Suki is now on Rainbow Bridge with all my departed pets

Dear Friends,

I apologise for delaying this posting.  I know there are many of you out there who are praying for Suki's safe return since last night's posting.  But I had to inform my daughter of the news first before publishing this in the blog. 

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Sunday, 6.45am

After hours of search last night, I finally discovered, from two neighbours, that Suki had probably been hit by a car yesterday evening, shortly before the rain when I was out with my son. 

I had already feared the worst when I began looking for her because Indy and Cow kept sniffing on one spot on the road, about 1 1/2 houses away from mine.  Then, Cow went across the road and sniffed on the grass.  I already had a very uneasy feeling then. 

But I wanted to keep my hopes high even though I had sensed the worst.  Suki had never gone far.  She had always been either inside the house or on top of my son's car in the porch.  I've been locking her inside the house (closing all the windows) for 5 months to train her to stay indoors.      

Then, at midnight, Ainey came by and helped me locate Suki, based on where Cow had sniffed.  We found Suki. 

All of us are completely devastated by this sudden loss.  Suki was very precious to us, and so well-loved by everyone who knew her.

I can only console myself that being born an animal is not "fortunate" because an animal endures much suffering (even though we try to give them a comfortable life and all the love we can), and Suki's lifetime as an animal was destined to be a short one.  She came back as a cat to pay her karmic dues, and it's all been paid now.  She is off to a better existence where there is less suffering.  The same reasoning applies to us humans too.  We are also not very fortunate because we do experience suffering in various degrees.  After we pay our karmic dues, we will also go on to a better existence.  Life spirals upwards until we finally attain a state of everlasting peace and happiness.  

Suki had a short life, but it was filled with so much love, joy and laughter.  And she definitely brought us so much happiness too.  People (and this includes all our furry friends) come into our lives for a reason, and we only have but moments with them.  We have to make these moments happy ones because we will never know how long our lives would last.  We cannot fight destiny.  The universe decides.

The realisation of the impermanence of every life is precisely what makes it precious.  And that is why we have to take care of moments. 

I console myself now that Suki is in a better existence and she is free from pain and suffering. 

Thank you, Ainey, Mandy and Yen Ling, for keeping vigil with me all night.  Thank you, Ainey, for coming all the way to help me in my hour of need.   

I went through shock and denial last night because it happened so unexpectedly, and can only cry my heart out now, as I write this.  Crying heals.  Writing heals.  Knowing that there are caring friends heals.     

I need some time to mourn this loss and to come to terms with it.

I will miss Suki with all my heart, but I know she is now on Rainbow Bridge with Vixey, Mac, Kimba, Pans, Puffin and Remirth.  And, I will be reunited with them again soon. 

In loving memory of our beloved Suki

Suki, a few months ago, when she was little and Indy was looking after her.  

    
I have to give a talk this morning, and life has to go on. If any of you can help out with visiting Wendy and bringing her food for the next few days, please let me know. I need to keep an eye on Indy - I can see he is quite devastated too.  He has been going out to that spot on the road.  He takes it quite badly whenever there is death in the family.

My husband is equally devastated as well.  He said I should not adopt anymore kittens because an urban housing estate is just not safe for cats and kittens.  We have noticed a few fast drivers on our road too.  I too decided I should not take in anymore kittens when Kimba passed away but I accepted Suki because her rescuer was really desperate at that time and no one could foster her.  A cat's life is not meant to be lived out in a cage, he/she needs to roam - that is the nature of cats.  They decide on their territory and they would only roam within these boundaries, but they decide, not us.  Yet, urban housing estates are just not safe enough for our furry friends.  And even if we live in the countryside, there would be other dangers and risks.  This is reality, the nature of our life - there is suffering, and life is not perfect.  We can only do the best we can. 

Suki is missing

Dear all,

Suki is missing.  The last I saw her was at 5pm before my son and I went out.  After we came back, there was very heavy rain.  I went out in the rain to look for her but could not find her anywhere.

It is now 9.26pm and she is still missing.  My son and I, and all our cats, have checked the entire road, down the drains as well.  She was no where to be seen.

I have gone out into the back alley with a torchlight as well, and I cannot find her. 

