tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23739986281917177132024-03-05T19:30:27.914-08:00The Unlikely Journey of So-chan and Se-chan: Two Vietnamese Cats Now Living in JapanSapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373998628191717713.post-42563210910910006242016-07-19T21:31:00.000-07:002016-07-19T21:31:29.739-07:00STRAY CAT CITY: A book about So and Se!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi541V-SGHu5jZvKq3SvZWEnWfFVy-Ckh_HfyUDx1AWup9zhJ8BMoZ1dYv95Hk1QoDEj-6bXqA6A1o-0CAVlAArk3E4k1Rl0-yfeTlA4L4CDF4YwdqblKSzsR-Xf4VscV26avzsMpzTMg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-06-14+at+12.49.34+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi541V-SGHu5jZvKq3SvZWEnWfFVy-Ckh_HfyUDx1AWup9zhJ8BMoZ1dYv95Hk1QoDEj-6bXqA6A1o-0CAVlAArk3E4k1Rl0-yfeTlA4L4CDF4YwdqblKSzsR-Xf4VscV26avzsMpzTMg/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-06-14+at+12.49.34+PM.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcS7Mka6sloqz1WU71avWjgR_gCSCqvIsZCnVWn9foBz9Bkfv24UgwZ5n0mAX3EcgIzTrjeuBvRGdx4-1KSPkuPGZGM6OBATXzo9EKDvXAZeKR_V7AlB0EhQnxjuHf0xHbDLh_uViA82s/s1600/51gme1t8iqL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcS7Mka6sloqz1WU71avWjgR_gCSCqvIsZCnVWn9foBz9Bkfv24UgwZ5n0mAX3EcgIzTrjeuBvRGdx4-1KSPkuPGZGM6OBATXzo9EKDvXAZeKR_V7AlB0EhQnxjuHf0xHbDLh_uViA82s/s320/51gme1t8iqL.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Big news for So and Se. A book about their lives as orphaned street kittens has just been published. It's called <b>STRAY CAT CITY</b> and is currently available on Amazon as both a paperback and a Kindle book. The paperback is priced at only $7.99 and the Kindle at $2.99.<br />
<br />
For anyone who purchases a copy, please note that a minimum of 20% of the book's royalties will be donated to Animal Care and Rescue (ARC), a non-profit organization in Ho Chi Minh City that shelters and homes stray cats and dogs just like So and Se.<br />
<br />
Following is a description of Stray Cat City taken from the back cover:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">During an 18-month stay in Vietnam, author David Joiner and his girlfriend become sidetracked by an orphaned kitten suffering from a broken leg and living by a bridge where dog- and cat-thieves roam. After rescuing the kitten and arranging for it to be sheltered, however, they grow increasingly attached to it and take it into their home, only for its real battle for survival to begin. But this isn't the only cat in need of their help. In STRAY CAT CITY Joiner movingly and humorously chronicles their attempts to help various street cats before it's time for them to leave the country.</span></blockquote>
<br />
For anyone interested in buying a copy for themselves or for friends and loved ones, links to both versions of Stray Cat City can be found below.<br />
<br />
<b>Paperback ($7.99):</b> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Stray-Cat-City-David-Joiner/dp/0997715510/">https://www.amazon.com/Stray-Cat-City-David-Joiner/dp/0997715510/</a><br />
<br />
<b>Kindle ($2.99):</b> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Stray-Cat-City-David-Joiner-ebook/dp/B01H18BMOQ/">https://www.amazon.com/Stray-Cat-City-David-Joiner-ebook/dp/B01H18BMOQ/</a>Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373998628191717713.post-1873035651986694432016-01-24T18:34:00.000-08:002016-01-27T03:31:52.943-08:00Cats and SnowEarly this week a big winter storm approached Kanazawa – all of Japan, in fact. On Sunday we saw a public service announcement that recommended stocking up on essentials in case a massive power outage hit and lasted one or two days.<br />
