The Bub in the Belly

Anyway, I want to talk about pets today. We have a dog - a miniature schnauzer called Max. We also have a cat called Tiger - which is confusing so Ryan doesn't call him Tiger, he calls him Cat. The pets are free to roam the house, except in the bedrooms. A few months ago, we started putting Max out in the balcony in a doghouse whenever we left the house because he kept relieving himself in the house while we were out and during the night. We usually let him in when we are at home during the day.


Ryan is less interested in the pets. Babydoll, on the other hand, is very interested. She will sit at the balcony glass door and observe Max eating his meals. She will crawl up to Tiger and pounce on his tail. She will gently reach for Max's paw when he is stretched out beside me. She will softly stroke Tiger's coat. It is quite interesting to me how gentle she is with the pets - I didn't have to teach her at all.

From the pets' end, Max is still a little skittish with babydoll. Also, his loyalty is firmly to me so he's not really interested in getting close to anyone else. As for Tiger - well, let's just say that, underneath that gruff and old grudging exterior is a warm, fuzzy heart which babydoll has managed to win.


Some general words of caution - never ever let your children approach a strange dog, especially if the dog is alone. If the dog is with its owner, seek permission first and seek instructions on how to approach it. If the dog is sleeping or eating or with her puppies, absolutely do not approach it. Do not sneak up from behind. Do not stare at the dog in the eye - some dogs take this as a sign of aggression. It is safer to pat the dog on its back, some dogs get nervous if you touch the top of their heads. And of course, be gentle.


Another public service announcement - something that bothers me everytime I hear it, and I do hear it from time to time, which is, some people give their pets away when they have children. I can understand why someone would do that if the children and the pets can't get along - for example if the children are allergic to pet hair. Otherwise, I cannot agree that pets can be treated that way. Pets aren't disposable items. This is a lesson which I will instill in my children, both by example and by words - if you take on a pet, you take it on for its life, so when you take on a pet, you must consider whether a pet will fit into your life for the next twenty years (or whatever its life span).

Ok, that's all. Gonna catch some shut-eye. Back tomorrow (I hope).

And sometimes, gazing out through those windows, I could pretend that our little family was having a white Christmas.


Our cat, Tiger, spent Christmas snuggling up next to our miniature Christmas tree...


... while our dog, Max, checked every stocking for goodies.


Here he is, dancing. I like the outfit he's wearing. Richard picked it out from Zara Kids.



Ryan presented his nanny with one of his paintings as a Christmas gift, which we framed up (we also gave her and her family a Christmas hamper).

I find Ryan's expression just hilarious here - so serious! He's supposed to relax and lay on the mat. He doesn't like this exercise at all; he fidgets about a lot. This was actually the first time that he laid still, waiting for the cue to spring up. (Usually we don't use the mat - the children just float on the water.)

Last Sunday, it was me in the pool with Ryan. Here he is doing a dive with Coach Dave to retrieve a green toy from the bottom of the pool.







After lunch, we had some time to kill before Shichida class, so we dropped in at the children's play gym in Great World City, which is called Amazonia. Lots of climbing and sliding for Ryan and he enjoyed himself thoroughly!

When we brought Ryan back from the hospital after he was born, Richard carried him through the house, introduced him to each room and told him that this was his home. On Saturday evening, after the Big Move, we went through the same ritual. We brought Ryan back to the old house and we took him to each room and showed him that we were saying goodbye.

Well, Ryan seems to have understood and seems to have no problems with the big change. I think two very important factors helped - first was that we have been bringing him to the new place quite frequently, so he wasn't freaked out when we stayed put there and second, I set up his playroom straightaway. He absolutely loves being in the playroom, surrounded by his books and toys, with endless activities to engage him. The playroom is not quite done yet, I'll put up some photos when it's finished.

As for Richard and I, we're happy about being in the new place. There is however a small negative - the renovation works aren't complete yet (although the contractor handed back the unit to us last week). We virtually moved into a construction site and this was amply represented by the huge scaffolding in our living room.

The contractor used the scaffolding to prepare the ceiling wiring for the lights in the double height space and they would also use it to install the lights when the lights were delivered. The good news is that our dining set and our Kartell lights came this week, which was much earlier than we thought. The bad news is that, since the lights were coming in just a week after the contractor handed the unit back to us, the contractor decided to leave their scaffolding in our living room till the lights came.