All my cats are back home now, and I think they sense that something is not right.

There has been no territorial problem between all my adult cats and Suki.  They all love her and have accepted her as a member of the family.  In fact, the territorial problem is with Wii where Cow and Bunny are trying to chase him out.  But Wii is fine, and he lives in the back alley and my backyard. 

Suki's favourite places are the rocking chair and on top of my son's car in the porch.  She has never gone anywhere far at all. 

I hope Suki is safe and will return home soon.

Please spare a kind thought for Suki, and wish her a safe return. 

I am going out to look for her again now.

This is where Suki would be every single night, on my lap, as I write my blog.  It isn't like her to disappear.  She has never gone anywhere far.   

Sean, ready for adoption

I've always said we only have moments, and we can only take care of moments. 

If you remember, my mum agreed to foster Sean while he was recovering from distemper.  She said she would consider adopting him provided he behaved himself in the house.  At that time, we did not know Sean was still a puppy and was still growing.   

Well, this morning, I received a phonecall from my father while I was at work.  He said Sean has twice destroyed the headlights on his car, and asks if I can find an adopter for Sean.

Sean is a puppy, and puppies normally do such things.  But granted, two dogs is a bit too much to handle for my 76 year-old parents, especially when Sean is only a puppy and according to my mum, he has grown to twice his size when he first went to them, and is incredibly strong now.  Also, a bit too boisterous for my father. 

So, I'm putting Sean up for adoption now.  Or, fostering. 

Sean is a distemper survivor.  He recovered very quickly from the disease (cough and diarrhoea), and was up and about in no time.  His fast recovery probably indicates that he has a very strong immune system.  It has been 1 1/2 months since he was first diagnosed and treated for the disease.  In another 2 weeks, he should not be shedding the virus anymore. 

Sean has not been vaccinated or neutered because he was undergoing treatment for distemper. 

If you would like to adopt or foster Sean, please contact me.  Please note that Sean is still a puppy and is still very playful and curious.   

Sean and my mum (he is a little bigger than this now). 

How to drink water - Suki learns from Indy

Indy was brought up by Vixey, and Vixey trained all her wards to drink ONLY fresh water from the tap. 

Hence, we have a big problem with Indy because he would only drink water fresh from the kitchen tap.  He won't even drink water that has been filled directly from the tap into a bowl. 

Our little friend, Suki, thought it was really cool to drink straight from the tap, so....

Observe...

Ok, do your stuff...I'm watching.

Like this? 

No, no, you're not doing it right!

Like this?

Can I use my paw?

Hah...almost got it!

Easy as pie!

Sean and Tara - updates

I bought a new cage for Tara and brought it to my mum's house yesterday.

When my car reached the gate, Sean and Tara came excitedly to greet me, with waggy tails. 

For those of you who have seen Tara when she was down with distemper (and almost dying), you'd be so happy to see Tara now.  She is active and happy. 

Here's the two of them having a snack.  Mum says Tara loves her cage (the photo shows her old cage, I've bought her a bigger one now), and often goes inside to sleep.  There is also no problem in getting her to go into the cage should my parents need to drive the car out.  Sean?  Sean is a bit of a problem!

Look at Sean in the photo above.  He has grown much bigger now and his coat shines.  He used to be about Tara's size.  Now, Tara looks so small in comparison. 

Mum cooks them a hot meal every morning - chicken, vegetables and rice.  At other times, it's kibbles. 

Mum says it's such a joy watching Tara eat now.  Her appetite is so good.  She polishes every single bit of her food, and even asks for more.

Mum also gives them both Crystal Enzyme which aids in recovery. 

Sean and Tara get along fine.  Actually, it's Tara who is the fierce one.     

Both are good watchdogs as well.  They bark when visitors come.  But at other times, they are quiet. 

Sean and Tara are both Klang Dog Pound survivors, rescued on 15th Dec, brought to LLLP, Bentong and brought back for treatment.  Both had distemper as well.  Sean recovered very well, but Tara took a longer time to recover and had to be boarded, put on drips and injectible antibiotics.  Sean spent the first two weeks in isolation, boarding at bathrooms in two different clinics.

