Taco New House

 

Taco lying inside the new cat teepee

After quitting the full-time job, I have more time to tidy up the house.  Yesterday I cleared the top of the cupboard and cleaned it so as to make space for Taco to go on top of it.  We placed the cat teepee on top of the cupboard and he really loves the new house!  If you have a pet cat or dog at home, you should consider buying the cat or dog teepee for your pets.  It is around $36 and Shoppee will deliver it to your home.  

Taco First day inside the Teepee Tent

Watch Taco's video at YouTube here.

Handsome Taco

Taco's picture taken on September 2023

 Taco is 2 years old now.  He is so handsome and cute.  Taco is just like human being.  Whenever there are new things at home, he is always so curious.  He would come to explore.  When I bring home new things, he would try it out too.  

My first encounter with Taco was at Singapore Carton.  Over there, there were two kittens, one grey like Dora and the other one is Taco.  I tried to catch the kittens and my first catch was Taco.  I actually wanted the grey one like Dora, but perhaps that was fate.  Taco was the one that we caught in the end also.  

Taco is just like a gift from God also.  We prayed that we could go home with a cat and we did.  The baby Taco is now adult Taco.  And I am so glad that Taco is my companion now.  Initially, it was the children who wanted a pet.  Then we got Dora.  Then now we got Taco.  The first time Taco came to the home, Clara and I bathed him.  After that, Isaac wanted to help and we both bathe him together.  Now, today, since his adulthood, I bathe him for the first time, and it was very smooth.  I don't get scratch and he did not struggle that much.  

Taco sitting inside the Canyon Bicycle box

Recently Isaac bought a Canyon Bicycle and Taco joined in the fun.  He was with us all the time when the children unbox it and he was as usual, going inside boxes whenever we unbox parcels.  

Every morning, I fed Taco can food. Some morning when I woke up late, he would come to my bed and woke me up.  He even 'kiss' me for maybe two times.  

I never like cats when young and never even thought of having cats.  But I love keeping cats now.  They are so independent, and they don't any how urinate or poop.  He would do all his business in the litter box.  Every morning, I need to sweep the floor as the litter would spill out from the litter box.  Sometimes he also vomit on the floor.  At times, his poop would land outside of the litter box too.  Other than that, Taco is a very clean cat.  

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Looking for Taco

 

What is Taco looking at? (Photo taken on 12.2.2023 around 6.30pm)

Yesterday was Valentine's Day.  I went to work and when I reached home, I was surprised Taco was not at the gate.  Normally when I went out, Taco will always wait at the gate.  So I went to my room and put down all my belongings.  Still, Taco was not seen nor heard.  I quickly asked Isaac for the whereabouts of Taco.  

We searched for him and finally found him in the basket.  

The last Saturday, I had adopted some religious figures from the church.  I brought home as shown below, St Anna teaching the virgin Mary statue.  The colour was faded and peeling off.  Some parts were broken too. I repainted it the next day and put it at my altar.

Initial product obtain from the church on 11.2.2023

Repainted the statue and add on to the altar

Taco looking up at the altar

Taco is with me for almost a year soon.  I was very anxious when I could not find him.  I hope he will always be safe and have a good health.

Eat Yusheng

Taco went to the dining table when he smelled abalone.

Taco eating abalone

 This Chinese New Year I ate Yusheng for three times.  The first time was from 834 Eating House.  I ordered it and brought home to eat with children.  They forgot to give me the abalone.  So that night, we ate the yusheng without abalone.  

The second time and third time, I bought the yusheng box from NTUC.  I bought the shredded carrots and opened a can of abalone(given by Johnny).  

Taco smelled the abalone and he loved it.  This was the first time Taco had yusheng with us and also first time he ate abalone.  He ate so many pieces of abalone.  

The second time which he ate Yusheng with us, I opened another can of abalone.  This time I prepared a plate of eight abalone for him.  He ate them all!  And he still wanted more!

Chilli Plant

 

My Chilli plant at the corridor garden

This is the first time my chilli plant has so many chillies -- nine chillies in total.  And last night, one of the chillies has turned totally red!  It's about 2-3 months from seeds to fruits stage.  

When I was young, if I saw chilli plant, I would pluck them and put them in my garden.  They never turned out well.  I never knew that I could grow them on my own, and it was so satisfying to see them from seedlings to fruiting stage.  

 

Taco sleeping soundly on the bed

Just like seeing the chillies plant, watching Taco growing well and growing bigger everyday was so satisfying as well.  On 27 February 2022, he was just so small when first brought home.  Now he has grown so huge, same size as the mother -- better shape, the mother was so skinny.  

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G

 

Taco joined in the excitement of receiving the handphone

Friday the delivery man came with the parcel.  I did not know that it was the handphone.  I put it on the table, because also at the same time Richard came to the house.  So Richard spent some time at home and he said he had ordered Close Comfort for Isaac.  

After Richard went home, Isaac took the parcel and he said it looked like the handphone!  He was so excited and I asked him to open it.  The unboxing was quite an excitement for him.  Even Taco came to see what we have.  