The scaffolding in our living room

Well, the lights were installed yesterday so the scaffolding is now gone. But we're still unsettled because some of the built-in furniture is not done yet and there are some little adjustments to be made here and there to the furniture that has already been installed. As the works aren't complete, we can't unpack all the boxes yet, so there're just boxes and boxes everywhere. We can't even tuck the boxes away neatly because we need to clear some space around the areas that still need to be worked on, so the boxes are in the most inconvenient spots at the moment.

Anyway, the rest of the works are expected to be completed next weekend so there's about one more week to go before we can finish unpacking.

The cat and the dog seem to be adjusting well. The first few days, I think they thought that we were on some sort of outing and that we would all go home soon to the old house. Tiger spent a lot of time on the terrace, pining for his unbounded outdoors (either that or he hid out in the household shelter) and Max spent a lot of time lying by the main door. They seem to have became much closer though, they hang out a lot together now - Richard says that they're combining forces to figure out a way out of the unit. After a few days, I think they've caught on to the idea that we're not leaving this place so they've settled themselves in. Both of them are eating well and look relaxed and happy.

I forgot to mention that, last Friday I brought Tiger to the vet for a follow-up on his kidneys and got some great news. Tiger had been eating well but had been refusing his fluid therapy for the past few weeks so I was a little worried. Well, the vet did some tests and the tests show that Tiger DOES NOT HAVE KIDNEY FAILURE!!! What incredible news! Apparently, his kidneys are working fine now so the vet thinks that the previous episode was probably a one-off inflammation or infection which we managed to treat in time. I was stunned! The vet did say though that this is a lucky result and we should monitor Tiger closely as he is an old cat. But I was just so happy about the news, how absolutely wonderful!

We had a packed Sunday. Richard brought Ryan for his swimming class while I brought the pets to the vet for a check-up. Everything is fine - our cat, Tiger, is doing really well, he's eating and drinking and in high spirits. Max the dog had an episode of ticks and mites but it looks like he's free of them now so he's happy. A little overweight, but happy.

After that, we rushed over to Hort Park for Happee Day, which was a charity event benefiting the Children's Cancer Foundation, spearheaded by Mother, Inc. The event started at 9 am so we were really late but we managed to catch Jimmy the Juggler's performance, which was superb. Ryan seemed to be quite interested in watching him juggle his machetes (!) and other stuff.

The event was strongly supported by lots of volunteers and I think there was something to interest everyone - bouncy castle for the older children, lawn activities for the outdoorsy types, balloon sculpting, facepainting and caricatures for the indoorsy types, food for the hungry, performances for the bored, arts and crafts and cake decorating for the creative, PS3 and Wii consoles for the tech-y types, mascots and superheroes to entertain the children, phototaking and printing for the families and fantastic goodie bags for everyone else.

Seeing the Happee smiles on the CCF children's faces was amazing and all kudos goes to Daphne of Mother, Inc. and her husband, Kelvin, and of course the army of volunteers and sponsors. I didn't do anything to help out with the event (but got so much in return) so if you're like me or if you couldn't make it and would still like to assist the Children's Cancer Foundation, please consider making a cash donation. Just click the button at Mother, Inc.

After the event wound down, we went for a quiet lunch at Blooie's with the gang - Shann's family, Alicia's family and Florinda's family. Then it was off to Shichida. We missed last week's class because Ryan fell asleep. This week, we made it to class but that was the only difference - Ryan still slept through it and he woke up just before it ended, in time to wave his hands along to the Sayonara song. His sensei was very amused. We went home and I spent some time playing and reading with Ryan while Richard took a short nap.

In the evening, we met up with Shann's family and Belinda's family for dinner at Casa Verde at The Botanic Gardens. The weather was nice and cool and the children were delighted to be outdoors. Ryan was a little tired by then but couldn't sleep until he had expended all his energy so he wanted to hop, skip and run about. When he was done, he fell asleep in my arms, while we continued chatting at the table. He woke up as we were leaving, which was close to 10 pm. His routine went completely out the window today but I think he had a great day.

Richard took Ryan for his swimming class today while I brought Tiger to the vet for his check-up. The amazing news is that Tiger's creatinin levels are now normal at 2.1! That is so wonderful and we are so happy! Looks like the fluid therapy at home is working so we will continue with it until we are certain that Tiger has stabilised. We are to bring him back in a week for another check-up. Really great news, we are so relieved and overjoyed. Of course he isn't cured, but at least we know that we can keep the condition under control.

