How my kitty tried to kill me - Page 2

Rosiemac,

I had some trepidation in posting Dommie threw tantrum. I knew I had some rude references to Englishmen and mad dogs. As you and many others are from England, I was worried they take exception and come at me with tar and feathers.

Here is another, on Katie. I think if you were in my position, you would not be able to curse and swear at the beginning, and only find that ability to do so at the end.


Extracted from

shanlung: Dedication // Raining curses on Katie at Falaj Dam // Riam in cage at Jabri

Not all the photos extracted though.

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Dedication

You all know from ‘ Closing this chapter ‘
shanlung: Closing this chapter//Buwah off Harban with Dommie// Beautiful Wadi Qurai
and the report just before that I had to look for alternate home for Riamfada. That was a search that started from the first day if you had read the beginning of this saga with Riamfada.
My searching for the best homes and families for them and to train them was to mitigate the pain that I know will be in me when I have to go.

I love my cats and Riamfada so much that in 2009, I turned down unsolicited job offers with much higher financial reward that will require me to leave Oman and them behind. I was happy enough with just Riamfada and my cats. I have no regrets in turning those down to be with my beasties and birdie here.

I took Riamfada as I love her when I saw her and realized she needed my help.

When I looked at the horrors in Haiti , or carnages of car bombs, my problems are so minor and mundane.

I wrote to give reader a window into my style of life with beasties and birdies that hopefully my experiences and thoughts might benefit them and their creatures. Or give them some laughter at the antics I was subjected to by my kitties and Riam.

I chronicled this hand-over of Riamfada so that if anyone should find themselves having to have to part with their creatures, that what I wrote might guide them or console them. In these days of great economic uncertainties and even peril to our world herself, no job can be expected to be permanent, or that one never will fall so sick , homes that are so permanent , that you be able to live the rest of your life with your love ones and your birdie or beastie. If that is the case for you, I am very happy for you.

I am luckier than many , in that I seemed to have the time and luck to find good families , first for Tinkerbell, then for Yingshiong and now for Riamfada. I had been able to have the time to give guidance and give them all, a chance in perhaps even happier with their next family.

And remember, when Pandora opened that box, the last to emerge was Hope. And after the darkest night, dawn of that next day will surely come again.

For those that through no fault of their own, or otherwise, and had to part painfully and unwillingly from their beastie or birdies, whether in the past, or the present, or in the future, I dedicate the saga of Riamfada that I had wrote , and continue to write to that final handover , to you all.


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Raining curses on Katie at Al Felaij Dam


more photos in flickr folder "Al Felaij with Kattie "
Al Felaij with Kattie - a set on Flickr


Friday 22 January 2010


Tinkerbell Mash Batch 7 were finally all packed into baggies and stuffed into the freezer.

Not much of the morning was left. So we could not drive too far away.
The last time we had been to Al Felaij dam was in summer when Katie either threw tantrum or had a heat stroke. While the weather was warming up, it was still very nice and cool in the morning at 18 C.

I wanted a change from Buwah. I thought Al Felaij dam was near enough to go to and IT had not the brutal heat of summer when we were last there.

Dommie was not around the house. My calls for Dommie did not make him appear. Thoughts of walking about the neighbourhood calling for Dommie crossed my mind. But I felt that to be too stressful and humiliating. Curses on Dommie did not make him appear either. Katie was around, so she joined us on this trip.

The last time we were at Al Felaij, the bottom of the reservoir looked like the desert it was created from. That made me wonder why a dam was even there in the first place.


As we drove near the dam, I was amazed to see the water overflow covered much of the area outside the dam and over the road as well. Many cars were parked there with families out on picnic. That was a big surprise as the last rains were when we went on that Umq outing a couple weeks back or more. I had not expected to see any water at all.




We drove on to our usual picnic spot under a couple of big trees. And found a different sight from what we saw in summer. There was water in the dam. The water covered a vast area, with flocks of birds wheeling about over the water and feeding at the edge. I quickly parked the SUV under the tree and walked with my wife to the water edge with Riam on my shoulder. Katie had gotten out of the car but refused to join us. Katie was meowing to us to get back to her all the time. If Dommie was there, he would have been with us at the water edge. And with Dommie there, Katie would have been likely to be with us too.




There were tadpoles and frogs and insects at the water edge. The birds were jacarana type of long stilt legged birds.




Katie was a lot happier when we all got back. She was calling and calling. I felt she was calling for her brother Dommie. This was the first time Katie came out without her brother. I then set up base camp. The car rear doors with the rear door always remained opened. The better for the car sound system to reach us. Katie was making her way jumping up and down and inside the car, above the car, underneath the car meowing and calling for the first 30 minutes. Once a while Katie was on the tree that we were under. She was not high up the tree, maybe 3 meters or so, and we thought that was cute and let it be. She came down and back into the car in a few minutes by herself anyway.



more photos in flickr folder "Al Felaij with Kattie "
Al Felaij with Kattie - a set on Flickr




Dyneema loop with silicon cement for perch tie



cable duct stuck with silicon cement holding Dyneema loop for perch tie





I removed Riamfada’s leash. She knew she was free. But she never showed desire to fly away. She flew from perch , to my knee, or to my shoulder or back of chair. But sight of medium size raptors soaring above us made me decide against flying her yet. She was content just to remain there with us on her perch, or on my jeans, or on the back of my camp chair.








I wanted to chill out and read. My wife was doing her own thing. Since I did not care to focus on Riamfada, I clipped the leash line back on her again. She had not spooked ever before in these kind of outings. She knew clearly if leash is clipped on or not. I think the clipping of the leash was more to reassure myself.
Later on, the raptor departed. I thought of removing her leash to do free flights. Then I looked at the vast expanse of water and thought what if she did a parroty joke on me and flew over the water. In addition to Riam spook and scoot, I was also wary of Riamfada’s parroty joke.

Just a few days ago, during one of our regular neighbourhood walks, she did that to me. My wife was down the road 3 villas away from me and I gave recall. Riamfada took off and flew to me steadily. I was using my thumb on the reel spindle reeling in the line as fast as I could. But even so, I never could reel in the line as quickly as she flew. I should have guessed it from the way she flew to me in a straight line. She normally would bank and curved about in a very un-nerving way as she flew to me. She flew to me and flared her wings and tail as if to touch down and land on my shoulder as usual. She had some free line as I could not reel in fast enough. Then just as her claws landed on me, she used her legs to push off again to continue flying down the road with that free line. She did that to me at home a few times. She had no harness or line in the villa of course. She would fly to me as if to land, then ‘bounced’ off my shoulder to continue on elsewhere before turning around and landing back on me. In the home and safe closed environment, that was amusing after the first initial shock.

Out on the neighbourhood walk and even with her leash on, I had to be concerned even if I knew that was not a spook and scoot. I turned my body 180 degree to continue to watch her fly on down the road. I did not reel in the line anymore as that would literally jerked her to a halt. I kept my thumb on the reel spindle to add controlled frictional resistance as when the line came to an end and she had to draw more line, she would be slowed down. Just when she slowed almost to a halt, I released my thumb to let the reel spin freely. I called out to her to ‘come come come’. That slow down of line caught her attention, and my cues to her registered , and she turned in mid air and flew back to me. I think she was going to end her joke anyway. Still, I was glad her leash was on that time, and I used that to end her ‘parroty joke’ safely.

Free flights , or any kind of flights done outside, are not to be done if you have weak hearts.

I do have a system to contain the ‘free line’ when the reeling in of line could not be as fast as her flights to me. If you look at the perch normally used by my wife, you will see a rope loop at one end, useful to loop onto the wrist. You will see also a carabiner on that loop, useful to carabiner onto belt or backpack.



