November November

I just got off call a few hours ago. My days are no longer known as "Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday", etc. To me, my "week" is divided into:

Call Day

Post-call day

Post-post-call day

Pre-pre-call day

Pre-call day

Call day. . .



It's Novemeber already! It's been almost four months since internship started for me. It felt like just yesterday that I started as an wide-eyed intern, and yet we are already one week into interview week for next year's intern class!



And lovely weather it's been. Perfect weather for walking Hiro, who's getting a lot of ohhh's and ahhh's from people he meet. One lady was driving, stopped her car, and got out to ask me what kind of dog Hiro is and the "if you don't mind me asking, how much. . ." Paul and I both have taken up training Hiro, mainly fun tricks and commands. He is half poodle and the circus-performer in him is coming out! He can sit and shake hands (his paw, my hand) on command, he stands on his hind legs when asked, and just yesterday (while I was gone), he mastered "roll over." Next up: play dead and bark on command. Since we are doing amatuerishly okay with training Hiro, it's making me think twice about taking the time and money out to get professional dog-training. I am going to take some new pictures of Hiro soon as he is growing up so fast!



This is also a sad month for us. My little Kitty is no longer with us. We finally made the decision to put her down. The decision was no short of a Sophie's choice for me. We had made up our mind on a date to take her in but at the last moment, I backed out. I just needed more time. I felt part relief and part grief when it was finally over with. I still remember the day she tentatively walked into our door onone cold December night and then soon decided she wasn't ever going to leave again. She was a little hapless stray but our sweet serendipity.

Of Cats and Dogs

Almost perfect: Hubby studying Powerpoint lectures, I'm next to him doing multiple-choice questions with Hiro sleeping at our feet and Kitty napping at a corner. . .all four of us on the same bed. Ahh, what peace, what harmony, the whole family, the “pack” together.

However, just earlier that day, I recall the scene of Hiro dancing ecstatically around Kitty inviting her to play, while Kitty, a grounded statue of calm suddenly break into a hissing fit followed by the rise of a sharp-clawed paw perfected for gauging puppy eyes. Hiro cowers back in such pitiful fear that I had to scoop him up and make sure his black marble eyes were still intact. All day long, I was chasing the cat away from dog food and chastising the puppy for eating cat food. Yes, I’ve got two animals who shows a great deal more interest in each other’s food than their own. In midst of trying to housetrain Hiro, my trusted litterbox-using cat has decided she’s going to pee on carpet, too! In midst of chaos, I am armed with gallons of Nature’s Miracle enzymatic cleaner, bags of doggy treats, and a floorful of chewy dog toys all in the hope of successfully raising a puppy. It’s been a challenge, no doubt. And on top of it all, I’m careful to pay Ms. Kitty extra attention to let her know she’s still special and loved. At least she’s already established her dominance over the puppy after just a few fearsome swats. I admire my cat as she walks with confidence, with a regal slowness befitting a seasoned and rightful queen. The puppy will dart side to side, back and forth, and then halt in his tracks to let the cat pass by.

Everything is new to Hiro, which makes puppyhood all the more refreshing and challenging. I remember the first time he heard my stomach growl, he stopped abruptly in his play and looked at me quizzically. And the day he discovered his own bark. It was a weak sound at first but now it’s a powerful resonance that sometime surprises me as it comes from a mop-headed and teddybear-faced three-pounder. He has decided barking is fine way of communicating with us. Ha, but no, little one! There are so many things to beat out of a dog’s nature before he can be accepted as a “good” pet, it’s a wonder that dogs ever became domesticated and civilized housemates to humans. Cats are much more of a natural fit for house-living. Almost from day one, cats will fit seamlessly into our lives as they come already litterbox-trained a la mode instinct, self-cleaning and odor-free, capable of independent play and has minimal destructive behavior which can be easily controlled with a scratching post from Petsmart. A dog, on the other hand, must discard much of his unacceptable doggy-ness and assiduously re-learn a set of house rules before he’s a free-roaming full-privileged member of the family. To be a good cat owner, one just have to love the cat, and everything else will either come naturally or one will be taught by the cat. To successfully own a dog, however, one better have an arsenal of patience, leadership skills and a hobby degree in canine psychology! It seems to be totally against a dog’s nature to limit his peeing and pooping activity to one area and one area only. Human feet, especially when moving, are chew toys to be reckoned with for a puppy. And unless I establish myself as the “head”, the puppy will attempt to become the “alpha dog” over me by humping my leg and with other deeply ingrained but socially unacceptable canine gestures. It was my fear that I got the dominant puppy of the litter, and I’ve done my darnest to assert my alpha-ness. As I clean up dog poo, prepare dog food, give dog treats, bathe my puppy, and engage in puppy play on all fours, I can’t help but wonder, hmm, who is really the master here? But enriched my life my animals have.

