Searching for Willy

The morning began with feeding Bunny & Friends.

Then, onwards to the patio....

Everyone, including Mr Zurik and Heidi were waiting for me. The moment I opened the patio door, Heidi walked straight in and marched into the kitchen for her "porridge meal". The matriarch is a diva.



Mr Zurik is very smart; now he jumps onto the top (roof) of the cage and demands to be fed there (so that I won't get to feed him in the cage and he gets caged as a result of it). If Willy is not around anymore, there is really no need to cage Mr Zurik anymore because the whole purpose was to prevent him from going out to scare and bully Willy.

Then, with hope and bated breath, I took the keys and opened the gate...

....armed with Willy's ID kibbles.

I've been thinking positively, visualising Willy waiting for me at the embankment, as he has been doing for the past 7-8 months.

But no, Willy wasn't there.

The whole playground was totally clear.

This is where Willy would be if he was too scared of Mr Zurik.

Or he would sit on these steps.

No, Willy is not here.

I walked down the road towards Willy's "house".

I only saw this cat.

I checked the drains as I walked, even the dustbins in the playground. I called out his name. I checked the trees as well. There was no sign of Willy anywhere.

I went down to speak with the chief security guard who was making his rounds on his motorbike. This time, I got to ask a bit more. I asked if "Willy's owner" had come back on Saturday as I know sometimes they make a trip back. The chief guard said he did not think so, but then he told me "Willy's owner" does NOT have any cats at all. Cats just wander into his house. He is such a busy man, he has no time to rear cats, the guard said, and he works out of the state. He doesn't live here though he has workers looking after the house and as far a the guard knows, these workers are not feeding any cats. However, the next door neighbour to this "Willy's owner's house" do keep cats and he noticed they have an orange cat.

So I plucked up courage and went to ring the doorbell of this other house. An elderly lady came to the door and she merely shook her head when I asked if they have seen an orange cat. She didn't seem keen on answering anymore questions, so I thanked her and left. Can't blame her. It pays to be extra careful these days with such high incidence of robbery.

I checked the playground again. There was only this white cat at the pavilion.

I met one of the walkers who has seen me feeding Willy whenever she passes every day. I asked if she had seen Willy and she too remarked that Willy had been missing for "a few days". Then she proceeded to say this is why she doesn't feel like looking after animals; when they go missing, you'd be so heartsick, she said. I smiled and walked away. I didn't want to hear anymore of what she was going to say because I know where the conversation would go.

This is, unfortunately, a common reaction (even from rescuers who claim to be kind to animals) whenever these kind of things happen: Lose one animal, and they cry foul, and say they will stop their rescue work or worse, regret that they had even rescued that animal in the first place.

I have lost animals too, on the road, gone missing, but I do not, for a moment, regret looking after them or having rescued them, even if it is only for a few days.

The pessimist sees that one negative experience, blows it up and forgets all the positive experiences. Why does one want to live life like this and make oneself miserable?

Even IF the animal dies, death is only a moment, what about the many, many hours, days or weeks of happiness and caring we have given to the animal? Doesn't that count? Why let that one negative moment destroy and negate all the happiness we have shared with our rescues?

Put yourself in the place of the rescued animal, I'm sure the animal doesn't regret having been rescued. See? This is where empathy helps. Let's not just think of our own sadness and misery, think of how much good we have done for the animal. I'm sure the animal had been happy. So hasn't it been worthwhile saving the animal then?

Life is about moments. That's all we've got. Make the best of each and come what may, you will have no regrets. We cannot foresee the future and nothing is permanent. Life is uncertain and many things are beyond our control.

Go all out and save the animal, by all means please do, but don't turn around and start regretting when things don't work out exactly the way we want it to. Hey, we're not Superman, there are many, many things beyond our control.

So, I walked away from the pessimist as she continued to mumble to her friend, and continued my search for Willy.

I couldn't find him anywhere.

As I walked back to our house...

...Vincent was waiting for me at the gate, doing a Happy Days pose.

Heidi too.

By now, Mr Zurik had already gone home, after a second round of food which I gave him at Willy's post, using Willy's bowl.

Maybe it's time to bring Willy's bowls back into the house now. I can always bring them back out when and if I see him again.

Ginger is also waiting for me at the door.

Rosie.

Mr G.

He doesn't go home anymore these days.

Timmy...cleaning up the bowls.

Sweet Daffodil.

Willy's Happy Bum Gel will be a sweet memory and it will benefit other cats now.

The new Vetri DMG I just bought for Willy on Saturday, the very day he was last fed by us. It's still not opened.

What's left of his ID kibbles.

I was going to feed him ID for sometime since I noticed his anus was stained. The vet said that would be a good idea. In fact, today is Willy's scheduled first vaccination, actually. It's exactly 2 weeks after his neutering and his V-notch had healed beautifully.

