A case of the feline

"Don't trust people who don't like cats for no apparent reason." --- Anonymous

I had completely forgotten to mention in my previous post of another milestone that took place in the last five years : pet possession. 

Ever since I was a little girl, cats have been a permanent feature in our household. My mom loves to regale us with tales of our - my twin and I - legendary antics which had landed us in many a hot soup. One of them involves giving a poor kitten a bath and THEN hanging it to dry using clothespins! I kid you not. We were four years old then and lived in a rented single storey house at Kampung Tunku, PJ. 

When we moved to Shah Alam in 1979, cats continued to come and go at our terrace house. Some came to just eat and some stayed to call us home. The memorable cats of our youth (read : teenage years) were Chowyu (named after my twin's favourite Hong Kong film star at the time, Chow Yuen Fatt) and Nuno (my elder sister named her after the one half of the famous one-hit-wonder duo called Extreme). 

Chowyu's untimely death left my twin severely heartbroken and if I'm not mistaken, Nuno passed away when I was in the States. Come to think of it, I was never a cat owner. At least, not until recently. I am fond of cats and go gaga whenever I see them in their different fluffy variants. Both Chowyu and Nuno were not mine: I am just a co-owner.

I played with them but I never did form that fundamental owner-pet attachment that usually follows suit. Probably I didn't want to get emotionally attached to something I couldn't solely call my own. Or I wasn't investing that much time with them in the first place. 

Four years into my marriage and coming home from the Netherlands, we settled back in Ampang and my husband brought up the idea of having a pet. I wasn't keen of keeping a cat at a condo, especially after hearing about an increasing case of pets (and what-nots) falling from the balcony. 

Buying a residential plot on the ground level looked set to bring that pet-owning dream into motion. Alas, we can only plan but Allah is the Best of planners. We migrated to Dubai soon after and lived in an apartment throughout our duration there. 

During our final year in Dubai - despite rumours of imminent departure to KL - we bought, not one but three dwarf hamsters. They are cute, cuddly and big eaters for such tiny fellas. We were ambitious and bought them a nifty big cage. And two transparent balls for them to go in and roll around the apartment's veranda and living room. 

When news of KL move was firm, we didn't think much about any problems which might ensue if we were to bring Grey, Stripey 1 and Stripey 2 home. However, complications on the custom and health front led us to reluctantly give them away free instead - cage, accessories and all. 

It was sad having to part with them after six months together. In a way, I did form an attachment, albeit a brief one. Although I couldn't touch or stroke them like I would a cat, they were a part of our daily fixture. Well, except for that 10 days we were away from them for our Spring Break. And boy, weren't we happy to see them alive and well when we came back! 

Towards the last quarter of 2013, suburban life in Malaysia seems humdrum and laid-back enough to finally toying with the idea of getting a feline. This strong impulse brought Izzy* into our lives, after scouring the backwater of Tanjung Panglima Garang for her breeder's abode one stormy Sunday. She's a mixed Persian kitten with a friendly and lovable personality. She'd wait by our bedroom door to open in the morning to be with us human. She's a chirpy, people person, I mean, cat!

Unfortunately, Izzy fell sick two weeks after she stayed with us. She didn't want to eat, and became weak with each passing day. The diagnosis at the vet proved to be fatal. Izzy contracted a blood virus. She died about a week later during her treatment at the vet. We didn't get to see her in the end and let the vet arranged for her burial. She was only with us (including vet stay) for less than a month.

You'd have thought that incident would swear us off cats for a while. Surprisingly, it didn't deter us but made us more determined to choose from a better, long-established breeder. At the end of December 2013, we found online one in Kajang and he was more than willing to bring to our house four kittens (including the one we liked online) to pick from. 

He unzipped this portable canvas-like carrier and, lo and behold, four terrified kittens scampered for places to hide in our living room! They were all adorable, minus the scratch they left on our hands and feet. 