We hope there would be no relapse in the months to come.

Whatever it is, I've always said it's moments that count.  

Sean and Tara are very happy now - that's all that matters.  

Updates on Sean and Tara

My mum sent me this photo this morning, by mms:

It's Tara and Sean (in the bigger cage).

Mum says Tara's appetite is now very good, and she even barks at strangers!

Sean, of course, is as usual.  Playful as ever.  Happy as ever!

They get to roam free separately in the driveway because Sean is not neutered and Tara is not spayed.  These surgeries would have to wait since both have just recovered from distemper.  After a month, we will get them tested again for distemper.  If they are free from the virus, they can be vaccinated first.  After that, spay-neuter. 

One step at a time...

Visiting Sean with gifts

After work today, I went to buy a new cage for Sean.  He's so playful, the foldable one is all distorted now. 

Hi Sean!  He was all excited to see me and greeted me happily at the gate. 

Sean is oh-so-friendly, I dont think he would ever bark at anyone!

Mum came downstairs and said Sean has been on a tearing spree all day.  He even tore up the rolled-up newspapers, supposedly his "training tool".

Well, puppies will be puppies!

I opened up his new toys for him - the two balls and the stringie thingie.  He wasn't interested.  Ahh...just like children.  They throw the toy aside and play with the box or the rubber bands! 

Mum asked Sean to catch the ball...

You mean this green thingie?  Er...not interested.  I prefer plastic mugs that I can tear to pieces (the forbidden fruit is always sweeter, don't you know?)

Mum showing me that Sean could shake hands.

Sean's totally devoted to mum.

I bought a packet of Royal Canin for Sean as a treat.  After all, he needs good nutrition now.  He loved it so much when I fed him by hand.

He wasn't interested in his old kibbles after that, but lapped some up as well, later.

Sean saying "thank you" in his typical sitting style.

He's a very courteous dog and greeted dad as he came down.  He sure knows his manners very well.

We went upstairs to chat, and while we were at it, we heard the bell on Sean's collar ringing and the plastic mug being flung around.  Well, we heard all sorts of little noises that sounded like he was having LOADS of fund.

When I finally came down to go home...

SEAN!!

(Heh, Suki the 2nd?)

Puppies will be puppies.

Be happy, Sean, but don't be too mischievous too. 

We can't be cleaning up after you all day, ok? 

Toys for Sean, the puppy

Mum called today saying that Sean is very playful.  Now, that's a good sign.  He has been taking mum's plastic mugs and throwing them into the air, and then chasing after them. 

One thing though, Sean is very intelligent.  He understands commands and knows what is expected of him. 

Mum says he's completely adorable.  And we both suspect he must be still a puppy since he's very playful. 

I thought I'd be having a relatively "easy" and relaxing day today, so after work, I went to buy some toys for Sean, and also new food.  I was going to deliver everything to my mum's after my visits to all our boarded dogs.

But Wendy's case came up, so here I am at home, waiting to take Wendy to Puchong when Ainey gets off work.  Luckily Ainey is able to help me out afterwards so that I don't have to look for the clinic by myself, in my present coughing state.  We'll get to Puchong together - Ainey, Wendy and me.  Ainey too had just recovered from fever.  Something is definitely in the air. 

Anyway, here are Sean's toys and treats:

Two balls, one stringy thingie and treats.

Quality control (more like KPC) inspection.

Bobby totally uninterested. 

Yawn...been there, done that...

Caught red-handed

http://www.myanimalcare.org/2010/01/what-suki-did.html

Who?  Me??

Sean is discharged, and....

After coming back from HUKM, I phoned Dr Edmund, and was told that Tara is responding to the treatment while Sean, our 007, can already be discharged. 

Now, where can I put Sean for fostering so that he has at least another 2 weeks of proper care?

Since Tara still has to be at the clinic for at least another week, I called my mum and asked if she could foster Sean during this period.  Mum said she definitely wants Tara to come home, but doesn't mind fostering Sean until then. 

So, off I went to Puchong.  This time, I thought I'd try the road Ainey taught me. 