The carabiner had an even more important function. When I felt very fine control on free line was necessary to ensure no overflights passed me, or when ‘teaching’ Riamfada in understanding flights under branches and trees, I would tell my wife to carabiner the leash line. The carabiner then acted as a pulley on the leash, controlled indirectly by my wife holding the perch, and controlled directly by me via my control on the reel. In the cued flights of Riamfada to me, she had to drag out more line from my reel and which passes through that carabiner. I would use my thumb on reel spindle to control or even stop line release instead of trying to reel in line as fast as I could. I last used this function way back in April 09 when I was teaching Riamfada to fly under branches and trees in the back lane.
I should have used this at the flight at Al Awabi fort when she overflew me and went past and up to the ramparts of the fort. But hindsight is useless. With hindsight, I should have bought gold when it was 35US$ an ounce or bought some shares from Bill Gates when he was trying to flog them off in 1981/82.

I still do use that carabiner from time to time to simulate strong head winds for Riamfada during neighbourhood walks. She had to fly from my wife to me pulling the line via that carabiner and controlled by my thumb friction on reel spindle as if she had to fly in strong or very strong head winds depending on the pressure I exerted with my thumb on the reel spindle. When she got near me, she had to beat her wings and forced her way to my shoulder, inches by inches, as I controlled the line release with my thumb. I think she knew, and enjoyed those challenges I set out for her.


So at Falaj dam for her flights, I left her leash on instead. With that expanse of water, I did not wish for a parroty joke from Riam. I had waddled like a penguin after that episode at Seifa Al Sheikh. Read below if you do not know how to waddle like a penquin


Jebel Akhbar with Kat //Seifa Al Sheik - the Great Escape and recovery
shanlung: Jebel Akhbar with Kat //Seifa Al Sheik - the Great Escape and recovery

Replies & thoughts of Seifa Great Escape // Cyrus Oriole // An iftar meal
shanlung: Replies & thoughts of Seifa Great Escape // Cyrus Oriole // An iftar meal


I recalled the remarks of Moccasinlanding that she had to swim like a penguin to rescue her Nanday conure who did an unplanned flight despite being clipped. I hate to swim like a penquin as well if Riam decided to fly over the water.

Katie did not even joined us for those flights the way you saw her at Buwah. Katie stayed at base camp waiting for us to get back.



more photos in flickr folder "Al Felaij with Kattie "
Al Felaij with Kattie - a set on Flickr





I went back to base camp to chill out and read my Clive Cussler. With Katie wandering among our legs, or jumping up or down the car. Her meows became less and less as she realized Dommie was just not there. Riam remained happily on the back of my chair getting a headrub or seed now and then. Time passed that afternoon in a very dreamy way with me lost in an imaginary world with imaginary heros and imaginary villains.




We planned to leave at about 4pm as we were going to see Jabri family later at 5 pm.
At 330pm, my wife got me rudely yanked back into the present world from the book I was reading saying ‘Katie is gone’.

She gave me a shock.

I thought to myself that just could not be as Katie had stayed so near us all the time we were there. We looked in the car and under the car and all around us and could not see her. Even if Katie had tried to kill me and stupid to boot, she was still my stupid Katie.

I called her and heard very faint meows in reply. I could not make out from which direction she was calling from. I rushed to the front of the car to switch off Pink Floyd ‘The Wall’ and called again for Katie. My wife was already walking away to look and call for her. I rushed to join her again to sounds of very faint meows. As we got further away from base camp, Katie’s faint calls became more faint and faded away.

I was getting worried. I recalled the last time when Katie threw tantrum, she ended up 400 meters away. I had to get her back. I split with my wife to cover more areas with her going along the water edge while I went up on the dam to see if I could spot Katie on the other side.

After 15 minutes of calling, and listening, I was despondent and sick in my heart. The vast area was daunting prospect to look for a little kittie.

Not withstanding I normally cursed Katie as often as I called her, I had not the heart to curse her this time. I was feeling devastated by the loss of Katie and laying out plans in my head how to get her back.

I saw my wife walking back to base camp. I thought I better go back to get my mobile and give a call to Jabris that we would not meet later that afternoon. Then my wife was signaling to me to hurry back.

I got back to see my wife pointing up the tree. I could not see why at first. Then I saw Katie, so high up the tree I could barely see her.



She was directly above the brown camp chair back on a thin branch






more photos in flickr folder "Al Felaij with Kattie "
Al Felaij with Kattie - a set on Flickr

That was why her meow was so faint. And why I could not make out which direction she was calling from. She was calling from way up above me and directly above me.

All of a sudden , I rediscovered my ability to curse Katie once again. My wife was an idiot in panicking and rushing off to look for Katie. I was a bigger idiot in following my wife rushing off to hunt for Katie.

Raining curses on Katie was a lot wiser, soothing and less damaging to me than scolding my wife, and less painful than kicking myself.

While packing up base camp at the same time. I then called Katie to come down. She looked down on us for a little while. And then she made her way down slowly along the branch . That branch was very thin, which was why Katie could not have rushed down to join us when we rushed away. And why her calls became more and more faint as we moved further and further away. Once she was on thicker branch, she leaped and bounded on the thicker branch and down the tree trunk. And then on the ground, she jumped immediately through the open door into the car. Katie was so sweet that my curses changed immediately to praises.

We then drove off. We stopped for a while outside the dam to admire the flowing waters and the people picnicking there and kids swimming in the stream. Did a few recalls to entertain them and then headed home.


more photos in flickr folder "Al Felaij with Kattie "
Al Felaij with Kattie - a set on Flickr


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I am glad you all like it.

Rosiemac,

Mad dogs and Englishmen was probably started by Kipling and later immortallised into a song by Noel Coward.

Here are a few of his stanzas

and his performance on Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPnJM3zWfUo


and of course, so did I on that day in the hunt for Dommie.


Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.
The Japanese don't care to, the Chinese wouldn't dare to,
Hindus and Argentines sleep firmly from twelve to one,
But Englishmen detest a siesta,
In the Philippines there are lovely screens,
to protect you from the glare,
In the Malay states there are hats like plates,
which the Britishers won't wear,
At twelve noon the natives swoon, and
no further work is done -
But Mad Dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.


Mad Dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.
The toughest Burmese bandit can never understand it.
In Rangoon the heat of noon is just what the natives shun.
They put their scotch or rye down, and lie down.
In the jungle town where the sun beats down,
to the rage of man or beast,
The English garb of the English sahib merely gets a bit more creased.
In Bangkok, at twelve o'clock, they foam at the mouth and run,
But mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.

Mad Dogs and Englishmen, go out in the midday sun.
The smallest Malay rabbit deplores this stupid habit.
In Hong Kong, they strike a gong, and fire off a noonday gun.
To reprimand each inmate, who's in late.
In the mangrove swamps where the python romps
there is peace from twelve till two.
Even caribous lie down and snooze, for there's nothing else to do.
In Bengal, to move at all, is seldom if ever done,
But mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.

Perhaps the best answer as how my kitties came out with me is in this particular complete extract. This might also give an idea how much I did write in my Livejournal entries in that in the past, only partial extracts were made.


I was asked by this lady Sharon if she could take her cat camping as she was entranced with what I had done and I tried my best to answer her.

I decided to do the full extract. The first part had nothing to do with beasties or birdies, but revealed a bit of my past before beasties and birdies came into my life. So bypass this part if you so wish.


The last part did not even mentioned the kitties, but notwithstanding that, those beasties were very much a part of the report as well.



shanlung: Last Footfall in Nepal// Sharon & kitty advice // Riamfada over weekend 18-19 March

Last Footfall in Nepal// Sharon & kitty advice // Riamfada over weekend 18-19 March
written on 2010-03-22



Last Footfall in Nepal

Hiking the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal Before Roads Take Over - NYTimes.com

I happened to come across the above article. A beautiful and sad article that touched me very much

To know a dream I have had would always remain that dream.