Ryan skipped Shichida today because he fell asleep round about the time we were due to leave the house. Actually so did Richard. So I followed suit and we all had a nice afternoon snooze. Heh heh. In the evening, we went for dinner at Asia Grand Restaurant with Kenny, Belinda and Matthias and Joey and her two lovely daughters, Ginelle and Ginette. We had a nice time chatting and catching up.

As is our usual routine on Sunday night, we took our cars to the petrol station to top up for the week. Then we went for a late supper. As Ryan was still bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, there was some loitering along Orchard Road. Actually, it was more like circuit-training.

Up the stairs!

And down the ramp! Ryan went up and down this "circuit" at least 20 times!

I was excited to see the beginnings of the annual Orchard Road Christmas decorations. It's such a great feeling to know that Christmas will be here soon.

Dr Yeoh called up today and said that Tiger's creatinin level actually went up a little (from 8 to 9). Funny thing is that he checked in on Tiger last night and told Tiger that he'd better eat something or else he won't let him go home. Then, today he saw Tiger eating a little bit! Amazing.

Dr Yeoh said Tiger is probably not eating because he is in the hospital and that Tiger will probably eat better if he is at home. So he will discharge Tiger and we will do the fluid therapy at home. We were so very happy to hear the news - actually not great news in terms of recovery, but just having Tiger home is already a cause to celebrate. We were given two bags full of medicine and fluids and told to bring Tiger back in three days for a check-up. We were also shown how to do the fluid therapy. Essentially we have to set up an IV drip so one of us has to hold him still while the other pokes the IV needle into the back of his neck. Then we hold him in the same position for about 15 to 20 minutes while the fluids drip into his system to hydrate him.

When we got home, Tiger had a lot to say, probably complaining and scolding us for sending him to the hospital. But I think he was happy to be home, just as we are happy to have him back with us. Of course his treatment is ongoing and he is not really stable yet, so we will have to monitor him closely.

Today I was excited to see Tiger, having received the encouraging news last night that Tiger was responding to the fluids. I went to visit around lunch time. He certainly seemed more alert today so his hangover fog must have lifted a little. Dr Yeoh was around, he popped by and chatted with me a little about Tiger. I asked him whether we can continue to let Tiger out of the house and Dr Yeoh said it's better to keep him indoors to monitor that he is eating well. So it looks like shifting to our new unit may be a good thing for Tiger after all. I was worried that he'd be miserable at being cooped up in an apartment but if it's better for him, then he's just going to have to get used to it!

Dr Yeoh also said that he may discharge Tiger tomorrow if things continue to go well. I was very happy and relieved to hear that. Dr Yeoh also said that if Tiger starts eating then he will consider discharging him even with high creatinin levels. We will just have to do the fluid therapy at home to try to bring the levels down.

While I was there, I met a lovely lady whose was also visiting her cat in the hospital. Tiger's cage was next to her cat's cage so we were sitting next to each other and we started chatting. Her cat got into a fight and injured her eye and has to stay in the hospital for three weeks while the eye heals. I could tell that she really loves her cat - she was pampering her and hand-feeding her and talking gently to her.  I do hope that things go smoothly for them.

I planned to visit Tiger again in the evening, so I decided not to go back to the office. Instead, I went to the hair salon for a couple of hours and had some "me-time". It has been quite some time since I had that luxury. After that, I went to fetch Ryan and then it was back to the hospital to see Tiger.  Richard also dropped by to see him and after that, we all went for a good Indian dinner at Muthu's Flavours at Dempsey Hill. Ryan was quite adventurous, he tried a little of each dish.

Ryan trying Indian food

Looking forward to having our Tiger Boy back home so am keeping my fingers crossed that the levels continue to go down and that he will start eating some food.

I had lined up some other posts for this week but, with our cat Tiger still in the hospital, I think an update on his condition is more appropriate. 

We went to see the vet this morning, Dr Eric Yeoh at Mount Pleasant Animal Hospital in Whitley Road.  Dr Yeoh explained Tiger's condition to us and reassured us that he expects Tiger to stabilise soon. He is looking for the protein levels to come down and for Tiger to start eating again. Once that happens, we can bring Tiger home. Dr Yeoh is administering antibiotics for a respiratory infection but apart from that he is not giving Tiger any drugs or medication for the renal failure, just some fluids for hydration.

