Kenji’s back!

Last night, V returned the newly tipped-ear Kenji. He looked good, none the worse for wear and despite the stress of being abducted and away from his home territory since Sunday morning.

We brought him back to where we nabbed him. Then i prepped for a vid and open the carrier door. He simply stared doe-eyed. I got a bit worried but suddenly he launched himself out of the carrier and disappeared into the night. Luckily, I gave him a bit of leeway and was using the zoom function to vid him.

No food for him then, we had wanted to feed him as V said that he had eaten only a tiny bit earlier.

Anyway, as we were leaving the release spot, who should we see but Benji mosseying along from another direction. We hope the brothers reunite soon. btmao’s seen them cuddling together under the bushes so obviously they’re very close to each other.

Check back for the Kenji-rocket launch vid.

Busy weekend

Yesterday we rushed Chrissy to the vet, caught up with the cats at Foster Mum’s and today, we managed to bag Kenji for his mojo-cision, while spotting a new 4mth old tuxedo boy in the same locale and spooking Benji off. Amid all the action, btmao got help from a young girl and we talked to her at length about TNRM and responsible pet ownership, we hoped she’d evangelise what we pumped into her at her school, at home, and among her friends. The trouble with the new vet and new pet transport (whom we tried for the first time, and were evaluating in case our regular go-to pet transport-sterilisation-arrangements guy, V, couldn’t help out for future cases) who collectively botched Lizzy’s checkup must also be documented.

Details to come.

Kenji Clairvoyant

We swear he is! He’s been skipping meals during days we planned and are ready to kitnap him for his mojo-job. It might seem a coincidence, but there’s been 7 coincidences since we decided to rob him. Uncannily, he’s also been appearing on days we can’t nab him, for whatever reason!

Tonight, he did it again, but guess what? We’ve got 2 sacrificial kittens from Area 1 in his place.

Benji and Kenji phots

Here’s Benji and Kenji on April 1:

They’re both warily watching a large pet dog on a walk going by behind me. At least they are somewhat savvy.

VID – White Shadow: See how Kenji follows Benji’s lead. He takes every cue from him.

VID – Cautious but wanting attention: They both will approach and come very near when you’re quiet and still. They have looks of cats seeking affection but any move from me still sends them scrambling.

NOTE: Remember how easily spooked and untouchable Kenji was? Even on April 1. Sunday, he would’nt allow btmao to touch him. But the very next night, btmao could touch and even scruffed him experimentally, in preparation for mojo-robbing. He did not react at all. But he jumped the next evening’s appointment, which we had planned to send him for his mojo-snip. Not only Kenij, even Benji and Sasha didn’t turn up!

April’s Fools

What an evening.

Good news: Kenji is cottoning on to the fact that btmao is the resident cat-mum in these woods. Earlier this evening, he’s allowed first contact when having dinner, with Benji of course. We’re hopeful, very hopeful, that we can rob his mojo soon.

Sasha was there for dinner too, but of course she still can’t stand having the boys around, and uses her own exclusive suite.

After we cleaned up after the satiated ones, we were making our way back to Area 1, when lo and behold! btmao’s 6/6 eyesight focused on a fluffy lump under a sapling. It was a young cat that she had first sighted 2 sundays ago and lost sight of in the Area 2 carpark. It was newly abandoned we think and was too spooked to respond to friendship. We had not seen it since.

But this time, there it was, in plain sight, for the perfect-sighted,and behaving like it’s been there for ever. We milled around abit with it.

It was a she, a bit too skinny – you can use her spine for a xylophone. But friendly. Even away from good lighting, it was obvious she had a tearing right eye. Other than that, she looked ok. She looked like a miniature Remy, only she still has her eyes intact – which is a huge relief. But she’s not all that tiny, probably is a yearling. She has a very soft voice like him too.

btmao and I looked at each other. We sighed/groaned, and guess who we gonna call? Foster Mum of course. We made arrangements for the kitt to move in after a vet visit for checkup, jabs and deworm tomorrow.

Then I picked her up and we moved her to a void-deck, for feeding and a better look. She purred all the way, and only struggled a little.

btmao opened a fussie cat can – all the goodness of tuna with salmon and she lapped it all up in 2 blinks. The girl was ravenous! btmao left to retrieve a carrier from home and I watched/kept her around. She kept nosing the cleaned paper ‘plate’ and sniffing the can for more. Obviously she’s not had much food for quite a bit. But we did not allow her anymore than the 80g she gulped down to minimise the possibility of diarrhea. She was a bit bewildered too, and was torn between moving off and sticking around for more.

So I did the only thing I could while waiting for the cavalry, As I provided chin-tickles and head rubs, she eventually relaxed and lied down for everything I gave her, her purr is amazing. I looked her over and she seemed parasite-free.

Maybe it’s because both are fluffy and tabby-furred, but from certain angles, she looked like Kheilly too. And yes, I felt pangs when it hit.