I had touched on this in an earlier writing I did in
“Modes of flight of Riamfada and comparison to Tinkerbell //Some chess memories, hustler foil, Baliâ€
shanlung: Modes of flight of Riamfada and comparison to Tinkerbell //Some chess memories, hustler foil, Bali

and again in
†Harry Potter // Rustaq // 1st overland into Lhasa†shanlung: Harry Potter // Rustaq // 1st overland into Lhasa

I wrote then I was doing that Annapurna circuit in 1986 (or could be 1987).

There were very few trekkers in those days. When I was at the trekking permit office in Khatmandu, there might have been a que of a handful of people ahead of me and which changed to a que of 200 meters in 1989 when I went with my wife on that Langtang trail.

I hate to imagine how that que would be now.

I thought I better write what happened between those two reports.

I did not go on that complete Annapurna circuit.

Not that I had much of a choice because of what I thought was time constraint. I came by bus from Khatmandu to Pokhara. Although it was fall then, it was still warm on the plains. I was heavy built and walking on the plains would be difficult for me. I then took a flight from Pokhara to Jomosom in the Kali Gandaki Gorge. I preferred to walk higher up where it was more cool. My trekking started from that airport in Jomosom.

I had no guide and no porter either. Things were not that organised in the mid 80s unlike what that article said now.

I only had that ‘Lonely Planet’ yellow book and a backpack of 35 kg or so with sleeping bag, warm clothing, water and food. All none essentials were kept in the storeroom of Sita Home in Thamel Khatmandu.

I was the sole trekker that set off from that Jomosom airport heading northwards into that Kali Gandaki Gorge. Both side of the gorge were gigantic mountains reaching upwards.

It was so starkly bare that I would not see such landscape again until I was into Tibet, in some places in Saudi Arabia ‘To the 'Edge of the World'†shanlung: To the 'Edge of the World' and here in Oman.

That entire day that I walked, no other trekkers came down from the other side either. I was alone with my thoughts to do what I had dreamed about for so many years. To do that circuit of Annapurna Masiff.

Later on when I read of trekkers with porters and mules and guides , I had some envy of them. A guide would have been so comforting to me then as I was uncertain of the route that I did for that first time.

I came onto a guest house all solitary by itself. I do not know if you seen that 1967 Chinese Wuxia (kungfu to you) movie ‘LungMengKerJan’ set in 1457 during the Ming Dynasty directed by that incredible genius King Hu. King Hu - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It might be called ‘Dragon Gate Inn’ or ‘Dragon Inn’ in English.
Dragon Inn

Do try to get your hands on this movie, or any other movie by King Hu.

That guest house looked so much like Dragon Inn from the outside, and from the inside. No electricity used at all. Oil lamps as ancient as the inn itself provided light.

I stayed there for the night. I was the only guest there. I was reassured by that that I was on that Annapurna circuit. They even had Coke on sale.

I continued the next day. No other trekkers passed me by. I walked fast in those days. I thought perhaps I was a bit under equipped. Until later that day, coming from the other side, 2 scrawny guys wearing flip flops came by making me felt over equipped with my sturdy boots.

My first brush of death occurred a bit later on. The river looked so deceptively shallow even if fast flowing. The other bank looked easier and I thought I cross that river to the other side. Just a couple of steps, the rush of the water almost knocked me off my feet. And the water was freezing cold.

I was lucky not to be swept down.

Then like an oasis of green in the distance, I saw Kagbeni , a medieval fortress like town in the mouth of Mustang valley. I made my way through its gates to see death holes in floor above me and side of me that would have boiling oil poured down on me or musket balls fired on me if I was an attacker in the past.

This was enchanting enough for me to stay a couple of nights. I moved out of the reach of Coke. Only drinks sold were sweet tea. Food was very basic. Buckwheat pancakes were not very appetising even if they do fill you up.

Some other travellers were taking a break here too. We talked of doing Mustang valley even though it was specifically forbidden to do so in our trekking permits then. Tibetans were using that route into Tibet for smuggling and insurgencies. Lure of the forbidden was strong in those days.

I regretted my lack of time and wished them well the next day when they made their way into that forbidden territory.

My destination was Muktinath and then the Thorong La pass at 5416 metres (17769 ft) above sea level and then down to Manang. Those travellers came down from there. They looked at me, and told me I could make it and that I did not need porter or guide that I could get in Kagbeni.

I wished they had not said that. I was going to get a guide and porter, but with my head swollen from that undeserved praises, but I did not.

In addition, most trekkers would do that pass from East to West. I was doing it the other way, not the smartest thing to do.

I got into difficulty later that day. With all my warm clothings on, I was chilled to the bone. Strong wind was blowing down on me. I had to lean into the wind to make my way. The wind was gusty caused by the swirling of winds around edges of valleys and slopes and when the wind dropped, I lurched forward almost stumbling.

Calls of migrating cranes above kept me company and helped lift my spirits.

Then I saw this incredible sight. A scrawny Indian totally naked with only ashes smeared on his body was walking so fast he was racing past me. Maybe on his pilgrimage to holy Mukitinath.

I slowly went on. Cursing myself for not taking a porter and a guide.

The light was going. And I did not know where I was. I then saw in the distance a couple of huts. I got there in the light from the quarter moon.

What those huts were I had no idea at all. It was bare and no one around at all. But at least I could get out of the wind. I unpack my sleeping bag, lighted my candle in its protective holder and had a bar of chocolate. I was so tired that I fell asleep almost immediately.

I woke up the morning to a most beautiful day. So many snowy peaks about me.

Just then, a local came along. Almost as my saviour. I engaged him as my porter and guide to get me to Muktinath. For about 2US$. I would have paid him ten times that. I would have hated to get back to Kagbeni, if I could find my way there. I was very lucky he came along. Which reinforced my belief that only the good die young, and I had a long way to go.

He took up my backpack and led the way. Despite carrying that, he was obviously slowing down to the pace I could managed. The earlier walks I did in what I thought was steep tracks around Khatmandu were nothing compared to that brutal climb to Muktinath.

The earlier admiration for the views faded into a determined step by step to follow my porter. A couple hours later, he took my day pack with my drinks and food. My Nikon SLR became heavier by the hour, and he took that as well.

If I thought that morning was bad, it was agony to move by lunch.
He kept telling me just that bit more. The agony subsided. I was numb all over.

Each step was done in extreme slow motion with utmost well power. His ‘just a bit more’ became a mantra I kept repeating to myself. Until that village was in sight. And grew with each step. I moved 10 steps , and rested and another 10 steps and rested.

And he smiled and said we reached. That was a restaurant owned by his brother. I went in, and could not have enough of sweet tea to drink and drink. I bonused him double what I agree to.

In time I recovered to savour the beauty of the scenery. And to agree for the princely sum of US 10 cents (Yes! Ten cents) I could unroll my sleeping bag on the floor of the restaurant and sleep there after the restaurant closed for the night. I also had to take all meals and drinks from there. I then had my meal. Forgot what it was that I ate. There might actually be proper guest house in that village. I was too exhausted and not prepared to find out then.

The view worth a thousand dollars were free. I sat on a bench outside and soaked in that place, very mellow and at peace with the world. Muktinath as at 3700 meters (12,000 feet)
It was a couple of hours before I recovered. I was no longer moving in molasses. I even enjoyed the company of other travellers staying there and who came down from the pass.

At first I noticed only the poverty of the place there. Later in the afternoon as the locals came in from the fields, laughing and singing and with faces aglow with happiness and greeting one and all, I was struck with who was I and what kind of yardstick could I use to measure others by. If happiness and contentment was used as yardstick, they did not seemed to lose out to people from anywhere. That was a turning point in my life. I changed from an Ugly Singaporean into a better person. And found other more worthwhile yardstick to judge others by.

Travellers in those days were few. Unlike what I seen later on when hordes of travellers did nothing but glued to movie shows from videos and stayed in traveller's ghettos, we lived with the locals then. There were too few of us and travellers liked all other travellers in those time.

The next morning, I felt totally recovered.

