Kiti-kissan tarina suomeksi * * * Another version in English
This page was first time created in 2002, then several times during the years in Singapore and Australia and also after our ways had parted.
Kitti cat lived several years in Australia, her last 10 years in Cairns, Queensland. She passed away due to cat flue in July 2017. I met her the last time in 2013.
My story, as I and my current family can know and remember it, starts in an HDB housing estate in Punggol, North-East Singapore. One evening in the mid March 2002 when she was coming home from work she saw a little black and white kitten approaching passing by people begging for food and company.
She took that about two months old kitten to her home, brought her to vet for vaccination and deworming. It's me ... I charmed everybody by being friendly, sociable, playful.
Elsewhere there was an expat boy brought to Singapore from other corner of the earth. He spend most of his days and often also nights in ice-cold server farms doing server installations, maintenance, upgrades, fixing disk problems, networking problems. He was tired and freezing, quite lost in the middle of the new world and culture he was brought in. But he was excited and convinced that there was something for him here and he is going to stay here a bit longer than just 6 months. He is considering taking a cat to live with him in the big condo apartment and bring some humanity in this tough lifestyle here.
She has already one cat in her home and her family is not very happy about having cats in their flat. So she thinks she cannot keep this kitten allthough she wants to. A colleague takes some pictures of the kitten. She puts an ad to message board of the Singapore expats web site. "A black kitten looking like the Sylvester cat for adoption". He sees it the same day but doesn't react. Thinks to get a cat later.
Thursday March 28th before easter was a day off for him. He took a long walk in Bedok reservoir burning his head and thinking about his life. He remembered the ad from previous weekend and decided to ask if the black kitten is still available.
Next day he found the ad again and sent e-mail to the person:
Hi, I saw your ad on expat board on the kitten. Did she already find a home. If not my condo appartment in Kembangan would be a possible solution for that. pls contact xxxx@yyyy.zz or call 92780
She telephoned him soon and told the kitten is still available and promised to send photos of it by e-mail at once. Soon he got two pictures and the letter saying here are the images of the kitten - if you take her and am not sure how to care for her - I will help you.
He called her back and told he wants to take the kitten but needs help and advice in taking care of it I am new to Singapore. I don't know how to set up aircon for a cat ... They agreed about delivery after about one hour.
Well, here I am in my new home. I am a brave cat, not scared, can adjust easily. Thoug not very nice when she put me into cage and took me here by bus with her niece. He met us in the bus stop near Kembangan MRT. We came here and they let me out. He was a bit worried about me scratching his landlady's furniture. Well, just a little bit ... when he won't see. They left me here and went away to Pet Safari in Simei to get me some food and pine cat litter.
He came back home and started entertaining me. I decided to pay him back the fun and made a nice little poo on the kitchen floor. That didn't make him happy so I decided not to do it anymore but use the special toilet he had prepared for me in his bathroom.
In the first night, after midnight when we both were sleeping already she telephoned and asked how I am.
Soon after I had settled down I discovered I am now a nerds cat. So I decided to start sharing his interest to technology. At least there are enough cables to play with. Though I am not very happy. He is far too much away from me. Usually he leaves home straight after sunrise and comes back when it has been completely dark for a while already. I love taking a nap but sometimes they become too long. I am sure also he doesn't enjoy such a busy life style.
Sometimes I cause him trouble by jumping on the keyboard on his computer. That's just to remind him who should get most of his attention. I don't like to get neglected when he gets up at five a clock and spends more than an hour on his computer by e-mailing to her. I miss her too and try to key in my message to her like pppppppppppppsssssssssdd&&&&&&&&. She has been so good to me though I didn't like her cutting my nails.
To be a young kitty I have seen quite many brands of motherboards, memory chips, hard disks... Mostly there is at least one computer under construction in our place. Once I jumped into an open casing that was on the table. It dropped on the floor making a huge noice. I dropped with it I hurt my leg badly. I got scared and was hiding from him the whole night. Luckily the next day was our regular visit to a vet. He checked my leg and said it's ok. Just gave him some antibiotic tablets to hide in my food. Better not to tell him whether he managed to cheat me to eat them or not.