Anyway, she seemed a perfect and healthy cat, and I can’t help wondering why she’s been dumped. Was it her less-than-perfect form? She either had a body too long for her limbs or limbs too short for her body length. She also has a gait like Orli’s – splayed and a bit uneven in the hindlegs, which seem too long for her frontlegs. Was she dumped for cosmetic reasons?

Then I noticed her inner right front paw was very wet and matted. Maybe her right eye was an issue (coincidentally, Remy’s blind eye is also the right one). But she can see out of it fine, and it looked clear.

btmao returned with the carrier then. It was a simple thing to get the kitty in. She freaked out for a bit, but only called softy a few times and settled down.

On the way home, where we’re going to house her for the night, I suggested naming her April, for obvious reasons. btmao agreed.

We’re probably to lose sleep tonight – she will be isolated in a room, and the slackers of course will stake it out, and then of course there’s going to be commotion all night.

Oh well, we’ll take it one growl at a time. Our mum looked in on her too – and surprisingly, we felt a bit miffy that she’s already longer than Rheilly.

Last weekend, when Neo found her furrever home, we were relieved to have our cattery headcount down to 3 – Corrie the permanent boarder, Chrissy the liver-failure old girl, and Frankie the supposedly looking-for-a-home cat turned freeloader. (Angel and Cassie have their respective sponsors). Now we’ve got April girl, new kitnapped kitt and our headcount’s gone right back up: i can only thank my portentous big-mouthed self-rib here (and Mama Piggy for cementing the jigamarole with the furrever incantation).

Happy April Fool’s Day.

(Click on their names to see photos and vids of April, Benji and Kenji, Sasha pending)

Area 2: One mystery kitty id’d

We have yet to sight the tuxedo girl again.

But the cream-coloured one was seen at dinner-service today! He was sharing the same drain as Benji.

In fact, it was Benji who alerted us to his presence, and of course that of the cream-colored one.

They’re both very skittish, but the cream one, still as seedy as we remembered, would scoot back into the drain at the slightest sound.

Watching Benji from the safety of the trench.

Coming out at last. It’s not obvious here but he has the double-backed tail as Benji. We’re almost sure they’re brothers.

Cream-coloured kitt following Benji’s lead. The schmell of the canned grub was mighty powerful lure too. But he soon scooted back to safety as some people passed by.

Benji was less so of course, being familiar with btmao. He ate after being sure the passers-by had passed by.

But he was obviously worried about his kin. We were both surprised to see him leaving the food after only a few gulps to go and call the cream-coloured one out.

Responding to Benji. btmao saw he was a boy… later we decided on naming him Kenji.

Still careful. They were both approaching the food when more people passed by. Benji and Kenji split different ways, Kenji into the same trench, Benji in another direction

Food was a great lure, but hunger was still not enough to entice the cream-coloured one to stay with the grub. In the end, we had to leave the food in the drain before the poor thing could eat. But he still checked for danger from time to time. Poor Benji though was totally MIA.

We’ll need to get Kenji to trust us and get him snipped. Hopefully soon.

I Spy – mystery kitty in area 2 in the open

Sasha and Benji were not there for dinner. But who should we see in the open for the first time but the mystery kitt, happily chasing a hapless butterfly!

It’s a young one, smaller than Benji, but definitely with a family resemblance – tail that curls back, same sort of look in the face. In fact it looked like a Benji replica. But this one’s a sandy coloured kitty. It’s still wary so we couldn’t get near, but it was good to see it looks to be in good health and was not starving. Now its coat looks clean too, and was not grubby like btmao’s previous sighting. Maybe it’s just the rain, but we hope this means someone’s looking after it. It certainly looks to be doing better than Benji did initially.

We’ll keep a look out, try to get some pics and vids, and of course see if we can determine whether its a he or she. We’re thinking of names right now. With my anal-retentiveness, I’m still bent on naming area 2 clannies with names starting with B. Any good unisex names?

I Spy – update on the mystery kitty in area 2

Since we first spotted the cat, btmao has had a few more sightings, the most recent one being on Friday. She suspects it may be a relative of Benji’s, but for now we can’t be sure. The cat is very scaredy, and runs when approached or called. btmao thinks it is a sandy coloured cat, albeit a bit too grubby.

Hopefully, it will allow us to feed it and check it out, if it decides to stick around.

I spy

On the way to Benji‘s feeding post, we saw a greyish cat-shape among some flower-pots.

It looked like a young cat, about 6 months old. It was nearly sundown, and wit the weather the way it is, we couldn’t get a clear shot with the camera. Of course, I would not flashy-point the poor thing, it seemed spooked enough.

Hopefully, we’ll get a good look in the daylight, if the weather holds.

I would have said all the ones we know about and are able to mojo-rob are duly robbed but for this sighting.

We’ll be keeping a lookout for the new kit on the block.