The afternoon before, I shuddered at the thought of doing that 1700 meters climb to get over Thorong La pass at 5400 meters. I had no illusion that would be tough. But with a porter and guide, I knew I could do that. Especially if I stayed on another night to regain my strength and to help further that acclimatization.

That morning was when I heard from other travellers the border into Tibet was opened to independent travellers for the first time. Tibet was so mythical and fascinating a place to me for a long time. I knew also if China changed her mind, China might changed her mind again and shut that border.

I had the choice of going on and climb that Thorong La pass and continue with the Annapurna circuit. Or going back to Khatmandu and getting the visa and on into Tibet.

I made up my mind later into the day. I felt I could not miss this chance. And I could always do that Annapurna circuit another time.

I went back down to Kagbeni and to the Jomsom airport . That return trip was a lot easier than the upward trip. I then flew back to Khatmandu.

That trip into Tibet was reported into †Harry Potter // Rustaq // 1st overland into Lhasa†shanlung: Harry Potter // Rustaq // 1st overland into Lhasa

It was a quirk of fate I chose Tibet. Now with that above article in New York Times that roads are being built where only footpaths used to be, the hardship and the romance of doing that trail will forever be a thing of the past.

I knew I could dream of that even if I knew too I would not do that. But it is still sad such wilderness exist now only in my memories.


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Sharon & kitty advice

Sharon wrote to me last week with her letter below. She agreed to my posting of her letter and my reply in blog that perhaps it might be of interest to others too.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
--- On Mon, 3/15/10, Sharon Yildiz <sharonyildizspamoff@gmail.com> wrote:

From: Sharon Yildiz <sharonyildizspamoff@gmail.com>
Subject: RE: Reflections on Riamfada at edge of the Empty Quarter and some rants
To: "'shan lung'" <shanlung9@yahoo.com>
Date: Monday, March 15, 2010, 4:35 AM
Dear Shanlung,
I enjoy your posts about Riamfada, as well as all your trips with her.
I have three well-trained animals, all clicker trained: a Border Collie (age 7), an African Grey (age 2) and my first-ever kitten (6 months). We live in the city center of Istanbul, population 16 million.
I am so impressed at Dommie and Katie being able to go for neighborhood walks with no leash at all… and stay near your car when you stop for flights with Riamfada. I have a question about your walks with your cats.
We found our kitten, Casper, in the street at 4 weeks of age. From 7 weeks old to his current age of 6 months, I’ve taken him around the block on leash every day. Casper walked perfectly as a young kitten (see this video: YouTube - Premier CWMK Cat Harness). He now seems to be afraid to go outdoors—despite daily walks--and now needs to be “dragged†in VERY slow motion for the entire outgoing walk. As we turn the halfway point, he breaks into a run and pulls me all the way back home.
I want Casper to willingly follow me (on leash) as your cats do off-leash. Did you train them to walk with you around the neighborhood? At what age did you begin walking them? At what age did you adopt them, and did they grow up indoors or outdoors? Are they now indoor-only (except walks), or indoor/outdoor cats?
I forget: did Dommie ever wander away for more than an hour or so when you park away from home? (It seems Katie would never do that!) We tent camp with our dog and harnessed parrot. We plan to bring the kitten this year, but don’t know enough about cats to know if he would stay near our tent. We’d be at a forested mountain campground, and there are only 2-3 tent campers there at any given time. Do you think a cat would normally stay close to home/tent/family? Or in the forest, would most cats take off and never come back? We don’t want to take any risks…
Thanks for any kitty advice,
Sharon Yildiz
Ürünler - Products
Sharon and Sansal's Adventures in Istanbul
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The key of my relationship with the kitties and birdies was written in
Riamfada and kitties
shanlung: Riamfada and kitties

That will always remain true.


I cannot say that I deliberately planned and trained my kitties such that they came with us. So how much of what I have done can be applicable to you is very much an unknown. Much of it is down to relationships, and we might have been lucky in that Dommie and Katie seemed to listen to us.

I was living alone in a penthouse apartment on top of a 6 floor apartment block on 3 months lease and waiting for my wife to join me and for her to chose herself a more permanent accommodation.

Those 2 came to me as little kitties just past weaning in July 2008. I needed something warm to greet me when I got back from work. I saw an advert looking for home for kitties in a supermarket notice board.


My wife joined me in Aug 2008. My wife taken over their feeding by then and the role of cleaning their litter box fell to me.
Photos of those kitties then in early portion of folder here
Dommie & Kattie - a set on Flickr

They were kept strictly in the apartment at the beginning. Later on, I relented and let them go to the patio.

Being a ‘penthouse apartment’ and with 6 other ‘penthouse apartments’ on top of an apartment block, the kitties soon found the walls separating our patio to be laughably low to jump up onto.





msct 283
Originally uploaded by shimmertje.


Dommie on my shoulder before he traitorously transferred his allegiance to my wife

They then wandered into other apartments sharing the roof. I knocked on the doors of those other apartments , introduced myself, warned them of my kitties and got their good hearted agreements not to throw those creatures to the ground below even if they deserved it.

We also noticed the kitties responded to my calls even if they did not respond to my wife calls. At my calls of ‘Dommie, Dommie, Dommie’ Dommie would pop his head up and ran on top of the apartment parapet walls to me. It was the same for Katie. Only when I called ‘ Dommie, Katie, Dommie Katie’ that both would come at the same time. Why they responded to me and not to my wife who fed them I really do not know. And you all know I cursed them too from time to time. It might be those curses that endeared myself to them.

We moved in Oct 2008 to our villa. I created a sand pit for them in the garden and freed myself of ever having to clean their litter after that. And Riamfada came into our lives and those neighbour walks started with Riamfada. That was to ‘fly the flag’ in the neighbourhood with Riamfada in case she flew away, the neighbourhood would know Riam is mine and for Riamfada to recognise landmarks to fly back by.

Dommie just joined us in those neighbourhood walks. That was not deliberately planned by us. I was surprised Dommie came along. When I found in general that he responded to my calls during those walks, I let it be. Katie, was the more timid one. Katie later also joined us for the neighbourhood walks.
Taking Dommie & Katie out for walks
shanlung: Taking Dommie & Katie out for walks // Riamfada accepted the new cat carrier//Riam male or female



I was very worried at the beginning. But when they seemed to listen to me generally we continued that way.

I found out very early I need to know when to call them. If they found a new tree and wanted to race up that tree, or a wall to jump onto, or to dig a hole in the sand to poo into, it would be useless and futile to call them then. I called them only when I felt they needed a bit of ‘tugging’ to come our way during those early neighbourhood walks.

I think they looked on us as their comfort zone, and in new areas, needed to be near us to feel comfortable.
So when they responded and move towards us, I normally would not wait there. If we did, they might come and stop 10 meters away from us. We had to continue to move, and in doing so, they moved and followed us. Until they found another distraction.

Walks with the kitties involved in a lot of stopping and callings. Taking kitties out for walks should never be done if you are short of time.

I varied the routes in those neighbourhood walks. There were enough videos of their coming to my calls. Even so, those neighbourhood walks had fall back options in that we all were near enough to home to get them back even if they had not followed us.

I then thought of going further places. I made a variation of Tinkerbell harness for both Dommie and Katie and got them used to wearing that (without leash) with the intention of using leash in far away places.


Wadi Al Maih// Modify Riamfada Mash//kitty harness and preparing to take them out too
shanlung: Wadi Al Maih// Modify Riamfada Mash//kitty harness and preparing to take them out too

Details of harness in
Ivan the cat
Ivan the cat - a set on Flickr

I was worried about spooking by Dommie and used the harness and leash on him that first time to Wadi Fanja. The harness was too loose and he removed that. That was unplanned. But he stayed near us, and came to me when called. That gave me the confidence not to attempt to harness him as he followed us.
Wadi Fanja with Dommie
shanlung: Oman weekend 12-13Feb09 Wadi Fanja with Dommie and Siefa Ah Sheik



I was delightfully surprised that Dommie came into the waters of Wadi Fanja when I called him



Taking Katie out without harness was tried with her, who also responded to my voice.

