My visit to Langkawi LASSie & Mr CrankyPants update

I went to the beautiful island of Langkawi for 5 days and 4 nights to volunteer at the Langkawi Animal Shelter & Sanctuary Foundation (LASSie). This wonderful place is run by someone that some of you may remember, the very special N, that sponsored all of Molly and Conan's food and medical care. I haven't mentioned Molly for a long time. You all know she is a very painful subject for me. I don't talk about her but there are reminders of her everywhere, even at the top of this blog! I will never change that picture. She is the background image on my computer and on my phone. Her collar and tag hangs in my room along with Tony Montana's. Every time I see a dog and a cat that are in love, my heart aches. I ran away from the world of animal rescue for a while. After Molly passed away, I avoided people that knew her. I didn't want anyone to ask me about her. I wanted to pretend that she never existed. I thought I could erase that whole period of my life. Because of this, I didn't see N for a very long time.

A few weeks ago I ran into her at my neighbor MK's husband's awesome cafe The Bee. MK is Mr C's other foster mummy btw.. sometimes I call her 8th Floor in this blog. I can't keep track of all the little nicknames I give people here. Anyway, Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better (MDDB) was having an adoption drive at The Bee that day. I was very happy to see N and it was great talking to her again. She knew better than anyone else what I went through with Molly, the struggle and my pain and she had always been a great help to us. We talked about my darling Molly and I was quite surprised to find that all the sadness I had supressed was still there. I had to keep my voice from shaking as we spoke and fight hard to hold back the tears that threatened to spill out. Who knew that the wound was still so raw and fresh? I thought I was over that. We continued to communicate after that accidental meeting and I asked N about LASSie. She invited me to come over and check it out for a few days. I hopped on the first flight the next morning and headed to Langkawi.

I had a great time there and met many wonderful like-minded people. We spent our days walking dogs, cleaning cages, and hanging out with the cats in the cattery. LASSie is part of N's Bon Ton and Temple Tree resorts. These are the most animal-friendly resorts in Malaysia. The majority of the animals are in the shelter and sanctuary but staff favorites are all over the resort. In the restaurants, offices, inviting themselves into the rooms, all glowing with health and well-being. There's something therapeutic and calming about seeing all this animal contentment everywhere. I'll be back very soon. Check them out at http://www.langkawilassie.org.my and like them on facebook.
Beautiful marsh teeming with life surrounds Bon Ton, Temple Tree, and Langkawi LASSie.
Beautiful sunsets.
Peace.
Pupparoo!
One-eyed Leo
Milo and Mocha in the Bon Ton restaurant.
Mocha. She thinks a lot.
Milo only likes me because I gave her a taste of cheesecake.
I love Mocha! She looks so serious.
Short like my Spike.
Couch cat is on this couch all day every day.
Gizmo's a little turd with Napoleon complex but he's one of my favorites.
He's got a bum leg that doesn't bend but he loves his walkies.
A temple tree room kitty
Another Temple Tree kitty
JJ the Temple Tree club house pooch.
One-eyed Ginge from the cattery.
A Bon Ton restaurant kitty.
Couch cat again. She's got the most comfy spot.
Another Temple Tree kitty.


As for Mr CrankyPants, he decided while I was away that he was tired of indoor life. On the day I was supposed to return, MK, who was feeding my monsters while I was was away, texted me and informed me that he was nowhere to be found in my apartment! The little shit had jumped off the balcony into the garden and gone back to the parking lot. He's back to hanging out at our cars and he's happy as a clam. I guess you can try to take the carpark out of the cat, but you can't take the cat out of the carpark. I still want him rehomed though. I don't feel its really safe for him out there.

Mr CrankyPants - New glamour shots

Showing us his most innocent 'Puss in Boots' face.
Blue Steel.
The Tigra.
In profile. Showcasing his stripes.
Someone emailed me through his petfinder profile today. Let's hope they're serious and maybe something comes out of this. It's not easy to find 3 year old mackerel tabbies permanent homes. Everyone wants kittens! But i gotta say, and not just because I'm biased, if you know what you're doing, you'll choose a pet based on personality, not age and looks. When it comes to personality Mr C wins hands down! I really hope someone gives him a chance to show them how sweet he is.

Leo The Lionhearted, Mimi the blind Shih-Tzu, Blackie Baghs, Mr Crankypants and me.

