3/31/2012 - Let me continue with Lung's story in 2007.

Ball and Fatty told us at the time that Lung was admitted at Angell Memorial Hospital (MSPCA) in Boston.  That's the top notch animal hospital Hart went for her spine issues in 2005 and where Gigi went back in 2006 before she passed away due to her gastrointestinal lymphoma.  Ball and Fatty updated all 6 of us at home 5 years ago today (3/31/2007) that Lung was doing fine.  They also updated us that Lung was admitted to MSPCA for his chronic kidney (renal) issues.  All 6 of us were a bit worried because we had no idea what happened to my dear brother Lung until they showed us an updated picture of Lung at the hospital.  He looked very active despite being "dripped" with IV fluid and locked in a cage at the Intensive Care Unit.

3/30/2012 - Lik has already left us for 10 days.  In the past few days, I have developed an odd behavior.  At around 5'ish in the morning, as well as 5'ish in the evening, I would sit on the scratch pad and see if Lik would come and fight like the old days.  It has disappointed me every time and I even find this habit a bit weird.  May be I am blaming myself for not being smart enough to pinpoint the reasons why Lik would leave me, or I am having a bipolar disorder?  I know and have acknowledged that Lik would not return, but it seems I am just playing ostrich by looping myself in denial?  I don't know...

Since 2004, as stated in previous posts, I have seen my siblings and other cats not returning home after becoming seriously sick, but Lik's departure has really changed my habits, behaviors, and daily life.  Though there have been precedences when one would return home after becoming ill, like Lung.  5 years ago today (3/30/2007), Lung felt tired and lethargic.  As big and strong as him, he could barely walk from the sofa to the water bowl (about 15 steps away).  He just sat there all day long.

All of us wondered what happened to Lung at the time.  So Bart beared with him on the sofa while I guarded and intervened any interactions with him from any living creatures.

3/29/2012 - Fatty always tells stories about himself to all of us.  Though he usually stops short because he always says: "Oh, you cats don't understand what I am saying anyway!"  But the reality might be different.  He once told us about human race because that's what he studied in school.  He said different race or skin color sometimes might not go along well with each other in the human world.  Interestingly, that behavior seems applicable to cats too!  6 years ago today (3/29/2006), we had 8 cats as Chung and Robert were already gone.  Out of the 8 cats, 4 were orange in color, including myself, and 4 were black in color.  Look how we divided ourselves into 2 groups in our small living room:

We blue blood orange cats deserved to sleep on the sofa:

Though the black cats owned more real estate and had more toys in possession than orange cats:

Although we are not humans, but Fatty always told us not to fight each other despite our difference in hair color.  But we fought each other anyway, no matter what color we are.  Like the following picture from 6/26/2005, Lung tried fighting me on the sofa, so I had to raise my left foot to scare him before he hits me.  He was such a chicken.

3/28/2012 - I woke up so many times throughout the day because it was a bit cold, despite Ball and Fatty have set the space heater at 75F and the house heat at 62F (as a backup) for me.  When Lik was here, I always used her a cushion.  Nowadays, I need the space heater, blanket, and sleeping bag to keep myself warm.  Back in the old days, I only needed the black cat cushion like the following picture.  This picture was taken exactly 3 years today (3/28/2009):

Another thing that woke me up was some weird noise.  It's probably some mice sneaking between the walls.  In the good old days, I was the very first cat that caught and killed a mouse in this house more than 10 years ago.  Ever since I retired a few years ago, I don't catch mouse anymore as Fatty and others would take care of such a dirty job.  Robert, Chung, Gigi and my siblings have taken over that role many years ago if Fatty could not do it for whatever reason.  Fatty caught this mouse on 3/24/2003, more than 9 years ago.  It's funny that Chung tried to claw the mouse even after Fatty caught it in a plastic bag.

3/27/2012 - Like I was saying the other day, Ball and Fatty were doing kitchen remodeling about 5 years ago.  It was about to come to an end 5 years ago today (3/27/2007).

During the remodeling, all 5 of my siblings, MaGi (my cat mommy), and I lived in a 250 square feet space with the TV and air purifier for almost a month.  When Ball and Fatty came home from work each evening, all 7 of us would demand dinner simultaneously.  This picture was taken exactly 5 years ago today (3/27/2007).  I am the cat between a black cat (Lik) and an orange cat with white hair (Mui) located farthest from the camera.  At that moment, I was trying to tell the taller orange cat (Lung) in front of me to expedite the feeding process because I was starving.  I could careless about other cats.

When I think of it now, I tend to agree with Ball and Fatty, it was all because of this remodeling that made Hart, Lung, and I sick.  Hopefully this might send an alert message to other cat owners via this blog when they want to remodeling any parts of the house as that could make their cats sick if they are not housed properly.

3/26/2012 - Today marks Lik's "first 7th day".  I still miss Lik a bit.  As short as 7 days ago, she was still sitting, sleeping, and breathing next to me.  I still remember how she laid next to me before she was brought to the hospital and never returned on 3/20/2012 morning.

