 'S' sound!!!). Anyway, that was it. He was Sebastian - and he learnt his name very quickly, although I do tend to call him Sib for short.

They all know their names, although "Sib Sib" is now almost a generic term for "Food's Coming"!!!

I am going to tag three cats. They will have to tell the story of how they got their names, and then tag three other cats. You should announce which cats you are tagging in your blog, and then let them know by commenting in their blogs.

1. Perfectly Parker
2. Mr. Chen and Ollie
3. Noa and Ash

More On Top of Doors!!! (Mancat Monday)

2007-09-17T01:55:00.000+08:00

Starbuck is obsessed with doors: climbing them, jumping up onto them, scratching at the top of them and generally being as high as he can get! These photos were taken of Starbuck as he first walked past me on the dining room cupboards towards the door.

He then anticipates his next move while checking out the kitchen door incase it opens and he gets to run in illegally!

One more quick look to his left and then he jumps and lands on top of the dining room door.

"Yay! I'm up! Now I can really see what's going on below me! Especially the kitchen door!!!"

After a little exploring to find a comfy place to settle...

He changes his mind and gets ready to jump down! (his left ear looks really weird... who knows why!)

"Ah... that was boring! On to more exciting things!"

I think that Starbuck's spots will look strange in photos because of the flash: I guess it reflects off the spots giving them more light and not the dark contrast that they are in reality! I'll keep trying to hone my photography skills to get some better shots of him soon!

Spotty Sunday

2007-09-16T12:54:00.000+08:00

Only one of my boys is spotty... but I do love his spots!

Just outside the shoe room

2007-09-15T02:06:00.000+08:00

Just as you walk into my house, there is a shoe room on the left where, guess what, all the shoes are kept! The kittens LOVE this room because it is filled with shelves that they can jump on. While I would love for them to play, the shelves have lots of holes and the boys have gotten their paws trapped a few times and so it is now and off-limit area of the house! This doesn't stop them from trying, very patiently, to get in! This is what they look like while waiting...

Ok, I just noticed that these are of Starbuck outside the kitchen door and not the shoe room door. Same procedure applies: wait patiently until someone opens door and then sneak in quick while no one is watching!

Playing Around

2007-09-14T22:13:00.000+08:00

I was playing around with a picture of Starbuck and me and came up with this. I think it's pretty funky!

Starbuck's Spots

2007-09-13T00:56:00.000+08:00

Here are a couple of pics of Starbuck I like.

For some reason Starbuck's spots always look less vibrant in pics than they really are (and you can never see Torrey's wonderful glitter in pics!). In reality they are dark black with edges of golden brown. On his right side they are arrow heads, but on his left side they are circular spots. All of them seem to have started to rosette, which is something I didn't expect to happen so late (he is over a year old). However, if you look at his dad, you can see where he gets them from. Fingers crossed they'll become more defined.

More of Natalie and Natia

2007-09-10T00:23:00.000+08:00

Here are some more of Natalie and Natia's "Cat Visit". They had lots of fun! I really appreciated the cat toy they brought (it had feathers on it and was one of the boys' favourite!). Usually the boys are pretty suspicious of visitors, but they had a blast with the girls - they were a little over excited!

They even managed to hold Starbuck for a few seconds, which is amazing considering his personality!

Starbuck and Torrey both eyeing their favourite toy... "Da Bird".

I hope you enjoyed yourselves, girls! Sebastian, Starbuck and Torrey enjoyed having you round for a visit!

P.S. NaTia, not NaDia... right? =)

Natalie and Nadia's Visit

2007-09-05T23:58:00.000+08:00

In January 2007, two of my students came to visit, Natalie (on the left) and her younger sister Nadia (on the right). I was Natalie's class teacher in Grade 1 and 2 and she is now going into Grade 6!!! Time does fly! Anyway, here are some pictures of their "Cat Visit"!