So we have a recycled bag and a sticker.  The white Samsung handphone comes with a charging cable only.  It comes with a battery that is 50% charged.  We can see three rear cameras.  The size of the handphone is the same as my current handphone.  Its thickness is the same as Isaac's current samsung handphone.

White Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G

Last night, Isaac tried the camera function on his phone.  It was so good.  My POCO handphone only can zoom in to the most 8X.  Isaac's Samsung phone can zoom in to 30X.  It can also zoom out to 0.5X!  It can stay waterproof for up to 30minutes in 1.5m deep water.  

A photograph taken from Samsung Galaxy S21

Isaac and I tried to take photographs with our phone to compare.  My phone cannot zoom in to such details as his.  The price of the phone is two times that of mine.  I chose to pay by instalment since it is interest free.  

My Corridor Garden

 

My Corridor Garden

This is my corridor garden.  I grow plants like Chilli, Wrightia religiosa (Water Jasmine), curry leaves, ferns, bougainvillea, xiao baicai, rose cactus, papaya and so on...

Whenever I go garden, Taco wants to follow.  He loves to explore in the garden, biting the plants.  Sometimes there are guests coming to my garden.  There are all in total of about 3 times the sunbirds have come to make their nests in my garden.

Taco in the garden

 I stayed in a 4-room flat.  I think the age of the flat now is 26 years, probably time for home improvement soon.  I don't wish for toilet improvement work because I had already renovated my own toilet.  My only wish is to have a living room extension, a balcony to be added to it.  So far there is no balcony in 4 room flat, I wonder why can't it be done.  I hope that my wish will come true one day, to have a balcony in my flat, so that I can put plants in my house.  

I even told the MP that I wanted a roof (something like a shelter) to be done to my flat because my house don't have a ledge, but other house have a ledge so during rainy days rain will not splash into the house.  For many years since move in, nothing was done to this problem.  With a balcony, living room extension (If this can be done during home improvement plan) then it also helps to solve rain splashing into the living room.  I really hope to have a balcony...

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Taco Vaccination

 

Taco in the carrier, going to the vet

Taco is supposed to go for his next vaccination.  I put him in the carrier and see that he had grown so much and heavier!  At the vet, he was being weighed by the vet.  His weight was 2.38kg!  The last trip to the vet he weigh 1.58kg.  He has gained 800g so far!  At the vet, he was so obedient and cooperative.  When the assistant brought her out of the bag, he just let her do it.  The vet gave him injection and he was okay too, as though nothing had happened at all.  Last time for Dora, they would give Dora some treats to distract her then they gave Dora injection.  This time for Taco, no treats given and no small talk, just inject straight away.  Then the vet gave Taco a deworm pill to take.  And that's all!  

Handsome Taco lying on Isaac's bed

Taco has adapted to the home now.  He is lying at every corner of the house -- in front of the TV, on the bed, in the basket, and on the floor at different parts of the house.  He is growing heavier and longer too.  Look at him when he first came to our home here.  His next vaccination would be next month and then he would need to be sterilized after that.  

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Curious Cats

 

Picture of Taco peeking outside the window during a rainy day

Taco is about 3.5 months old now.  Just now it was raining heavily.  I opened the curtain and he began to come to the window to look at the outside world.  He is so curious looking at the falling rain outside the window.  Similar sight of this was also with Dora.  

Photograph of Dora looking outside the window

Dora was more than 2 years old in the above photograph.  The window grille was not pet friendly then.  She can go out of the window then.  We always take for granted that she will always return safely.  As their 'guardian angel' we had neglected our duties to keep her safe.  It was too late when we realized that.  Dora is dead... Was she our 'guardian angel' instead!

We had changed our window and window grille now.   It is pet friendly now.  Taco is not able to go out of the window.  If only we had changed our window grille earlier, Dora would not be dead.  Now we must be better 'guardian angel' for our pet Taco.  

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My Latest Pet

 

Taco sleeping soundly on the bed

Taco sleeping with me on the bed

Taco is the latest pet at home.  He is the only pet left at home.  At first, it was the children's idea to bring Taco home.  But now, it is like my pet.  I am taking care of Taco, bringing him to the vet alone too.  

Owning a pet is easy but to take good care of it is a huge responsibility.  I need to make sure he is safe under my care, otherwise I feel bad.  Yesterday at the vet, there were many pet owners with their pet at the vet.  We always see people with nice pet with them.  But at the vet, we see pet owners with ugly pet, something we don't get to see often in the media too.  I saw a woman with a bulldog, tongue dangling out of the mouth, half blind and badly diseased skin.  The woman and the dog seemed to have very good relationship.  The woman never abandon the pet despite the ugly look of the pet.  