<br />
The news excited So and Se and they sat in the windows waiting for the massive snowfall. Whenever it snows they seem to think that snowflakes are white insects falling from the sky. They climb the windows trying to catch them.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyNfOtjD0_A23cQuOeQVAoXP-I2YYImjLE0SjFhiB9qumqW4ts38tmmTKeqB_5Ofo624vZAizaP1Mb0SUilAqtVQS-GjQhdAwLi8kyUyI4iCpdfeRtbiVJNjJYUhyNG5l5-_Lk_gb81dA/s1600/20151226_075548.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiALamwX7BwLxLd0b5kVt5Jf-cLpL3oA80sRtGN7t79YVFwwFYy2kIvs6YRbmyq9wkrwSI6sa-PZTPehwwpt3Aibj-2hdffnnVZXFatawrSHGqwNueOKkm86VE2ML8RlyIZPMAYAnndf3s/s1600/20151226_075603.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7gst_fzflMEezMIQieWTUGfQMt9biLOm2UB_CludrrIU4ziq5JVw9wSV-F93ynKH2bXYdULY6-GMco0qN8SaiXLU_Q3s1vIvUFCq8wl10wk3dQU-uruAlV4pLW0QvDvfgqZWD-euvq7A/s1600/20151226_075603.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7gst_fzflMEezMIQieWTUGfQMt9biLOm2UB_CludrrIU4ziq5JVw9wSV-F93ynKH2bXYdULY6-GMco0qN8SaiXLU_Q3s1vIvUFCq8wl10wk3dQU-uruAlV4pLW0QvDvfgqZWD-euvq7A/s320/20151226_075603.jpg" width="180" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyNfOtjD0_A23cQuOeQVAoXP-I2YYImjLE0SjFhiB9qumqW4ts38tmmTKeqB_5Ofo624vZAizaP1Mb0SUilAqtVQS-GjQhdAwLi8kyUyI4iCpdfeRtbiVJNjJYUhyNG5l5-_Lk_gb81dA/s1600/20151226_075548.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyNfOtjD0_A23cQuOeQVAoXP-I2YYImjLE0SjFhiB9qumqW4ts38tmmTKeqB_5Ofo624vZAizaP1Mb0SUilAqtVQS-GjQhdAwLi8kyUyI4iCpdfeRtbiVJNjJYUhyNG5l5-_Lk_gb81dA/s320/20151226_075548.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373998628191717713.post-21574584610280205902016-01-23T17:17:00.001-08:002016-01-23T17:18:23.718-08:00So-chan and the Sapporo Beer SteinAs I've said before, So-chan is a chewer. Supposedly this is because he didn't have access to his mother as a kitten and thus couldn't nurse. In any case, he chews everything, even his water bowls. In addition, he loves water. He enters the shower as soon as we're done and sometimes even sits in the warm pools left behind on the shower floor. It's no surprise, then, that he likes to overturn his water bowl. Resourceful cat parents that we are, we discovered that our giant Sapporo Beer glass, when kept filled with water, was too heavy for him to knock over. Putting a cat-guard beside the glass to keep young So in line also helps.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_EEgp-LYFddq4uPJLHUkZxN7CuOV0FIWl_RMjvyGtcesI9d81cLVBTGw25Il_g134lznOX0XAo3iIAHQoXQ4DDqvd_v9YbyscMija7S728SIkoybDFI0yBzDMYp1Oi1COtcBkw8Cw6Og/s1600/20140815_165203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_EEgp-LYFddq4uPJLHUkZxN7CuOV0FIWl_RMjvyGtcesI9d81cLVBTGw25Il_g134lznOX0XAo3iIAHQoXQ4DDqvd_v9YbyscMija7S728SIkoybDFI0yBzDMYp1Oi1COtcBkw8Cw6Og/s320/20140815_165203.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373998628191717713.post-48629191989336491642016-01-21T23:31:00.002-08:002016-01-21T23:31:52.739-08:00Clothes for (cold) cat figurines<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYvq7khlssZmK7BmB1VmtVa18XWwjojsl9qEEktuFoz-YBsmX8GrjmgsE3kygIecmZLNCTzXL2tVHDaKmuvs6W0Eq_HIefGL1N8yHz2kiqFKlqMxoNZk2NoSmlbmzcawbSQ6aJ4zZn2uU/s1600/20160116_192541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYvq7khlssZmK7BmB1VmtVa18XWwjojsl9qEEktuFoz-YBsmX8GrjmgsE3kygIecmZLNCTzXL2tVHDaKmuvs6W0Eq_HIefGL1N8yHz2kiqFKlqMxoNZk2NoSmlbmzcawbSQ6aJ4zZn2uU/s320/20160116_192541.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