A Game of Deceit

This game is a well received passtime that many cat owners know. We chanced upon it recently: the game of the cat chasing a laser pointer light. I bought a laser light alignment thingie for hanging wall pictures and it has since doubled as Kitty’s favorite toy. She loves to chase that red light anywhere, up the wall and furniture, zig zags across the carpet. Her speed and prey instincts really come through. It’s good exercise for an indoor cat as she dashes, jumps, and pounces. As a bonus, we often participate in the game with squeals of laughter.

Lately, however, my overthinking mind has made it not so funny. I observe my cat as she goes after the red light with such seriousness, her large unblinking eyes, her erect ears, and her anxious tail swiping side to side as her body crouches ready to make a move. I don’t know what she thinks, but she certainly seems to give it her all in both mental concentration and physical prowess as she tries to take hold and take down that red light. But she doesn’t know that it’s not a tangible thing and it’s game she’s lost from the beginning. Is she frustrated and confused that the object of her chase is always elusive and intangible? Is it us humans having a good time at her expense? Am I being deceitful to my cat?

I’m not going to stop playing the game with Kitty as long as she’ll have it, but I just have these unanswered questions. . .

Blacky II?

One day, Kitty was just sitting outside, perched on her box, taking a nap and watching the world go by like she often does these days in nice weather.

Suddenly, something gets her attention and she perks up. Somewhere far off, a black shadow was lurking.

Aha!! A midnight black cat hides behind the corner and he stares back with his lemon meringue-colored eyes.

The two stranger cats come close. . .hissing and pawing ensues. . .

Kitty: "This is my territory and my throne, you can't come up here!"
Blacky II: "Oh yeah. . .well, I don't want your throne, I just want a girlfriend. Meoooooooow."

Cats, Dogs, and Endorphins

What a beautiful day today is! Basking in sunshine, I was able to jog in a T-shirt and shorts this afternoon. You know how people say that after you've been running a while, you body releases a shot of endorphins that gives you a "running high"? Well, I want to know " where are my endorphins??!" Unlike those mythical runners who get high, I have to work for every second of my jogging!

Aside from endorphins, I felt like I was missing somthing else crucial while running. A dog!! I'd so love to have a leash in my hand, along with my key and iPod! If I had a dog, I might not even miss endorphins. I think a dog would be the best jogging companion. No worries about whether he/she is bored, no pressure to chit chat, no question about who will set the pace, and rain or shine, a dog will always agree to go for a walk or run with you. I fell in love with a specific breed of dog, the maltipoo, some time ago but I have been debating back and forth whether to get one or not. Maltipoo is a maltese and poodle mix, it's actually not considered a true breed, rather a designer dog. They have the cutest teddy bear face, although some will look more poodle or more maltese than a mixture. For many reasons it's not practical for us to get a dog right now, but I can dream, can't I?

Look at that cute teddy bear face!!


Jessica Simpson and her maltipoo, Daisy, the most famous maltipoo in the world, I'm sure

A less famous cutie of the non-canine variety. I'm also pretty sure torby (tortoiseshell and tabby mix) is not a designer breed!

No matter what fancy toys we get for kitty, she always manages to find fun in unlikely things, here it's the string from hubby's robe. Kitty, for now you are our only furbaby, aren't you lucky?

Helplessness

Hubby said that Kitty followed him into the bathroom this morning and after his shower, Kitty jumped into the bathtub and started to drink the bath water! She's never done that before! In fact, she hates the bathtub due to her profound dislike of baths.

Later that morning when I was feeding Kitty, I realized her water bowl is not there! I had put it on the counter yesterday and forgot to put it back on the floor for her! Kitty must have been so thirsty to be drinking bath water! Bad mommy me for overlooking this.

I realize just how helpless cats are, and how much they are at the mercy of their people and humans in general. It's not like they can communicate their needs verbally, and certainly can't take money to get themselves food if they are hungry. Sounds like babies, doesn't it? In the words of a friend, "dogs and cats are like little children that never grow up."

