SALEM

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Salem

It has been a while since I last blogged about Salem. He is still very much the same in his own nutty bubbly sort of way. Though with a few much not needed winter bounds.

I think he has gotten very used to the camera of late as it’s SO easy to get great shots of him now.


Isn’t that the cutest, most handsome face you’ve ever seen….

Ok, so I’m slightly biased, but you’ve got to admit. He is quite a looker…








*wide smile*

Girly night out and a not too jolly cat

So last Friday. A bunch of friends and I got together for a girly night out of jazzed up vietnamese, ice-cream, giggles, and lots of laughs. It is sooOOooOOooo nice to be able to just hang out and talk about everything and nothing. We eventually managed to tear ourselves apart and headed home just before we turn into little pumpkins.

By the time I got home. The husband was already half asleep and the house felt absolutely peaceful. Except for Salem who kept following me around with a half unapproved, half sobby stare. *haha*

Salem

Salem is a bright cat. Not necessarily a genius but he sure as hell is shrewd and knows how to whine his way out of a fix. Since he was a tottling kitten, we had trained him to be house friendly - which translates to : no chewing of shoes, no scratching of any items besides his scratching post, no consumption of any forms of human food whatsoever (due to his urinal tract disease condition), no sleeping on our bed (unless the unfortunate occasions he gets shut in unintentionally). And NO sleeping on the lounge. To which he very conveniently chooses to ignore despite the many “refresher course” we put him through.











So. As usual. I caught the little bugger relaxing away on our cream white lounge yesterday night. Upon being sprung, he immediately deplored his escape contingency plan of faint whining and fetus curling. Followed by a soft paw reflecting of my punishing smack. I have seen this act way too many times. But it is always Oh. So. Darn. Cute. I had to let out a giggle. Which is his sign of “yeah yeah.. you’re off the hook.”

He calmly stood up, gave himself a really good arched stretch, bounced off the lounge and curled up on the floor.

I of course gave him a good night cuddle. Muffled a weak “bad cat”. And left him to his own devise for the night.

I so have myself to blame.

Salem

A friend of mine email me a really lovely picture she took of Salem during Mel's bday party. Usually it's really hard to get a decent shot of him. He's either moving about, looking absolutely bored and disinterested (as all cats do) or too "black". Thus my pictures of him are usually blurry, angry or a black spot.

Could you just see the makes-u-wanna-pinch-something cuteness in his face. And those innocently navie green eyes that makes you go all mushy.

*Beaming proud owner*

Cyber Salem

Meet my cyber adopted cat Salem (scroll down). You could play with him, pat him, and feed him. He even reciprocates with a meow.

To adopt your very own cyber pet. Go to Bunny Hero Labs.

Oh. And does anyone know how I might fix my alignment problem??

Cat Fight

A cold wet night after dinner. Mel and I were settling in for a quiet night of dvds and hot mugs of tea.

“Burr... Salem, u wanna come snuggle on my lap?”

Blank stares at my bath robe……

“Salem…. you want to come sit with me instead….??”

“You know he will come to me. He loves this bath robe!….”

Mel starts to slowly lean back and folded his legs to make a basket like well…

Salem inches forward… Totally aware of what’s happening….

“Here… let me carry you up here.”

“Hey I called him first!!”

“But he loves me more!!!”

“That’s not true!! He’s not purring. Let him choose. Let go!”

“Ouch”

“Here… Come here Salem”

He jumped off the couch and onto his stretching post and gave us both a disapproving stare.

“Now look what you’ve done Melvin. …. He’s just staring at us now…”

“What??!”

Salem

Salem had recently developed tiny crystals in his bladder. It got to the point that it prevented him from going to the toilet and made him really irritable and uncomfortable.

I sent him to the vet and they did all sorts of things to get him to wee normally again. The hardest thing to vision was the catheter, which they inserted through his “manhood” to drain out the urine from his bladder. The final option if that didn’t work was to go through an operation that will literally transform him into a girl. Arg. It was not a pretty sight.

Anyhow. He managed to escape the operation but the poor thing spent a week in the hospital and managed to rack up a hefty bill of $1031.00.

AARRGGG!!!

I swear. If he clogs up again, we are renaming him Jessy.

Salem's new roomy

Mr Jangles has been with us for over 2 weeks now. He is an incredibly gentle and mild mannered cat. And compared to our weird, quirky black monkey, he is an angel.

Only thing.

He will not stop eating Salem’s dinners!!!!

I’ve tried everything!

Feeding Salem something Mr Jangles is not accustomed to. Doesn’t work.