A few four-legged lovelies have drifted in and out of my life these last few weeks and each has left their little pawprint on my heart. First there was Leo. He was rescued and fostered by the ladies of KL Pooch Rescue and when they went out of town I took over for a bit. He wasn't with me long but I fell deep in love with him. Leo was paralyzed in one leg and had a huge gash in his neck. His carers were sooooo hardcore they got him an acupuncturist and a physiotherapist. At first the vets thought nerve damage was probably causing his paralysis but the physiotherapist had another theory and she was right. She encouraged his carers to have him x-rayed for a dislocated hip and guess what.... holy sheet.. she was right. And the best part? A dislocated hip is totally fixable!! So he had surgery immediately but because he hadn't been using the leg for so long, he didn't really know how to use it anymore. He was used to having a dead leg. Anyway I digress... I just wanted to share his time with me. So he arrived at my place the night of his surgery day. The poor boy was groggy and confused and in pain. I immediately made sure he was sufficiently hopped up on pain pills and comfortable. Hey, if the doctor gives you painkillers, take them! That's my motto! :P Why abstain and be all healthy and suffer? This lovely dog is so sweet, so good-natured, and mellow he didn't make a sound the entire time he was with me. He lay down calmly on his bedding and even taught himself to pee and poop on the newspapers i laid out for him in the spare bathroom. He's a genius! I only had to show him once and he never had an accident in my apartment. He was so chill that the cats and Tamago soon got used to his warm presence and they would graciously help him clean his bowl after every meal. He would just eye them amiably and slip into siesta mode. Boy was i tempted to keep him. You know how i LOVE bigger dogs and Leo is freaking perfect! I had to keep slapping myself to remind myself that i live in a little apartment in a building that doesn't allow pets. When the KLPR ladies returned from their trip and picked him up I was soooooooo sad, as per usual :) Drama-rama.



Shortly after Leo left me, lil Mimi moved in. Poor Mimi. Her story is a real heartbreaker. Only about 4 years old she had been abandoned twice and you could see her spirit was broken. She was lost. My heart ached for her like you could not believe. She was abandoned by her first humans after losing sight in one eye due to glaucoma. I'm not sure what happened after that but the eye was removed. At some point she had to have surgery to connect her salivary glands to her tear ducts because her eyes were always terribly dry. My friend AC told me that the eye-dryness and glaucoma are congenital problems due to irresponsible breeding. After losing one eye, Mimi was abandoned :( She was rehomed by my friend and rescuer EN and it was supposed to happily ever after for her. Instead she started losing her vision in her remaining eye. Then her adopter decided she couldn't handle a blind dog and abandoned Mimi as well :( This i find ridiculous and inexcusable because a blind dog is not difficult to 'handle'. They compensate very well with their other senses and get around perfectly at home as long you don't rearrange your furniture or have a habit of leaving things lying around on the floor. Anyway, I don't wanna think about the stupid adopter. I just get pissed off. Mimi was being fostered by one of Paws Mission's main ladies but she had to go out of town for a while so I took over. Oh man, you should've seen Mimi when she thought that the fosterer had abandoned her as well. She made soft whining noises and moved around helplessly and blindly in fear and despair. It was awful. I held her close and tried to speak to her in a soothing voice but she was too upset. I think my heart broke that night looking at her. She wouldn't eat for days. I stopped feeding her kibble and canned dog food and prepared steamed chicken and liver for her every day. She seemed to like that at least and I gave her lots of treats. She got used to me and would sleep on my bed with me. She also got used to my apartment and could find her way around unaided. Still I wanted her fosterer to come back and get her. I knew she would feel so much better knowing that not all humans just ditch you when you're down. I wanted her to know that people care and when they go away a while, they do come back and that she was loved. I have a feeling her fosterer is going to keep her forever and i am very happy about this. Mimi is a little angel and so well-behaved.



On the day Mimi moved in with me little Blackie Bagheera was rescued by EN and she brought him to me for fostering. EN had like 8 dogs at her home at the time and a couple of them were potential cat-killers. Blackie was so tiny he looked like a snack. He stayed with me for a while then moved upstairs and lived with my neighbor MK but then moved back in with me when it was discovered the little grub had ringworm. His paws and tail were soon completely bald but he was as cute as ever. He also gave MK ringworm on her foot! When I went out of the country for 10 days, MK took him back and now he remains with her although I'm back. I think she's in love with him :P The fur he lost is growing back but lots of it is white.... Isn't that strange? The photo of him below was taken by EN on his rescue day. He's much bigger and fatter now and his eyes have changed color.
Mr CrankyPants from the Parking Lot Colony is back with me again. This time after a case of suspected poisoning. The management of the condo have been receiving lots more complaints about the cats and after what's happened, MK and I don't think its safe for our colony in the parking lot anymore, especially for Cranks who has become tame and is vulnerable to abuse. He's such a sweetie. I have never met a more affectionate cat. Its crazy to think that he used to be insane and feral. He's so sweet now he has to rub on me between mouthfuls of kibble. He can't just sit still and eat. He's also a hazard for accident-prone me because he keeps rubbing on my legs while i walk. I'm going to trip and break my neck. I can't do anything without him by my side asking for attention and head-butting me. Cranks and my cats aren't really getting along but they're not fighting either. They're ignoring each other and he sticks to me like glue for protection. Cranks is available for adoption to a good home. He is neutered and healthy and as sweet and loving as a dog. He's more affectionate than my dog Tamago I swear. Email me or leave a comment if you have any adoption inquiries.