The cat's favourite toy remains the Da Bird (which I had to order specially from the US!!!). I can't believe how much they love it! The girls could only get it a little off the ground, but when I dangle it higher, they still manage to jump and grab it. Starbuck is so funny when he gets it in his mouth as he walks away with it growling something fierce!

I'll post more pics of their visit later!

Around the House

2007-09-04T09:57:00.000+08:00

Here are a few pics of the boys around the house. They were taken in January 2007.

This is Torrey. You may think he's passively looking out of my 2nd floor apartment, checking out the rain and the cars passing by.... but you'd be wrong. He's chasing Da Bird - so much more interesting that passing cars!

Stalking something - although I have no idea what!

In their playroom having an excited time with Da Bird. I spend so much time with them, I can hardly even consider having kids! I wouldn't have enough time for them all! (cats are sooo much better anyway!).

Some more pics of the boys in their playroom. Although the boys are allowed anywhere in the house (but the kitchen, laundry room, pantry and my maid's room), they have their own special room called their 'Playroom'. This is also ideal as they can be put in their playroom when I have guests that either don't like cats or guests I know the boys won't like =) It's actually huge by Hong Kong standards (150 square feet-ish) and comes complete with an 8 feet cat tree, smaller cat trees, tunnels, scratching posts, water fountain, boxes, boxes and more boxes and much more!

On Top of the Dining Room Doors

2007-08-30T00:40:00.000+08:00

If there is one thing Starbuck loves to do it's jump, especially on top of doors. Sebastian won't even consider it (he actually only started to do more jumping after the kittens arrived) and Torrey seems bored by it. But Starbuck can be found on top of almost any door, cabinet, cupboard etc. you can imagine. He even balances on top of my wardrobe door and it's got to be around 2cm wide.

Anyway, I finally decided to get a few pics of him on top of the dining room doors. I say "doors" plural because there are two sets of doors that lead into the dining room, and when they're both open they back onto each other as you can see in the pics.

These pics were taken in January 2007 when the kittens were 10 months old. Starbuck at this time simply jumped onto the top of the doors and then just sat there watching life. Now, at 1 year and 4 months old he has taken to using the tops of doors as scratching posts - I can't believe how he manages to balance and rigourously scratch! And why he does this I have no idea considering my home is littered with scratching posts and surfaces of all kinds!!!

Starbuck Jumping

2007-08-27T20:54:00.000+08:00

The boys are getting very good at jumping! Starbuck especially can jump fast and high - so far the highest he's jumped without any support is about 6 feet, but with the support of a wall (or person, or door knob) he can jump on top of doors and kitchen cabinets with ease!

Anyway, here are two jumping pics taken in November 2006 when he was still only jumping about 5 feet. They pics aren't great, but they do show you him jumping.

Some more November pics

2007-08-24T04:34:00.000+08:00

Here are some more pics taken in November when the boys were 8 months old. They are already so big they don't look like kittens anymore!

This is one of the boys' favourite places - behind the hall door! My living room, dining room, kitchen etc. is closed off from the bedrooms, toilets, scrapbook room etc. by a hall door, which conveniently helps me keep the boys in one area while I have company and at night. They don't like it much and make their disatisfaction known vocally!

I think pic is fun, even if not in focus and not centered!
The boys look like they're hunting in a pack - in unison! Ha ha...

Playing with a box, as usual! Their favourite toy!

My beautiful Starbuck!

Just walking out of the cat room to find something more fun to do!

Look at that tongue! Starbuck in one of my cat tunnels!

Hmm... the camera string! Looks fun... let's play!

More TV pics

2007-08-22T17:56:00.000+08:00

Here are a few more pics of the boys playing with the TV. I even bought a Catnip DVD which they love! I should get some pics of them watching it - very funny!

It's amazing how Starbuck is so much more an explorer, but gets bored easily while Torrey takes longer to get interested in something, but then stays interested for longer! They are so totally different in personality and temperament it's amazing!

