halfwhiteboy

I know, how cute is our dear Kwittie Boy. But he's not happy at all that all these New Year's Eve paraphernalia are being shoved in his face. And apparently our three other cats share the same feeling. Well, it's Chinese New Year and I thought we could use all those old cardboard trumpets for fun. It's still a New Year celebration, right? So what happens when you force this idea of Chinese New Year (even though we're not Chinese) on all four of our furry friends? Here's what...

It was around September 2008 and we were about to move into a new apartment. My Bibe, who at the time was into online shopping on Multiply , came across something rather different from what she normally checks out on the now-defunct site. It was a kitten, a black one to be exact. He was up for adoption, hence, the "ad posting," which described him as a "quiet cat." It hasn't even been two years since we got our first cat Kwittie Boy and I wasn't prepared for another one. My Bibe wanted him and I looked at each photo closely, looking for signs of his behavior or something that would support my hesitation. Secretly, though, the thought of having an all-white fluffy cat (that's Kwittie Boy) and an all-black shorthair seemed exciting to me. But after some discussion between us and while My Bibe checked out the Multiply post about this kitty almost everyday, we decided to adopt him. The cat formerly known as Snowflake, here with his former mom Rej. ...

A week ago, we welcomed into our home this tiny, furry fella: We've been hearing a kitten's incessant crying for at least two days already but had no idea where the little furball could be. So when I went to check what all the banging was about inside the school next to our apartment (worrying they were damaging our wall), I saw this teeny-weeny black kitten. The workers said it was abandoned because they never saw any mother come for it. One of them also said that it had just opened its eyes, and that he cleaned them, but added that it wouldn't eat. I looked around and saw just scraps of rice and chicken. It was a kitten for chrissakes! It needed milk! But I was still hoping the mom would come back; maybe she was just wary of all the workers there. So I left.

Last Friday night ( Katy Perry's song is starting to play in my head ), we were treated to a pleasant surprise when we got home. Just as I was done parking the car, two kittens, presumably strays, came into view from across the street. Giddy at such a sight, I motioned for them to come. They were hesitant, understandably, but after patient coaxing I sort of gained the trust of one, who came really close to me. The other one also came near but skirted around to avoid any direct contact with us. Already, I saw two different personalities. My Bibe and I each managed to grab one kitten before I went inside the house to get them some cat food. It didn't take long before we decided to let them inside the house even for a few minutes. Both were just so adorable with their cute meows, which startled our own cats. Realizing where the meows were coming from and what we brought into the house, they hissed and growled. Not surprisingly, they were upset ( and they made sure to blog a...

(Apparently the cats snuck into our room while we were asleep, tinkered with the Mac, managed to locate last Friday's photos, got lucky I didn't log out of my Google accounts, and blogged away.) ************************** Foreman: Oh yeah, that's me, a black cat who's unfortunately been stereotyped with bringing bad luck on Friday the 13th and all that crap -- which is grossly unfair, by the way. Guess what, it looks like I was the one presented with bad luck last Friday -- yes -- the 13th. Kwittie Boy: We were looking forward to a stress-free weekend, patiently waiting in the dark for our human slaves to arrive from work (although I'm not sure if they've actually been working). F: We heard the sound of their car, then the gate. We were expecting the door to open, but then it seemed like eternity.

So our lovely feline duo -- Kwittie Boy and Foreman -- have made public their true feelings about that Tagaytay trip of ours ( read their blog post here ). There was the incarceration, the motion sickness, the unfamiliar territory, the bathroom, the jealousy, and the treating them like dogs. Little did I know that they were secretly plotting something on us, their human slaves. I absentmindedly left the bedroom door open last night and the two cats pounced on the chance to sneak into the room. I take it that they were too preoccupied with their plan because they didn't notice me come in. I was stunned as they were right in front of the Mac intently checking this  out : Okay, I thought. So let's see how these cats are planning to take over the world, one human at a time...

Bringing pets to Tagaytay sounded like a really nice idea, so after finding a pet-friendly bed and breakfast where we could all stay together, we did bring along the cats to Tagaytay over the weekend. Apparently, however, the cats weren't too happy with the experience. They talked to me and demanded that I post this account of theirs on their behalf or else they'll release incriminating photos of me that they secretly took while I was in the shower, the toilet, and when I was asleep, among other instances. I can't believe they blackmailed me! So here I am, left with no choice but to publish "their side of the story." *************** Kwittie Boy: Hello, my name is Kwittie Boy. I am the fluffy, white cat that my pathetic human slave sometimes refers to as his "stuffed toy." Frankly, it's embarrassing. My human slaves named me as such, thinking that adding a "w" within the word "kitty" was cute. And I don't know why they sp...

The extreme lack of pet-friendly hotels here in the Philippines can be quite frustrating for pet owners like me who would just love to bring our furry friends along but obviously cannot. Time and again when going on a vacation or even someplace not that far away, we always have to leave them behind. Last weekend was different, however. As I was booking a room at Sonya's Garden in Tagaytay last week, I chanced upon the FAQs section of their website and noted -- with much delight -- that they allowed pets (which I didn't know about before)! It was a no-brainer; we had to bring the cats. Our cats rarely go out, and with me and My Bibe being the only two persons they regularly see, they're not used to seeing a lot of people. When at times we bring them out the door at night, they cautiously explore their surroundings but scamper away at the slightest disturbance on the street. Yes, we do need to bring them out more often. And so last Saturday we packed an overnight bag, br...

This is kinda late already but I didn't get the chance to have some photo sessions with our funny little Foreman. We don't know the exact date; we just know his birth month is July. He's now three. Well, I finally held him -- with much effort because he can be extremely unruly -- in front of our iMac and used Photo Booth . I didn't have a party hat on hand but I found something from New Year's and used it on him. Good enough, I thought. I also unearthed a couple of mobile phone videos of him that I trimmed and uploaded on YouTube. The first one shows him wearing our other cat Kwittie Boy's angel wings while I was making fun of him. The second is about him trying to catch his tail.

I really don't like going to the vet but when I'm there I enjoy looking (if not playing) with other people's pets. A few weeks ago while waiting for Kwittie Boy's and Foreman's turn, I was charmed by this Siberian husky, one of the breeds I wish I could have. Adorable, this pup. Had the chance to play with him a little. Then came along a trio of kittens with gray and black tiger stripes. They're so cute they caught everyone's attention (see them after the jump).