Wednesday, July 31, 2013

"Run Free 'Lil Ones" Day

My son declared that at least once a week, Bunny & Friends should be allowed to "run free", in order words, to be allowed out of the room.

Normally, it's on a Tuesday, but since everyone was home today, we decided to make it today as well.

Here are some pictures from today's "Run Free 'Lil Ones" campaign...

Only Bunny and Indy were interested (they lined up at the grille)

Pole looked....but we figured she would definitely out-smart and out-run all of us, so....better not.

mini-CIMG8372 mini-CIMG8373

Of course Bunny simply had to sniff around everywhere...


mini-CIMG8374

Timmy stood, or rather, SAT, his ground.


mini-CIMG8375

Oh no! Bunny has sprayed!!


mini-CIMG8376

Indy did a round inside the house before coming out.


mini-CIMG8377 mini-CIMG8378 mini-CIMG8379

Timmy decided it may be safer to get out, with two titans in the patio!


mini-CIMG8380

Which cat has been here???


mini-CIMG8381

Washing off the urine sprays before it starts to smell.


mini-CIMG8382

It's an unfamiliar smell...which cat has been inside here? I don't remember signing his approval letter!


mini-CIMG8383 mini-CIMG8384 mini-CIMG8385 mini-CIMG8386 mini-CIMG8387

Checking out Mr G's scent, I think.


It's Mr G who destroys the pandan.


mini-CIMG8388

Bunny goes out to the porch.


mini-CIMG8389

He didn't see Rosie!!!


mini-CIMG8390

Bunny went straight for poor Timmy, who by now, had run out of the patio, after he saw he was outnumbered.


mini-CIMG8391

Huh?


mini-CIMG8392 mini-CIMG8393

Divas are not worried. Who would DARE bully a diva?


mini-CIMG8394 mini-CIMG8395

You there...you with the orange patches, you want to play or you want to fight?


mini-CIMG8396

Timmy thought he'd better run!


mini-CIMG8397 mini-CIMG8398

Oh? The cat with the orange patches has run off?


Who is bigger? Me or him?


mini-CIMG8399

Ain't movin', man. 


mini-CIMG8400

Soon, Bunny was seen chasing poor Timmy across the garden.


mini-CIMG8401

Meanwhile, Indy was still not done with his investigation at the patio.


A Russian has been here, I just know it. 


mini-CIMG8402 mini-CIMG8403

Timmy evaded Bunny and came back into the patio.


mini-CIMG8404 mini-CIMG8405 mini-CIMG8406 mini-CIMG8407Okay, adventure over. Time to go back!


 

How Heidi spends her afternoons

Heidi, as you know, is still adjusting to her new life here. We know you simply cannot tell a cat what to do or what not to do, so we have been giving her time to adjust and find her spots.

We know she goes back to the playground to play and have fun every morning after breakfast.

What does she do after that?

It's almost 3pm now, and she's been here since 11am...

mini-20130731_135120 mini-20130731_135109 mini-20130731_135114

Don't you think she is smart? Nobody can attack her from the back OR front!


It's a very secure spot.


mini-20130731_135133

Rosie's nap spot.


mini-20130731_135136

Vincent's other sentry post.


mini-20130731_143301

Can you see Heidi?


No?


Wait...let me lift up the curtain and steal a snapshot....


Ready, steady, go!!


mini-20130731_143314

Arggh! I woke her up!


Sorry, Heidi!


mini-CIMG8408

 Tabs' favourite nap spot!


Does Indy ever sleep?


Apparently, almost never.


You get up at 3am in the middle of the night, and he's on the alert at the grille, looking out for enemies.

Heidi's morning at the playground

Heidi seems to be adjusting well to her new life of being a playground cat.

When she first came (on her own, marched into our house), it was quite clear that she had been newly abandoned and was seeking her old comforts of being a home-pet. She demanded to stay in the kitchen, sleep on the sofa and she wanted to be queen.