Watching them eat. Salem never finishes his food in one hit, so that meant I have to sit and watch Mr Jangles devour his, and than stand guard while Salem leisurely waltzes in and out of the laundry taking little nibbles at each go. ARG!

Smacking. Not enough to deter him…. Double ARG!

Feeding him more so he stays clear of the other bowl. Double whammy. He finishes his own huge dinner and continues on to Salem’s for desert!!!

I give up! Just have to secretly sneak snacks and nibbles to the little black guy for now.

Shoe laces and a broken ring

It has been almost a week since we put Salem under house arrest. He seems to be coping well besides the outburst sporadic meowing [which thankfully only happens whenever we open the balcony sliding doors].

Poor thing.

I have to admit. There was a little burden of guilt brewing in me. And I was beginning to get a little worried what this new captive life style will do to him.

So in fear of causing any bad and irreversible damage to his “catly” instinct and agility. I began my search around the apartment for a new toy that he could play with. In hope of re-invigorating his little mind.

I never believed in buying those expensive cat toys. The only toys we ever bought Salem were;
- His all time favourite little stuffed blue mouse
- A knitted ball
- And his scratching post.

The rest of his play pan collectibles consist of used present ribbons. An old shoelace. An old tennis ball. Used M&M candle figurine containers. Little vibrating pull out toys I bought from Brisbane Victoria markets years ago. Paper bags. AND. His favourite “hanging-around-the-kitchen- pass-time” toy. Rolled up plastic bags.

After much scrummaging through my bathroom cabinet. I stumbled upon my old spiral ring that I had bought from Paddington’s market a year ago. It was once my trophy possession. I never left home without it. Till it snapped one day.

So today. It became Salem’s new toy.

He absolutely and utterly fell in love with it!!

He was smacking it around the bathroom floor. Pushing it under doors. Carried it around the apartment. And his most ingenious self invented game ever. Bathtub ring hockey. How funny!

I tied the ring to his old shoelace. And for the very first time. Managed to catch his attention for a good whole 30 mins!

For fear that he may gradually get bored with his new toy. I decided to put a stop to this new obsession and kept his new toy for another day.

He glared at me unapprovingly and resumed his meowing at open balcony doors.

There’s no winning is there.... arg.

Under house arrest

Salem is a domestic short hair. A well accustom pet for the indoor living. So when we got him. We decided that was what he was going to be. An indoor cat.

After moving into our apartment. We installed a cat door so he could go into the balcony. And that was as far away from home as he gets. Besides the neighbour’s balcony next to us.

Last night. He discovered how to leap into the balcony of the neighbour above us. And from there. He discovered the stairwell. And the “WORLD”.

Only problem. He did not discover how to get back.

I was scared shitless for 10mins while he went on his disappearing act. After much calling and waving his favourite treat in the air. I spotted him from our balcony. Roaming around the creek looking absolutely lost.

I ran out of the apartment into the stairwell and called out to him. He ran towards me. Meowing away.

My heart melted. I felt like an irresponsible parent.

After feeding him his dinner and giving him many hugs and kisses. And his largest ration of treats ever.

The little brat went out into the balcony and attempts to “escape” again!

He is SO under house arrest.

Don't let the cat out of the bag

My little cat has a HUGE fetish for paper bags.









The minute the contents of the bag are cleared. He will be right in there.

Jumping in. Leaping out. Pulling and chasing it around. AND his little tug of war with the strings.

I managed to get a couple of shots of his silly little contented face. Growling away at his victory.

How cute.

Obsession

My cat has recently developed an obsession with my potted plants.

For the past 2 months. We have been trying in vain to stop him from digging up our lime tree, chilli plants and succulents. AND eating the chives.

We tried everything. Cut limes, sprays, citrus jelly, metal racks. Nothing seems to work!

I come home everyday to find my poor plants uprooted and laying helplessly around the balcony. My chives have never grown taller than 1cm!

We already lost 2 chilli plants. And if I have to sweep the balcony one more time! Grr

Does anyone have any handy tips I could use???? Help!!!

Love holds no boundaries

It is valentine's day.

To the delight of my husband [I'm sure], I have never really bought into this "day of professing ones love" celebration. It is just another ploy by those multibillion retail giants to squeeze an extra buck or two from us mere mortals.

I did however caved and bought my cat a gourmet cat feast. He gratefully purred away as I pealed open the simmering gold foil and served up a nice juicy salmon steak.

After dinner. He reciprocated by curling up on my lap.

Now that's true love..... isn't it??