Thank you for your prayers

I would like to thank all of you who have written to me personally to offer comfort ever since Joanie left home. I guess being a feral cat, it was bound to happen sooner or later. I was unprepared for it to have happened so soon.

It is ironical that I noticed a change of behaviour in Joanie ever since the last visit to the hospital. The surgeon who examined her said two things: (1) that it may not be advisable to put Suki with Joanie because Suki came from the street and may carry diseases. (2) if ever Joanie starts producing milk, I must separate them because Joanie's milk would be laden with antibiotics.

Immediately after that trip, Joanie started distancing from Suki, and that is why Suki began to room in with Vixey, squeezing herself into Vixey's basket and sharing Vixey's router.

Strange how these coincidences happen, isn't it? I shall postulate no more lest I be termed a fool. One of my vets used to say I make a big mistake "humanising" animals (assuming that they think and feel like we humans). He says they don't.

We'll never really know, would we?

Here are some photos of what has been happening around the house since last night.

The first photo shows my daughter, Ming-Yi, who had just come back from university on Friday, playing all night with Suki.

The second photo shows the two soft toys we put as companions to Suki in the big cage last night. That's Lion and PoundPuppy, both washable toys. Lion has faithfully accompanied Tiger and Little Chief when they were small.

The third and fourth photos show little Suki going up to the router again, for warmth. I know the router has electromagnetic radiation and is not safe. I'll take her away and put her back in the cage.

The fifth photo is a rare one, because it shows Polar (or Pole, for short). Polar is from my first rescued litter (with brothers Cow & Bunny, more than three years ago). After living with me for about a year, and after delivering her first litter (was just a little late in getting her spayed), Pole decided she would be happier living outdoors, so she migrated out. She comes back daily for food, sometimes a few times. But there have been times where she disappeared for days on end.

Pole has also made friends with a Rottweiler in one of the neighbour's house, and can be seen eating his food in his compound.

Perhaps Joanie wants to live like Pole too. Females are hunters. It's their natural instinct. Even her daughter, Cleo, prefers to be out of the house.

Pole, incidentally, accompanies me whenever I go searching for Joanie. The moment she hears my voice (calling for Joanie), Pole would come out from under a car or from the bushes, or from someone's house compound, and follows me.

Wherever you are, Joanie, be safe and happy. I miss you terribly, of course. I've been coming downstairs every morning and the first thing I do is to check on you, feed you, and give you your medication, and to rejoice that you are getting better every day.

I will miss all our trips to the hospital where you will be in the carrier while we both listen to Josh Groban belting away his Italian songs.

I am glad you feel well enough to be on your own now.

Be safe, Joanie. And be happy.