Cat Boarding Hell & Raya Roundup

This blogpost was supposed to be about something else (read: something totally mundane and uninspiring), but the emails and text messages flooding my Berry last night impelled me to add my two cents worth to the topic of the pet boarding facility which breached its contract with its clients and left its clients' cats unattended without food and water for an extended period.

I was in the midst of planning a break-in at an apartment unit in Jalan Kuching (with the approval and help of the police and the apartment management corporation, to make it legit) to rescue several abandoned cats when news reached me of the raid on the Petknode Cat Boarding Centre in Damansara Damai by the police, animal rescue volunteers and animal caregivers. I am glad that the police and our ever-reliable Bukit Lanjan State Assemblywoman have stepped in and that the animals have been removed from the terrible premises, but everything else is a merry chaos.

The SPCA Inspectorate was only informed this morning about the raid, break-in and removal of the suffering cats, so our work is as good as done. All the evidence has been tampered with. As anyone with a little bit of experience in investigative work and anyone who has attended our GAWS-SPCA Animal Welfare Legislation and CSI Workshop will tell you, even if you are armed only with a cell phone camera (who doesn’t have one nowadays?), you should take sufficient photos to help establish a causal link between the acts or omissions of the perpetrators and the harm suffered by the animals. The simplest procedure should be to:

(i) Take a photo of the exterior of the building showing the signboard and the address;

(ii) Take a photo prior to entering the room, so that an objective viewer will be able to see that the room being photographed is part of the interior of the building whose exterior had been photographed;

(iii) Take a photo of the room before anything is moved or touched.

(iv) AND ONLY THEN take pictures of the poor cats in various stages of illness, dehydration, starvation and distress. Take close-up photos of chains/leashes, cages, litter trays, empty food and water bowls, wounds and sores, closed windows, mail piling up by the door and anything that can help establish neglect, abuse and/or abandonment. Keep your photos in a memory card without editing anything, so that if you are called upon to give evidence, the photos you took will be acceptable as documentary evidence in a court of law.

I don’t know if the police or any of the distraught pet owners had the presence of mind to do this before they removed all those cages full of poor cats, but if they hadn’t, it could spell trouble for the prosecution team.

It shouldn’t be too difficult to establish cruelty to animals in this instance, but since the penalty for cruelty to animals under the current Act is such a derisory slap on the wrist, the best option would be to go for other offences under the Penal Code as well, including Section 418 (Cheating with knowledge that wrongful loss may be thereby caused to a person whose interest the offender is bound to protect – maximum penalty: 7 yrs in prison or fine or both) as well as Section 428 (Mischief by killing or maiming any animal of the value of five ringgit – maximum penalty: 2 yrs in prison or fine or both).

But above all, the important thing for us to remember is do something constructive with our outrage. Sign the Petition to stop animal abuse, if you haven’t already. Voice your thoughts on this issue in a letter to the Press. Ask your MP to vote for an increased penalty under the new Animal Welfare Act when it gets tabled in Parliament next year. Call your MP the day before the reading of the Bill in Parliament, introduce yourself as one if his/her constituents, and express your hope that he/she will vote for the Bill.

Malaysians, in general, tend to forget easily. We respond to incidents. We express anger and outrage when something bad happens, and then forget about it when the furore dies down. Let’s be the exception to the general rule. Let’s speak up. Animals and the natural environment have no suffrage. We do. Help them with your voice and your votes. National Day was merely a week ago. If we want to do something meaningful in commemoration of our country’s independence, then we should exercise our freedom of expression and free thought. Let’s make this country better for all its citizens – human, animal and plant.

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Raya Roundup and Project Second Chance Updates:

My big bandaged finger and I go visiting on the first day of Hari Raya. Pak Idrus and Makcik Asmah's home is always a joy to visit. Their hospitality, warmth and sincerity always make one feel very welcome. This photo is courtesy of Pak Idrus.

(Note: Further proof that the world is full of friends -- I met at least 4 other mutual friends at Pak Idrus' Raya Open House, and made at least 3 new friends.)