Later my man put much effort in protecting his keyboard from me. He doesn't like at all me jumping on it. On the other hand he likes me far too much to be really mad at me or stop me coming near him and getting my part of his attention. He needs to use all his creativity to reconstruct his office furniture to be more friendly to me. Sometimes it works like here. I can be near him and his keyboard but he can do his work.
That little thing is called a mouse. He tends to touch it more than me so I got an idea how to get some extra pets from him.
Printer is noisy and funny. Every time he is using it I rush to the place and try tp help him get the paper out, and to get some extra prints on the paper.
Kitchen is interesting place in this apartment. There is a balkony attached to it where I can climb to the edge and see out over the condo and nearby mrt station. And so much to explore inside. My food is also here.
I like playing with water, chasing it when it runs from the tab, chasing soap bubbles, just exploring and touching.
Much more water fun can get in the bathroom.
On May 7th and 8th he was all mine, didn't go to work but stayed in bed with me all day long, though coughing and sneezing alot. I was happy about it anyway. Got enough food and enough company.
Someone we already know? One day on mid May 2002 there were 4 of us. 3 stray cats were offered home in our house. Fortunately 2 of them got adopted the following day.
One of the strays was staying and I had to share my food with him. No problem, I eat faster than him so there'll be enough food for me. To be honest I learned to like that little boy so much. We were good company to each other since both of us are so sociable and playful. During those two months Arto stayed with us I was so happy having all the time somebody to be with. Then he was given a new home. That was the original plan. Though have to say giving him away was hard for all of us.
One day in the end of May there were 3 of us. Lolitha, the cat which whom I spent part of my childhood in Punggol, came in and mostly was just hiding and hissing to us for the week she was in the house. I am sure if she would have stayed longer we would have got along very well and she would have started to feel herself at home here. Anyway she was just visiting while her woman was traveling.
Seems that I really have to get used to the idea that there will be guests at dinner time too. Just get me bigger cups and everything will be all right.
See how he has tuned his computer table to protect the keybaord from me. I am smart enough to use all my means to get where I want.
Looks romantic? Actually I am just watching birdies ... Now I can tell I saw them together very often. Often she got much more of his attention than me. And sometimes she was cutting my nails... yikes!
In August we moved to a small room and in September we moved to another small room.
Now in my bed there are two pairs of feet. The second pair appeared after they had spent a week away and I was fed by a neighbour. Soon the cat from my childhood appeared here as well. Now we are living together four of us.
My sister Lolitha is a very nice cat. What I don't like in her is that she is not so playful than I am. Actually often she doesn't want anybody to come near her. Sometimes, though, she takes part in the game and runs with me around the room chasing each other.
Little by little we are getting used to each other's habits, just like our humans are doing too.
October 12th was their post wedding party day. tough day for Lolitha and me. We were harassed by lots of cats and lots of people. We had to spend most of the day in cages. But I was left out a couple of times for a walk and play with children. That was important day for our humans so we could take the discomfort.
Monk Geshela with us in MettaCattery
October 2002: A sick autoimmune cat was staying with us one night and morning before going to see a vet. She was meowing all night. We were hiding from her but when I visited the litter box I saw him and was hissing to him a bit, just to make it sure ...
November 19th 2002. We were put into cages and were sent to Australia. We arrived in the morning of Nov 20th in a quarantine station in Sydney. Meanwhile, until they arrive here Posh will be taking care of our humans in Singapore.
We were brought to Sydney by a pet moving company. At first we had to spend several hours in a car and in the airport. He had caught us in the middle of our regular afternoon activities and put into new cages (IATA standard) that he had bought for us. We had to travel in separate cages also in the airplane. And we had to travel as cargo. It was a bit cold and dark there. The pet moving company didn't give us any bedding so we were all wet of our drinking water and our own pee when we arrived to Australia several hours later. From the airport we were brought to Eastern Creek quarantine station. It's not a bad place at all. At first we were given a bath since we were smelling of pee because of our flight conditions. Then we met each other again. We were allowed to share a cage during our 4 week stay in the station. Cage is big enough. A human being can come in and stand there, or sit down if they want. There are metal ladders for us to climb into the iglu that has a heater. Or we can continue climbing up to the roof where there is a place to sit and watch the environment: other cats, dogs and horses of the quarantine station. Of course at first we didn't know what to do but were only hiding in the iglu. Lolitha still keeps hiding most of the time. That's what she does everywhere anyway.