Torrey in November

2007-08-21T00:58:00.000+08:00

I found some November 2006 pics of Torrey that I like. It's really hard to get a good pic of Torrey as he is so shy and hates the camera (or any kind of attention!). He is getting much better now (Aug 2007), but is still very, very, very shy and jumps at the least little sound.

Strutting through the living room!

Trying to figure out how to get into my scrapbook room! They love it in there with all the shelves and carts. Only problem, if they get in there, it takes me hours to clean up their mess (and by mess I mean all the paper, eyelets, albums etc. that they knock off the shelves while playing!).

While he was smaller than Starbuck in these pics, he is now considerably bigger - all muscle. I guess he just has a larger frame as he isn't as active as Starbuck.

Sebastian Simba

2007-08-20T02:09:00.001+08:00

Ok, I figured I should do one for Sebastian, too!

Sweet and super soft

Ignores me when he feels like it!

My first cat

Beautiful, a blessing, a big, big boy!

Always a gentleman!

Tagged!

2007-08-20T01:08:00.001+08:00

I got tagged for the middle name meme by Sadie! My first tag! I didn't even know what it was all about until today! This is fun!

Ok, so I'm supposed to post the rules first so here they are...

Rules
1. Post the rules before you give the facts.
2. List one fact that is somehow relevant to you and your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.
3. When you are tagged you need to write your post using your middle name and facts about it.
4. At the end of your post, choose one cat to tag for each letter of your middle name. Be sure to let each cat know she/he has been tagged. (It's okay if you don't do this... tag who you want to tag!)

I'm going to go with the middle name of Sebastian, my main coon who was given his middle name by one beautiful, talented and adored 8 year old called Chloe who lives in Swansea, Wales. His middle name is Simba. So, here goes... (I didn't use my own middle name because it was too long... Victoria! =)

Summer is great, except really, really hot! This year I went to Thailand for a quick get-away with my mum for four days. We stayed at the Four Seasons and had a blast!

I live in an apartment on Kowloon side in Hong Kong.

Most people in Hong Kong live in apartments as land is scarce and houses are rare and expensive! But, I am doing my best to save up to one day buy a real house with either a garden or a roof!

Before getting Sebastian, my first cat, I was scared of most animals larger than a rabbit - especially dogs! After fostering Sebastian, it all changed and I am now able to pet huge black dogs (with permission!) without blinking! Animals really do change us humans! Oh, and I adopted Sebastian and when I moved back to Hong Kong from the UK, brought him with me!

A senior academic teacher - that's my job! I'm at work too much because of my position and miss my three boys!

Gotta add a pic! This is my mum in Siam Paragon Mall in Bangkok, Thailand having a coffee just before heading to the airport to come back to Hong Kong. They have funky starbucks cards there! I'll have to scan some in! This is a new mall, and if you're ever in Bangkok, check it out! Take the MRT to Siam station and you're there. In the basement is asia's largest aquarium - although I gotta say, I really like the one in Hong Kong's Ocean park more!

P.S. What does meme mean? I'm sure that's a stupid question, but oh well... better asked than wondered about!

Banned from the kitchen!!!

2007-08-18T18:06:00.000+08:00

All three cats have now been banned from the kitchen - thankfully I have a kitchen door, which ensures they don't go in, even when I'm not at home!

Anyway, I found Starbuck, on top of the kitchen cabinets (which are high!!!) considering how to get down. Usually he would walk over to the door and jump down, but not today! Today he decided to take the scenic route to the window and down over my lovely washed dishes!

As you can imagine, everything was re-washed, thoroughly (especially as my mum is
allergic to cats) and all three cats have not been allowed in the kitchen since
(it's now August 2007).

New Header

2007-08-18T01:41:00.000+08:00

I had 10 minutes and so decided to do my blog a funky header. Hmmm.... not exactly brilliant, but I'll improve it when I have a minute.

Any suggestions?

We're into May 2007!!!

