~Genesis of a Tsundere Cat~

I've always been a sucker for cats a cat person. I think it's because they were the very first pet animals I came into association with at my maternal grandmother's place (sorry, readers..but fish just don't cut it for me). My first pet(s) though, wasn't a cat, I've had budgerigars when I was younger, but I've always wanted a cat.

So two years ago, while I was picking up the pieces of my life following a long overdue breakup from the wicked witch of Malaysia  a very crazy ex-girlfriend, I decided that I wanted a feline companion. As I was renting a room at that point, I asked my landlord if it was okay for me to keep a cat. I got the permission I sought and started making plans.

Since I have never had a cat before, I thought I'd skip getting a kitten and instead, adopt an adult cat from the SPCA or other shelters with cats, as their attitudes would be more settled and would be less frenetic compared to the kitten versions. I also selfishly (and naively) thought that an adult or senior cat would serve very well in getting my feet wet and after it has passed I can get on to obtaining my dream pure-breed cat: a ragdoll. Things didn't quite turn out the way I expected. Well, you know what they say about the best laid plans.... :P

Therefore, having obtained permission to get a cat, I started surveying various places for cheap kitty equipment: toys, beds, litter boxes, litter, food, cages, etc. I got everything planned out, so all that was left to do was to get said equipment, and get a cat. I was purring at the thought of finally getting one.

There were many stray cats at the parking lot of my apartment, and never did it cross my mind that I could adopt one of them as they were mostly crusty adults and rather mangy...not to mention I was worried they wouldn't take kindly to my desire to hug my own pet cat...

One evening, not too long after completing my survey, I was just going about my daily routine when I saw this little kitten in the parking lot, ambling around. As was my wont, I hurried back upstairs to grab some cat food for it (yes, even then, I was "that" crazy old cat man).

Our first meeting

Om nom nom nom

I fed the kitten, and petted it a bit. A little Malay girl came over and started hugging it. I asked the girl if the kitten was hers and she said no, her mum didn't allow her to keep one. Awww...

Well, I guess this is will have to be yet another stray that I'll be feeding downstairs.

I went on my business, and bumped into the kitten again a few days later. Again I fed it, and went on my way. I started talking about the kitten with my godsister, Rainbow, and she started urging me to take this kitten. I refused her steadfastly, insisting I wanted an adult cat and that a kitten was  simply "too much work". We nearly had an argument cos I said she was pushing me, and she respected my wishes. The idea, however, took root...

The third time I saw the kitten, it had wandered nearer to my staircase (my apartment building had many staircases leading to different units) and I told it jokingly that if I saw it again when I came back, it's coming home with me. I got back, made a half-hearted attempt to find the kitten but couldn't see it. I saw a stray male that I fed regularly and asked him (in English, mind you) if he saw my kitten. The little striped furball appeared, as though out of thin air, and gambolled over to me. The male made as if to attack the kitten and before I knew it, the little furball was in my arms and 5 flights of stairs later, in my room.

I was aghast. What have I done? I brought a KITTEN home! Where will I put it? I haven't even bought anything yet! OMG OMG OMG..... 

*toss kitten into a box* 

*take box into car* 

*drive to the hypermarket* (for non-Malaysians, that's like a Wal-mart or Safeway)

I went to the hypermarket and bought litter sand, kitten food and a kitty carrier for the little furball. Still frantic, and cursing Rainbow for planting the idea in my head, I walked around checking if I got everything I needed for the first night. The kitten wasn't quite sure what was happening, but wasn't too noisy, thankfully.

Home. for now...

First night

The kitten settled in the carrier for the first night. I wasn't letting it out unsupervised, nor was I hugging it til it's clean....Poor kitty wasn't used to caged at all, and when i woke up the bedding I gave it was wet and it didn't stink of pee...so somehow...it managed to get everything wet and I was starting to wonder if cats actually sweat... (they don't).

Next morning, I let it out and started letting it explore, and gave it a temporary litter box and some food...Also tried to take pictures of its ass and showing Rainbow and my other cat advisor, Katie, to help me sex the kitten. The general consensus was that it's a male...Not knowing what to name it, I went on Facebook and asked for suggestions, we settled on Max. I'll fast forward just for a bit here: The following week I sent Max to the vet and discovered that he is actually a she. Thanks to a conveniently placed dark patch of fur, she managed to fool everyone into thinking she's a he! Sneaky kitty! Well, since I'm already used to Max, she became Maxie instead.

Exploring

I'll give this a try

Blegh, dry!

Kitten still preferred wet food

mmmm fresh sand

Didn't even need to litter-train my kitten. Schmart!

Hiding...

After settling "his" toilet, I locked Maxie up in the small carrier again, and went out sans cat to buy the stuff I've been surveying.

I don't believe in small cages for cats

Home, with a real litter bo and scratch pad

It took me 3 hours and 5 rearrangements of the kitty condo's steps and platforms before I found a configuration that Maxie liked. Yes, even then she was already acting the princess!

I tried to make some sort of cat bed for Maxie, and thought (still think) that cats were super adorable in boxes.

Maxie's first box

In an obvious attempt to snub my cat bed, Maxie showed she preferred hanging out in the litter box than my box.

When out of the cage and not playing, I noticed she started gravitating towards this, which was left on my floor from my shopping earlier...

And so begins Maxie's love affair with canvas "recycle" bags

Bemused, I decided that since she loved that canvas bag so much, it can be her bed in the cage.

"Who needs a box when I can have a canvas bag?" says Go-Green Kitty.

DIY "sock punching bag" toy

I also got some kitty shampoo and toys. I will spare her the indignity of pictures from her very first bath. Suffice to say neither of us left it unscathed. I survived with physical scars of clawmarks on my back, and Maxie survived with a deep abiding hatred of the sight of me in my swimming trunks...

Yes, I was stupid enough to attempt bathing a cat without a long sleeved shirt on :p

Maxie's very first toy

Comes with two "mice" that kitty can bat around

And a tunnel where Daddy can role a ball around for kitty

I missed the early signs of her potential as Kung Fu Kitty

It was an interesting week for the both of us. I got used to having a kitten who produced very stinky cat poo that Rainbow teased me would last through kittenhood. Boy was I glad to find that she was just exaggerating things to make fun of me cos it stopped stinking after a week. Maxie got used to being told "no" to a lot of things, especially wire chewing. I got to learn that not all cats are like my grandmother's....i.e. they do not all like to be hugged, or petted, or sit in laps, or want to show love to their humans...and she got to learn that waking up Daddy in the middle of the night results in being caged.

Kitty likes boxes

And plastic bags...she got yelled at for this one. Didn't want her suffocating

And paper bags

And of course, all of daddy's bags are belong to me!

It took us at least half a year before I trusted her enough to let her out of the cage while I slept. We had issues, my daughter and I, but we got through them together. I still love her now, more than ever; and she...well I think she loves me, but who knows? My cute little tsundere kitten who grew up to be a tsundere cat...

PS: Thank you, Rainbow, for making me keep Maxie. :)