We went to visit Tiger and sat with him for a while. I think he was very stressed. Being in an unfamiliar environment, stuck in a small cage, listening to unfamiliar sounds and voices, being jabbed for various blood tests, having an IV drip in his leg and wearing a lampshade collar around his neck, it's no wonder he's not responding to the treatment. He looked quite out of it actually. Apparently, he is not feeling any pain although he is probably feeling like he's having a massive hangover. It almost broke my heart to see him like that, my dear strong Tiger Boy. He has always been so tough.

We stroked his head, rubbed his ears and scratched his chin and told him to stop fooling around and get well enough to come home! I left the hospital with a heavy heart and prayed hard that Tiger would be able to come home soon. We went to visit him again in the evening after work. We sat with him and talked to him until he fell asleep purring.

I read up on the internet and was shocked to discover that, in cats, symptoms of chronic renal failure only appear when the kidneys have already lost 70% of their function (because cats only need their kidneys to function at 30%). Apparently, cats with chronic renal failure can often manage quite well on limited kidney function - for some cats, things only become critical when they have lost as much as 90% of function, and there are some cats who cope astonishingly well with even less function.

Later in the night, Dr Yeoh called to tell us that Tiger's protein levels had come down, although they are still very high. Actually, Dr Yeoh was surprised because the levels had dropped quite fast. Dr Yeoh said the levels should be about 2.3 but when Tiger was admitted, his creatinin was at 13.6 (!). Now Dr Yeoh says it is at about 8, so that's a huge improvement, although there is a long way to go yet. Tiger is not eating yet and Dr Yeoh says that he does not expect Tiger to feel like eating until the creatinin level drops to about 4, but different cats behave differently, some do eat before then.

So, good news. Hopefully, Tiger continues to respond, he gets his appetite going, and we can bring him home soon.

This weekend, my company held its annual firm-wide retreat in Hong Kong. I opted not to go this year. When we are in Hong Kong, Richard and I spend most of the time shopping. I didn't want to be dragging poor Ryan all over the malls while we checked in on our favourite labels and I think Ryan is not ready for Disneyland yet, so we all stayed home this time.

I remember there was one time Richard and I went on a company retreat to Shanghai. One of our cats, Snowy, had a fit at the boarders and after a night at the vet, she passed away. I don't know if it would have made a difference if we had been there to tide her through the night, but I wish I had been there nevertheless.

Yesterday, our cat Tiger was hospitalised. Tiger had been looking quite poorly and refusing food and peeing very frequently so I asked Richard to take him to the vet while I took Ryan for Playclub. After class, Richard told me that the vet had diagnosed Tiger with chronic renal failure - essentially kidney failure.  According to the vet, it happens to most cats when they get old. The vet said that average life expectancy for a cat is normally about 14 years. It was then that I realised that Tiger is coming to 12 years now. 12 years old! I almost can't believe it. We always call him "Tiger Boy". Guess he's not really a boy anymore.

The vet said that his protein levels are very high, he is quite dehydrated and his bladder was full - all symptoms of kidney failure. The vet was actually quite surprised that Tiger still seems quite strong and active because his readings indicate otherwise. They will keep him until Monday and try to adjust his levels and hydrate him.  The vet said that, with proper management, it is possible for Tiger to continue enjoying a good life. The important thing now is to get him over this hump in the road. The vet seemed quite confident so we are (cautiously) optimistic.

So, I'm very glad that I did not go on the retreat this year.

This morning, we skipped swimming (again) and went to Casa Verde at the Botanic Gardens for brunch, after which we took a short stroll through the gardens. It was right in the middle of the day (noon) so it was surprising that the weather was quite cool, perhaps the yearly haze helped.

Strolling through the Botanic Gardens

There was Shichida class in the afternoon and, after Ryan's nap, we went over to Ee Fann's and Shann's house for dinner. Kenny, Belinda and Matthias and Chris, Alicia and Brayden were there too.

Shann had prepared a feast fit for a king - smoked salmon rolls, roasted chicken, beef stew and spaghetti carbonara! Whew! Sorry I don't have photos of the spread - we were more interested in getting all that yummy food into our tummies! Suffice to say that, it was so good that we made a "reservation" at Shann's place for a Christmas meal! Hahaha!

After dinner, as usual, we lounged around with some ice-cream and chatted while the kids entertained themselves.

Matthias and Ryan posing for me

On the way home from Shann's place, Richard told me that the vet had called during dinner. The vet told him that Tiger's protein levels aren't coming down so it is unlikely that he can be discharged tomorrow. We are very worried now so we are going to go to the vet in the morning and get a better understanding of what's happening.