Chatting with my new friends Kevin and Choy, with whom I am currently executing a plan to bring in the stray cats of Ampang Jaya to the SPCA for spaying. I meet up with them tomorrow to set up the cage and carrier, and maybe we'll meet up again to discuss eco-tourism and volun-tourism ideas. This photo is also courtesy of Pak Idrus.

What a jovial lot we are! An especial thanks go out to Makcik Asmah for her thoughtfulness in making sure there are vegetarian dishes, and to Pak Idrus' daughter Lin for her delicious cakes! Heartiest thanks to our wonderful host, Pak Idrus, for bringing friends, old and new, together. What need is there for political slogans and self-conscious attempts at "unity" when there is genuine friendship, acceptance and openness?

(Photo credits: Pak Idrus)

Here is the injured 'community dog' that Kevin and Choy wanted me to see. Something injured him so badly that there is a wound going through his snout right through his upper jaw. You could see the exposed bones and the mouth through the wound. The poor dog was very scared and skittish and would not come to me. I begged the SPCA for a can of wound spray and brought it back to Choy. Choy reports that the dog dislikes the spray but does not try to run away, probably because he knows Choy is trying to help him get better. The wound is healing and there is less risk of parasitic infection now that it has been sprayed with antiseptic solution.

A big, bold kitty at the SPCA lets us know just what he thinks of the Malaysian mainstream media. You tell 'em, Kitty!

Tigger and Cali (both 3 months old) are vaccinated, dewormed and toilet-trained. They will be spayed at the age of 5 months. They are still in need of good homes. You will help me spread the word, won't you please?

~ Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Eid Mubarak, Happy National Day, Happy Vinayagar Chatturthi and Happy Mid-Autumn Festival to all ~

Yeah, Well, Bite Me!

The past month has convinced me that the world is an insane, arbitrary and chaotic place. It doesn't help that my daily schedule is insane, arbitrary and chaotic. Every day is an endless stream not of cigarettes and magazines, but of research papers, assessments, volunteer commitments, needy rescued animals in need of medical treatment, local political issues, world political issues, home repairs, car repairs, housework, yardwork, animal care work, Trap-Vaccinate-Neuter-Rehome arrangements and promises and favours that I was wheedled into agreeing to. My flabber is totally gasted.

As for the title of this blogpost: I was bitten by a dog at the SPCA on Saturday while trying to break up a particularly vicious dogfight. I was in the midst of giving the Sick Bay dogs baths and tick treatment when a fight broke out between Bubbie (the victim) and Paris, Suki and their gang. We tried to separate the dogs using mops, brooms and streams of water from the hose, but it didn't work. I jumped into the affray because one dog had Bubbie by the ear and another dog had her by the neck. I was afraid Bubbie was going to die so I grabbed her and held her and tried to carry her to the surgery. Somehow I got bitten and sustained a very deep wound in one of my fingers. Now my finger has been cleaned up and stitched, but it is still in a lot of pain and I can't apply much pressure on it, so this adds to my irritability. Trust my hand to get injured when I have so much to do. Tsk.

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August 6, 2011:

Have you ever had the feeling that you have known a blogging buddy all your life, even though the two of you have yet to meet in real life? Have you ever felt that a blog friendship was somehow more supportive and more real than some of the acquaintances you have made in real life?

Zara and I felt that way about our friendship from the time we started blogging (on another hosting site) in 2002. We found more and more in common with each other after she graduated from law school and started legal practice. So when she disclosed her plans to visit Malaysia with her boyfriend a few months ago, I was elated. We finally got to meet a few weeks ago and she was every bit as I had imagined her to be. I was thrilled to play host and tour guide and I hope Zara and Rohan enjoyed the time they spent with me as much as I did with them.

Zara came bearing gifts of a huge bundle of Amar Chitra Katha comics and a box of soan papdi from Mumbai. I was overjoyed with her gifts -- it was like my birthday, Christmas and Lunar New Year all rolled into one. She didn't leave empty-handed either, as I had already purchased gifts from the Malaysian Nature Society gift shop for her, along with a copy of Lat's "Kampung Boy" and lots of zany band-aids, which are not available in India.

