My Cat has Fleas

Today is a big day in the lives of our two young male cats. It is the day on which we ensure they never become men :-) We have been preparing them for this day since the middle of the week, when we set out the cat carriers (well, one is a cat carrier and the other is a plastic basket with the lid fastened on with twisties) in the downstairs loo. Trust their curious little natures, they wandered into the carriers to investigate them thoroughly. Then last night, we locked them into the loo and stopped their food and drink. It is a cruel business - they do not understand why their formerly indulgent and loving owners are not feeding them. But it is the pre-op drill.

This morning, we let them wander unrestrained around the kitchen and for the first time, around the living room. The living room is Casey's territory. We have been finding it difficult to get her accustomed to the little cats and she has been showing signs of definitely psychotic behaviour - more of that later. So they wandered around the place, looking (I think) for food. Then, when the time came, I put them into their cat carriers. Unfortunately Winky showed signs of anxiety so I opened the top hatch of the carrier to reassure him. That was a mistake, as after that Winky found out how to push the hatch open. He was still small enough to squeeze through and I had to catch him and put him in all over again (this time taping the the hatch shut). Then, Minks (or Dinkie as my mother calls him) started making the mournful mew. Sigh.

My parents took the kits off to the vet and I started cleaning up the mess they made of the downstairs loo. We had put their normal litter tray inside but unfortunately when someone did his thing, he missed the tray. I don't think I need to say more. I'd finished cleaning and mopping both the loo and kitchen floor when my parents returned with the dreadful news: both little cats had fleas, and lice too!!! After we have been bathing them (irregularly) and de-worming them and all. I have not seen fleas on them but perhaps they were really small. My mother gave the run-down on their general health: Minks is overweight, and one ear is dirty; Winks is generally in good health. Aside from the lice and fleas, of course.

Anyway, the rest of the morning was spent sunning their baskets and the bathroom rugs, and in washing their sleeping mats in boiling water. We also sunned and aired Casey's bed whilst we were about it. Well, at least she is unlikely to have been close enough to the kittens to have caught fleas from them.

Pick-up time: 4.30pm.



P.S. Here is a picture of the boys after their return from the vet --->

Swedish meatballs: Visit to Ikea Tampines

I had been wanting to visit the new Ikea at Tampines for some time. I like Ikea - the way they combine practicality with modern design, the bright and fun colours in the kid's section and the whole shopping experience in general. But somehow it was difficult to find a time when my mother (the one who has the Ikea Friends card) and I both felt like visiting the new Ikea.

That is, until today. Finally! We drove down the TPE and there, just at Exit 5, was the familiar bright yellow "IKEA" sign against the blue background. The car park was large, with lots of available lots (at least when we got there) and best of all, it was FOC! The cafe was likewise large, and (in stark contrast to the Alexandra Road store) had places to sit. We got our Swedish meatballs and the herring platter (we got into herring when visiting Scandinavia) and tucked in.

After lunch we wandered through the many room displays. My cousin says that she gets lost in Ikea's maze, but I have never really had major problems. I sometimes wish I could redesign my house, whenever I see the knacky storage/organising solutions which Ikea comes up with. Sigh, some decisions are unfortunately irreversible. Moving downstairs, we swapped our Ikea shopping bag for a trolley and proceeded to fill it up - a computer lapdesk, candle holders, a new iron pot (which can be used on an induction cooker), tea lights, new file holders, a new toy for our cats (incidentally we found the pet section, which we'd never seen before!), a new plant pot etc etc. Finally we picked up a mini-console for my new office from the open shelving area. Although the place was crowded, there was sufficient circulation space which enabled us to move around, unlike the old Ikea which would have been packed with customers on a Saturday afternoon. And I finally understood the Ikea model of combining warehouse with retail space. The cavernous space was filled with row upon row of high shelving.

We spent about 3.5 hours in Ikea, we could have easily spent longer there. I suppose what I like best about Ikea is their attention paid to the customer experience - just like the way they design their furniture, it is the details which matter. There were special little trolleys in the cafe which carry many small trays of food just in case your single tray isn't enough. There is a trolley park next to the cafe, and pegs to hang your Ikea bag on whilst you eat, or go to the loo. The little note sheets, the pencils and tape measures for customer use are also very helpful for those people who (unlike my dear mother) go shopping for furniture without bringing a tape measure along. And it's this attention paid to customer needs which keeps bringing people back.