2007-08-17T11:59:00.000+08:00

Ok, so I kinda left out a few months! But with all the pics I had, I would have never gotten through them. So, we began in November 2006 (which were really Nov/Dec) and then jumped to Jan 2007 and are now jumping again to May 2007. Not many pics were taken from Jan to May, probably because of me being super busy and misplacing my camera!

So, here are some general May 2007 pics (which probably contain some from Feb, March and April!).

Starbuck in the Dining Room (although it's used as a store room type room - lots of boxes of resources for school, an extra fridge, deep freeze etc.). Seems like he's contemplating life!

But not for long as he's off on the prowl again!

Ooo! Nothing like a good scratch and stretch!

This is my irritate face! Leave me alone!

Sebastian Pics

2007-08-17T03:33:00.001+08:00

Ok, that last pic of Sebastian wasn't his best! I don't know if I've posted these pics of him yet, but they are some of the best I have!

He is now 2 years and 3 months old and still growing! Thankfully he's not fat (I'm really careful!) but is already tipping 20 pounds! I can't think how big he would be if I let him get fat! But, I want him around as long as possible, so, he gets fed the correct amount, twice a day, and no snacks. Cruel? I hope not... just healthy (oh, he gets treats when we do clicker training, but he doesn't really seem to like them. Oh, and he gets hairball prevention treats once a week that he does like - do they count as a treat? *grin*)

The third pic was taken in an IKEA Billy bookcase, which should give you an idea of how big he was an one year and 4 months old. He's now a year older and much bigger! He keeps surprising me with how much he gets bigger and with how his features are maturing! I thought he was almost full grown when I got him!!! Little did I know.... =)

Starbuck and Me

2007-08-16T18:20:00.000+08:00

I like this pic. It's of me holding Starbuck! Bad pic of me, but I think it's great of Starbuck in one of his moods.... the "mouth open which means I'm not happy" moods!

Sebastian

2007-08-16T05:00:00.000+08:00

Sebastian doesn't like to have his photo taken (and nor does Torrey - hence so many of Starbuck!). Anyway, here is one random one I took of Sebastian in one of the cat tents in the cat room. I have since moved this tent into my bedroom to give him somewhere to get away from the kittens when they're being too playfull *grin*!

Should I Change His Name???

2007-08-16T01:07:00.001+08:00

Here is a weird post. Should I change Torrey's name?

Basically, I chose Sebastian and Starbuck's names - weird and as uncatlike as they may be. But Torrey was the name on his pedigree papers given to him by my wonderful breeder. I guess I never changed it because I wasn't expecting to get two bengals and so never gave it enough thought - when he arrived we all called him Torrey and never got around to changing it.

He is now over a year old and I figure if I'm going to do it, I should do it now. Any thoughts anyone?

(Starbuck on the left and Torrey on the right)

While you're thinking, here are the reasons I called the other two what I did!

Sebastian: I had thought and thought about what to name him and simply couldn't decide. I don't even remember what the choices were! Anyway, I went to pic him up and didn't even think about naming him - I just couldn't get over how this "kitten" was so BIG! Maine Coons are big! You never really get a kitten stage with them - they come out big!

Anyway, I walked into my home (I was living in Swansea, Wales at the time on a one year sabbatical from my job in Hong Kong) and put the carrier down and said something to him about being home and instinctively called him "Sebastian". I couldn't believe the words had come out of my mouth! It wasn't even a name I had considered (read online and you'll find out you are 'advised' to use something one syllable, not beginning in an 'S' sound!!!). Anyway, that was it. He was Sebastian - and he learnt his name very quickly, although I do tend to call him Sib for short.

Starbuck's name was given lots and lots of thought (as you can see, I get again ignored solid Internet advice and named him a 2 syllable name with an 'S' sound!). In the end it was Starbuck off Battleship Gallactica and my love for Starbuck's, combined with my love for Moby Dick that did it - although the coffee had a lot to do with it sad to say!

They all know their names, although "Sib Sib" is now almost a generic term for "Food's Coming"!!!