Our first stop for the day was Batu Caves. Despite the fact that the Battletank's radiator had a leak, we managed to arrive safely at a workshop and spent a few hours exploring Batu Caves while waiting for the radiator to be repaired.

I drove everyone crazy with my questions: "Why does Lord Muruga have a poonal? Can a deity be a Brahmin? If Brahmins are humans who are believed to be imbued with divinity, but the reverse is not true, then how can it be that Muruga wears a poonal in this image of Him? True, some humans can be incarnations of deities -- Krishna often appeared in human form -- but he is still an incarnation of Vishnu. Here, Muruga appears as himself. Not as a human incarnation. Why, then, does he wear a poonal?" I guess I'll have to ask the temple priests that one.




Taking a breather in the cave temple. This photo was taken by a young man we met in the temple. Trust Zara to find herself a stalker almost as soon as she arrived in Malaysia! The young man tried to maintain contact with me. I didn't have the heart to tell him that I am 7 years older than he is, and the terms of endearment he used were way out of line.

Guess who's up and about! Rohan finally overcame his jet lag and managed to meet up with us. Here they are outside Tugu Negara, the national monument.

Zara and Rohan at the ASEAN Sculpture Gardens.



Zara and me outside Central Market.



Rohan and me at their room in Trader's Hotel, with KLCC in the background.

Although the time they had in Malaysia was so short, I believe that we shared good memories of the time we spent together. I hope we'll get to meet again soon. Until then, my dear friends and I will harass each other on Facebook. Here's to friendship and Facebook!

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Project Second Chance Updates:




Napoleon the Puppy thinks my full-time job is to play with him. I must go and visit him again soon. Thank you to everyone who contributed towards his medical bills. You saved Napoleon's life. He is a "mere stray" no more. Whenever confronted with the choice of doing the easy thing and doing the right thing, always try to do the right thing, even if it costs more and is more inconvenient. If you have the determination to do it, you will almost always succeed.




This is the face of the little dog who was almost euthanised due to his injuries. Thanks to everyone's kind donations, Napoleon the Puppy now has a new lease of life and can look forward to a life as a happy, healthy pup in a loving home. Next mission: A good home for Napoleon!



Keeping warm at the SPCA shelter on a rainy Saturday afternoon, Aug 13. I was in the middle of cleaning cages and kennels when these 2, Fajar and Sherry, decided to come and keep me company.



This Mama Cat gave birth to her litter in the back alley behind my friends Seng and Carol's house. My friends sought my assistance and so I brought the whole brood to the vet for vaccination and am currently fostering and deworming them in my home. I posted adoption notices in PetFinder, a local non-profit pet adoption portal, and found homes for 2 of the kittens almost immediately. The kittens are now over 2 months old and well able to eat on their own, so I will be getting the Mama Cat spayed this coming weekend.

Right now besides the Office Feral Cats that I am trying to trap for neutering and Mama Cat and her remaining two kittens, I am also providing post-neutering care for the cats who live with the Burger Stall Couple.

Somebody. I need help. I am turning into the crazy neighbourhood cat lady that your mother warned you about.

A Lazy Saturday at the Bentong Farm Sanctuary

I had been so preoccupied with my commitments at work and with SPCA Selangor, the Malaysian Nature Society, and PT Foundation that I have been quite remiss in my responsibilities to Bentong Farm Sanctuary since our last visit there on August 31.

I finally had the good sense to call Shahrul sometime in October to determine if they needed any help in engaging veterinary services. Shahrul informed me that thanks to the goodwill of Noah's Ark Natural Animal Sanctuary (NANAS), a team would be going to the Sanctuary on November 27 to carry out spaying and neutering of the cats and dogs at the Sanctuary. However, the Sanctuary was experiencing a shortage of cat and dog food. I apologised for not having visited in 2 months and informed her that I would be bringing friends and donations of pet food and supplies over to the Sanctuary on November 20.

And so on the morning of November 20, I gathered a troop of 7 friends (to be met later at the Sanctuary by a troop of another 7-8 friends) and we made our merry way to Bentong to spend time with Shahrul, Jorg and the animals.



It's good to be welcomed back to this quaint little town and the animal sanctuary that now has such an important place in my life.