I know Ball and Fatty were scrambling to burn stuff for Lik this morning because they were almost late to work.  I tried waking them up around 6am this morning by running around the house for like 4 to 5 rounds.  But Fatty, who slept in the living room with me last night, nor Ball simply ignored my efforts of acting like an alarm clock.  So I simply went back to sleep after running and pooping.

Fatty did not have his camera with him (he did not even wake up) this morning when I was running around.  So in the evening, after he came home from work, I imitated the screaming and meowing I did this morning.

3/25/2012 - Tomorrow is going to be Lik's "first 7 days" after leaving us.  Ball and Fatty followed the Chinese tradition of "burning stuff to deceased lives" and handcrafted a paper house (with skylights and awning too because Lik loved to hide inside a box for most of her life) and 2 maids in paper.  They have also prepared a lot of her favorite toys like cottonballs, catnip, and scratch pad, so that they could burn all of them before going to work early tomorrow.  According to what Fatty told me vaguely, in Chinese tradition, "burning stuff to deceased lives" means that the deceased person could "receive" things that are burned by family members or friends before or on the "first 7 days" after passing away.  Anyway, I don't mean to criticize their handcrafting or art skills, but the products are at amateur level at best.  Though I believe it's the thought that counts.  They have done it for every single cat after they passed away since 5/2003, when Fatty's own cat, BB, whom I met a few times, passed away.

Later in the evening, it has become a bit colder despite Ball and Fatty have cranked up the house heater and the space heater.  Temperature has been fluctuating quite a bit as it was in the 80F's last week and it will be in the 20F's tomorrow night!  Rigth now at 7pm, room temperature is at 67F and outside temperature is at like 55F.  I better wrap myself in a blanket now, otherwise I would keep sneezing in this type of crazy weather.

3/24/2012 - While I was in REM (rapid eye movements) sleep, which means I was really in deep sleep, Ball and Fatty suddenly woke me up, and brought me to the entrance door.  It turns out there's an orange cat eating outside.  Ball and Fatty normally bring our leftover foods to the outside for the strays.  Though I have no idea why would I need to know there's an orange cat eating outside?  So all I could do is - staring at the orange cat.

After thinking for a while, I kind of understand why Ball and Fatty would want me to see the orange cat outside because Mui used to protect all of us by staring at any animals outside.  Below is a picture of Mui staring at the same orange cat on 9/17/2011, about 10 days before Mui passed away, which Mui was already quite sick at the time.

Another thing I remember is what happened about 5 years ago.  Ball and Fatty renovated their kitchen about 5 years ago and they kept telling us it was the biggest mistake they have made in recent memory.  After the kitchen remodeling was done in late March of 2007, Hart, Lung, and I all became sick because of the noise, dust, and paint scent...

3/23/2012 - At 6am, I was wakened by Fatty's snoring as he slept in the living room again.  So I decided to peek out from the window and see if there's any birds out before the sunrise.

Later in the morning, both Ball and Fatty have gone to work, so I am all by myself at home today.  Fatty has played cottonball with me this morning, so it's time for me to sleep all day in order to re-energize myself. 


When they came home after work in the evening, they brought back Lik's ash in a box with them too.  I still remember this scratch pad was Lik's favorite toy, so I decided to pose for a picture with Lik's ash on the scratch pad.

Later in the evening, I was thinking how time goes by fast.  One year ago today (3/23/2011), Mui was somewhat healthy and Lik was still a healthy cat.  I was still sleeping with them comfortably on the sofa.  I still remember when I tried joining them to sleep together, they both gave me a dirty look or hissed at me...all these memorable scenes are still in my mind...

3/22/2012 - I am trying hard to get back to a normal life.  I shall enjoy my life and gradually forget Lik because I sense that she is at somewhere far, but I would eventually join her at that place one day in the future.  So, I went to the study room and enjoyed a sunbath in the morning, like what I did with my oldest sister, Mui, when she was alive. 

Mui passed away on 9/27/2011, less than 200 days ago.  I still remember I had to fight with Mui for the window space when we both wanted sunbathing.  Whenever Fatty opened the study room door in the morning, we would both race to reach that window first because it is the only window facing east.  Today, I can only enjoy that all by myself.

3/21/2012 - I have been looking for Lik, my beloved sister from the same litter, that passed away yesterday morning.  Throughout the day, I walked around the entire house repeatedly, but it brought disappointments every time after looking and sniffing everywhere for Lik.  In the picture, I am waiting for fatty to give me breakfast.  From yesterday and on, I will have to ask for foods by herself because there's no more cats around that would do it for me in the morning or in the evening.  Oh well.

3/20/2012 - the day has come.  Nobody can precisely predict the future, and I never expected I would be the last one standing.  My name is Wong, the last remaining out of the 11 cats that either used to live with me, or had some relationship with me.  I will be living all by myself without other cats interacting with me.  It was quite a sad scene when I witnessed my little sister, Lik, having a seizure early this morning.  My human step-mom Ball and her husband Fatty took Lik the hospital in tears, and as expected, Lik never returned home.  I am sad, but I can see, hear, and sense Ball and Fatty are extremely sad too.