At that very moment, we both decided to take two kittens, instead of just one. Having a partner in crime makes it easier and quicker for them to adapt to a new place. Thus, it was the start of a beautiful (indoor living) journey with female Binoo** the seal-point ragdoll and male Stampy*** the ginger mixed Persian. 

One and (almost) a half year on, we have also adjusted to life with indoor cats. This includes neutering procedures, vaccination visits, routine check-ups and stays at the cattery whenever we go out of town. Fur-balls galore notwithstanding, they are now an enduring part of our family. All seem normal and hunky dory on the home front....

That is, until my daughter won three little fishy at a school carnival two weeks back. Now we have a small motorized fish tank for the fish! When your kid already named the fish upon reaching the car to go home, you just don't have the heart to throw the fish out. 

So, let's hope we stop at fish! Though that sugar glider in the pet store sure looks mighty cute.....

* Named after the girl character in Jake and the Neverland Pirates™.

** Named after the cat Binoo in my boy's favourite cartoon series, Toopy and Binoo™.

*** Those who play Minecraft will know the origin of this name :)

Back into the groove

I started blogging in late November 2005. That is about six months shy of 10 years ago. The impetus for initiating a blog? When I found out that I'd soon be moving to another country for one year, in order to follow my husband's undertaking of his Masters in Science. At that time, I was five months or so pregnant with my firstborn. Work had been regurgitative at best, and unchallenging at worst. I used blogging as an outlet to escape and an online journal to document my journey to both babydom and moving abroad.

It was only in the Netherlands during late 2006 that I discovered a Malaysian worldwide blogging community via Sentraal Station. I have forgotten how it came about, but the whole process opened my eyes to a wide array of writing styles and subject matters. I came to know a variety of personalities with their own struggles, issues, passions and interests. I was stoked to be able to read their stories, and became glued to some domains in a matter of weeks. 

 

The advent of FB, however, saw the whittling down of my posts and my interest to follow others on blog. I befriended some bloggers on FB, and it made the need to blog even less urgent. 

The one-year move to the Netherlands followed closely with another migration in May 2010 to Dubai. With a second baby, adapting to a new way of life, getting a daughter ready for school life and making new friends, I completely abandoned blogging by December 2010.

 

Many things have come to pass in a span of five years. My firstborn immensely enjoyed schooling in Dubai. We spent the first ever (and last) Eid in Dubai in 2011 and I was miserable for home. Alhamdulillah, I finally made the transition to wearing the hijab in March 2012. The following month in April saw the sad passing of my beloved maternal grandma. In June 2013, we moved back to Malaysia as the other half was called back to assume a position. I had mixed feelings about coming home. While I miss the security, safety and orderliness of Dubai, I won't miss its easy embrace of materialism, commercialism, high fashion, and social hierarchy. 

 

Despite the in-between visits to Malaysia during the three years, I experienced a mild culture shock when we settled down again in the suburbs. Getting used to total strangers striking up a conversation and asking personal questions is one of them. With people minding their own business in Dubai for the last three years, I realised I was the one who needed to lighten up and go with the flow. To some extent, that is.

And don't let me start on the Malaysian driving etiquette. It is my main pet peeve. I went back to driving again after giving up the privilege while living in Dubai. My husband and I were both contented going around in public transports in Dubai, or hire a driver for a longer excursion out of town. 

 

My quick temper and the reckless (and absentminded) driving of some Malaysians don't mix well. I have managed to tone down my impatience, well, some of the times. Driving with kids does help to set my priority right. 

 

I had also crossed that pivotal 4-series threshold late last year, and with it comes the usual Growing Old questions : How far have I come? Is there anything that needs to be changed or improved? Where do I go from here? 

 

There are still some kinks to be ironed out, even at this age, I'm afraid. Nobody's perfect. Or a saint. I have lowered my expectations lest I turn bitter and resentful. It's never too late to learn. Motto: YOLO.