JFAMILY

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

FAREWELL MAMA JESSICA

It started in early January 2007 when two cute kittens followed me and my God-Brother home from work. Eventually we adopted both of them, our first formal adoption though we had befriended many other strays along the way. Somehow, these cuties had melted our hearts with their little actions. Papa Jonathan had gone missing during one of his romancing nights while Mama Jessica had been closely tied to me ever since. That's 3394 days (9 years 3 months and 14 days) of great memories to cherish. With an appetite of 8 meals a day and still asking to be fed more, Mama Jessica suddenly went fragile and frail during the last 2 months without consuming anything at all. She had to be syringe fed 3-4 times a day with a dozen syringes of liquid food, fluids and boosters to build up her energy. It helped initially but went from bad to worst after a few weeks. Her muscles deteriorated until she was left with flesh and bones on her hind legs. Her wounds won't heal and she had to be manually cleaned many times to avoid her urine's acidity to further burned off more parts of her skins. She barely could move... She barely could greet me upstairs each morning as always... BUT she still tried her best to do so... It made me in tears seeing how loyal and true she had been with me all these years.  

I was already expecting this day but I did not give up hope to get her back to her usual health. The blood test came back negative on kidney failure but with mild trace of FeLV (Feline Leukemia Virus which she would have been infected by her parents by birth) and barely noticeable liver infection. She was practically in the "safe zone". However, with weakened immune system through age and a former victim to FLUTD (Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease), her body could not cope with the "wear and tear" stresses anymore. I've tried to make her remaining days more comfortable by spending more time with her whenever I could... even up to the wee hours of the day just by sleeping next to her and "chatting" with her on our good old times. It may sound weird but I could sense that she knew everything I said by the sign on her tapping tail. 

Everything was still fine when I was syringe feeding her until my God-Brother came back from work and greeted her. She looked at him and me, then decided to call it quit. Her heart beats stopped on 5 July 2016 at 6.30pm. No matter how we tried to resuscitate her, there were no more signs of movements. She stayed lifeless. We had done our best to keep her alive and now she's in the hands of God. May her soul rest in peace... Farewell Mama Jessica... We shall miss you a lot...

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Tribute To Mama Jessica: 

You came into my life when I was lost in my life journey... 
You showered me endlessly with your 2 generations of furry cuties... 
Now that you have gone over the rainbow bridge... 
My heart feels so empty without your companionship... 

You are no longer there to greet me each morning with your true love and affection... 
You are no longer there to make me smile when I was down... 
You are no longer there to make me laugh with your cute and clumsy actions... 
You are no longer there to allow me to love you even more... 
Life will be quiet now without your presence... 

You are far more than just a pet to me... 
You are part of my loving family... 
You are the light of my life... 
You are what made me who I'm today... 
A person who's filled with love and compassion for other living beings... 

I'll cherish all the precious time we had together... 
You are such a loving soul that I'll always cherish in my memories...
Goodbye Mama Jessica... 
May your soul rest in peace... 
We shall meet again soon...

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Saturday, December 27, 2014

GOODBYE JASPER

I always have the phobia when December is nearing. It's always the worst month in my life having the cruel blow of losing so many cats. Firstly, it was Jordan, who was having a long bout of epilepsy cases, missing and was never found since earlier this month. Now it's Jasper's turn to be in the hands of God~ We were still enjoying our roasted chicken on Christmas Eve and today he's gone... just like that. No signs of illness... He just fell weak and tired this morning and by 3.30pm... He left us in tears and sorrow... It's another sad day in December 2014 for everyone here including the J Family Kitties.. MAY HIS SOUL REST IN PEACE.. We'll meet again at the Rainbow Bridge... Goodbye Jasper L... my beloved "Pikachu"~ 

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A Tribute To My Best Friend & Family - Jasper L.

I remember how you sunbathe on that specific spot...
That's where you always lie down and gave me that handsome little smile...
Now it's all so quiet with you no more...
No more echo from your voice along the road...
No more of you running towards me each time I came back home...
It's now filled with emptiness out there and inside my heart...
Though you were with me for not too long...
I'll always treasure those great memories...
Goodbye my friend... my great companion...
Til we meet above again...

Thursday, February 20, 2014

WELCOME TO THE FIRST CAT CAFÉ NAMED PURRFECT CAT CAFÉ IN PENANG

Purrfect Cat Café was finally officiated by our Penang Chief Minister, YAB Lim Guan Eng, on 26 January 2014. It’s the first of its kind in Penang, located along Lebuh Muntri, within the buffer zone of the UNESCO World Cultural City of George Town, Penang. Ever since the opening of the world’s first cat café in Taipei in 1998 (Café Dog & Cats/貓花園), the concept subsequently went viral in Japan and many other parts of the world. Being a pet lover ever since my childhood days and also as a cat blogger during the days when most of my little furry angels were still here running around on earth, the amazing news was something to be happy about.