We were escorted all the way in to the main building in Sanctuary by the dogs, who must have known that we were bringing them lots of food and goodies!

We unloaded hundreds of kilogrammes of pet food, human food (rice, canned food and other dry goods), pet supplies and veterinary supplements, much to Shahrul and Jorg's delight. The generosity of our friends knows no bounds.

At my prompting, Shahrul suggested going to a lesser-known ice cream parlour in town before the ice-cream gets sold out by noon, and so off we trooped in convoy after unloading the food and supplies and greeting the animals. We were so glad that Shahrul suggested this place, Kedai Ice Cream in Jalan Loke Yew, Bentong Town, because the ice cream, being partially hand-cranked, was delicious, and so very cheap! Even my blogging pal Keats and her fellow Sunshine Lady May, being good cooks and therefore connoisseurs of fine foods, agreed that the rich, dense, old-fashioned ice cream at this shop was lovely.




I was a picture of happiness when I received my scoops of grape, peanut and pandan flavoured ice cream!




Speech was unnecessary -- Leonard's facial expression said it all! "Hands off! This is my ice cream!"

The entire bill for the 9 of us humans and the 3 dogs waiting patiently in the cab of the pickup truck for their vanilla scoops came up to only RM31.00, which made us laugh with pleasure and surprise. Shahrul insisted on giving us a treat, despite our protests. The dogs, Dolly, Adik and Sri Devi, ate their ice cream during the ride back to the Sanctuary.




Back at the Sanctuary, two puppies who were quarantined in the kitchen yelped for attention. They seemed indignant at being locked in, while all the action was taking place in the living room and outdoors.




Outside the house, a placid billy goat made a meal of the water lettuce. The raised freshwater pond must have seemed like a buffet table to the goat.




Free-roaming roosters Captain Cook (left) and Handsome (right) are such confident and happy chickens that they didn't think twice about chasing or pecking us when we ventured too far into their territory.




Despite the afternoon heat, we all decided to walk to the stream after Nancy and her troops arrived. It was a long walk, but there is something special and memorable about walking with one's friends, surrounded by nature and accompanied by dogs.




The dogs and the cows meet in a friendly face-off! Who will give way, and who will prevail?




Young timber trees greet us like silent, sturdy green sentinels. The owners and trustees of the Farm Sanctuary had the foresight to plant fruiting trees and timber saplings to make the farm self-sufficient in the years to come.




We stop by the duck pond to feed the ducks and geese. All of them seem healthy and happy, but Jorg told us that a large owl, possibly a Malay Eagle Owl or a Buffy Fish Owl, has been killing and eating some of the ducks. However, due to the principles upon which the Farm Sanctuary was founded, nobody is allowed to trap, kill or chase away the owl. Ducks are part of a carnivorous bird's food chain, and all animals, predators and prey alike, have their place in the web of life.




We finally arrive at the stream! Shahrul gets in first and is joined by her beloved dogs.




Sasha and Meena are contented to just sit by the stream and watch the dogs play.




Hitam and Uncle Dog, who are the best of friends, are joined at their shady spot by Sri Devi.




We had a very late picnic lunch under the trees, due to the fact that we were full from all the ice cream and had spent a good many hours playing in the stream and with the animals. The farmhands cooked us a lovely meal of rice, raitha, dhall, eggs and vegetables, while Nancy and her family brought sandwiches, muffins and red bean dessert, and Keats brought belinjai crackers.




It's time to tidy up and bid our friends, two-legged and four-legged, goodbye! Until we meet again, dear residents of the Bentong Farm Sanctuary, we will be missing you and thinking of you often!

(All photo credits: Leonard and Yen)

A Deepavali Mixture

If you have ever been to South India, or are of South Indian heritage, you would know that 'mixture' is a stand-alone word and does not refer to cough mixture or anything as unpalatable. 'Mixture' refers to a savoury snack comprising a mix of roasted peanuts, lentils, green peas, and crispies made of corn, rice or gram flour (which is also known as 'omapodi').




