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Affilliation
Hanachi-e and the Watermelon of Evil
It’s so mind boggling that I just have to mention it before I get some sleep.
My SO requested me to get her either some corn or a watermelon on my way back from the province. I got her a watermelon and went to her place to give it to her before I went home. She opened the door cradling Hanachi-e (her cat). My SO was happy to see the watermelon, but Hanachi-e seemed to flinch. She snickered that maybe Hanachi-e was afraid of the watermelon, which was funny, so I lifted the watermelon a bit to check for a reaction…
… then Hanachi-e bolted away hissing!
It might make a lot of sense to Hanachi-e but it was so perplexing to me and my SO. I set the watermelon on her table and placed Hanachi-e beside it to confirm. Hanachi-e slowly crept toward it, gave it 2 sniffs, then hissed as she backed away!
Conclusion, the watermelon is eeeeevilllll!
Pet Food Recall (1Q 2007)
There was been a recall of pet foods recently in the US and Canada due to the presence of “wheat gluten”. The issue is with “melamine”, an ingredient in wheat gluten, which is currently under investigation for causing several dogs and cats to die. Melamine is also used in plastics and has some levels of toxicity. Although some argue that melamine has a very high tolerance level, current investigations are still following that lead in the recent pet deaths, so several manufacturers of cat and dog food (wet and dry) have begun recalls of their products which contain wheat gluten.
When my SO got wind of this, she immediately asked me to check what we’ve been feeding Hanachi-e (as well as other stuff I might feed Hanachi-e when she hangs out at my place). Fortunately, there were no problems. Wheat gluten is not everywhere and anywhere in cat food, so I guess we just have to read the labels before purchasing new catfood for Hanachi-e.
Until the investigation gets done, it is perhaps prudent to check what you feed your pet for wheat gluten or melamine.
ASPCA press release | About Melamine and Wheat Gluten Toxicity
No tags for this post.Cat or Mini-Rug?
Some people who have seen my this blog told me that what they’re interested in seeing is Hanachi-e. OK, so she’s my draw for this blog. 
Well, for those Hanachi-e fans out there, I managed to get this pic today. When I look at the pic, though, I wonder at times if it’s just one of my rugs. 
The Miracle of Kitty Litter
I had dinner with an old friend and her husband last night, and the discussion somehow went to kitty litter. I mentioned my SO’s efforts for training Hanachi-e to use the toilet (and my inevitable assignment to that same task when Hanachi-e is with me), and mentioned that although Hanachi-e manages to go to the toilet bowl already, she still needs to learn to position her feet properly (hence, kitty litter is still needed). She was wondering if it was expensive, particularly since cats to learn to do it on newspapers.
Well, yes, newspapers can be quite effective, but as expensive as kitty litter might appear, it’s doesn’t really cost all that much, specially if you consider the benefits:
- pee and poop clump, making it easier and less messy to clean-up
- pee and poop dry up, reducing the grossness factor very very much
- cats instinctively want to bury their mess (they hate it as much as we do), so the sandy texture is encouraging
- some kitty litter are composed of materials that also deodorize, so aside from clumping and drying up the pee and poop, it doesn’t reek
Yes, sometimes the immediate area gets a little sandy, but I’d rather have sand than pee/poop prints. The benefits of kitty litter are tremendous and definitely make-up for the cost!
The guy who invented this should be given a Nobel Prize.
No tags for this post.Image Upload Problems
I was trying to transfer some entries from the old blog to here when I noticed that some entries don’t have the date printed on them. The display is fine when you view them singly, but if you view them with the others, something is wrong. I tried re-posting those entries, and now I get problems uploading pictures.
So, for those of you who wanted to see what Hanachi-e looks like, please wait ’till Blogger fixes these hiccups. I’ll be having problems uploading pics (even in new posts) until then.
– edit –
It’s fixed now (2006.12/07). I managed to return Hanachi-e’s old pics. To those looking for new pics, you’ll have to wait a bit. I can’t seem to catch her in a good shot.
No tags for this post.Shadowhunt
I think I figured out one of the mysteries of Hanachi-e. Sometimes she gets hyper and runs around chasing phantoms. Apparently, that’s exactly it in some cases, she’s chasing shadows. Some of the more mundane shadows I cast around the house, she sometimes treats as prey.
Well, next time she seems to act wierdly, I better check if it’s my shadow she’s chasing. I’ll mention this to my SO when she comes back, the same case probably happens to her.
No tags for this post.Where Hanachi-e Takes a Bath
I’d just like to mention which stall we take Hanachi-e for her baths in Tiendesitas (as mentioned in a previous post). The stall is called “Heavenly Blue”.
No tags for this post.Pet Village at Tiendesitas
With the arrival of Hanachi-e, I expected that me and my SO would do a bunch of pet related stuff, particularly since Hanachi-e is a cat. Last Saturday, we went to Tiendesitas Pet Village to check out some other stuff that may be needed, as well as to get Hanachi-e groomed. Of course we bought a bunch of stuff, and the grooming was very well done! I forgot which store we had Hanachi-e groomed, but when I remember, I’ll post the link.
That night though, my SO was getting worried ‘coz she thought she saw a little blood in Hanachi-e’s poop (I don’t remember seeing any when I borrowed Hanachi-e). She also mentioned that there was supposed to be a vaccination around 2 weeks ago, but Hanachi-e didn’t get it yet. Given that she was worried, so we planned to take her to the vet the following day.
Fortunately, Tiendesitas has a Pet Clinic (Animal Care Specialist), and so we went there. The vet my SO found on the net wasn’t the one around at the time, but the vet on duty was nice and seemed quite professional. After some checking, she found that Hanachi-e has mites, which causes her ears to get dirty quite fast. She prescribed some mite control stuff for the ears, and as an initial check for any bowel related problems, she initiated deworming. She also mentioned about medicine on the skin that lasts a month and that helps in controlling mites, fleas, and certain worms, so I decided we get that anyway. I like how the vet treated Hanachi-e, though Hanachi-e might feel otherwise (hell, try getting something stuffed in your ears and mouth!), the treatments should be good for her.
My SO and I were trying to find a one stop place for pet needs, and so far, my experience with Tiendesitas Pet Village is quite good. After having to deal with pet related issues (directly or indirectly) for the past while, I’m glad there’s a place where both good supplies and medical assistance for pets are readily available and in a decent location.
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