Anyway, any thoughts? Should I change Torrey's name? If I did, any suggestions?

T.V. Fun

2007-08-15T03:51:00.000+08:00

I like to keep the TV tucked away and so I bought a TV unit from IKEA. The kittens immediately loved it and scared me the way they squeezed around the TV - several times I thought they were stuck. So cute! It's August 2007 now and they have almost permanently lost interest in the TV, although now and then they still check it out.

The following photos were taken in November 2006.

First playing under the TV in the small spaces!

But soon they figure out it's more fun to play up with the TV!!

As usual, Starbuck explores further!
On top of the TV where the space is so small I thought he'd get stuck!!

STEALTH CAT!!! IN HIDING!!!! I'm not sure what he's stalking!

Do I look cool or what????

And then they discovered the back of the TV! At this point I got really worried
(although ignored my worry to keep taking pictures!).

I couldn't help laughing when Torrey managed to get behind the TV unit by going backwards,
upside-down! He found the small hole at the back and ended up behind the TV!

November

2007-08-14T03:37:00.000+08:00

So, I decided to keep going from where I left off, month by month (I hope I can get through it!). So, here are pics of the boys in November 2006. I'm so pleased I saved all their photos by date so I can easily upload them without missing a month! Enjoy!

I guess I have cheap cats, because no matter how expensive the toys are that I buy, they always go back to the boxes! It's getting to the point where I anticipate my groceries arriving because then I get to give the boys a new box to play with (we order groceries online here and they get delievered in boxes of all shapes and sizes!).

Hmm... Starbuck starts to get a little bored...

And then there was one! (Starbuck is always the first to lose interest and move on to more interesting endeavors!).

This time Starbuck jumps up onto the coffee table...

Hints anyone how to stop bengals jumping up onto furniture?
Mine seem to love anything high - including doors! I have been given the fright of my
life so many times when opening a door and having a cat complain
because they are on top of the door!

Hmm... looking at that box which is getting his attention again!

I'm Back!

2007-08-14T02:40:00.000+08:00

It's been a while! Internet troubles have meant I simply haven't been able to post regularly and so I kind of gave up! But, I'm back now so I'll be posting soon.

Starbuck, Torrey and Sebastian are doing great - growing every day! Starbuck and Torrey turned 1 in April and Sebastian turned 2 in May - and they are all still growing! When I first did my research on maine coon's (and later bengals), I was told they don't mature for 2-3 years. Well, Sebastian seemed like a full grown cat when I got him as a kitten, but he is now huge and still growing (but he's not fat!). I'm still watching the kittens mature and grow and it's an incredible journey! Everytime I think they must be done growing, they have another growth spurt - usually in a different place. One day I'll think, their legs have gotten longer, another day they have gotten more muscular, another day longer etc. And their features are changing, too! Sometimes I can't believe Torrey and Starbuck are litter brothers as they are so different!

Anyway, I'll stop now and go and try to get some photos up.

We're Back!!!!

More from on top of the kitchen

2006-09-27T17:43:00.000+08:00

Here are a few more from Starbucks climbing endeavours in the kitchen! He hasn't been up since, although this could be due to the fact that I have now closed the kitchen door!

Starbuck relaxing 8 feet in the air!

Contemplating a jump!!! Thankfully he didn't!

Eyeing different ways down....

After jumping down onto the fridge, Starbuck then had to
decide whether or not to go up, or down!

Yup, he made a good choice and jumped down!

And then gave me one of his usual indignant meows (more like a wild cry!).
Yes, I picked him up and carried him far away from the kitchen!

Up High!

2006-09-26T21:38:00.000+08:00

Last night I heard something and got up to find that I had left the hall door open. I ventured into the kitchen (which will be renovated soon... it's looking awful!), and found Starbuck on top of the cabinets looking down at me and Torrey. Yes, he was on top of the cabinets!!! Just to put this into context, I have 10 feet high ceilings and so he was looming over me! Very scary.