Horrors of horrors, I got absolutely and totally lost in Puchong and thought I would never be able to find my way to Dr Edmund's when I took a sudden turning and voila...would you believe it?  I recognised the Haier building and there was the clinic, right there.  I don't know where I was, but the important thing is that I actually found the clinic, approaching from a totally different direction.  And it was 15 minutes to closing time....

Divine guidance? 

Must be.

After checking everything with Dr Edmund, collecting Sean's oral medications, buying him a pack of kibbles, and a quick hello to Tara, Sean was all set to go to mum's house.

Tara, still with the e-collar and still on drips.

Get well soon, Tara.  I'll be taking you home next.

The clinic assistants and Dr Edmund's father helped me recline the back seat of the MyVi (my daughter's car) and the cage fitted right in.  Perfect, we're all set to go now.

The ride from Puchong to Bukit Rimau was quite long, especially with the traffic jam.  Barely ten minutes into the ride, Sean decided to poo in the cage!  Oh well, never mind, I'm quite used to that already.  Otherwise, the journey was alright, with Sean and me listening to Natalie Cole belting out oldies.  I drove very slowly as I did not want Sean to get car-sick.  In certain stretches, the road was extremely bumpy.

We reached Bukit Rimau and Sean was initially reluctant to come out of the cage.  None of us (me, mum and dad) were strong enough to carry the cage out of the car, so I had to carry Sean out first. 

We put Sean on a leash with dad while mum and I cleaned the cage.  We then let Sean have a free run of the driveway and he felt perfectly at home.  "I've lived here all my life", he seemed to say.   

 

Something was wrong with the cage, so dad had to get his toolbox out to fix it.  While this was going on, Sean busied himself around us, trying his best to "help".

We spent some time with Sean on the driveway, letting him get used to the place.  Here's Sean with dad.  Both mum and dad took an instant liking to Sean and mum said if I cannot find any adopter for Sean, and provided he did not fight with Tara, maybe Sean could stay on. 

Hooray!   

Can I stay, please, please, please?

While we weren't looking, Sean even went upstairs!  But the moment I noticed he was on the landing, he scuttled down, as though he knew he wasn't supposed to go up.

Mum said poor Sean had been boarding in clinics (three, actually) for three weeks now, so we should let him run free for now, around the porch and driveway. 

Then my husband and son, Jia-Wen, arrived and Sean said hello.

Of course when we all went upstairs, guess who went up too?

I'll make myself comfortable, thanks. 

This is where you guys eat, is it?

And that's the bedroom, I presume?

Er...I can't go in?  Why not?

"Sit, Sean..." mum said, and Sean sat.

Jia-Wen, my husband and mum went out to buy dinner back and Sean went downstairs with them.  He was put back into the cage while they drove out.  Sean made a really pitiful whining sound as the car drove off. 

We had our dinner and there was no noise from downstairs. 

Then, mum gave Sean some rice mixed with soup, and he polished everything up.  Before that, he also polished off the kibbles.  It is pure joy feeding Sean. 

As we came down the stairs, Sean was waiting at the door...

Aww...

So, Sean will be staying with mum and dad for the time being until Tara returns. 

Then, if Sean behaves and doesn't fight with Tara, mum says he can stay.

Let's hope Sean behaves!

You be good now, Sean. 

Note:  Sean and Tara both have distemper.  While Sean seems to be very perky now, and he was, even throughout the last 3 weeks while he was supposedly "down" with distemper, we can only hope and pray that this indicates that he has a strong immune system.  I am well aware that a relapse of distemper can occur within the next few months.  But what matters is not "what will happen then?" but what is happening NOW.  Sean is happy now, and each day that he is alive and well, and cheerful is a great blessing for us.  After all, life is not permanent, we only have moments.  If each moment can be filled with joy and wellbeing, we ought to be very grateful.  And when death comes (and it will), we carry these joyful memories with us, on to our next existence.  
  

What Suki did

Photographic evidence...no words required.

Disturbing Bunny

Inching closer while Bobby sleeps on, oblivious to the unfolding events.

Playing alone, hiding her body under the mat (her latest craze).

WHO did this??!!

SUKI!!

Are you sure it's me? 

How do you know it's me?

Did you actually see me doing it?