My tabbies sink to long, uninterrupted naps in my bathroom sink. :)

Saw this sign next door to mine during a stay at The Regent, Singapore.

Kitty Tita spots a squirrel!

These were taken at the San Francisco Botanical Garden.

Polpot

World, say hello to Polpot.

Born: June 06, 2011
Mother: Molly
Father: Miki
Grandpa: Chong
Grandma: Chang
Uncle: Miki!
Aunts: Maki, Mochi

I spy a penguin!

Where did the penguin go?

Penguin gone, will rest my big head...

The Cat Serial Killer from U.P.

This is Tengteng. She needs you to visit .thepetitionsite.com/102/Justice-for-Tengteng and sign up.

A student from the University of the Philippines stomped a kitten to death in the university grounds in plain view of other students and lived to tell the gruesome story in his blog. It happened almost two years ago, and it looks like I'm the last cat-lover to know.

The only consolation in not knowing right away is it delayed my sadness for the poor kitten. She was a stray named Tengteng and she died in a very painful way because Joseph Carlo Candare, a BS Physics major of the UP College of Science, is among the many misfit people in this country who exercise cruelty to animals on a daily basis.

I'm not shocked to read opposing reactions online. Many were so angry at the crime committed. Yes crime, because there's a Philippine law that is supposed to punish such vicious acts against animals. Yet there are others who call for compassion for who they say is an obviously sick person who needs help. And, as I expected, there'll be those who would defend Candare by quoting the Bible (he who has not sin cast the first stone, etc.) or by calling the kitten's sympathizers as hypocrite meat eaters.

The UP Student Disciplinary Tribunal in its two-page decision dated November 5, 2009 already dismissed the complaint filed by animal rights advocates led by the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) against Candare. There's still, however, a criminal case that PAWS filed and now pending for resolution at the QC Prosecutor's Office.

Candare, one of the country's scholars, apparently has issued a public apology. The one he should really apologize to is dead, so his apology really won't make things right. The utmost damage is done.

He and his sympathizers should not play the "I'm a troubled person who is so misunderstood and judged" card so he could get away with murder. Must he crush animals to death to get people to help him?

How could someone blogged boisterously about killing small and innocent creatures then turn around behaving like the meek kitten he just killed to get himself pardoned?

Many would want to believe there's a deep psychological reason behind Candare's actions. I hope they don't deny the fact that some people are just plain cruel and evil.

There are many Candares in this country. They hurt and kill animals brutally and senselessly. If they all cite their questionable psychological state as their excuse for harming animals, cats and dogs in particular, and we simply accept it and feel bad for them more than for the animals they victimized, then the fools just made us the bigger fools.

My incredibly handsome tabbies

I can't believe that I have never made an entry for the two most handsome tabbies I raised -- Peter & Julius. I am still beating myself over this major oversight and I can only hope this long-due post about them could somehow make up for it.

Peter & Julius or PJ for short are my beautiful orange tabbies. Genetics have it that most orange tabbies are male and PJ are no exceptions to that rule. They will turn four years old next month, or 28 in cat years but they will forever be my babies.

Peter has the sweeter face and I think he's the Alpha of the two. He loves to cuddle up and to sit on my chest or tummy. During those times, I've learned to anticipate his pink paws touching my chin or his face coming within kissing distance to my lips. He also sometimes use his big lovely head to bump my face.

Peter also loves the computer. He enjoys watching my fingers type on the keyboard and would sometime put his head on my wrist as I type. His head would bob in different directions as I hit different keys, but it doesn't bother him. He also loves the fact that the computer emits heat to warm him up.

Peter is not war-freak. He is simply very sweet, but he could be a real sourpuss at times as he easily gets jealous of other cats that I own. But he is really perfect in many ways that I call him "Peterrific".

Julius is the more full-bodied, clever and territorial tabby. He is really big, heavy and muscular which prompt people to remark how he's the size of a small dog. Definitely he is bigger than toy dogs. He is not much of a lap cat because he is simply a non-conformist. He does his own thing or things, which make him truly unique.

For one, Julius obeys my verbal commands like no other cat I know. He comes when I say "come here" and when he does, he usually would sit up straight in front of me and start half-raising one of his front legs to touch me. He melts me when he does this and makes me forget how he's also my most stubborn cat. He is also the first cat to learn how to use door bells. You see, I have small wind chimes and door bells on every door knobs to help me know the comings and goings of people. I didn't intend it for cat's use. But Julius taught me it's also to be his tool to let me know he wants to get in or out of a room. Soon, by his example, the other cats are also pawing the door bells when they want to leave a room.

But J can be a real pain -- literally and figuratively. I am truly sorry for the cats he doesn't grow to like. With his size, he could really hurt my other cats. Also, his over territorial manner makes him spray anywhere and everywhere. He's already been neutered so science has no cure for him anymore except for drugs with no real therapeutic claims. But despite his quirks, J or JJ is up there in the hierarchy of cats I love.

I have more things to say about these two tabbies, but for now I am happy to introduce and include them in this blog.

I am Mochi. How do you like me now?

This is Mochi, the sole survivor from Chang's second unwanted pregnancy. She became quite independent much earlier than her four-month older siblings. She quickly learned to answer the call of nature where nature is, meaning the garden -- the grassy areas to be exact. I remember that despite being still too small to wander, Mochi's little legs couldn't resist the outdoors. She would tumble and fall on the way to the garden, but that didn't deter this little, feisty munchkin.

Everybody loves Mochi. Everyone in her family likes washing her and playing with her. She's a glutton, though. But maybe because her bigger siblings invaded her "feeding time" with her mom, stealing milk that should be only hers to begin with. Being smaller also probably made her realize she must be more aggressive than necessary if she wants to sleep with a full tummy.

This photo was taken to commemorate her first Christmas.Her ribbon collar has one red ornament. She has tons of pictures by now but this one seems to capture both her sweetness and naughtiness at the same time. She is my Mochi Ball and smooching her is my latest passion. :)