<br />
It bears only a passing resemblance to clothes people knit for Jizo statues to wear in cold weather, but my wife recently made something like a jacket for the wooden cat atop the gatepost outside our front door.<br />
<br />
The cat seems happy enough, if not exactly fashionable.Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373998628191717713.post-30957631134795099992016-01-18T05:20:00.000-08:002016-01-19T19:03:26.278-08:00Cats Can Have Identity Crises, Too<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJXPEnmtHh5L30OJaVG3QgO6ikm5OA8UGNQnMJxQmo6z0tES4r6bbbxNilyegTZyehybpxYNxnkXtae7W2csZ7knZ8r58hrYTXPxBRZbndSnh4i60zR0e6vAB72pwZwv8UwasV8EaBMk/s1600/20151022_163335.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJXPEnmtHh5L30OJaVG3QgO6ikm5OA8UGNQnMJxQmo6z0tES4r6bbbxNilyegTZyehybpxYNxnkXtae7W2csZ7knZ8r58hrYTXPxBRZbndSnh4i60zR0e6vAB72pwZwv8UwasV8EaBMk/s320/20151022_163335.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We're raising our cats in a multi-language, multi-cultural household. At 22 months of age, So and Se don't distinguish between the languages we use – variations of "NO!" and "<i>No-o-o-o!</i>" in Vietnamese, Japanese, and English – but they still seem to identify with Vietnam, their country of birth.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Last week So asked if he was a Vietnamese, Japanese, or American cat, or if he had dual cat citizenship. When we explained that the law viewed him as Japanese now, he asked what "law" meant, but then got distracted by some fuzz floating across the floor and forgot that he'd asked a question. When I had his attention again, I said he was now a Japanese cat.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
After getting over the initial shock (see photos below), he confessed to feeling "all shook up inside." Almost immediately he heard a crow cawing outside, leaped onto the windowsill, and the subject was dropped.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjkjvxotlU5TpyfHhzvnqEBwcEMymxp0kW6-PstDKu9ydXIdgY2WKlJpJUjgN6rChkPGhLyr-S1IGaxwFCcARZDsuOnPfSfKAhm_ukfsRpk-0k66OPDxWtrtwVxzQL6tgJNCRnWrncdrY/s1600/20151022_163335-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjkjvxotlU5TpyfHhzvnqEBwcEMymxp0kW6-PstDKu9ydXIdgY2WKlJpJUjgN6rChkPGhLyr-S1IGaxwFCcARZDsuOnPfSfKAhm_ukfsRpk-0k66OPDxWtrtwVxzQL6tgJNCRnWrncdrY/s200/20151022_163335-1.jpg" width="161" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsW6BVKm48mv31DMjQsVpR18p2VwV9m17dC194KtDaWd_0hHs2rz2EdBvNqkItdm2Alqk1rUucBvbSe5zzHJbg7y17O2xzHHKWejUH_b7TV3oBPZwWuksL-pJ8Dc9glY6sfuIwExHiGV8/s1600/20151022_163335-1-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsW6BVKm48mv31DMjQsVpR18p2VwV9m17dC194KtDaWd_0hHs2rz2EdBvNqkItdm2Alqk1rUucBvbSe5zzHJbg7y17O2xzHHKWejUH_b7TV3oBPZwWuksL-pJ8Dc9glY6sfuIwExHiGV8/s320/20151022_163335-1-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCp-G_m8p_c4HUnVTB-Ga8nv6obMP-rweFlNPcBJywqdlgM_wK5cyCGoctZWKz072GcyCpWXqPZ0MkEUF_zFZgOH4GevEIrzAW-xVvNE0ACVqHcdQTzxIYMaiGtl9RXCfLohfECOGkR4s/s1600/20151022_163335-1-1-1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCp-G_m8p_c4HUnVTB-Ga8nv6obMP-rweFlNPcBJywqdlgM_wK5cyCGoctZWKz072GcyCpWXqPZ0MkEUF_zFZgOH4GevEIrzAW-xVvNE0ACVqHcdQTzxIYMaiGtl9RXCfLohfECOGkR4s/s400/20151022_163335-1-1-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373998628191717713.post-78406409199865603052016-01-16T22:26:00.001-08:002016-01-16T22:27:26.018-08:00The Allure of a Bag...and a Cat in a Bag<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mC3stO8wcKI/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mC3stO8wcKI?