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Here’s a video clip on the Grand Opening by our Chief Minister, YAB Lim Guan Eng.

  

Unlike the one in Kuala Lumpur which also provides pet supplies, pet hotel and also pet grooming, Purrfect Cat Café basically sells cat related merchandizes at the ground floor and the café would utilize the top floor. The merchandizes range from T-shirt for both genders, bags, stationeries, soft toys, mugs, cute cat figurines, earrings, key chains and more. I do hope that they would also sell some cat supplies as well in the near future. Here’s a peep at what you would be expecting upon entering the premises.

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Currently, Purrfect Café is charging a minimum spending of RM18/pax. The amount would be based on the accumulative pricing from the designated menu which would include food and beverages. You can check out more on the items available at CRIZ BON APPETITE

Prior to visiting the cats, you have to sanitize your hands and take off your shoe before moving upstairs where the cats are. Moving up the white wooden stairways of the premises would lead you to an enclosed area where there would be two segregated zones. One zone would be cat-free where you could sit down and enjoy your food and beverages while watching the adorable cats in their play room. The other zone would be the cats’ personal play room and guest room where they would mingle with the guests while showing off their cuteness. Please take note that the cats’ play room is out of bound for unauthorized humans. 

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There’s also the Terms & Conditions (as shown in photo below) while patronizing the cat café. Do take some time to digest the information stated within before moving into the cats’ play room. Failing to do so, you might get yourself slapped with a heavy fine of RM100. Another new term would be that children below 10 years old cannot go into the room by themselves, unaccompanied by adults.
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The cat café currently has 8 cats at the moment. I managed to play with them during a few visits as they are always on different shifts. Let me introduce them to you. Firstly, we have Snowy, Purrfect Cat Café’s iconic mascot, the first resident, a white Local Shorthair with duo colored eyes, a form of heterochromia commonly occurred on white furred cats. The bobtail white tabby had the personalities almost like the American Bobtail - energetic, affectionate, intelligent, vocal and territorial.

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Another main attraction would be Orange, a Persian, an intelligent, sweet-tempered cat, always all out to seek attention and affection. He loves to play intermittently after resting his heavy butt. Some loves to call him Mr. Proud as he’s not the cat that would pay attention to your calls. He can be rather bossy at times with his facial expressions. LOL!

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We then have Bear, a blue colored coat and double ear fold Scottish Fold. Practically, Scottish Folds are “owl-like in a cat suit”. He can be quiet at times but can show his sweetness and affection after knowing you better. The gentle and yet reserved Bear tends to be independent and love to have some free space and time away from all the commotions within the room. He loves to entertain himself rather than being sociable to strangers. 

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A milder temperament cat would be Teddy, a single ear fold Scottish Fold. Teddy on the other hand loves endless attention and affection. He’s great in getting along with just anyone in the room by trying to impress them with his over cuteness and bubbly big eye balls.

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I also met up with Leo, a Bengal. Leo was a bit different compared to the younger Molly as stated below. He’s more mature I guessed. He seems to have a mild personality, from temper, adaptability, sociability to politeness. Though playful at times, he’s not as assertive and playful as Molly. He tends to go about the room doing whatever he likes by showing his curiosity over his surroundings. 

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Now we have Molly, another Bengal. One word to describe her – HYPERACTIVE and she’s definitely not a lap cat. She tends to do lots of funny stunts on practically anything within the room. Well, this intelligent brat surely would need lots of space and toys to play with. At least this would her occupied from boredom. She practically loves playing with young children due to both of them having the same energy level to run around. :P 

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 “I’m not grumpy. It’s just the marking on my lips”, said Marble, an American Shorthair. Marble has nice personalities with mild temperament, not overly cuddly nor distant, neither couch potatoes nor hyperactive. She can be a great companion since she can adapt well with other animals and children. Don’t judge her by her look as she’s one adorable cat which has the tender loving care for anyone.

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There was also Nala, a tortoiseshell colored British Shorthair. She tends to be rather shy, low profile and reserved during the first approach. However, once she knows you well, she can be a faithful companion, endlessly showering not only you but the whole family lots of affections. She tends to be an independent cat and can adapt quite well when she’s left alone.