An important part was that our SUV and base camp was accepted by the kitties. I believed that was their zone of comfort. Even if Katie refused to join us all, she remained in basecamp until we got back.

I then stopped all usage of harness and leash on the cats. Dragging and forcing them was no fun for them and for us and I felt would never work in the long run.

The photos of Dommie in the sea was the end result of at least a dozen trips to the beach.

The first few times, he stayed near the car. We stayed near him, just outside his zone of comfort to entice him to try just that little bit more, and did not move further. Then he came from the car to the sand dunes. Again, we did the same , moved just outside his comfort zone to entice him just that little bit further. Near him to give him comfort but far enough to urge him to us. Then slowly we were into the grass zone on top of the dunes. For a few times after that, he refused to leave the grass growing on top of the dune. I and my wife and Riamfada sat on the beach just 4 feet from him then and urged him to join us, he did so only after a few times.

Then I persuaded him to join us in the tide pools. And you saw those photos.






above photos details in
shanlung: Ramadan & Kitties on beach// Chess -1st Saturday IM Tournament // Tinkerbell Harness for Piper
shanlung: Last time to beach for Dommie // Cats at home //3 days 2 nights at Turtle Beach Resort


Katie refused even to get to the grass verge and remained near the SUV. I could do only one at a time. I have to live with that. They have different personalities altogether even if they were brother and sister.

So far, Dommie who love to explore never roamed further than 30 minutes before he reappeared.
They would come when it was time to go. Sometimes they were playful and we had to scoop them up into our arms to get them into the car.

I find that my kitties do not trust other people. I cannot blame them as kids (and some adults too) tried to stone them. So I had to chose places with few or no people at all to take my kitties to.

For that reason, I would not take kitties with us to stay overnight in places with other people.

I like to camp. At home, the kitties liked to sleep with us.

But my wife is adamant against camping. So I never tried that with kitties to be able to report back for sure. I am not too sure even if I trusted the kitties that I would allow them to sleep in tent with us and Riamfada.

If my wife liked camping, I would have tested the kitties out with tents before taking them out overnight.
I would also pitch tent on day outings first to see if kitties would accept the tent as basecamp in addition to the SUV as base camp. I rather have problems in day time and handle that first than have that happening in the night time.

You must also be aware of other potential dangers. What if other people bring their dogs with them?

I extract this interesting episode from shanlung: Taking Dommie & Katie out for walks // Riamfada accepted the new cat carrier//Riam male or female

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There was this long break, from Monday 29 Dec 08 to Friday 2 Jan 09.

Since Dommie tended to be very well behaved during neighbourhood walks (other than causing us embarrassment) my wife thought of taking him to the beach the next morning on 29 Dec.

I told her the chances that Dommie might spook and run never to be seen again. She thought long about that. And with the abrupt roundabout turn that we all known from wives, said perhaps the harness and leash be used on Dommie.

I happily obliged especially as Dommie did not like that harness. It felt good to irritate him especially as he turned traitor on me transferring his affection all to my wife. It would make you sick to see the saccharine look on his face everytime he gazed on my wife. Instead of sleeping with me as before, he would sleep on top of my wife.

With him harnessed up, the three of us got into the car and took him on his first car ride. Soon he got over his fear and was on my wife's lap looking out of the window as we drove along.

We thought of the beach near that Wave development. When we reached there, an army jeep drove up to us and told us to move on. There was this GCC summit of all the Sheiks, Emirs and Kings of the Gulf countries going on in Muscat. I guess after the attack on Bombay, the security took no chances on armed insurgents attacking from the sea, perhaps helped by a man, his wife and a cat on a leash.

We were not going to argue with machine guns and moved on to another part of the beach.

Dommie was a bit awed by the occasion. He tried to hide under the car, but was persuaded to slowly join us on the beach. Every time a wave crashed, he spooked and tried to climb up my leg to hide in my baggy shorts.

I found out as a pioneer of taking a cat on a leash to the beach that it was a very bad idea to wear baggy shorts.

Soon he accepted the waves and stopped trying to climb up my bare legs.

Then some others joined us on that patch of beach, with their dog.

That prompted Dommie to climb up my leg to hide in my shorts. It was not very comfortable to me even if Dommie felt reassured and my wife felt it to be funny.

I suggested to my wife next time we took Dommie to the beach, she should wear a skirt while I wore jeans.



My wife with her familiar

I grumbled to karenfernvale in reply to her in my following blog

If my much abbreviated report gave you the idea that the kitties were obediant to me, then I blame myself. None of them would move out of my favourite chair when I want to sit down. I had to toss them off or kick them away. And when I told Katie, even begged Katie , to give me a massage, she never did so when asked. She would only do it when she felt like it.

Almost as bad as a wife.

When those waves crashed, Dommie went up hiding his head in my shorts with his claws digging in my thigh. He ignored my command to get down and tried to get higher. I had to disregard the pain to prise his claws to get him down in fear that he might actually get higher . That was in time to the next wave crashing when he went up the other leg. Blood and marrow oozed down my thighs. I thought that was bad until that dog came on the scene with the other lot of humans. Such a huge beach and they had to pick the same spot as us.

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A couple weeks ago, I and my wife was having dinner with Mr William (Bill) White, an Alaskan with his Malaysian wife. We all met each other about 4 months or so ago as his wife was one of those that go to the coffee mornings organised by my wife. We all happened to choose that same restaurant that evening. I was talking about taking Dommie to the sea. Bill gave me a surprise when he said he knew that as he saw me with Dommie on the beach.

That startled me. As I have said, I had to avoid people when I brought the kitties out and I did not recall having met Bill. I was thinking very hard and he said that was about a year ago. Then he said he came with his dog. I smiled and laughed and laughed. It was such a coincidence and I finally met the guy who brought his dog that day. I told him I had not time then to look at his face as I had to focus on Dommie and too busy extracting his claws from my thigh as he tried to hide my my baggy shorts. We all had a very good laugh that evening.

So Sharon, do not wear skirts when taking kitty out. Best be prepared and wear jeans and get your SO to wear baggy shorts.

Sharon, I know I have not answered you fully. I do not think I can ever do that as I do not know enough of you or your cat or your other creatures. Even if I do, I still do not think I could ever answer you.

I hope you find something useful in what I had written and I wish you much happiness with your beasties and birdies in Turkey.


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Riamfada over weekend 18-19 March

Many more photos in flickr folder 'Buwah 19th March 2010 '
Buwah 19th March 2010 - a set on Flickr

It was getting warmer. I planned to go to Jebel Akhdar on the 18 March.
I had a second sharp reply in ‘Reflections on Riamfada at edge of the Empty Quarter and some rants’

shanlung: Reflections on Riamfada at edge of the Empty Quarter and some rants

that I first wanted to ignore. That was on issue I wrote on in 2005 in livejournal and I written on for years before that.

I decided I had to reply. That took over an hour and you might want to read that. Not that I written anything new or you had not known of me.

With so little time left to smell roses and to do more pleasurable things, I had to waste my time and energy on those issues again, time and energy I rather spend on other things. That burned into my day and that planned trip up the mountain. It would take a five hour round trip up that mountain. I had to abort that trip.

The next day on Friday, it was cooler. We decided to drive to Buwah for a day there with the kitties. That was likely be the last time we all would go to Buwah. It would not be possible to go to there or to the wadis in the heat of the summer.

We picked up a takeaway lunch on the way there. We then drove on to our usual spot. I noticed the track continued on the last few times we were there. We also walked up the low hills there as you have seen in our first time there and noticed other valleys. I decided to drive on that day curious as to where that track would lead to.

We found lots of bee hives there to take advantage of the wild flowers in those valleys.



We then turned back to our usual spot.

