Kola living it up

Remember Kola? We got these updates.

17 Aug 08

Hi calsifer

Please find attached updated photos of Kola boy.

Message from Kola

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1) 0747: Mummy, what’s up!

2 0752: This is my new bed.  I like it a lot but many times, mummy will use my bed when I have dinner.  She always say: boy, mummy will only use it for 15mins & it will be yours again.  My bed will start moving after she pushes some buttons.  I heard daddy asking mummy whether she like this new massage chair but…… it is a bed & the leg stand that daddy refers to, it’s my scratching post.  Strangely, mum cover the scratching post with a towel.  She also bought me a baby comforter & put in on the seat 🙂

Hmmm… now my little Kola boy is enjoying himself & behaving like a prince (Kobi is always the king 🙂  Yes, he decides taking my new massage chair as his bed.  I can only use it when he on the chair…..otherwise, he will meow at me.  He even jumped on my thigh a few days ago while I was using the chair.  He likes scratching the leg stand & all other parts of the chair, therefore, I have to cover it with towels 🙂  Hopefully, he will not abuse the chair any further & allow me to use it for one to two years hahaha….

My reply to his mum on 18 Aug

hmmm, u might want to try putting scotch tape, sticky side up or double-sided tape on the places he lieks to scratch, they will make the experience unpleasant for him and maybe teach him to leave it alone =)

And his mum’s reply on 20 Aug:

Anyway, we don’t be bother to stop him from scratching la… The chair is wrapped up like a mummy now, so he can’t scratch it most of the time unless the towels came down… then let him enjoy himself for a while la 🙂  Anyway, there are many scratches on it now.

And this one on the same day:

Yeah, don’t remind me… I have all my “kids'” pictures in office & have just replaced him with the one I have sent to you – really feel like hugging everytime I look at him 🙂  I’m glad adopting him…. he is such a wonderful pet just a pity that he can’t get along with the girls but we are all doing well now 🙂

He is so funny & naughty – he will wake me up every night once or twice asking for massage!!!!  Can’t you believe it… sometimes, he really killed me – so sleepy at work!!  After the massage, he will ask for foods, otherwise, he will meow non stop & my Kobi will complain…. Ah yeah, I’m like the maid to them man 🙂  He will jump on to the bed asking for food if we bring them into the room – really ah fat man…   He will always follow me to the washroom!!! – just like my other two boys… my toilet is really getting too small now!!  hahaha……  It is a joy to have them all!  Hope this will last forever…. 🙂

I have attached two other photos, see which you like most 🙂  the bed is messy, thanks to the three boys (not ME).

And this one too:

2 Oct 08

Hi calsifer

Here is the Kola’s latest fashion 🙂

He seems to have kicked off his chewing habit – hope this will continue.

Sometime before these emails, I had a long phone conversation with Kola’s mum. She had called to update on him. Despite the removal of his tail’s inflamed portion which should have relieved him of his pain, he had continued to chew his tail stump.

His mum had been perplexed and wondered if she was not paying him enough attention given his needy nature. After a few, no doubt expensive, consultations, the vet determined that Kola probably has a bit of a psychological issue with his neediness. Besides prescribing some more medicine to calm him down, the vet also suggested that his mum give him more cuddles. This was what she had already been doing.

The vet also suggested spending more time with him. Short of bringing him along when she and his dad go on outings, they could hardly be giving him more time (as it is, they are already giving him more time than her 2 cats and 2 dogs who had been with her before Kola imposed himself). So that was what they did – they brought him along on outings whenever possible, to the market, on trips to places where kitties aren’t banned, to family gatherings. They bought different harnesses, pet prams and tried them all out, and found one for different occasions.

Kola is a big boy and getting fat, so carrying him can be back-breaking work, but his mum and dad obliged him as he seemed to enjoy being carried like a baby than being in a pram though he liked that too.

His mum mentioned that while she is not sure if she is doing enough for him, she hoped that we understand that she was doing all she can for him.

I told her that we’re extremely happy and feel he’s just one lucky little monster. In fact, we feel apologetic for all the problems he’s caused and the money they’ve spent on vet fees for him and the injuries he caused, and modifying their home to ensure his comfort and KeYuan and KeLe’s (the two younger female cats they’ve got) safety. I also told her that honestly if we had an idea about the extent of his neediness, I would have hesitated to adopt him out at all. On hindsight, the signs were there, not in flashing neon, but there were indications.

Here we both paused for a long while before Kola’s mum asked me if I thought he would have done well had he stayed at the cattery. I told her frankly, I do not think so, simply because Foster Mum and her helpers would never be able to afford the time and attention he alone needs. Similarly, he would not have done well even if we brought him home which might have been something we needed to do if he had stayed over a prolonged period in the cattery and his problem manifested itself fully. Nobody’s home in the daytime plus we have an felv/fiv positive cat (Rheilly), a somewhat needy cat (Philly), a nonchalant one who doesn’t like other cats (Joey), a kidney failure old boy (Bams) and his bleeding-bladder-wall-without-root-cause brother who dislikes all cat interactions (Teddy) all jostling for attention.

But at the same time, the problems he’s caused her would not be something we would not wish another to bear for us – after all we were the ones who decided to rescue him. Frankly, it wasn’t a comfortable place to be, given that there were no clear answers to the real and potential issues.

I just felt both he and us, btmao and me, were lucky he met her and she was willing to take him and bear the responsibility for him. She told me not to worry about it, and since she’s taken him in, he’s her responsibility for life and she would do what’s needed for him and the rest of her brood.

We ended the conversation with the mutual understanding, especially of her love and effort for him, my apologies and our absolute trust in her to do what’s right for him, and her understanding of our heartfelt gratitude on Kola’s behalf.