Kitty Pictures

Guess who? Nope, this is not me, just a photo mommy found on the internet, but it sure looks like me!!

Here's me!! Humans are so strong, they just pick me up and hold me whenever they want.

Let me out!!! Need to pee pee nowwww!! And no, I refuse to use that cat litter made of corn!

My favorite thing to do, cat naps. I AM a cat, you know!

Play time!

Sleepy-time, again. . .

Visit to the Vet

I took Kitty to the vet this afternoon. I took the opportunity while I have these days off. While she got all her essential shots and lab work done months ago, she has not had an once-over by the vet.

There has to be very few things worse than a car trip and vet visit for Kitty. She vomited in the car. I didn’t know it until I opened up her carrier in the vet’s office. Then she actually started panting like a dog from all the stress!

So, I learned quite a few things about Kitty. By looking at her eyes and teeth, the vet (Dr. B) estimated her to be 6-8 years old. I knew she was no spring chicken, but I had hoped she was a spry young fellow, but actually she’s in her golden years! Instead of the smooth coloration to her eyes, the vet said Kitty’s eyes were too yellow and resembled the pattern of crushed velvet. “It could be due to age or build-up of toxins,” said Dr.B. For that problem, she gave blue & green algae pills to detox her liver. “Her eyes should turn greener after her liver is detoxed,” said the animal doctor.

Kitty's eyes. Too yellow? Crushed velvet appearance = toxicity?

Next, we discussed a hack/cough Kitty seems to have every couple of weeks. I was assured by the vet that it sounds like a hairball hack, although the possibility of heartworms is not ruled out. For that, we are going to try Felilax for hairball elimination. We will start Kitty on heartworm prevention in the future after we are certain that her cough is not due to a fatal infection with heartworms.

Lastly, Dr.B thought Kitty was allergic to either her food or inhaled particles or both. The vet diagnosed this based on excessive cerumen production in Kitty’s ears and a bare patch on her belly where she’s missing hair. We talked about what food Kitty is eating. The vet informed me that most commercial pet foods are “4-D” foods meaning it consists of “dead, dying, debilitated, and diseased” meat. For the next couple of weeks, I am to gradually switch her to a more wholesome diet from several approved brands. I purchased the “Chicken Soup” brand catfood from the office. To facilitate this gradual diet change, I’m to give Kitty Udo’s Choice pet supplements with enzymes. “This will help her from getting allergies to her new food.” I thought I was being savvy by purchasing the brand of cat food with chicken as the no. #1 ingredients. No more Wal-Mart cat food for Kitty from now on. Home-prepared food for the cat is the best but I doubt I can commit to that.

Okay, I know what some people might think after reading the above: "the vet is a quack, " or "she's just out to make a buck." However I'm inclined to believe her. Aside from conventional veterinary medicine, Dr.B practices CAM (complementary/alternative medicine) for animals. She even does acupuncture on animals! Hmm, I wonder if the Chinese came up with that, too? I did not pick Dr.B for her CAM practice, it was just a coincidence. Now, I don't know if Kitty's eyes are really toxic, but I am now a believer in feeding her food that is more to its natural and fresh form. One thing I've come to learn is that some patients are too skeptical of their doctor's knowledge or motive. However, from my experience I know most doctors are capable and geniunely wants the best outcome of their patients. As for me with Kitty, I'm going to try every thing Dr. B recommended and go from there.

Sittin' Pretty

"Mommy, when is breakfast gonna be served?"

Picture of Comfort

Sleeping beauties or just lazy nappers?

The Story of a Stray

Almost one year ago, Kitty, our cat, came into our life. It was right after Christmas last year, and a small, timid cat followed my husband and brother-in-law, David (visiting from Japan) into our apartment. It was so cold outside and my heart softened when I saw her, so we let her in. The only cat-suitable food we had was canned salmon; she happily ate it. Almost from the start, she seemed very comfortable in our home, as if she’s been here forever. During that first few nights, she would jump on the guest bed and try to share it with David only to be thrown off again and again.

In the midst of trying to find her owner, and then trying to place her in a shelter, it took a while for us to decide to keep her. She obviously didn’t have an owner. I just couldn’t put her in a local shelter, which means she would be euthanized within a week if she’s not claimed or adopted. Then I discovered the no-kill animal organizations. I called and e-mailed almost every single one of them in the area only to be told that they are all full and not accepting new animals. My next idea was to become a new foster parent for one of the no-kill shelters, so that I could foster her until she’s adopted. Well, the commitment of taking her to the weekend adoption shows was just too much. I was in the middle of my surgery rotation.