Base camp was set up. Seeing the rubbish left behind by other &%^$%^*&%$ people who would go to such beautiful place and threw their plastic bottles and stuff was depressing. My wife decided to clean up as I did that the last time.


wife escorted by Dommie and Katie picking rubbish.


I preferred to relax. I finished that Diana book finally and onto a new book. That book told me many of the dams in Oman such as that Al Felaj dam were 'Recharge dams'. Those dams were not meant to hold water as the evaporation rate was so high here. The dams hold back the water from a downpour and allow the water to recharge the ground water table where the water can be later withdrawn from wells.


When not out walking with me or my wife, Katie prefered to stay in the car, or under the car, or on top of the car. Or on the tree nearby






Dommie preferred to sleep.







I removed the leash and did a few free flights with Riamfada.

I then harnessed her again. I wanted to relax and read, look and enjoy that place, and just chill out. With Riam safely in her harness and leash, I could enjoy myself even more than if I had to stay focused on her.

She did what she would have done whether her leash was on or not. She was contented to stay on her perch. Now and then , she would fly to me sitting on my chair.

We stayed there until it was time to go.

Many more photos in flickr folder 'Buwah 19th March 2010 '
Buwah 19th March 2010 - a set on Flickr

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Riamfada with Jabri again from 23 to 26 March.

On 23 Mar 2010 afternoon, I will be taking Riamfada to let her stay with the Jabri's again. I may or may not be going to Dubai this coming weekend.

Mr Jabri told me he and his extended family eagerly await our sweet little girl.




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Important old letters on harness
Harness for flighted parrots – To Nick and folks
shanlung: Harness for flighted parrots - To Nick and folks

August, 2005.
Tinkerbell Legacy - Living with a flying parrot - August 2005

‘ cargo cult'
shanlung: That rescued IRN// If you think your summer is hot // Cargo Cult// I saw Riam flying backwards

'Ramadan & Kitties on beach// Chess -1st Saturday IM Tournament // Tinkerbell Harness for Piper '
shanlung: Ramadan & Kitties on beach// Chess -1st Saturday IM Tournament // Tinkerbell Harness for Piper

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If you like the photos here, they are all taken by my wife and uploaded on my behalf by her.

She has her own sets of photos in her Flickr account here
shimmertje's collections on Flickr




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FREE FLIGHT IS LIFE AND DEATH PLEASE DO NOT TRY THIS YOURSELF UNLESS YOU DO KNOW.
NEVER EVER FREE FLY WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE AS THIS CAN LEAD TO LOSS AND DEATH OF YOUR BIRD.


If what I wrote help you and you like to help, give a thought
for the wildlife sharing our planet.
Do write that cheque to Gerald Durrell wildlife trust

I am a life member of Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. Do join us to do
whatever we can for the wildlife that shared our planet.


Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust - An international charity saving species from extinction
or to any wildlife conservation body of your choice


DEDICATION
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For those that through no fault of their own, or otherwise, and had to part painfully and unwillingly from their beastie or birdies, whether in the past, or the present, or in the future, I dedicate the saga of Riamfada that I had wrote , and continue to write to that final handover , to you all.

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Partial extract from

Do not pass go, do not collect $200// cutting entangling line //Katie threw tantrum
shanlung: Do not pass go, do not collect $200// cutting entangling line //Katie threw tantrum

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Katie threw tantrum

The summer was getting hotter and hotter. So much so weekends made us wanted to go to mountain tops where it was so much cooler. Except the place we liked in Jebel Akhdar was where 3 roads came together and with a lot of people at times. While that was ok for us and Riamfada, that was not too good to bring the kitties. Not many cars were there, but knowing Murphy, there will be convoy of cars charging down those roads just when Katie or Dommie got stoned by kids in that little park.

Kitties could only be brought to places with little of no people and no roads.

We had taken Dommie to Al Felaij dam a couple of times. But I have a soft spot for Katie even if she was stupid and had tried to kill me many times with her figure of 8s weaving around my ankle. She never been to Al Felaij and I felt sorry for that.

So two weekends ago, I thought the day might be cooler and the whole lot of us went to Al Felaji dam. The last time we were there we were at the lake bottom. Little breeze were there and it was sweltering hot. I went this time to the top of the dam where there was this tree on top of the knoll and with some welcomed breeze.

I rigged up the back door of the SUV with loops of Dyneema thread stucked on with silicon cement to create attachments to hang perch for Riamfada you can see in photo below.


The entire photoset here.
Al Felaij dam - a set on Flickr







Dommie was a pro in our outings. He would love to see the scenery flashing past in the car, from front and side.

Katie was getting to like the outings too.












The day got hotter and hotter. Both the kitties appeared to be snarling and panting hard and my wife told me that was the way they tried to cool down. I thought that was ok as lots of feral cats can be seen in Muscat and they survived well enough in the heat unlike Dommie and Katie who have an aircond villa to slink back into. Katie was the one who seemed to be more affected by the heat.

We had plenty of water out for them that day. The kitties went out to scout around, and up the tree and returned into the car periodically.

It got hot enough for me and my wife to decide we had enough.

Dom was already in the car. Katie was up the tree. She had gone up and down a few times earlier. I packed up everything and called Katie to get down so we could all go home. Katie stared at me and did not want to come down.

We told her how nice and cool the car was with her still up on that branch. We pleaded with her to come down. I cursed at her to come down. I cursed her ancestry to no avail. I threatened her we leave her behind but she still remained up there.

So I went into the car to drive off the knoll, down to the main road , and up again back to Katie hoping that drive off would bring Katie to her senses and back down on ground and into the car.

She was still up on the branch. We did another round of pleading and curses. She came down to the fork and then up the other branch.

I gathered some pebbles to throw up at the branch. That did the trick and Katie came down to the ground. Instead of coming to us and the car, she moved away from us. Either Katie was getting heat stroke and did not know what she was doing or she was throwing a tantrum or both.

We thought she was sulking behind a bush when my wife saw a flash of white and black two hundred meters on the plain below. Our Katie ran all the way down. My wife followed her on the path and I drove the SUV to head Katie off.

Katie dived into the thickest thorn bush. I got out of the car with Riamfada cat carrier. I last used this carrier to rescue Katie from roof of villa 5 in Dec last year where Katie very willingly got into the carrier.

At last, Katie came out of the bush to my wife. I rushed over to other side, placed the carrier down and Katie went inside to be taken to the car and given the scolding of her life.

Katie then crawled under my seat where the aircond was blowing to cool down.

I think it will be a long time before Katie be taken to join us other than the neighbourhood walks.






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I came into your peaceful world with my screaming
"How my kitty tried to kill me"
with that link shanlung: Why I am in the office in flipflops today (or how my kitty tried to kill me)

There are many who hesitate to click on links for fear of the unknown or virus creeping via my link to infect their PC and entire household in due cause.

So I thought I extract that saga below

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Why I am in the office in flipflops today (or how my kitty tried to kill me)

2008-10-19
(here is a letter I wrote earlier this morning at home to friends)

So here I am on a working day morning (In Muscat, Oman, Thurs/Fri are weekends) at home over this laptop instead of in the office.

All because of my malicious Kathy (photos of horrid Kathy, with equally horrid Dommie in Dommie & Kattie - a set on Flickr).

Last night as I was stepping out into the patio, Kathy was wickedly weaving figure of eights about my ankle doing her best to trip me up to break my neck.

I widened my step and she rushed ahead, and my right foot was about to descend on her head to crush that to a pulp. I recognized that as a classic ploy from her to use one of her 9 lives to cause me to slip. So I widened my widen step a bit more to foil that malicious intent.

And I lost my balance that I tried to regain by swinging my left foot around to catch that by the door. Except instead of catching the door, I caught the edge of the door right against the Achilles tendon and got a cut.

Blood flowed.

It was painful. So painful that visions appeared for a while that I be in Muscat Private Hospital with two of my colleagues already in there.