Cow and Indy are waiting for me at the grille.

In fact, as always (he has never even once failed me), Cow came to comfort me yesterday. He rubbed his chin all over my thigh and told me he knows I was feeling sad. Cow is always the first to know. He is a very sensitive cat.

Tiger too.

Cleo and Pole. They are more aloof.

Bunny Bun Buns.

And Tabs, of course.

So yesterday, I was reflecting on how glad I was that I had never even once neglected Willy throughout his entire "stay" with us. When Mr Zurik bullied him, I stayed with him while he ate, for every meal. When he was sick, I took him to the vet and nursed him back to health. So, I have no regrets at all. I have spent the moments I had with him wisely and as compassionately as I possibly could. What more can I ask for. Life is uncertain and nothing is permanent.

I didn't even realise I had been looking after Willy for 7-8 months now until I searched for his photos in the blog. That's quite a long time.

Whatever we have to do, let's do it now. Never ever say, "I'll do it later", because "later" might never come.

"Cherishing whatever time you have with your loved ones" is not a cliche. It's something that we must put into practice every day, every moment, because moments are all we have.

Make them count.

Be safe, Willy. Good health and happiness to you, always.

Still no sign of Willy anywhere

Ref: http://myanimalcare.org/2013/08/04/willy-where-are-you/

I continued looking for Willy but could not find him anywhere.

Then, as I was thinking back, it dawned on me that maybe, just maybe, his owner had taken him back again.

How is that so?

I don't know if you remember, but I first spotted Willy and Vincent together. Both had come into the patio, but Vincent managed to stay while Willy ran away. That was the day a neighbour moved out. I guessed they left Vincent and Willy behind, so both of them came to our patio to look for food.

Then, while Vincent stayed, Willy tried coming back many times. But, because he was so scared, he never had the courage to stand his ground and stay.

Remember this: http://myanimalcare.org/2013/01/23/willy-of-orange-abandoned-cat/ (23rd January 2013).

That's why I named him after a conqueror (Willy of Orange) so that he will be braver.

Then, I spotted Willy mooching around in the playground and hanging around outside that house for a few weeks: http://myanimalcare.org/2013/03/26/willy-may-have-a-home-after-all/, and then, suddenly he totally disappeared.

Completely GONE.

He was gone a for a few weeks, and suddenly, one day, I saw his owners coming back to the house, and Willy appeared again. Ever since then, he had never failed to come to his breakfast spot twice a day to wait for his meals.

I guess his owners could have taken him away, and brought him back again.

According to my part-time cleaner, there are still many cats in cages in that house and someone feeds them. I don't know how far that is true, though.

So, assuming that is true, I conjecture the following:

1. Maybe the owners took him yesterday and decided to keep him somewhere else (in their other house).

2. Maybe the owners took him and caged him together with the rest of the cats in that house down my road.

3. Maybe someone adopted him yesterday.

I doubt any accident happened because if it did, the security guard would have known about it. I drove around the playground this morning and did not any signs of any accident.

By the way, Mr Zurik came just now. I asked him about Willy, but....you know, I didn't understand what Mr Zurik said. He actually didn't say anything,...he just looked at me.

If only Vincent could talk....surely he would know what had happened.

Willy, wherever you are, please be safe and be happy.

Willy, where are you?

Willy did not come for breakfast today.

Everyone was here, except Willy and Mr Zurik.

I waited at his breakfast spot and looked in the playground but he was nowhere to be seen.

Yesterday evening, when my husband came back at 3.30pm, he said Willy was waiting at his spot outside our house, so he fed Willy some kibbles. That was the last we saw of him.

The council grass-cutters have been here for the last few days to cut the grass, so I can only guess that he may have been frightened by them, but that's not likely as they were not here at all this morning. It's also not at all easy to catch Willy as he is so elusive and distrustful of humans. Even I have difficulty in catching him.

Before leaving for my talk, I drove around the whole neighbourhood and there was no Willy in sight. I asked the security guards, especially the chief guard who sees me feeding this "orange cat" twice a day, he says he has not seen Willy too.

As I was driving back, I kept wishing I'd see Willy waiting for me at his spot infront of our house when I drove back, but no, he was not there.

Now I'm back and I've just scoured the whole playground.



There was not a single cat at the playground, but that's because it's very hot now. So, usually the cats only come in the early mornings, and they would go off after that. I asked the chief security guard again (he patrols every road, even the alleys, on his motorbike), he says he has not seen the orange cat at all.

I can only hope Willy will turn up this evening for dinner, or hope that someone has taken him in as a pet. That's all I can do, really.

If it's any consolation, sometimes Mr Zurik doesn't come for a day too, but he will eventually turn up. Or maybe, like me, someone thought Willy was weak, and has caught him to give him shelter or wants to take him to the vet?