So Kitty stayed with us and began fitting into our life seamlessly. She was a little sickly at first, weighing just over 6 lbs., and was vomiting and coughing. We dewormed her with OTC dewormer (I won’t go in the gory detail of how I knew she had worms) and began feeding her regular cat food. She soon got healthy and gained weight and now weighs 9.5 lbs. I eventually took her to the vet, got her shots and blood tested. I am so happy to say that she is FIV negative and Feline leukemia free. She was already spayed (the vet showed me a tiny scar on her abdomen) which means she must have belonged to someone at one time. Well, I already knew that because she’s very loving and comfortable around us, not feral at all. Her age is still a mystery, though.

I read that stray cats tend to be very loving and affectionate because they knew hardship and are grateful for being rescued. I truly believe that. Kitty loves to rub her nose against our legs and is the perfect nap partner sleeping next to us. We let her outside when she asks and when we are not home. Invariably, she’s always sleeping outside waiting for us when we come home. No litter box required in our small apartment since she goes outside. At first, I didn’t know if I’d have the time for a cat, but she turned out to be the perfect pet for us. Very low maintenance, very loving.

Paul loves her just as much as me, but he likes to joke that we should just get rid of her someday. My experience with Kitty has showed me the plight of many unfortunate cats. I really do have a soft spot for them. It makes me angry that irresponsible people are having pets! It’s so important for people to neuter and spay their cats and never abandon them, as I suspect is what happened to Kitty. Well, there's a happy ending with Kitty. She's a huge delight to us, and we can't imagine coming home without seeing her face or hearing her meow.

The Simple Life

Sometimes I gaze into your face,
And think of the simplicity of your existence,

You don’t need to put on clothes, make-up,
or even take a shower to look your best.

When you’re hungry, you eat.
No need to think of calories, nutrition or your figure.
You don’t say, “hey, I had that last night.”
You eat what’s in front of you,
And don’t seem to enjoy it any less.

To sleep, all you do is put your head down and close your eyes.
You don’t toss and turn and think of the day.
You don’t mind if a big hand is resting on your tummy,
Or you’re sleeping on middle of the floor.
Bed of grass and 500-count threaded sheets are all the same to you.

You don’t live in a world of words,
You have just one, “meow.”
You’re never tongue-tied or worry you’ve said the wrong thing.

You’re happily oblivious of the clock,
And spend the day as you please.
No appointments, deadlines, or wake-up calls.

I gaze into your face,
And think, how splendid is the feline existence!

Interview with Kitty, Spoiled and Pampered.

What is your typical day like?
1. Find at least one new place to nap.
2. Beg for kitty snacks.
3. Explore and sniff uncharted territories: the socks drawer, boxes laying around, nooks and crannies in the closet, etc.
4. Play hide-n-seek with mommy and daddy. They normally give in and have to bribe me out with kitty snacks!
5. Meticululously clean every inch of myself with tongue. Then repeat.
6. “Get cozy” with the neighborhood birds and mice, then prey on them! Hmm, I don’t think the three bells around my neck is hampering me.
7. Make nests out of fresh laundry in the dryer.
8. Purrrr.

What type of cat are you?
I am a domestic shorthair, specifically, a torby. That means I'm a tortoiseshell and tabby mix. By the way, 99.5% of tortoiseshell cats are female!

Where did your name "Kitty" come from?
From mommy and daddy, of course. I think I was named after Eric's mother from That Seventy's Show.

Complete this sentence “All you have to do to love me is...."
1. Feed me on demand.
2. Let me sleep next to you.
3. Pet my head until I fall asleep.
4. Let me go exploring outside and no curfew!

What are you favorite toys?
1. Ping-pong balls
2. Boxes

What things do you do to annoy your humans?
1. Bite their ankles (just enough to get their attention).
2. Scratch and sharpen my claws on their shoes.
3. Roll around in dirt before their eyes.

What are you pet peeves?
1. Being held against my will.
2. Humans sleeping in on weekends and not feeding me on time.
3. Being given a bath!

What is your favorite quote?
"There is not enough time in a day to do all the nothings I want." --Calvin and Hobbs.


Questions that Kitty will not answer:
How old are you?
Where did you come from?
What happened to your tail?
Where do you go and what do you do outside when we are not home?

Everyone should have some mysteries, I suppose!