And she just looked at me. Not the slightest bit of regret could I detect in her eyes. She looked so pleased.

I was going to kill her, and another of her life went down the chute.

I told my wife to withhold Kattie's dinner for that wicked malicious act she did on me.
She went on to feed her. She claimed she was feeding Dommie, but she did not prevent Katie from eating. Dommie even stood by to let Katie eat first.
She stuck a small pink plaster with cute Japanese Pokiemon faces printed on it. Not even a new plaster as she proudly told me she bought that 10 years ago.

Gone are the good old days where wife stay 10 mincing steps behind and all words from husband and lord to be taken to heart and instantly carried out.

I called the office to tell them I could come in sandals but that violate the dress code. My boss was stuck in the most humongous traffic jam and he told me to take it easy at home.

Then to add salt to injury, my wife went on to feed the catties breakfast even ahead of getting my coffee and ham sandwich to me. She vehemently denied that those were her familiars, but I have my suspicions.

This is to put on record in case strange things happen to me, you can help seek justice for me and bring woe to the perps.

(and I just got that phone back from office that dress code will be relaxed for me and that I can go there in flipflops)


(edited on 11 Jan 09 to include the subsequent retribution that fell on horrid Katie a few weeks later thats recorded here shanlung: Karmic retribution on Katie and Riamfada trust
)
(edited on 8 May 09 to include yet another retribution that fell on horrid Katie
shanlung: More Karmic retribution on Katie / directional flights / walking with Riam and Dommie
)

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Below is the extract of that terrible retribution that fell on Katie a few weeks later

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Karmic retribution on Katie and Riamfada trust
2008-11-12

Yesterday, shortly before I left office for home at day end, I got this excited call from my wife.

She just got back from a 'coffee morning' that she organised for the idle female friends she got to know in Muscat. All coffee mornings used to be in Qurum/Shatti area, but not for the Seeb/Al Hail where we lived. So she started one yesterday and apparently 10 woman folks eventually turned up in a coffee shop in that Carrefour City Center.

She told them to meet at 11 am, on 11th, Nov. I was shocked! I told her that 11 of 11 of 11 is a sacred moment, not appropriate for a start to 'coffee morning' . I subjected her to a long lecture to that moment of remembrance. Maybe I am a man, and more martial. Man are also more naturally smarter, wiser and philosophical. Most unlike that silly nursery jingle that make you think we are made of snails and puppy dog tails whereas females are made of sugar and spice and everything nice.

So she had changed that time to 1030am.

And she just got back.

She wailed "Katie is stuck on top of neighbour roof the whole day!" Words of 'starving to death' , 'dying of thirst' 'I must rescue her' were thrown at me. I wondered my thoughts aloud to her as how she knew Katie was stuck the whole day when she just got back. She ignored my thoughts and continued to wail about poor poor Katie.

And in me, I thought 'Heaven has eyes'. 'Karmic retribution on that evil one!' crossed my mind. Of course, I assumed you read of how Katie tried to kill me in shanlung: Why I am in the office in flipflops today (or how my kitty tried to kill me) about 3 weeks ago.

I guess that accelerate the goodwill visit we needed to pay to our poor suffering neighbours. They were from Eqypt and we had exchanged friendly words before, except we had not been into their villa yet.

So I picked up biscuits and chocalates as little gifts before I went home.

To see , and hear, with greatest of pleasure , Katie meowing her head off on the neighbour's roof. She was about 15 feet above ground. She must have climbed a tree on other side of roof, made her way towards direction of our villa, got into a cul de sac just above the entrance door and wailing out her misery. I told her not to be an idiot and just jump down. She got her front paws down the wall as much as she could, screamed and pull back on the roof.

One of the thing that endear Oman to me and my wife. Within the week of our moving in, we got to know our nice neighbour on both sides. In a year of living in Brisbane, our neighbours there did not wish to know us, did not return greetings we made to them, drew their curtains violently should they see us out of their windows.

We have so many more friends in Oman than in Brisbane. I guess the high cost of living there made the Aussies that much less friendly. Living with few friends is not meaningful to me. If I stayed on in Brisbane for a few months more, I would have my Permanent Residence cherished by so many people. But I thought since I changed my mind about retiring in Australia, the obtaining of PR mattered a lot less to me.

I went in to give mash to Riamfada , give her headrubs, switched on the lights in her room and told her I be back again.

Then we went over to see our neighbour, knocked on the door, and was welcomed in by the lady of that house, Madam Azza and her little son. I apologised for that Katie, and assured her that she would be down soon and I was so sorry for that. Azza was so nice about that. And during that chat, I heard a loud crash and I guessed Katie got tired of waiting for her rescue and decided to jump down.

Shortly after that, we left our neighbour. My wife told me she saw a flash of black and white. I did not see a black and white body broken on the ground. I did not see a kitty crawling on broken legs. When we got back, Katie was on the patio, complaining her kibble was not fresh any more and that we should throw that away or eat it ourselves. And can we bring out canned kitten gourmet food.

Katie was not even polite and continued on her old trick of trying to cripple me weaving those figure of 8s about my ankle.

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And more heavenly retribution on horried Katie yet again

More Karmic retribution on Katie / directional flights / walking with Riam and Dommie

2008-12-20
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I was wondering why the uploading of videos and photos yesterday Friday was so slow. And same this morning when I was trying to get them out for inclusion into this blog. Then I read in BBC that some cables broke and paralysed the net

Severed cable disrupts web access
BBC NEWS | Technology | Severed cable disrupts net access

So I can only tell you those videos where Riam flew to named places, and other interesting photos are in this Flickr folder

Riamfada Thurs18Nov08
Riamfada Thurs18Nv08 - a set on Flickr


On Wednesday night before I went to sleep, I had called for Katie as she would sleep next to me in bed. Dommie would sleep by my wife even if we all are in the same bed. Katie did not come at my call. In middle of night, I got out of bed to call her as it was unusual that Katie (yes, the same horrid one who tried to kill me in shanlung: Why I am in the office in flipflops today (or how my kitty tried to kill me) ) did not answer my call.
I thought well, we would get to see Katie cold and contrite at the door in the morning regretting that she did not get to sleep on the bed with us.

Morning gave no sign of Katie even after breakfast for us. Curses on Katie did not make her appear either. It got me worried enough to go and call for Katie in the neighbourhood. My wife joined me when I walked down the road calling 'Katie, come come come'. No sound of her as I walked on and on, getting more and more worried.

Then 5 villas later, we heard her answering cry which became louder and louder as she found she got an audience of two of us. There she was, up on another roof. Which was music to my ears. Katie crying up there on that roof. Yet another karmic visitation on her evil deeds she persistently tried on me.

I would have enjoyed her crying even more if it was not so embarassing on me.

I told her to jump. She placed her paws down the wall , and then recovered herself and wailing away that was too difficult for her. All my persuasions failed.

I remembered another box of chocolate, and I turned back to home to get it for a visit to a new neighbour. Then the maid came out of that villa, and told us our cat was on their roof. As if I did not know that from the screaming and wailing in my ears. She told me her mistress send her to get a ladder from villa number 1 so the kitty could come down. I felt no ladder was needed. But out of politeness, I could not say that as that mistress was so nice. I could not let the maid handle the heavy ladder alone. So my great embarrasement was combounded as I approached yet another villa to borrow a ladder that was not needed.

And paraded myself with that maid carrying that ladder through the whole neighbourhood with Katie yeowing and screaming her head off to all to watch the scene.

The mistress of that villa was so nice and accepted all our apologies from me and wife. I wrestled the ladder up to the roof and ungrateful Katie looking down screaming at me to go up that wobbly ladder to get her down. I asked her politely to come down the ladder because the mistress was there and I had to watch my language.