And then on a tuesday afternoon two humans just popped in to our cage. Those that I know and those that Lolitha knows also. They came and stayed for a while. Then they went away. And they came again after a couple of days. "Kitti you are in Australia, you lucky cat!". That's what she told me, "so many Singaporean stray cats would be happy being with you now ... ".
And then December 19th, aftr 4 weeks in the Eastern Creek Quarantine station. Good bye Lani! and thank you for being so good to me and Lolitha! They put us in cages again, terrible suffering during taxi ride but not so long as in the airplane. Soon we're at home. He has prepared a fenced outdoor area for us. There we can sit and watch birds. And again we can sleep in a real bed!
Little by little we get used to outdoors. They say in the future we will be able to walk free in the garden of our house and chase birds ... What a sad surprise, to prevent us catching birds we got new collars with little bells. When I approach a bird my little bell keeps ringing and tells the bird I am coming. It gives him too much time to escape. What a cruel trick! It took me around 4 days to get used to my bell. At first I didn't want to move at all and hear that announing ring.
kitti and lolitha are really very fortunate cats..lots of positive karma sprouting for them. said Tenzin to them in his e-mail about their cats.
Almost lost hope soon after my first birthday. We were put again into cages and brought to airport almost half day in noisy places and dark airplane. We saw them only shortly before we had to spend two days in a cattery with lots of strange cats and dogs and humans.
And them That's our new home in a little country town. A big house and a garden. Indeed, a cat is fortunate when she can climb in trees of her own garden, chase birds, toads and Insects, explore new home with her sister cat. There is lots of space for all four of us. There is a fenced yard. There are dogs and cats as neighbours - scary but exciting... We live in tropics again. Sometimes it's too hot in the afternoon and hard to find cool enough places for Siesta. We all are tired of travelling and look forward to settle down and have a peaceful life here.
March 29th 2003 we were celebrating the first anniversary of meeting each other ie. I arranged those two together. I have grown a lot during this year. Just compare the pictures of me in the kitchen sink. Sinks above and here on the left are around the same size.
I've got to know some other cats here. There are lots of us in the neighbuorhood. A cat almost in every house and ... yes, those scary monsters ... I guess have to get used to them too ... keeping on trying See one of them here .
That's my new sister, as they say, Bluey, the Red Heeler. Latest member of our family. I have learned to live with her, even kind of want to play with her too but don't know how to do that. She's so big and noisy anyway and doesn't speak my language. And yuck, she poos just everywhere without covering...
And this then. By some guests i am called tuxedo cat and he's called pajamas cat. He just started hanging around in our front yard where me and Lolitha are allowed to walk free whenever we want. Then we found out this nice boy being from a house nearby. His name is Spartacus. Often he eats with us and plays with us too. Our favourite spot is under a tree where our people have their bird feeling place. Birds we see every day but some nights funny creatures come to eat the bird food. A bit like cats but not. Well, they are called possums.
Recently we have heard some sad cat news from Singapore
Remember Posh. Actually I never met him because he was living in our place for only a few days after I had left Singapore for Australia. I heard much of him. Now he is dead. They say he was a very nice cat despite his untypical look. We all are happy that he was loved and not forgotten, thanks to those good cat people in Singapore and their loving kindness. Posh you can see on the left here. On the right there is that little car park cat that my people rescued and found a new home for him in Sebastian's house. She has been in good care. Now her name is Patches and she's a mother!.
And the most sad news. There was that SARS panic in Marc/May 2003. As a result Singaporean goverment started to execute stray cats. They culled thousands of them. Most likely many brothers and sisters, cousins and other relatives of mine and Lolitha, Patches, Posh and all the cats that attended our Wedding party in the Cattery have been murdered.