I see my recent Deepavali celebrations as being quite similar to 'mixture' in a lot of ways. It was tasty, it was nutty, it was a mix of all sorts of different 'bits', it had something for everyone, and it left me wanting more.

1.

During a recent conversation with some friends from work, we decided it would be fun to go to the cinema to watch the latest Tamil offering, 'Enthiran', starring none other than the overrated Rajnikanth. Why overrated? Well, it's true. In India, working class moviegoers deify him to the extent that they carry out milk abhishekam (i.e. libation) on his posters and cut-outs. This, in a country filled with hungry children and stray animals. I am of the opinion that the milk could have gone to better use feeding the needy.

Still, Tamil movies are always good for a laugh, especially anything with Rajnikanth in it. Rajnikanth jumps on top of the pool table and twirls a pool cue! The pool cue whirls around the room, as if by remote control, and brains the baddies, one after another, while the baddies just stand there agape, waiting to be bashed up! Rajnikanth stops a raging bull from goring a damsel in a red saree by splashing blue paint over the hapless wench, thus confusing the bull (and ruining a perfectly good saree)! Rajnikanth singlehandedly bashes up 20 thugs after they rape a working class girl! (You know someone's been raped when you see... GASP.... Broken Bangles!)

Tamil movies aren't just about bloody fights and battles, however. There's also the police-and-baddie-find-out-they-are-brothers-separated-at-birth theme. And there's also romance, and a hang of a lot of travel destination promotions.

"I love you..." the hero would croon from the top of the Eiffel Tower.
"I love you..." the heroine would coyly reply from a log cabin somewhere in the Swiss Alps. Then the hero and heroine would appear together somewhere in the vicinity of the Pyramids of Giza, and sing and dance while accompanied by a posse of backup dancers all at least one shade darker in complexion than the hero and heroine.

It was with that in mind that we got around to booking tickets to "Enthiran", a week before Deepavali.



2.

I have discovered that most women are a lot of work and a lot of trouble to go anywhere with. Trying to make arrangements to go anywhere with women is like trying to herd cats made of jello.

A simple question: "Shall we go for Enthiran tonight?" brought forth an amazing array of responses and excuses.

"Today I can but I have to cancel my rock-climbing session."
"Today I am not properly attired to go watch a movie" (Huh?!?!)
"What do you mean by not properly attired?"
"My blouse has too many creases in it."
"I don't see any creases."
"Who's going to look at the creases in your blouse in the dark? Other people are there to watch the movie".
"Yeah but I still have to walk up the stairs, right?"
"How about you? Is tonight okay with you?"
"I can't, it's too close to Deepavali"
"How about Tuesday?"
"I have Muay Thai on Tuesday."
"Why can't you postpone it?"
"If I postpone it, I have to pay a RM50.00 penalty"
"Tuesday I can, but Wednesday I can't".
"That means today you can?"
"No, today I can't"
"Why not?"
"Cos I go home early on Fridays".
"How about Tuesdays?"
"Tuesday also not sure yet."
"Tuesday is also too close to Deepavali, I can't."
"Monday?"
"Monday I need to go to the hairdresser's"
"Why can't you go to the hairdresser's on Tues or Wed?"
"Because Tues or Wed is too close to Deepavali".

Aaaargh! Aaaargh! Aaargh! Rajnikanth, save me!

Organising a full battle dress military tattoo with an air force show would be less troublesome and would take less time.

Ask a man: "Wanna go for Enthiran?"
And he says: "Okay, let's go."

Sigh....

3.

And so, as it turned out, only Mac, Anne and I ended up watching "Enthiran" that night. Anne and I thought that the most remarkable special effects lay in how the make-up artists managed to make Rajnikanth, who must be pushing 60 if he's a day, look so young. "It's rubber latex", we ruminate. "Or spray-on silicone". "Or just Photoshop".

It turned out to be the first Tamil movie I have ever watched which had full and complete English subtitles. Even the songs had subtitles. By now I wished they hadn't, because Anne and I developed asthma attacks from laughing too hard.

Usually, when I watch Tamil or Hindi movies, the songs would be pleasantly unintelligible to me. What I normally manage to catch, with my rudimentary command of Tamil, Hindi and Punjabi, is:
"something something heart something something love something something something crazy."

