Farewell Fei Por

Fei Por came to us one day in 2007 and had never left since. She had two litters while she was here. Her first was a white kitten we christened Arbie after a cartoon character. He was fluffy and had blue eyes. One day, he just disappeared.

Her second litter had three kittens, Frosty, Patches and Milo. Milo was ran over by a vehicle. Frosty went out and never returned. We had Fei Por and Patches neutered. One day, Wuan found Patches dead just outside the house.

One cat and three kittens
(clockwise) Fei Por with Milo, Frosty and Patches.

It took Fei Por a long time to overcome the grief of losing her kittens. She would call out to them and sniff around the nooks and crannies that they liked to play in. We grieved along with her as we were very fond of the kittens too.

A few months after that, on one of our trips to Ipoh, Wuan was enamoured by a little white kitten that licked her fingers at the vet’s where Fei Por was boarded. Fei Por licked him all over when Wuan put them together. With that tacit approval, we adopted him. Wuan named him Cheeky for his fondness of nipping at our fingers and toes.

Fei Por looked after him like he is one of her own. She groomed him and watched over him all the time. They played together and napped together. In his adulthood, they would groom each other. They were really that close.

Fei Por and Cheeky best of buddies
Fei Por and Cheeky

Fei Por did not like to stay indoors. We let her live outside. In the afternoons, Cheeky would be by the door playing with Fei Por who would be sitting just outside. The few times that she came in, we could see the joy in Cheeky’s antics.

Late last year, Wuan noticed that Fei Por was getting on with age. She let her in the house. Fei Por was perfectly contented and never asked to be let out like she did previously. She spent most of her time sleeping, mostly on the floor of the en suite bathroom.

Our cat Fei Por
Fei Por

Fei Por was not well after we took her back from boarding for the duration we were in Ipoh during the Chinese New Year holidays. She puked a few times but we thought it was just a minor ailment she caught from the other cats or stress she experienced at the boarding place.

She became restless on Thursday and kept climbing onto the window. I asked Wuan to let her out. Unfortunately, it rained very heavily that day. I got worried and kept calling out to her but she did not return. She came back early the next morning as Wuan was getting ready for work. Wuan was in the kitchen when Cheeky went to her and got her to follow him. He lead her to the main door.

Fei Por was crouched outside. Her fur was all bedraggled. She looked tired. We planned to take her to the vet when Wuan got back from work that evening. However, Wuan was tied up in the office and got back very late. We finally managed to take her to the vet on Saturday.

Although the vet said that she was in a very bad shape and may not pull through, we were hopeful that she would. When the vet called at 1.43pm just now to say that she had died, I was devastated. I wept balefully at the loss. When I called Wuan to inform her of the sad new, I could not hold back my emotions and bawled again. I have never been this sad for a long time, not since my mother passed away.

Rest in peace, Fei Por. I am sorry we could not be by your side when you breathed your last. You are family. You will always hold that special place in our hearts. Enjoy your time at the Rainbow Bridge. We shall come for you when our time here is up and we shall cross that bridge together.

RAINBOW BRIDGE

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together….

Author unknown

Cheeky In The Garden

Cheeky checking out something from his new cage in the garden
Cheeky checking out something from his new cage in the garden.

Cheeky has a free run inside the house but the farthest he has ever ventured outside was the garden. Even then, Wuan kept a close eye on him. We did not want him to go beyond the compound and traipse all over the neighbourhood and get injured, or worse, get hit by a car. This fear stemmed from our previous experience with Fei Por’s three kittens.

Cheeky posing for the camera in his new cage
Cheeky posing for the camera in his new cage.

When he was younger, Wuan would put him in a harness and leash, and let him explore the garden. He would sniff and move cautiously among the grass, chew on a few blades at a time and was generally fascinated by the new sights, scents and sounds outside. As he grew bigger, he refused to let Wuan wear the harness on him. He has not gone out since.

Cheeky and Fei Por in the garden
Cheeky and Fei Por chewing grass.

Cheeky has not shown any urge to go out either. But we want him to get some sunshine and eat some grass every now and then. With that in mind, we got him a cage last week. It is only for confining him when he is in the garden. He seemed to enjoy being out again and happily chewed grass that poked up from under the cage.

Year Of The Cat At 1 Utama 2010

The theme for Chinese New Year at 1 Utama Shopping Centre is cats, not just any cat but the famous Maneki Neko from Japan. Wait a minute! There is no cat in the Chinese zodiac. There is a tiger but are they the same? Nevermind that. Being cat persons and being collectors of the Maneki Neko figurines, Wuan and I had fun taking photographs of these giant feline sculptures at the Oval of 1 Utama.

One of the Maneki Neko greeting shoppers at 1 Utama
One of the Maneki Neko greeting shoppers at 1 Utama.

Close up of the Maneki Neko trio at 1 Utama
Close up of the Maneki Neko trio at 1 Utama.

View of the Maneki Neko from the ground floor at Oval 1 Utama
View of the Maneki Neko from the ground floor at Oval 1 Utama.

Peter Tan posing in front of the Maneki Neko at ground floor facing the Oval 1 Utama
Peter Tan posing in front of the Maneki Neko at ground floor facing the Oval 1 Utama.
Photo by Wuan.