He was so high that had I stood on tippy toes I wouldn't have been able to even touch him with my index finger! At one point he looked like he was going to jump and I was freaked! Thankfully he didn't!

Well, I finally figured out how he got up there and so figured out a way down! First he made his way to the far end of the cabinets (although I had to do lots of encouraging!).

He then jumped off the cabinets and onto the fridge...

... all the time making a lot of noise!

He then jumped down from the fridge and onto the counter top at which point I picked him up and thanked my lucky stars he didn't jump off the top of the cabinets! I then took him back through to his room and ensured the hall door was closed tight! Torrey was an angel, as usual, and just watched and followed.

A pics I like!

2006-09-12T20:38:00.000+08:00

Just a few pictures I like and thought I should post!

Home Made Toys

2006-09-10T18:43:00.000+08:00

The kittens seem to destroy all toys within a day and so I decided to make them one. I grabbed a cardboard box - cut some holes and flaps, added some ribbon and feathers and TA DA - a toy which they play with constantly. The hanging ribbons inside and on one corner and the feathers on the flaps are a real hit! I tried to get some good pictures but couldn't, so these are the best I could do while they were doing flying leaps onto it, into it and from it at lightening speed!

Invisible Fun

2006-09-03T15:37:00.000+08:00

I have no idea why, but now and then the kittens find something and are obsesed with it for ages! Often it is invisible to me - but I'm sure they can see something! Very cute!

Starbuck has had enough - off to find something else interesting as Torrey keeps up his attack!

A cat toy from the UK

2006-09-02T13:44:00.000+08:00

My mum came back from the UK and had bought several cat toys for the boys - all complete with feathers (their favourite!). While they loved all the toys, the one below was the biggest hit - I have never seen the boys growl, hiss, pounce and be as truly wild as when I pulled this toy out - especially Starbuck! He really thought it was alive!

This picture doesn't look a thing like Starbuck, but at least you get a good look at the toy!

How big is Sebastian?

2006-08-31T13:02:00.000+08:00

I had friends over the other night, and one of them was taking pictures of Sebastian next to his arm! It turns out that friends at work wanted to know exactly how big he is as it seems quite impossible. Basically, Hong Kong cats are generally small to medium sized. They usually don't go above 10 pounds (unless fat!) and usually stay witin the 5-10 pound range. A cat that is over 15 pounds (and medium length coat which makes him seem even bigger) is something of a novelty! Especially as he is lean - nowhere near fat! So, after Stephan and the rest of my friends left, I took a couple of pictures. Here they are...

Although this picture makes Sebastian look the same length as Stephan's arm, he's not! Things in the foreground often appear larger than those in the background: especially true in this case =)

Another one, with Sebastian looking uninterested in his humans!

The next three pictures are probably a more accurate example of how big Sebastian is. The paper next to him is A4 (a little longer than letter).

The Red Pics

2006-08-28T02:25:00.000+08:00

These pictures were taken at Sam and Ami's place, on a bed I think!
The red background is great!

A great view!

2006-08-25T02:14:00.000+08:00

Ami and Sam live on the 45th floor and so the kittens got a lovely view from their window!

More pics of the kittens vacation!

2006-08-20T02:17:00.000+08:00

Here are some more pictures of the three kittens while they were at Ami and Sam's place.

Fox investigating the washing machine!

Fox and Starbuck wrestling on the bed - they look just like two leopards!

Checking themselves out in the mirror!

Too much fun - time to sleep!

Hmmm - cherries are yummy!

And, time for more sleep!

Water Fun!!!

2006-08-18T01:50:00.000+08:00

While at Ami and Sam's place (while I was on vacation), the kittens got their first real up-close experience with water - they were very interested (as most bengals are)! This has continued to the point where Starbuck will jump in the bathtub while the tap is running and Torrey will jump up onto the top of the tub (and sometimes jump in), although they both don't like getting their paws wet.... yet!!! With Sebastian I used a squirt gun when he was a kitten to discourage bad behaviour - doesn't work with kittens who love water!!!