Everyone brought their special breed of pets to the vet, mine is only a normal stray.  But a Malay couple was attracted to Taco, came close and said, "So cute".  Never mind that I have only a stray, at least I rescue him from the factory.  From a dirty hungry kitten, now a clean and ideal weight kitten.  The sibling Mochi and his mum have problems looking for food everyday.  Their living condition is very bad.  Taco was full of ticks and fleas when he came home initially.  After treatment done for him, he seldom scratch his body now.  All the fleas and ticks were gone. 

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Old Already

 

Taco at Singapore Cartons (27.2.2022), awaiting to go home

Taco (22.3.2022) in the carrier, waiting to go vet

Taco had an appointment with the vet at 4pm yesterday.  This is his first visit to the vet to get himself deworm and vaccinated. Taco was not even 1kg on the day he came to our home last month.  But yesterday, he was being weighed and his weight was 1.58kg!  He had grown so much!  Look at the photographs and you can see the difference in size.  

Yesterday I booked Gojek and the driver arrived.  He saw me with the kitten and he rejected me instantly.  Then I booked Grab.  The driver arrived, told me that they don't carry pets also.  But he said he would allow this time because "I see you so old" so he helped me.  I am so grateful that he was willing to take us.  He was a friendly and kind soul.  He told me that next time I need to call GrabPets, first time I heard of.  The last time I had Dora sent to the hospital was using Grab too.  That driver allowed us and sent us to the hospital.  So thankful to these drivers.  Last time (two to three years ago) when I sent Dora to the vet I always use Grab transport.  Nobody told me that pets were not allowed.  

After alighting me, he was still smiling, no wonder he got 5 star rating.  I will definitely give him a five stars too, and I did.  I told him too that I will give him 5 stars for helping me.  

Friendly and Kind Grab Driver

Last time when I took the cab, the driver will ask me "Are you Singaporean?" (2008).  Now I took the cab, "you are old mah" remarks I get.  When I go Giant, they also asked if I have senior citizen card.  The time I going to spend on this earth is getting shorter now.  I am left with at most 30 years to do what I want on earth, to do purposeful things on earth and then to leave this world without any regrets.  

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The New Baby

 

Picture of my hand petting Taco to sleep

Taco was so scared on the first day he arrived at our home.  We opened the carrier bag and he never moved at all.  We put food for him in the carrier bag and he did not eat either.  He will hissed if approached.  The children were scared and did not dare to touch him.  

At night, I wore a glove and carried him to sleep in a basket laid with towels.  He was sleepy and later on he fell asleep in the basket.  I put the basket beside my bed.  That night, I did not sleep well, tending to the new baby at home.  

The children feeding Taco with fish meal and milk

The next day Taco was doing rather well.  He started to eat and drink milk.  After about third time feeding of milk, Taco did not want milk anymore.  He did not like the milk that we fed.  Taco's appetite was good.  He ate a lot and we had to feed him four times a day.  

That was how small Taco was the second day he arrived at our home.

Taco was so small when he arrived at our home on 27.2.2022.  The photo above was taken the next day he was at home.  Taco drank little milk.  He prefers solid food.  

On the third day, Clara and I bathed Toca.  At the factory and also when he came home, our hand turned grey when petted him.  His nose was dirty too.  His fur felt rough before bathe.  After bathing him, his fur felt soft now and we often see bugs crawling on him.  He kept scratching himself.  

So I went to Pets' Station to buy Revolution for him.  After putting Revolution, the next day, so much ticks and fleas came out of the fur.  

Taco sleeping soundly as she was adapting very well to the home

Every day the little baby is adapting very well to the home and by the third day, he was able to sleep so soundly as shown in the picture above.  

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Taco Comes Home

 

Taco and his mum at Singapore Cartons

That was the first time I met Taco, on 26 February 2022.  On that day, we tried to find the kittens but was unsuccessful.  After a prayer, the mother cat came to call me.  She led me to the kittens!  And that was how the children and me saw the mother cat and the kittens.  

We wanted to bring home the two kittens.  There was an opportune time when I was able to capture them.  They were in the palette.  I caught hold of Taco, the ginger cat.  Then Taco meowed so loudly and fiercely that I released him.  If I did not release him at that moment, I would have brought him home on that day.  

Taco in the carrier bag

The children were sad that we went home on 26 Feb empty handed.  But fortunately on the next day we managed to bring home Taco.  It was so hard to capture the kittens.  They were able to run and hide very well.  Then the company got so many palette and they hide too deep into the palette that's why no one can catch them.  The children had to lure the cats out using food.  

We put Taco in the yellow carrier bag with roller.  But during transportation, the children put the bag on their lab and watched him while in the car.  I was sitting in the front of the car and I was not able to look at how Taco was doing.  

The car owner's sister happens to be a Catholic too.  The reason why we were taking his car was because there was no Grab or Gojek vehicles that were willing to come Gul Crescent on that day.  I kept calling for them but to no avail.  Then my mum and I walked to this colleague of her, she told him that we would pay him and he was so kind to accept the offer.  

I was sitting at the front seat of the car, and that was what I saw. 

I thought we must thank St Anthony and Mother Mary for what we had got for the day.  

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