as a resident cat of the animal family, i think i have been pretty cool about the craziness around here but there comes a point when a cat has to put her paw down and yell, get freaking organised or stop this insane crusade once and for all!
yes, i get that a lot of what's going on in this estate to do with stray cats is a grevious matter of life and death, what with its suspicious cat control tactics. i almost have no excuse to complain as i myself have stood to gain from this family's slapdash sentimentality. but we live in a box, all 56 sqm of it and when you guys moved in you never anticipated the animals and so this place is just not designed to fit so many of us in it all at once.
5 resident cats are about pushing it but lucky for you, we really like each other. but to foster every kitten that comes your way for weeks at a time? and in the meantime also pack wild, probably diseased, very likely flea-infested cats overnight in here too?
edgy Mummy who has not taken to us well from the start has been caterwauling. she has also started to chase and maul us, especially Suede. i have a lot of sympathy for you girl and could have understood if this is all to protect your little Bramblerose but its not. you just hate us so very sorry, you have to go.
maybe if we had just one more extra decent sized room in the apartment, we could do this right. someone suggests that all the crazy cat people get together to rent a place to properly foster and quarantine animals. the woman really likes the idea but no money no talk. as sterilisation remains a cornerstone to the saving of cat lives, they have to still pump whatever they have that way. still, quarantining cats is a real problem. the vet has been very kind to let the man and woman put up cats there overnight for free if they have space but they can't impose all the time so its the bathroom for those hapless suckers.
- because we don't have enough litter pans so it's easier to hose down when necessary.
- it's the only enclosed place in the apartment so it keeps our curiosity in check.
- it also provides little but valuable sound-proofing to keep neighbour's hostility in check.
this arrangement however, sets the man on edge because being sensitive to smell, he is often odorously menaced into taking his business to the nearby hawker centre public toilet.
it's not a question of stopping but a question of getting organised. ideal: renovate the apartment. form a cat management team. get more funds. educate through neighbourhood campaign. realistic to man and woman's capacity: reorganise the apartment, find at least one like-minded person in the neighbourhood. education through flyering. buy a few more litter boxes.
sadly last night the woman takes Mummy back to the neighbouring block where they found her. Mummy starts marking her territory on the columns and after sniffing around a little, disappears. the woman sticks around to see if Mummy would come back or call out. sometime through the night between Daniel and Hosea, an old man comes around to feed the community cats. there are more than 10 and the woman sees only 2 tipped ears. she spots a male white bushy tail and marks it for sterilisation. she sits with it till dawn before taking him back home in time for today's appointment. still no sign of Mummy.
so now instead of using the wood pellets as they prescribe, we only line the bottom catchment area with them as we still find that wood pellets offer the best absorption and odour control. and this works just as well with the cheaper Pinnacle brand wood pellets.
on the top layer, we use the sand-free Breeders Choice recycled paper pellets instead. instantly, this cuts our cost to at least a third because the woman doesn't need to change the litter as often. best part, no more sand. voila!