Torrey taking a close-up look at the water.

A hole!!!

Fox (a.k.a. Isabella) joins in the fun!

And then Starbuck decides to find out what all the fuss is about!

And then they discover the bathtub! More fun!

More of Sebastian

2006-08-17T22:08:00.000+08:00

A couple of Sebastian that I really like. He often gets forgotten with all the pics
I take of the kittens and so I thought it was time I caught up =)

And of course I had to play around with them a bit to make them a bit more fun!

Flying Leaps

2006-08-15T18:58:00.000+08:00

After being inspired by Tanj and Uschi's flying leaps, I tried to get a few of my own! Although I had to lighten some of them, I am pleased with my first attempt! Improving the quality (and getting some better jumps on camera) will come with practise!

Sebastian Phone Pics

2006-08-14T16:06:00.000+08:00

I like taking pics with my phone and found
these to be several of my favourites!

Trying out one of the special functions on my phone -
I think it's a solarize option.

Sebastian peeking through the curtains
behind my bed in my bedroom.

P.S. If you're interested in seeing Sebastian
on the toilet, click on the title of this post!

The Purple Pics

2006-08-12T17:02:00.000+08:00

I LOVE the Purple Pics!
If you haven't seen them already, you must.
Click on title of this post.

A quick preview...

2 Bengal Kittens & a Huge Maine Coon

Miss Me?

Yay! An Award!

Evil Cat

My Cinnamon Rolls

Thursday Thirteen (#9) - Hanging Out in the Living Room

Thursday Thirteen (#8) - 13 Red Bed Pictures

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

T13 (Edition 10) - Sebastian's Shower Part 2

Cat Expo and Siamese Cats!

Christmas Toys!

T13: Sebastian's First Shower - Part 1

Thursday Thirteen: 13 Reasons to Get a Cat

Trying to Catch Torrey on Camera

I did it!

Blogroll... Links... Friends

More of the Bottle

Thursday Thirteen (#7) - Cat Toys - PART 2

Just Chilling... Almost Wordless Wednesday

Playing with a Bottle

Fun in the City!!!

Thursday Thirteen (6) - Cat Toys My Boys Love - PART 1

More about Hong Kong

Thursday Thirteen - Hong Kong

Collage of Torrey

Flu

Ran out of photos!

Thursday Thirteen - The Bathroom Door: PART 3

Thursday Thirteen - The Bathroom Door: PART 2

My First Award

Thursday Thirteen - The Bathroom Door: PART 1

WSPA: World Society for the Protection of Animals

Eating Cats and Dogs: Help Stop It!!!

Desktop Meme from the Cat Realm

Torrey Up Close - T13 (My First)

A Couple of Starbuck

Evil Cat (a.k.a. "Sick of Being a Fashion Model cat!")

A New Blog!

Wordless Wednesday on Thursday

Top 100 Cat Sites!

I can't post pics!!!

Chim Chim - Part 2

Pictures for Maggy and Zoey

Chim Chim - Part 1

Torrey Close Ups

A Big HELLO!!!

Tagged Again! Not TMI Meme...

How they got their names!

More On Top of Doors!!! (Mancat Monday)

Spotty Sunday

Just outside the shoe room

Playing Around

Starbuck's Spots

More of Natalie and Natia

Natalie and Nadia's Visit

Around the House

On Top of the Dining Room Doors

Starbuck Jumping

Some more November pics

More TV pics

Torrey in November

Sebastian Simba

Tagged!

Banned from the kitchen!!!

New Header

We're into May 2007!!!

Sebastian Pics

Starbuck and Me

Sebastian

Should I Change His Name???

T.V. Fun

November

I'm Back!

More from on top of the kitchen

Up High!

A pics I like!

Home Made Toys

Invisible Fun

A cat toy from the UK

How big is Sebastian?