However, the subtitles for the songs in "Enthiran" made me cringe, laugh and slap my forehead in disbelief.

"You are the hot wasabi in my honey..."
(Ummm.... sure sounds yummy. Not.)

"Your lips are like a sleeping zebra..."
(I can imagine what a well-received pick-up line this would be!)

"Your hips are like a toddler's chair..."
(Never underestimate the importance of child-bearing hips to an Indian man!)

"If you are a meadow, is it wrong for the tiger to graze on you?"
(No it's not forbidden, it's just against biology and common sense.)

Anne's hypothesis is that all Tamil movie songs are metaphors for sex. When the hero and heroine appear magically (and randomly) at Macchu Picchu and start singing about zebra lips and unripe fruits, you know it's a sign that the hero and heroine are getting jiggy with it at the moment.

I don't disagree with Anne, I'd just like to expand on her theory. I think Tamil movie songs are a metaphor for sex, life, the battle between good and evil, and mixture.

4.
A Masala Picture Mixture of my Deepavali week:


Dove-peacock hybrids at a kolam I spotted at the Tropicana City Mall!



It's time to play Deepavali Santa! Goodie bags filled with cookies, snack mixes, cordials, soda and fruits on their way to being delivered to our hardworking SPCA general workers. 4 other volunteers and I decided to anonymously make these goodie bags for the workers in recognition of their hard work, their love for the animals under their care and for the fact that they have gone beyond the call of duty time and time again to help animals in grave need.



Cheerful and courageous Bravo gets a bath on Deepavali morning, in line with tradition.



Estel comes back to me for boarding while her parents travel to Tampin for Deepavali. I gave her a bath on Deepavali morning and put her pretty new collar on her.



I had a scrumptious Deepavali lunch at fellow blogger Keats' house. Keats, Vicki and I pose with Keats' folksy-looking peacock kolam and villaku oil lamps for posterity.



Keats and Ravi's handsome lab, Robbie, didn't want to be left out of things!



I went to the SPCA after lunch, as I do every Deepavali, to help the staff finish their work earlier so they could go home in time to have tea with their families on this auspicious day. I managed to bathe and tickwash all the dogs in the kennels behind the office as the dogs are well-behaved and are used to me by now. I managed to finish cleaning and disinfecting the shelter by 1830 hrs.







Glyn is back in Malaysia, and so we decided to visit the Batu Caves temple on Deepavali night, ostensibly for a spot of night photography. Glyn brought me a camouflage bush hat from the UK. As can be seen from the photos, I didn't take the hat off all night.



I was invited to my buddy Rangamal's home and made myself so comfortable that I demolished 4 thosais (That Special Someone insists that the correct spelling is 'dosa') at one sitting.



Horsing around with Karthik, a.k.a. 8-year-old football Wikipedia. Who needs Soccernet when you have a friend like Karthik?





Books that I purchased for my friend Suzanne Samy's "A Book For Me, Please" project for needy children.


I hope that your Deepavali celebrations were as full of friendship, love, laughter, joy and mixture as mine was. And so I bid you adieu.

Aidilfitri break and other matters

Newsflash: Tabitha has been adopted as of Wednesday, 23rd Sept. This means that all 3 Whisketeers have successfully found new homes. Thank you, everyone, for your support! The Whisketeers send their love.

The previous workweek had been a hectic one, but one filled with enjoyable social commitments nevertheless.

As is becoming a tradition in the Unit that I work in, we had a gathering on Thursday night, 17th September 2009, as an early farewell party for one of our interns. We adjourned to La Bodega after dinner to play Taboo. It was a raucous, fast-paced game, and there were clearly several players who are better than the others. Towards the end, we were so psyched up that we were all practically shouting the questions and answers. Even other patrons stood around to watch and cheer us on whenever anyone got a correct answer.

We left the place after midnight, hoarse from all the shouting. My team won by a large margin. I didn't want the interns to have to take cabs home due to the midnight surcharge, so I drove them all back to their respective apartments. It was around 0130h when I finally reached the BOQ, and 0300h when I finally finished the housework. Red Bull will be getting a lot of business from me the following day.

