Futile Pleas
On merdeka Friday, as we were out looking for Damon, we came across a new cat crouching under a parked Waja car. It was rather shy so we left some food out for it and resumed our search for Damon.
Then on Sunday morning, Gravitas went looking for Damon again. Finding him under a parked car, Gravitas lured him to a (relatively) safer place across the monsoon drain for his breakfast and sat next to him as he ate. As I watched from our balcony, the new cat crept out from beneath another parked car and approached Gravitas. It stopped a couple of feet away across the drain and sat down to observe Gravitas. Seeming to have made up its mind about something moments later, it leapt across the drain, and down to a ledge and began rubbing up against Gravitas' legs. So Gravitas poured out some food for this new fella which she ate whilst continuing to be manja with Gravitas.
Before long, Damon noticed her and tried to mount her. Yikes! We don't need anymore unwanted kittens! But whilst allowing Damon to approach, she rebuffed him with a few well-timed slaps. Gravitas phoned me. We had a decision to make.
So I drove over with our two carriers and Gravitas grabbed hold of the newcomer and tried to stuff her into a carrier. She struggled for a bit, scratched Gravitas and got loose. But instead of making a run for it like a cat out of h*ll, she crouched under a nearby car. I went back for a leash which I hadn't thought of bringing along but when I came back with it, she was already in the carrier. Apparently, she decided to come out again, approach Gravitas and meekly allowed herself to be stuffed inside the carrier.
Damon was next and he didn't make much of a protest either, although we clumsily tried to lassoo him with the leash. He patiently waited as we failed miserably with the lassoo and allowed himself to be somehow stuffed inside the second carrier.
Covered with towels liberally doused with catnip, they waited in the car as we waited for the good vet to commence business for the day.
We decided to name the little lady 'Tammy' which is short for Tamarind for her ears, socks and tail which are the colour of bitter chocolate and tamarind pods. She has ice-blue eyes and the rest of her is cream/chocolate but her claim to pure-bred Siamese cat-dom would be defeated by the patches of white fur on her face and the cutest, most amusing white toecaps on her feet.
Tammy is quite little, only 2.8 kgs and the good vet found her to have gingivitis, tonsilitis and fleas. She also has at least one missing tooth out of her permanent set. She seemed quite tame, and the vet opined that she probably got lost or ran away only recently. We don't see any 'missing' posters in the neighbourhood and her purported owners don't seem to have taken very good care of her. We're not sure what to do with her but she is currently residing in what was supposed to be our wet kitchen/laundry room.
As for Damon, the wound on his hip with pus had dried up and the good vet pointed out that it is actually a deep bite wound with two round puncture marks. Poor fella! I wonder if it was Cinnamon who bit him? Anyway, he's still at the vet and doing well. The vet says that he's a nice cat and very affectionate especially at meal times. We had initially planned to release him after he is neutered but it is a shame that such a nice cat should have to fight for food or starve, seek meagre shelter under parked cars, get cold and wet in the rain and fall prey to disease, unkind people, traffic and other animals. I know we can't save every stray cat out there but would anybody find it in their heart to give Damon a good home? I know he'd make a terrific pet..
Then on Sunday morning, Gravitas went looking for Damon again. Finding him under a parked car, Gravitas lured him to a (relatively) safer place across the monsoon drain for his breakfast and sat next to him as he ate. As I watched from our balcony, the new cat crept out from beneath another parked car and approached Gravitas. It stopped a couple of feet away across the drain and sat down to observe Gravitas. Seeming to have made up its mind about something moments later, it leapt across the drain, and down to a ledge and began rubbing up against Gravitas' legs. So Gravitas poured out some food for this new fella which she ate whilst continuing to be manja with Gravitas.
Before long, Damon noticed her and tried to mount her. Yikes! We don't need anymore unwanted kittens! But whilst allowing Damon to approach, she rebuffed him with a few well-timed slaps. Gravitas phoned me. We had a decision to make.
So I drove over with our two carriers and Gravitas grabbed hold of the newcomer and tried to stuff her into a carrier. She struggled for a bit, scratched Gravitas and got loose. But instead of making a run for it like a cat out of h*ll, she crouched under a nearby car. I went back for a leash which I hadn't thought of bringing along but when I came back with it, she was already in the carrier. Apparently, she decided to come out again, approach Gravitas and meekly allowed herself to be stuffed inside the carrier.
Damon was next and he didn't make much of a protest either, although we clumsily tried to lassoo him with the leash. He patiently waited as we failed miserably with the lassoo and allowed himself to be somehow stuffed inside the second carrier.
Covered with towels liberally doused with catnip, they waited in the car as we waited for the good vet to commence business for the day.
We decided to name the little lady 'Tammy' which is short for Tamarind for her ears, socks and tail which are the colour of bitter chocolate and tamarind pods. She has ice-blue eyes and the rest of her is cream/chocolate but her claim to pure-bred Siamese cat-dom would be defeated by the patches of white fur on her face and the cutest, most amusing white toecaps on her feet.
Tammy is quite little, only 2.8 kgs and the good vet found her to have gingivitis, tonsilitis and fleas. She also has at least one missing tooth out of her permanent set. She seemed quite tame, and the vet opined that she probably got lost or ran away only recently. We don't see any 'missing' posters in the neighbourhood and her purported owners don't seem to have taken very good care of her. We're not sure what to do with her but she is currently residing in what was supposed to be our wet kitchen/laundry room.
As for Damon, the wound on his hip with pus had dried up and the good vet pointed out that it is actually a deep bite wound with two round puncture marks. Poor fella! I wonder if it was Cinnamon who bit him? Anyway, he's still at the vet and doing well. The vet says that he's a nice cat and very affectionate especially at meal times. We had initially planned to release him after he is neutered but it is a shame that such a nice cat should have to fight for food or starve, seek meagre shelter under parked cars, get cold and wet in the rain and fall prey to disease, unkind people, traffic and other animals. I know we can't save every stray cat out there but would anybody find it in their heart to give Damon a good home? I know he'd make a terrific pet..
Sigh, sigh, sigh! I'm not anticipating a positive outcome in all this.
p.s. this is Tammy.
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