Our Cats

Right now there are five cats in our apartment in KL. There's Momo and Karupin - two persians who are about 8 years old now. Karupin is a bit needy and loves to be combed, while Momo is the opposite. Put a bowl of food on the floor and he'll be the first to rush over. He hates to be combed and runs  away to hide the moment he sees the brush in your hands but he is the one who actually needs to be brushed daily or else his hair will be all over the place. The last time I took him to be  groomed it turned out to be a "nightmare" - at least for him I think. He looked like a plucked chicken with his very very short hair and even his brother Karupin ran away from him if he came near. For a whole week he stayed in his basket and refused to move. He was even not interested in his food, which was very unusual so that was the last time I sent him to be groomed. Maybe one day next time when he has forgotten about the incident.

Then there's Black, who is actually grey, with black patches. A bit of a plain Jane which was why I kept her after she was born. All her other siblings were great lookers - Patrick was a handsome one with his Siamese heritage - bright blue eyes, cream coloured hair and tinges of brown on his tips. All the others were either white or cream colored and looked Siamese. I don't know where Black's colouring came from but she definitely was not a looker. So I thought better keep her with me - and gave away the others to be adopted.

The only one who will come and sit on your lap any time of the day or night is Black, our "Intan Terpilih." Sometimes she scares visitors with her devotion. She loves your lap - anyone's will do, even strangers.

After my favourite, Moshu died, at first I didn't want to take another cat, but Ginger came along. She was a malnourished, abused little one - so dirty and tiny I thought she was a month old kitten. She must have lived in the rubbish heap or in the drain because she was unbelievably dirty. Taking pity on the mewling little scrap,  I fed her and decided to keep her and today she is our new favourite, reclining on our bed like a queen, eating only Royal Canine and travelling with us to Malacca every weekend. She's smart and very mischievous though very shy with strangers. The moment she hears a stranger's voice, she'd burrow under the bedclothes and stay there until whoever it is has left. Of all the cats she's the one Repin looks for when he comes home as she's the one who will play with him. If he teases her with his foot, she sometimes runs after him to try and bite back. But her bites are loving ones and never hurt.

A very playful Ginger

Chi Chi is the beauty. She's quiet and a bit shy and very proud. She never comes to you - you have to take her if you want to pet her, although in the wee hours of the morning she'll come and sit on my tummy and knead. Like Ginger she's smart. Once I caught her trying to catch a frog in the garden. The frog had gone behind some furniture. She quickly went to the other side and waited for the frog to turn up and when it did she flicked it with her paw. Of course I quickly caught her by this time and told her not to play with frogs. She looked as if she understood but when I put her down, she went back to her game of leap frog.

Both Momo and Karupin live to eat and sleep. Like most Persians and males they'll only hang around you if they want something from you - normally food. Otherwise they can't be seen anywhere. In the day they are either behind the couch or outside on the balcony sleeping the day away.

Chi Chi, our beauty queen