We gave in to some of her demands (the reasonable ones) but not all, as we had to think of the Patio Family's wellbeing as well as Indy's "terms and conditions". After all, Indy is the new Big Boss.

You cannot simply march in and take over control.

Heidi is learning this face and I must say, adjusting quite well.

She joins the Patio Family for breakfast now, but she wants to eat "higher" than everyone else. That's fine, she gets to eat on the roof of the cage. Yes, her "porridge" meal. As long as the rest also gets to eat, Heidi can stay (unlike Mr Zurik who creates havoc everywhere he goes - he has to eat in the cage).

After breakfast, Heidi goes over to the playground for taiqi...

mini-CIMG8334

....while the rest chills out in the garden.


mini-CIMG8335

Heidi does taiqi with "the boss".


mini-CIMG8336

Willy observes the taiqi from the fringe of the basketball court.


mini-CIMG8337 mini-CIMG8338

I'll have to monitor Willy. He seems to be straining to defecate again.


Heidi is VERY happy at the playground. She dashes everywhere, playing her own game.


mini-CIMG8340

If she sees me, she gets a thrill running (yes, like a dog) towards me. It's all a game for her.


mini-CIMG8342 mini-CIMG8343 mini-CIMG8344

Ginger also comes over to join the fun.


mini-CIMG8345

But Willy chases him back to the house!!


Whoa...Willy is territorial too?


Yes, enough of bullying by the Russian...Willy learns some street-fighting techniques!


This is MY territory!!


mini-CIMG8346 mini-CIMG8347

Rosie plays it safe by watching from behind the gate.


She too "owns" one of the trees at the playground. It's her tree. But she comes over in the afternoons, not now. Smart girl.


mini-CIMG8348

Here comes Heidi!


mini-CIMG8349

Grandma climbs a tree, folks!


mini-CIMG8350

Presentation1

I missed this shot of Heidi climbing this tree, she's so fast!


mini-CIMG8353 mini-CIMG8354

After a few rounds of dashing around, she slows down.


mini-CIMG8355 mini-CIMG8356

She gets a well-deserved massage.


mini-CIMG8357 mini-CIMG8358

I can't help feeling how Bunny & Friends have been deprived of all their freedom after we moved here. They used to rule the street way back in the old neighbourhood. If only it were safe enough to let them out in this neighbourhood...wow, the whole playground would be theirs to enjoy!

Yes, and conquer...and no other cat would be allowed to step onto the playground then.

We were discussing if we could get the gardener to plant a tree in Bunny's Place. Maybe one that is only 5 ft tall, just for them to climb. But will Pole use it as an escape device? Indy, for his Spider-Cat drills?

mini-CIMG8361

I prefer the safety of the house.


mini-CIMG8362 mini-CIMG8363

We've lived outside long enough. We like the house.


The sad truth is, according to Mukda (who has been feeding Daffodil for more than 10 years), many of Daffodil's kittens have died on the street. So I suppose the house has its benefits. You win some, you lose some, that's life.


Rosie and Ginger are her only children left now. Daffodil had been giving birth four times a year for almost 10 years before I moved in and managed to get her spayed. Mukda said they wanted to get her spayed, but she would either be clutching her new litter or already pregnant. So they never got a chance to get her spayed. Anyway, that's in the past now.


Daffodil is happy and spayed now.


Here's my inside brood...


mini-CIMG8364 mini-CIMG8365 mini-CIMG8366 mini-CIMG8367 mini-CIMG8368

I can only hope they are reasonably happy and well...appreciate the safety of being confined.


As a friend always remarks whenever she visits, your cats are better off than some Hong Kong folks who live in an apartment much smaller than Bunny's Place! Well, yes, and Bunny folks have sunshine and green grass too, plus a room fitted with air-cont (for hot days).


mini-CIMG8370

I want out!!


mini-CIMG8371Meanwhile, Heidi comes back to the kitchen for another round of food. She cannot eat too much at one go. She must be all tired out after the dashing around at the playground. She finished all her porridge!