Friday was considerably more relaxed. Vegan Eugene and I went out to dinner at a vegan restaurant (not far from the St. Ignatius Church) that he had just discovered. A meal at the shop cost only RM2.00, and I surmised that it was more of a community kitchen than a profit-making enterprise. I pointed out that the restaurant's name, "Fo Guang", means "The Light of Buddha" and that the restaurant was probably run by a Buddhist association. The clientele was comfortingly multi-faith and multi-ethnic.

Fireworks, contraband but still widely available, illuminated the night sky as the midnight hour arrived. There were still 24 hours to go until Aidilfitri, but our 4-day weekend has begun.

Saturday, 19th September 2009:

Months ago, I had offered to deliver a presentation on "Setting Green Living Priorities and Practicing the 3Rs" to the Sunshine Ladies, a group of dedicated volunteers who work with the differently-abled. I learned of this group through its founder, my blog buddy Keats, and was inspired and touched by the good work they do. As Keats had expressed interest in my 3R talk, we managed to fix a date and she did her best rallying her friends and other interested parties to attend the talk.

The talk took place at the beautiful and massive home of one of Keats' friends. It was a warm morning but the ersatz rainforest in our gracious hostess' home provided a screen for the heat. The water in the swimming pool looked cool and inviting, but we had to set up the LCD projector and test out the videos and slides before I may look around.

The guests started trickling in at 1000h, ruddy-cheeked and cheerful from their morning exercise routines. I was surprised at the size of the crowd, and slightly awed by the fact that all of them belong to the upper stratum of society. Would they be willing to listen to what I had to say about the environmental cost of big homes, air travel and shopping expeditions?

Fortunately, they were! They were the nicest, most engaging and most participatory audience I have ever had. They all had ideas to contribute and stories to share, and I was glad because it showed that they were not bored. We played the 3R Game, went through the slides and video presentations, and had interactive discussion sessions. Although my talk typically lasts 2 hours, it went on for another hour on Saturday because all the participants had something important to contribute to the discussion. Most of them are involved in community work and many have instituted environmentally-friendly practices at home such as chemical-free cleaning and composting.

At the end of the talk, many of the participants came forward to purchase the Green Living booklets and get my contact information. Some made cash contributions to Green Living, although I didn't request it. We had a lovely tea party after the talk and I sampled everything. I chatted with my kind hostess and played with her dogs before going home with the pumpkin cake and jellies that she had packed for me.

I am grateful that the talk was well-received, and pleased to have made the acquaintance of new friends. I trust I shall be able to participate in some of the Sunshine Ladies' activities in future. The world is a good place, full of good people, if only you know where to look.

Sunday, 20th September 2009:

I gave the Rowdies a bath on Sunday morning before going to Ampang for my blog buddy Pak Idrus’ Hari Raya Open House for lunch. It took me a while to locate his lovely home. His garden plants created a sylvan veil for his gate, but I thought I recognised the green classic Volvo parked outside. I then heard a friendly voice calling my name and went in to salam with Pak Idrus and his dear wife. His daughter Lin was there with family friends as well. We sat in his plant-filled and tastefully-decorated verandah, enjoying the scrumptious food and company. More guests arrived and joined in the conversation, and we chatted about everything from cats to politics to dentists. We had homemade apple and walnut pie, courtesy of Lin, for dessert.






Photos borrowed from Pak Idrus' blog without permission, so please visit him here if you like what you see.

I thanked my host and hostesses and bade everyone goodbye after lunch. Pak Idrus' house is only 2 minutes away from the SPCA. I changed into my SPCA workclothes and started cleaning the cat cages in the Front Reception/Admin area. Tabitha was still there and I promised to bring her home by Thursday if she were not adopted by then.

Rose and I had wanted to wash the dogs but the weather was drizzly and unpredictable, and Dr. Pushpa didn't think it was a good idea. She did, however, assure us that the staff would tickwash the dogs on weekdays when the weather was better.