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 17px; text-align: start;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 17px; text-align: start;">In anticipation of being fed, So and Se tend to roll around in bags a lot, swing their tails, punch, bite, and sumo wrestle with each other. (They eat four times a day, so we're frequently entertained.)</span></div>
Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373998628191717713.post-53681389832623359882016-01-14T15:53:00.000-08:002016-01-14T15:53:45.712-08:00So-chan Will Be the Ruin of Us<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
That's the fear anyway. This morning we woke up and discovered...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0QrP_lT0r76BzjZ-vTKU60z2WPN8AfFRhG3U2z08LoB60nd3vxtTIk4el5y25EUtr7ZU4a6uNkqz8N0NGWPO-50XP6KcqcquEtWa1d85Xx4E7OWxrmahqlnpvW7TkiVg3kxRfgqTJfHM/s1600/20160103_115704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0QrP_lT0r76BzjZ-vTKU60z2WPN8AfFRhG3U2z08LoB60nd3vxtTIk4el5y25EUtr7ZU4a6uNkqz8N0NGWPO-50XP6KcqcquEtWa1d85Xx4E7OWxrmahqlnpvW7TkiVg3kxRfgqTJfHM/s320/20160103_115704.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>There is nothing tastier to So-chan's palate, apparently, than wallpaper and wood.</i></span></div>
<br />
...that So-chan had chewed through not just the wallpaper, but also a protective layer of thicker paper and – there goes our apartment deposit, the equivalent of three months' rent – the wood underneath. This is the third time he's done this, and represents the largest chunk he's taken out of our walls (and possibly our pocketbook) so far. As you can see, So has had a direct impact on our apartment's interior.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOvuIUWqCe9UOqkb4Tdjs1Vxwr3-tYbspOC5pKlcoOlJBvAt8AqHWKmHrC3LgnRvlol2fWNNIVTmnsk4DVkwSQEppqUfjO7oNBkCWiqy2MpJgpAzJP4YKpxkmusl_ShtWEN-KqHLmX8-Q/s1600/20160103_120705.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOvuIUWqCe9UOqkb4Tdjs1Vxwr3-tYbspOC5pKlcoOlJBvAt8AqHWKmHrC3LgnRvlol2fWNNIVTmnsk4DVkwSQEppqUfjO7oNBkCWiqy2MpJgpAzJP4YKpxkmusl_ShtWEN-KqHLmX8-Q/s320/20160103_120705.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Huge swathes of protective paper now decorate the walls in every room and hallway of our apartment.</span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFhjqfnKud0YBrulpKi1X1nGSh1pngBTRK6z_AugGjcbjK86AHnYGV37KXg8TqQIGpl0151frp3Pg5r-Xqv7coGrhxOH8GHYwKBwG8rU2OcCIVptOUlJlomwKlL_Cv1y7EyJNVU3AHDz4/s1600/20160103_120713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFhjqfnKud0YBrulpKi1X1nGSh1pngBTRK6z_AugGjcbjK86AHnYGV37KXg8TqQIGpl0151frp3Pg5r-Xqv7coGrhxOH8GHYwKBwG8rU2OcCIVptOUlJlomwKlL_Cv1y7EyJNVU3AHDz4/s320/20160103_120713.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Each piece of protective paper costs ¥860 ($7.15)...</i></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj3BK1DJX9SZ21CY8MgonZrwUQGmrTHNQZKlWk0Vziouc0z2dta5Ela_0Kmd1w7R3StwXJ1gnUMaqzRLa9Q2-Uget4ytRHd_H1JdqI3kFKKat0gwunD-p7GEgTcUbeCr66AhT2RGmn_qQ/s1600/20160103_120723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj3BK1DJX9SZ21CY8MgonZrwUQGmrTHNQZKlWk0Vziouc0z2dta5Ela_0Kmd1w7R3StwXJ1gnUMaqzRLa9Q2-Uget4ytRHd_H1JdqI3kFKKat0gwunD-p7GEgTcUbeCr66AhT2RGmn_qQ/s320/20160103_120723.