We were living in that house for a year, it means half of my life so far. Then on one sunny saturday afternoon shortly after my second birthday they packed us 3 cats in cages and drove us away. Spartacus had became our cat since his people had abandoned him, just moved away without saying a word! Luckily we didn't have to stay in the car or cages for a long time. They freed us in a new place. There was an old wooden cottage full of interesting smells. A big yard that we have to share with Bluey dog. Behind the fence there are more trees, a creek, cows but not much other houses to visit. Lolitha was hiding under the sofa and arm chairs the first 2 weeks. Me and spartacus adjusted much more easily. Sparky as we call him sometimes enjoys long walks. Me and sparky enjoy following our man for a walk in nearby pastures when the cows are somewhere else. Unfortunately the dog keeps following him everywhere. And I kind of never learned to really like that big panting creature that comes and sticks his nose into my butt and wants to chase me.
A bit further in the bush there are dangerous creatures ... we can hear them at night. They sound like dog howling though they don't bark. People call them dingos. They have killed some cows and dogs here around. We cats try to be too fast for them and don't go away from trees and bushes.
May 2004. The Man built a new house for his chooks. Not for me, blah! Anyway, try this a little bit. Sitting on those funny round things the chooks make. Hmmmm ... wouldn't I make a good mother hen ?!
June 2004. Now there are four of us as you can see int he picture. Non of us three like this little beast they brought in the house. Misu, he is friends with the dog though so tiny. They play and run together and smell each other. He's trying to worm himself into his and her heart. He gets far too much their attention.
I have protested and showed them if it stays I will leave the house and start living in the bush. I see them getting worried when I don't come home at night and jump into their bed. Though then I get hungry and come home in the morning and sleep near them in a chair. Though I have managed to stay away for two days and two nights just hiding in the bushes nearby.
My 4th birthday in the beginning of 2006. I'm an old lazy overweight indoor cat. Hardly interested in anything else than eating and sleeping. My favourite sleeping place is on top of his huge computer monitor. It's warm, and it allows me to be close to him. I just hope he won't go flat screen very soon.
Also I still like to sleep in their bed with them and suck his arm like a little baby. And I still don't like Misu. Lolitha doesn't like him either but Spartacus sometimes plays with him. I sometimes play with Spartacus and he likes it. Lolitha still doesn't like anybody though sometimes she lets me lick her.
By the way, he has put some video of me to the Google video pages. and later on Youtube.
Yes, we are no more living in that cute old country house but we live in a town suburb again. That's what we are sad about. All of us liked that country place. Anyway, because of his work we had to move to a town. Us, cats, were locked in small cages for about 4 hours and we had to travel in a car. Just before we were supposed to start our journey I managed to escape from my cage. I run and climbed into the huge mango tree. It took them a while to lure me back.
My 5th birthday in the beginning of 2007. I am still the same overweight lazy cat, his big baby that wants to be near him all the time. Every ear there has been a big change in our life. Once a year we have moved to live in another place. I have already got used to it and so have the other cats in the family I think.
In July last year we moved to a new place. Our first own house as they say. I started going out more often. That was because there were no dogs in my sight. The dogs were locked in the back yard.
And then my 6th birthday more than a month before the Chinese New Year in 2008. Nothing special really. I have mostly been sleeping and eating again. Very rarely I bother doing anything else. Except every time something new appears in the house I'll explore it. Once in last ear he started building walking platforms for us ... well, mostly for Misu and Lolitha. Well, I'm too heavy already to jump down ...
My 7th birthday. We live in the house with a big garden. I spend most of my time alone in a small room. Sadly, I am not the centre of attention in this house, that has been so many years already. There are those 3 other cats and 2 dogs. With most of them I am not friends: Misu cats bullies all the other cats, the dogs are too scare for me to even walk past, Spartacus and Lolitha cats usually walk their own paths and do not care about company of other cats. He is busy, and so is her. If they are home they spend time with other animals.