Merry Christmas & update on my fosters & The Parking Lot Colony

Hola mis amigos!!
I haven't posted in agesssss and a good friend texted and said i shouldn't stop :) Thanks Eileen! I actually have tons to update on and that's kinda why I haven't... You know when you procrastinate until there's so much to do you don't know how to start tackling it? This is one of those things. I won't go into major details and verbal diarrhea like I usually do. Quick summary of everything alright peeps? Here we go.

Charlie is a 3 month old tuxedo kitten. He was rescued by a friend who found him while walking his dog. Charlie was tiny then, perhaps 6-7 weeks old and he had been tossed out in a shoe box. Luckily the dog sniffed him out and Charlie was rescued. He was very ill with a virus similar to Coccidia and Parvo but has since recovered after two weeks on two kinds of antibiotics. Charlie is ready for immediate adoption. So far, 5 separate parties have inquired about adopting him. Hopefully one of them will be awesome and Charlie can go to his forever home. Charlie is playful, affectionate, mischievous, and of course Uncle Fat Fat loves him and has been giving him lots of parental love.







Knut/Knutella is a 3-4 week old pure white kitten. Not sure if he's male or female hence the name options.. hahaha.. The little booger is named after Knut the hand-reared polar bear that passed away and also my favorite hazelnut spread Nutella :) I found him the Thursday before christmas in my condo parking lot. I suspect he may be one of The Parking Lot Colony Tortie's kittens since my neighbor MK and I have been unsuccessful at trapping and spaying her. The Tortie was pregnant and then I did not see her around for a week or two. When I found Knut he was under a car parked two spaces down from mine, all alone. He was extremely filthy, dehydrated, covered head to toe in fleas and had an eye infection although his eyes had not even opened yet. I hate fleas. They are such bastards and there were hundreds of them feasting on this little guy's body. *SHUDDER* soooo gross. they were even crawling all over his face and eyes. I itch now just thinking about them. It was touch and go the first couple of days. He refused bottle feeding and syringe feeding and you know how much i HATE hand-rearing. I wasn't sure Knut would make it. His appetite was shitty and he was weak. But the last couple of days he has started drinking more formula and his teeth have come in so I have started him on very soft mushy food as well. His eyes have cleared up and they are bright blue. I am pretty confident now that he will be ok and adoptable in about 2 months. The pictures below were taken the day I found him. He looks much better now!






Below, Knut on Christmas Day. The crud around his eyes is dried up discharge stuck in his fur. I didn't want to injure the little baby's eyes so just left crud there but you can see his blue eyes are clear and healthy :)



The Parking Lot Colony continues to be an epic meow-filled soap drama. The Ginger Tom is still scary, The Tortie is still scared of everyone and everything, Carpark Cat is back and in decent condition but still scared of the Ginger Tom and Mr CrankyPants. There is a new resident in the colony, I'll call her The Calico. Another female. ARGHHHHH!!!!!!! I hope she doesn't breed!!!!! She's a scaredy cat like The Tortie. Why are the females so hard to trap and spay? They are the ones MK and I reallyyyyy want to catch. No more kittens please :( I wonder where Knut's siblings are :((( Mr CrankyPants got the shit kicked out of him again while I was out of town. Much worse this time. Luckily for him his other mummy MK was around and took him to the vet. He had to stay there for a couple of nights and the wound was infected and required draining. After he was discharged from the vet, he stayed with MK for a couple of weeks at her apartment. His whole neck and chest area were raw, totally furless, and there was a huge puncture like a gaping hole in his neck going through to his shoulder. We don't know what happened. All the other cats in the colony are totally unscathed so it doesn't seem likely he fought with any of them. Anyway Cranks is the alpha male and the rest run at the sight of him, not stay and fight! Plus he was neutered after his last fight recently so I thought he'd be staying out of trouble... Below, a photo MK took him immediately after rescue. All that pink and red mess is exposed raw flesh :(