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Generally, there are many complaints by the locals on the exorbitant charges of minimum RM18 for a two-hour session, which would be based on the accumulative cost of the food and beverages you have ordered. Just to be fair before I pass on any verdict, let’s study the other cat cafes’ charges in Malaysia as well as from overseas. In Kuala Lumpur, the “Country Cat Café” is charging RM14.90 per person per hour inclusive of one drink. In Japan first cat café, “Cat Store @ Neko no Mise”, is charging RM5 (USD1.50) for every 10 minutes, meaning RM30 (USD9) an hour and they do have a special three-hour plan for RM72 (USD21.50). In Korea such as in the “Cat Attic” in Gangnam, no entrance fee or minimum hours limitations but you have to purchase at least one RM19 (USD6) worth of drink. Most patrons would spend around 1-2 hours of their time there. In Singapore, there’s also the entrance fee of SGD14 (about RM36) plus a drink but unlimited time frame. So, you see, Purrfect Cat Café is not overcharging exorbitant fees compared to the rest of the same themed cafés throughout the world. Much like renting a pet, people do need to pay a surcharge to spend time with the cats and rules may vary from cafe to café. After all, such cat cafes would need to find ways to survive with the high cost of maintenance, especially when most of their cats are pedigrees. A true animal lover would understand this well. On top of that, it’s also a way to keep away cheapskates and curious visitors, thus to avoid unwanted attention, distraction and stress towards the welfare of the cats. 

However, it would be great if Purrfect Cat Café would have an hourly rate instead or maybe a minimum purchase of a drink. This would generate more turnovers and at the same time would cut down with the unnecessary overcrowded situations resulting in the lack of sitting spaces. Sadly, this also means that regulars such as yours truly would have to spend more by the hours. I do hope they have special memberships for regulars in the near future too. Overall, I love the café a lot but it won’t do much good to my pockets if I were to visit those cute cats in a long run. 

Purrfect Cat Café is located just 2 shop houses away from the Camera Museum along Lebuh Muntri. Finding a parking space along the narrow heritage stretch of road can be rather painstaking. The most practical way to get to the café would be by parking your car opposite the Cititel car park (Jalan Penang/Lebuh Muntri corner), along Leith Street or along Lorong Love (next to the St. Xavier’s Institution) and go by foot towards the café. Please remember to buy your parking coupons or you would be slapped with a parking fine.

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Name: PURRFECT CAT CAFE 
Address: 53 Lebuh Muntri, 10200 George Town, Penang, Malaysia. 
Contact: 604-261 1197 
Business Hours: 
Merchandize: 10.00am-7.00pm 
Café: 11.00am-9.30pm 
Cat Entry: 12.00pm-9.30pm 
GPS: 5.419947, 100.335707 
FB: www.fb.com/penangcatcafe

Saturday, July 6, 2013

PENANG CAT MURALS & CAT SCULPTURES TRAIL

"101 Lost Kittens" is a street art project leading by Thailand artist, Natthapon Muangkliang, Malaysian artist Louise Low and Tang Yeok Khang. The project is not only to create new spots of interest in George Town but also to create awareness towards stray animals. There are 13 latest street art spots with a total count of "101 lost kittens" to George Town! In fact, there's the 14th spot where Tang Yeok Khang did his friend, a bicycle rental owner, a favor by drawing the 102nd kitten. Presently, there's the 103rd kitten as well, another compliment artwork by the artist for a beverage stall. Before the wall murals and sculptures get worn out through wear and tear from our tropical weather, it would be great for you to hunt down the "hot spots" soonest possible. I had prepared an easy to follow trail map to guide you through all the beautiful artwork. Some of those art pieces would be hidden in back alleys as indicated in pink in the map (click the map below to download for a clearer view). Good Luck hunting guys~ :) 

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Anyway, here the history on Skippy, the inspiration of the giant cat mural nearby Lebuh Victoria for the "101 Lost Kittens" project for the George Town Festival 2013! Skippy is now residing in Bon Ton Resort, Langkawi, Kedah and she's quite an actress! She would charm the guests and made them believe that she's theirs. So typical of my 5 cats in the house as well. LOL! 

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Project partners are as below:
ChinaHouse: https://www.facebook.com/ChinaHousePenang
LASSie: https://www.facebook.com/Langkawi.LASSie
Switch: https://www.facebook.com/switch.com.my
George Town Festival: https://www.facebook.com/GeorgeTownFest

Friday, March 22, 2013

GREAT TO BE HOME FOR MUMMY’S BIRTHDAY

Finally, Jayson get to come home after four days at the vet’s clinic. Though he almost has his full energy back, the swollen in his mouth still need some time to recover with strict medications. Boy… Am I glad that he could eat like a horse now, having the appetite to savor 4 cats’ share of food in one go. Welcome home Jayson~ Best of health always~ :)

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By the way, Mama Jessica celebrated her 6th Birthday on 21 March 2013, the day I brought Jayson home. She had a blast with lots of food and affections from everyone in the family, inclusive her Daddy Jr. whom also celebrated his birthday on the same day. However, there was a gate crasher, the new brat in the family, persistently wanted to get a bite on the cake before Mama Jess could dig in. Haha! 

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Just in case some of you might not be aware of, the little new brat in the J Family Kitties named Jordan L. was rescued from a high trafficked back alley on 14 January 2013. He was about 5 weeks old then, thus giving him a new birth date on 8 December 2012.

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This young boy has grown quite handsomely to what he is today~ Chubby, Photogenic, Adorable, Affectionate & a bit too playful now… LOL! 

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