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">In these photos alone you can see 13 separate pieces we've used...</span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig5SYljjWHME96iV3ok2bReKBlxNtGZoi8574jxRBdY1alRxzcDDTRtLcxuVHqAxwQ95oIle17wiftusbuN1q6o50oPE-CpX-wRPLqItgVZu87apeR7lIfPxyhjORMQlTKiuL0HD25Tb4/s1600/20160103_120737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig5SYljjWHME96iV3ok2bReKBlxNtGZoi8574jxRBdY1alRxzcDDTRtLcxuVHqAxwQ95oIle17wiftusbuN1q6o50oPE-CpX-wRPLqItgVZu87apeR7lIfPxyhjORMQlTKiuL0HD25Tb4/s320/20160103_120737.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">I think I'll try biting my water bowl...</span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Se-chan has contributed to that look, too, by the use of his claws. So-chan, however, remains the bigger culprit.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsiZ3zuj1uyxN1PJp4BFLBjXNGDQK9xMu3coC7IcajKki_nRUvZrYohe44_xL-snQGgBYCxQwzFJp3pWhRioBvUflb_9hN4hdGpU3zwJKWS1AJypy4Wd1uzo4PP2i0bjDRDljertJpRs/s1600/20160103_120747.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsiZ3zuj1uyxN1PJp4BFLBjXNGDQK9xMu3coC7IcajKki_nRUvZrYohe44_xL-snQGgBYCxQwzFJp3pWhRioBvUflb_9hN4hdGpU3zwJKWS1AJypy4Wd1uzo4PP2i0bjDRDljertJpRs/s320/20160103_120747.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Cat graffiti mars our apartment walls.</i></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSGQFJmnjjBJVa2HBV75-psj-EEceZ7ADSXIGIyzO5uMcQ_s_GIJVIeac9XpA6HnoxDCDL08makPCrXdLYv2KFDElu2PY75H8JeanBI9ITYPtgj5jMF7MeXSB46OFN1IMnH9Pfh4zTbKA/s1600/20160103_120847.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSGQFJmnjjBJVa2HBV75-psj-EEceZ7ADSXIGIyzO5uMcQ_s_GIJVIeac9XpA6HnoxDCDL08makPCrXdLYv2KFDElu2PY75H8JeanBI9ITYPtgj5jMF7MeXSB46OFN1IMnH9Pfh4zTbKA/s320/20160103_120847.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
My wife commented that although we acquired both cats for free by rescuing them, they've since cost us more than any expensive pure breeds might have.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Maybe it's time we open a cat cafe and make So and Se earn their keep. Either that, or fit them with gloves and muzzles. Or one of these...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPAtUn4PgwKPxn4PcIrD8XK3FbFfEOmP_Guc77aHnz1wAQox-ozSwKu7wwTMUJYFNbf92oZjc7LlJ14V14pjAms3cZd5-5ef-UP2RYA3YBnL9SACbXU9C9fyO4txiLLgCATuRug-KT_oM/s1600/20150828_161724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPAtUn4PgwKPxn4PcIrD8XK3FbFfEOmP_Guc77aHnz1wAQox-ozSwKu7wwTMUJYFNbf92oZjc7LlJ14V14pjAms3cZd5-5ef-UP2RYA3YBnL9SACbXU9C9fyO4txiLLgCATuRug-KT_oM/s320/20150828_161724.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373998628191717713.post-3359632833126836902016-01-11T00:00:00.000-08:002016-01-11T06:04:55.007-08:00A Vietnamese Cat in Japanese Winter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz3_-tPHiXb2faA3eF7wkmTqM4ywVPDc1GkvPRI1qF4rtEN_Ej8eGJvs0sKsGwfzI1Y0jSCjfuSGHZLuJYwkzyEYdQQqHUVdLlTeE0tDRWbHEW1kSkql3PYE0owuXelg17EbzSMb_64qE/s1600/20150925_222809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz3_-tPHiXb2faA3eF7wkmTqM4ywVPDc1GkvPRI1qF4rtEN_Ej8eGJvs0sKsGwfzI1Y0jSCjfuSGHZLuJYwkzyEYdQQqHUVdLlTeE0tDRWbHEW1kSkql3PYE0owuXelg17EbzSMb_64qE/s320/20150925_222809.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Se-chan, born in HCMC, is used to winter temperatures between 30º - 35º C (86º - 95º F).</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