The Parking Lot Colony - Update on Mr CrankyPants

Cranks was released last Tuesday night with very little fanfare. He had calmed down a lot by then and allowed me to stuff him into a cat carrier for transportation from my apartment back to the parking lot. He was pretty freaked out about being stuck in such a small space and cried pitifully. When we got to my car, which is where he usually hangs out, I set the carrier down next to it and scooped a handful of kibble out onto the ground right in front of the carrier door in the hope that this would help him exit calmly. It worked! He stopped meowing immediately. I opened the door and he stepped out and buried his face in the food as if it was any other day. I was afraid he would bolt and never return once released but luckily he still trusts me. Since then we have returned to our usual routine and he is at my car every morning and evening waiting for his meals. He has suddenly decided that he is in love with me and keeps trying to follow me back into the building. This morning he even ignored his food and jumped into my car as I was about to leave for work! What is happening?? Has Mr CrankyPants suddenly become Mr CuddlyPants??? Perhaps be is adoptable after all! Any takers? He is a very handsome grey tabby, neutered and ready to go!

No luck yet with the others in the colony. I have seen and fed The Tortie and The Ginger Tom but there is still no sign of Carpark Cat :( I hope he's ok wherever he is.

The Parking Lot Colony

Four neurotic felines make up the feral colony in my condo parking lot. Each one is crazy in his/her own unadoptable way. They are fed and looked after by my upstairs neighbor MK who has been feeding them for years and now by me as well after I moved in a year ago. The cats in the colony are Carpark Cat, The Tortie, Mr CrankyPants, and the Ginger Tom.

I have only gotten to know (and photograph) Mr Crankypants and the Ginger Tom. Carpark Cat and The Tortie are super duper scared of all humans except MK. I can't even get near them. If I leave them food, they will not eat until I am out of sight. Mr CrankyPants and the Ginger Tom are tamer but in an aggressive, demanding, bitey, scratchy sort of way. They don't want to be friends but they are not afraid of us. Cranks will yowl at the top of his lungs demanding food, the Ginger Tom will get angry and actually bite us or grab our feet and scratch us if we don't set down his food fast enough for his liking. We keep containers of cat kibble in our cars for them but sometimes we run out and have to go into our apartments to refill. When this happens, the Ginger Tom gets really mad and chases after us and blocks our path furiously. I have scars on my legs from this lunatic. He is a freaking nut. He looks nuts too with all his bald patches and battle scars. Sometimes while he eats I muster up the courage to cautiously stroke his scarred bald head with one tentative finger.

None of the four in the colony get along with each other. The Ginger Tom and Mr C are both alpha males and always pick fights with each other and anyone else. Carpark Cat is also male but much smaller and timid and easily bullied by these two. The Tortie is the only female in the colony and also easily bullied... Poor thing. MK and I try to make sure everyone is regularly fed but more often than not, the bullies eat, and the timid ones are off hiding somewhere. We hope to have everyone neutered to stem the bullying and territorial issues and also to make sure they don't breed. They are extremely difficult to catch :( People who live in the building have been complaining about cats in the compound and also complaining about people feeding cats in the compound (MK and I of course.. hahaha). I don't see why it bothers or affects other people that we feed the cats but well, I guess some people are just petty, arrogant, heartless, and really really stupid with nothing better to do or think about.

Mr CrankyPants and Carpark Cat had a big fight last week. Both ended up pretty badly beat up. I managed to catch Mr C (he went ballistic when trapped) and send him to the vet. He's been patched up and neutered and is staying in a cage in my study until his antibiotics are finished at which point I will release him back into the parking lot. His stay with me has been challenging as he can't stand being confined and became super freaking mean. He makes a huge disgusting mess in the cage everyday. I can hear him "working" very hard at that all the time and yowling his head off. The vet and her assistants had a lot of trouble with him. I had hoped to rehome him but the vet says he's not adoptable. She's right. Carpark Cat is still out there somewhere with his injuries :( MK was out of town when the fight happened and isn't back yet. She's the only one that might be able to catch Carpark Cat and bring him in for treatment and neutering. I haven't seen him since last week.

Mr CrankyPants at the vet. He stayed there for a few days because he was too scary and angry for me to treat at home. His wounds needed daily cleaning and he was also neutered during his stay. I was too shit-scared to do any wound cleaning.

Mr C giving me the angry stink-eye. His paw pads were badly torn up. When walking (limping painfully really) he left bloody patches on the ground. His front forelegs also had many deep scratches.

He took of his e-collar and I was too scared to try putting that back on too. Anyway it occurred to me that if it was replaced, I would then have to worry about taking it off as well. Argh. I'm a chicken, I admit it.

The Ginger Tom and his bald, scarred, head.

My poor scary feral friend.

I have a feeling there might be a cuddly kitty in there somewhere... Just don't piss him off :)