I cleaned the Cattery instead, scrubbing and disinfecting each cat basket and litter tray. I swabbed and washed the shelves, cages and floor and made sure all the cats had fresh bedding, food and water. Next, I cleaned the Maternity Kennels and Hospital. I took away the old newspapers and miscellaneous junk left on top of the cages. I then cleaned the Puppy Area and Front Office/Reception/Admin area and took out the trash. The washroom was in quite a state, as usual, and so I had to clean and disinfect it before I could shower and change in it.

I went to the night market and organic produce shop to pick up some things for Covert Mum and Covert Dad before going back to the BOQ to tidy up and feed and clean up after the Rowdies. Otis is recovering really well and you couldn't even tell that there had been injury to his left eye before. He taught himself to use the litter tray from the day he arrived and has been a fluffy bundle of joy since.

Started the drive back to the parental home around 2130h. Arrived to find a nasty shock (the parents didn't want to tell me as they were afraid that I would drive like a maniac to get home faster) -- Chocky had hindquarter paralysis and couldn't walk. It had happened very suddenly sometime around dinnertime.

I massaged Chocky and applied pressure to his back and legs but he did not flinch or show any signs that he was in any pain. I have only ever seen such a wobbly gait in dogs suffering from hip dysplasia or distemper. But Chocky has been vaccinated, is a mixed breed, and is too young to be suffering from hip problems. What was going on?

We let Chocky rest while I comforted the parents and tried to call up all the vets I know to fix an appointment. Covert Twin arrived a little later, confused and upset that his dog wasn't walking. It was a long night for all of us, and I know I wasn't the only one who came out to take a peek at Chocky that night to make sure that he was still with us.

Monday, 21st September - Tuesday, 22nd September 2009:

We rushed Chocky to the Gasing Animal Hospital as soon as it was open on Monday morning. Thankfully, we had 2 days of public holidays and did not have to go on emergency leave. Chocky was still weak and unable to stand. The vet gave him a thorough checkup but was unable to determine what was wrong. Chocky was given an antibiotic injection in case his ailment was caused by bacteria or a virus, and a steroid injection to reduce any inflammation. A blood sample was taken for testing. We were instructed to bring Chocky home to rest and to fast him for 12 hours for the x-ray the following day.

Chocky’s condition started to improve after the steroid jab. I did housework to take my mind off my fears for poor Chocky. I cleaned the Venetian blinds, some of the kitchen cabinets and the living room. I scrubbed the garden fountain and some of the flower pots. I gave Amber a bath and prepared food for Amber and Chocky. By evening, Chocky was walking again. The vet called at night and informed us that the blood test results were back, but it showed that Chocky’s condition wasn’t caused by an allergy or ingestion of toxins. We weren’t taking any chances. We will still take him to the hospital again in the morning.

Tuesday morning saw a very hungry and despondent Chocky enter the car. Once at the hospital again, however, Chocky’s mood improved after he made a new friend, a Spitz-cross who took an immediate liking to Chocky. Soon it was Chocky’s turn to see the vet. The vet did another examination of Chocky and decided that an x-ray would be unnecessary as Chocky’s problem was probably neurological in origin and an x-ray would not be helpful. We were sent off with 3 different kinds of medication for Chocky, who was by now back to his usual gregarious self. Chocky went home to a hero’s welcome. We all hope that his condition will not recur. Just to be on the safe side, we will be putting him on neurobion supplements from now on.

I spent the rest of the day spring cleaning the master bedroom, doing the laundry and mopping the floor. It’s good to have our old Chocky back, and I hope it lasts. He gave us such a scare, even Amber was worried and was not her usual self at all. She refused to go for her walks and wanted to keep Chocky within sight all the time. Something told her that Chocky wasn’t well and she was sensitive to it. I love Amber all the more for her protectiveness, and Chocky all the more for his vulnerability.

Loving something as fragile and ephemeral as animals leaves me with an exquisite pain, and it really is the heart that feels the pain. But it also fills me with a fierce, protective love and courage and makes me want to be a better person that I may be worthy of their love. And when I look into the eyes of my canine and feline children, I know I am fortunate beyond measure to be able to love them, and to be able to receive their love. I would not trade that for the world.

~Whiskey-Echo-Lima, out.~