There's not a lot of winter clothing for cats to be found where we live, so we've invested in electric blankets and fuzzy handkerchiefs to help So and Se stay warm.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPUBM2vFOGNH1LLT2xITLN7lGga5f-5p6gcWTg8YXmY-HbUuGufiIuyuLBKI_e5uqb8_eQ-qH6JqVu39f0h2Qc7cjtDiiyeoSyh2ij1Qt3wGUDqL3JtVqZzgiFSxrn1BSe_H8XAOvu5E/s1600/20150818_221850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPUBM2vFOGNH1LLT2xITLN7lGga5f-5p6gcWTg8YXmY-HbUuGufiIuyuLBKI_e5uqb8_eQ-qH6JqVu39f0h2Qc7cjtDiiyeoSyh2ij1Qt3wGUDqL3JtVqZzgiFSxrn1BSe_H8XAOvu5E/s320/20150818_221850.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
Se-chan likes the "old peasant grandma" look, especially if there's a design motif involving black cats. We're most happy to oblige him.Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373998628191717713.post-70946210131917143222016-01-08T01:00:00.000-08:002016-01-08T15:26:07.657-08:00Don't Let Those Angel Eyes Fool You<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6PTBpORr-dLntu26E3PdaqDvfyJ8g6vN1FRHOHBDJniGHVV2YYDs_aim5jfwmheufdM8jB55OgG9ji4gm3SEPuJBoYlAEqM5qIl2r_MsepxUlO7i_G7BN4esjjkhph0tOGwp3q24NmIQ/s1600/1451709385899.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6PTBpORr-dLntu26E3PdaqDvfyJ8g6vN1FRHOHBDJniGHVV2YYDs_aim5jfwmheufdM8jB55OgG9ji4gm3SEPuJBoYlAEqM5qIl2r_MsepxUlO7i_G7BN4esjjkhph0tOGwp3q24NmIQ/s320/1451709385899.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>He looks so innocent standing beside that bottle of Aizu Musume...</i></span></div>
<br />
So-chan relishes his role in our home as the protector of sake. Here he is making sure no one pours from our bottle of Aizu Musume without his consent.<br />
<br />
However, he is less a protector than a co-miscreant with Se-chan when it comes to food of any type. In that case, he relishes his role as a thief.<br />
<br />
Below we see him in the moment between launching himself onto the dining table and nabbing my scallop sashimi. I would have photographed the latter moment had I not dropped my camera and started chasing him.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIDkmNZeTakx13ZZdXxQt644GQVhvNABxWsdW5rnpEGgUlgBOYoWrQoyyfejJdYq1DqwYQN5wsP686ZbCb4KPWVjbtcZZ2NSYaWd1dLPkbPsh6UZ_InTdwaxA0RGCLeFnQX8cNDVm0BO0/s1600/20151219_183257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIDkmNZeTakx13ZZdXxQt644GQVhvNABxWsdW5rnpEGgUlgBOYoWrQoyyfejJdYq1DqwYQN5wsP686ZbCb4KPWVjbtcZZ2NSYaWd1dLPkbPsh6UZ_InTdwaxA0RGCLeFnQX8cNDVm0BO0/s320/20151219_183257.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Look, Se-chan, scallop sashimi! Meet me under the sofa and I'll split my haul with you!</span></i></div>
Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373998628191717713.post-74923395115959610542016-01-03T06:00:00.000-08:002016-01-03T06:02:38.237-08:00Se-Chan: The Paper Eater in the Family<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The tissue box was all safely tucked away inside the TV rack when we went to bed last night. I wonder what happened between then and this morning?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Hmm, Se-chan?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEaeEyiU6bJGWBpGpgK536eZ5xhbMt6Oq-xvrflXVmyyC_vnBTyVAg1jSH1-tMUKfEyPKGWI31TR-135P07JQKL2xqWObpQklAYQHx4HWsZVWMaLKl7t3j-DPCGuewqUZRmzL-DRly40/s1600/20151221_071138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEaeEyiU6bJGWBpGpgK536eZ5xhbMt6Oq-xvrflXVmyyC_vnBTyVAg1jSH1-tMUKfEyPKGWI31TR-135P07JQKL2xqWObpQklAYQHx4HWsZVWMaLKl7t3j-DPCGuewqUZRmzL-DRly40/s400/20151221_071138.