Willy, where are you?

Please join me in wishing Willy to be safe....

 Willy, please come.

Oh no, Tabs!! What did you do?!!

Ever since Connie painstakingly grew these four pots of catnip for me, I've been taking really, really good care of them, waiting for the day when I can harvest them and let the cats enjoy them. I even make sure I don't over-water, knowing that the roots cannot take too much water.

This afternoon, we were watching TV and Tabs asked to come out. We let her out and she had a free roam of the whole house.

It was only in the evening that we went into the kitchen and found that Tabs had dug up several of the catnip plants!!!

Oh no!!! I quickly salvaged as much of the remaining plants as I could.

No photos here....sobs...(I managed to salvage some of them).

Now what to do with the ones Tabs had dug out?

Let the cats have it, of course.

Remember Indy is the one who is crazy about catnip pillows?

He went completely "high" on them.

Cleo started chewing on them too.

You want some, Cow?

 Cow wasn't interested at all!

I hope to replant the young shoots soon. Would have to keep them away from the clutches of Tabs this time!!

The simple joys of the Patio Family

I seldom get the privilege of spending an entire day at home, so to have a whole day home without having to go to work or going out to give public talks is a luxury.

It is a luxury because I get to see what the cats do!

Mother and son playing on the box.

Timmy enjoying a snooze.

Heidi at her favourite window sill spot.

Mother gives up box for son.

The inside cats envying Ginger on his box.

Well, they get boxes too, but they pee on them!

 A favourite night spot for the family of three.

Life is oh-so comfortable...with patchwork blankets!

Ever since I placed the folded patchwork blanket on my desk for the purpose of photograph-taking, I never quite had a chance to remove it because at any one time, a cat would be on it!



Meanwhile, the total number of orders for the patchwork blankets is now six. My mum is really excited about it as she can put her creativity to work again!

Peace to all.

Goodnight!

Willy's ear-notch is healing

The ear-notch is nice and dry now.

I think Willy's rate of healing is just slower than the average cat. I'm still giving him Vetri DMG.

 Letting him get used to eating with Heidi.

Heidi ate kibbles again today. Sometimes she forgets...shh.

But the moment Heidi growled, Willy fled!

Bunny's mischievous water-bowl game

For two days in a row now, I've caught Bunny red-handed toppling the water-bowl.

Not just any water-bowl, mind you.

It's the stainless steel water-bowl which comes in a holder, hooked onto the side of Pole's condo.

I didn't manage to take photos of how he unhooked the water-bowl as I'm still not very good with my phone camera, so I missed all those shots.

But here are some after he had unhooked the water-bowl.

The aim of the game is to unhook it, that's it.

As I fidgeted with my phone camera, Bunny unhooked the water-bowl and placed it on the ground!

 I think his next aim would be to take the water-bowl out of the holder!!

Heidi and Mr Zurik's spots

 

This is Heidi's favourite spot nowadays. It's so comfortable, it's almost like a hammock of sorts for her.

And this is Mr Zurik's spot???

Is this for real?

Mr Zurik is in the cage with the door wide open?

Yes, it's for real.

He seems to know the cage is his canteen and he is quite comfortable sitting there after eating. Isn't that cute?

He comes out now...

Oh oh...

He came to "cari pasal" this afternoon.

I think maybe it was because the council grass-cutters were here, so he decided to seek shelter in our porch.

Heidi, Vincent and Mr Zurik, the 3 tabby-cabaleros!

Mr Zurik is back again!

This morning, I was actually very worried as Mr Zurik had not come for breakfast at all. That was most unlike him. I was worried that maybe, just maybe, he was having a fever as a result of the vaccination. The vet had assured me that the likelihood of that happening was very slim. In fact, the vet was more worried about Mr Zurik getting caught in the rain and the Advocate spot-on would have been washed away and hence, wasted. Rain? No rain these days. The weather is so, so hot.

But as I was driving out to work this afternoon, Mr Zurik was just about coming into the porch. In fact, he was already in, but the moment he saw me, he ran out.

"You!! You villain, you!", he said.

But he stayed at Willy's spot and watched me drive off.

After I came home, he was nowhere to be seen.

Rosie helped me mark my papers...

Heidi came to the patio, asking for food.

She eats so very often, in small amounts.

And finally, when everyone started asking for food...

I heard the familiar whining!

This time, I was actually glad to hear it!

Mr Zurik! Come, come, come...Let's eat!

I will make it a practice of letting Mr Zurik eat in the cage every day. At least if I need to, I can still confine him.

Heidi asked for her porridge.

 The inside brood isn't too happy that I'm outside the room!

By the way, there might not be many photos until after Hari Raya as my camera had to konk out today (sigh, sent for repairs), so I'll only be using my phone to take pictures and the phone is not too efficient (or, I'm not skilled enough to use the phone!).