Dommie came along and with us at the bottom looking up to his crazy sister. To encourage Katie to come down, I placed Dommie on the ladder and he went up. Dommie was the smart one, opening screen door to get in and out and other things. So he was up with Katie consoling her and then I asked Dommie to get down. Dommie got back to the ladder and slowly made his way down. It was futile hope on my part that Katie could be guided down that way.

(photos here Kathy retribution - a set on Flickr )


Katie continued to scream her head off. I suggested we leave the ladder so she could get down herself and she might do that if we left her alone.

So we got home, and I got back to the Internet. Not five minutes later, Katie came home demanding to be fed. I got ready to go out and that maid appeared to tell me Katie jumped down. So I returned that ladder which I thought was not needed with that maid.

I got back to give Katie the evil eye. She absolutely did not care and did her insidious figure of 8s around my ankle to try to cripple me yet again. If she was not so warm in bed and love to sleep with me and gave me such wonderful massages, I would have gotten Katie mummified and turned her into a bookend or a door stop.

Folks here must have seen my birdie going out and about with the kitties. They might have seen that in horror, but politely withhold making remarks on the craziness of mixing kitties and birdie.

That did not come about accidently. The mixing of birdie and kitties came about very deliberately. What you have seen of Riamfada and Dommie/Katie was not the first time either.

The first time was when I had Tinkerbell in Taiwan in early 2000. She got on so well with Halftail the Bimbo(kitty) and with Zorro (ferret)

This intermixing of creatures started even earlier than that, in 1998, in Hongkong when I worked and lived there.

I wrote about that in shanlung: Dubai trip //Ivan & Batty // Roundabout come.

I extract that relevant part which will make it clearer.

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Above is Ivan on my shoulder. That was during our return to Singapore in Oct 2004 after leaving Tinkerbell and Taiwan and fetching Ivan back from my mom in law. I thought he forgotten me but his leap up to my shoulder to curl himself around my neck showed me how much he love to have me back. That was the first time he did that to me.

Ivan was with us in Hongkong. He was kind of psychic. I reported that in
ivan1

Ivan was also a killer cat. At least once a month, he would leave his 'gifts' to me. I had seen him chittering and chirpping to attract birds and then leaping up 2 meters to pluck the bird from the air.

One morning, we woke up to hear a strange sound. We then traced that sound to a tiny baby bat which could not fly. We were sure that Ivan must have taken the mother bat. I felt sorry enough to rush out to buy a bird cage so the baby bat be kept safe until it could fly again.

I fed it with bananas.

One morning I woke up to see that the cage door was opened, without Batty inside. I thought that was the end, especially in the apartment with Ivan the killer cat and two feisty kittens that my wife adopted a few weeks ago.

Then I heard the squeaks and saw Batty hanging upside down from the edge of a suitcase. Batty was in between Ivan front paws. Ivan was positioning his body so the 2 kitties could not get to Batty to 'play'. I could hardly believed my eyes as now and then, Ivan turned and spit at the two kitties keeping them away. Ivan saw me playing enough with Batty to decide that Batty was family. And went on to protect her.



Batty was placed back into the cage again. Her flights at the beginning was weak and erratic. Batty seemed to like me and hang about me when I did my thing. Her flight became more controlled and powerful.
In a few weeks time, Batty flew off my balcony. Never to return.

It struck me that Ivan knew who was family even if he was a killer.

That was the incident that prompted me to decide if Tinkerbell could live together with Halftail the Bimbo and Zorro the ferret in Taiwan.

And later decided that Dommie and Katie be introduced slowly to Riamfada.

In the last report, I wrote how by accident, Dommie was locked into Riamfada's room with Riamfada. Since Riam would be placed back into her room when it was dark so she could sleep, I never switched on the light in her room. I relied on the lights in the adjacent room to shine into her room for me to see.

I checked all the time for kitty in her room.

That particular evening, I checked for kitty. But the lights in the adjacent room was not on. I was in hurry, and check not made consientiously. I placed Riam on the bar stand, said goodnight, and closed the door and went back to the living room.

Later on, my wife heard meowing, but did not tell me that as she thought it was Riamfada meowing away. I was a bit annoyed at my wife for not paying heed to dinner appointments that she set and we had to rush off with me chewing her head off. If she told me she heard meows, I would have told her that Riamfada was sleeping and would not have meowed.

So it was when we returned from dinner to hear meowing from Riamfada's room to my great shock. I opened her door fearing the worse as you all know Riamfada was never locked in her cage (other than once when she did a flying lunge at my wife ) to have Dommie rushing out.

Riamfada was not touched at all in that 3 hours being locked in together with Dommie. Riam was spooky the next morning, flying immediately out of her room the next morning when I opened the door. I then saw that Dommie had pulled off that cloth cover placed on that orange cat carrier in Riam's room last night. You all knew how Riam hated that orange carrier. I used the carrier to protect the speakers I left in her room piping in music for her.


No single incident should have happened. But Murphy arranged for a host of incidents. The fight with my wife, not checking carefully that night , etc etc.

I was glad I invested the time and efforts to get Riam and kitties to know and accept each other instead of relying on vigilance alone. It is a fact you cannot remain vigilant all the time day after day, month after month, year after year.

A few days ago, Riamfada flew into the kitchen. On the counter next to Dommie. That would have made me paranoid enough to separate them earlier on. But after Dommie was locked in Riam's room for 3 hours, I decided I need not be that paranoid of Dom and Riam anymore. If Dom wanted to kill Riam, he would have done so then (I still a bit paranoid of Katie though as she is flacky)

MysticSpiral,



Does that meant I am forgiven for having cursed and swore at the kitties from time to time? But then I guess all would have sworn and cursed their kitties from time to time too. I think kitties would turn despondent and fade away without been cursed at periodically.

In public and within earshot of neighbours in Oman, I cursed them in Chinese. I guess should I be in Taiwan and China, I will be cursing kitties in Arabic.

And for desiring my breakfast before they getting theirs?

Rosiemac,

I will send off that photo for that caption after this.

Since I mentioned Tinkerbell and Halftail and Zorro, I thought I should place here a recent writeup of those 3.

That included captions too. That writeup was done in response to this lady who had ferrets.

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That thread started with this

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My favourite birdy backpack for Tinkerbell.

Helps to keep the sun off my head and cut the glare too.



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then I answered

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She is my first love, love at first sight, and still my main love.

Always with me in my heart regardless of the thousands of miles that separate us.

Nice to see your ferrets.

Tinkerbell beloved companions had been a kitty called Halftail the Bimbo because kitty was so beautiful and so dumb.
And Tink other companion was a ferret called Zorro.





They were all very good friends together. Zorro loved the mash I made for Tinkerbell and Tink would fly to him with mash in her mouth to give to Zorro.



And Halftail the Bimbo


If you see me coming


You better step aside


A lot of men didn't


A lot of men died

All good things must come to an end.

I knew I had to leave the Sultanate of Oman. I found a good family, Omer family who were happy to have Katie and Dommie with them.

3 months prior my leaving, I started the process of getting the kitties used to the Omer family. I and my wife made visits to Omer in his village at Harban with the kitties.

I think I have done enough of that for folks to have a feel of how I write and the photos embedded in my livejournal.

My entries might be sad enough, and folks who wish to read the full details can click onto the following URLs if they choose.

Loss of Katie at a visit to Omer
Holland/Denmark //No cage for Riamfada // Katie
http://shanlung.livejournal.com/117760.html

Search of Katie
Pakistan & Russia//Village Harban & Omer // Shower for Riamfada &back to room
http://shanlung.livejournal.com/118082.html

More visit to Omer with Dommie
And a note of caution on those who allowed spouse to throw rubbish into
municipal rubbish bin unaccompanied by a wiser male.

Pakistan again// more on mind & tofu // Dommie at Omer//kitties// Riamfada and 3 turns on dime
http://shanlung.livejournal.com/118669.html



Warmest regards

Shanlung
http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/

Goodbye to Dommie and his handover




Paw prints in the sand
shanlung: Paw prints in the sand