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmOQDIAyGoXk3Ssp5vlrbsGNklf33nbGdegbU8YwkYfO9G-VwB9b-QYo4q_nl2TD5qKI4O_cnorxDRSQTo06ZO2b70Mr5XRyJFy4D0MXdQ6DuTAlzhDqbZYq_hOrfPt4J_lfAbjAEgIMs/s1600/20160102_183517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmOQDIAyGoXk3Ssp5vlrbsGNklf33nbGdegbU8YwkYfO9G-VwB9b-QYo4q_nl2TD5qKI4O_cnorxDRSQTo06ZO2b70Mr5XRyJFy4D0MXdQ6DuTAlzhDqbZYq_hOrfPt4J_lfAbjAEgIMs/s400/20160102_183517.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">I wouldn't know. I'm just a little orange angel sitting in my cat cave...</span></i></div>
Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373998628191717713.post-82458074320021750932016-01-01T04:14:00.001-08:002016-01-01T05:34:52.184-08:00As if Shot from a Cannon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/KZoqmEDITtk/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KZoqmEDITtk?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
It's not like we starve our cats or anything. We feed them dry food three times a day and wet food once at night, and we also cave in to the two pairs of sad eyes and cat cries that are unavoidable whenever we eat yoghurt and sashimi, especially. But when their automatic feeders dispense their dry food, you better not be in their paths to the kitchen.<br />
<br />
This video is not speeded up. So and Se are like giant bullets with fur and legs than can make a turn on a dime if there's food to be found around the corner.Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373998628191717713.post-91806574897555993512015-10-09T19:06:00.001-07:002015-10-15T03:47:20.155-07:00Fire-breathing So-chan <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5mh9GUezjI5UpI7sCZ02GCSVn_tMOcWSZXj81Xeh-DjQgOaz_23zSjTxYLASzURC6VQVV07p-HUMxYYfivkrOsDn_taa2bckcqnCd0Q21MSaNIrejrcsh878CNpqayLUvuoRKIFSr9x4/s1600/1436048202714.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5mh9GUezjI5UpI7sCZ02GCSVn_tMOcWSZXj81Xeh-DjQgOaz_23zSjTxYLASzURC6VQVV07p-HUMxYYfivkrOsDn_taa2bckcqnCd0Q21MSaNIrejrcsh878CNpqayLUvuoRKIFSr9x4/s320/1436048202714.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18.8500003814697px;"><i>That guy never stood a chance.</i></span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Palatino, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px;">So-chan in the mood for window-washer crisps, despite having eaten three last week.</span>Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373998628191717713.post-10744853976762292582015-10-02T02:08:00.000-07:002015-10-02T02:08:52.326-07:00Cats. Food. The devil.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We feed So and Se from automatic dry food dispensers at 6:30 am, 12:30 pm, and 6:00 pm. They also get wet food every night at 9:00 pm. (Earlier if their vocalizing drives us totally insane.) About an hour before any of these feeding times they go absolutely crazy - fighting, chewing the walls, running everywhere, leaving swathes of charred, half-burning carpet in their wakes.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
These are the faces of hungry, devil-possessed felines. And we love them despite their madness.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip0hz2uT-lfv0-lg4IzeYrzjvxGDOAC8eRhC-HeI_9QpPDpStMa_OMMZnTf_d9MV5MC1MFTaygLVxlrFxe5Ur4AhB9H-G_e5enxwoOc3kFusAzIYVZ_fS5wvLJGJwJIB7GaGyQtAY_81w/s1600/20150927_192130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip0hz2uT-lfv0-lg4IzeYrzjvxGDOAC8eRhC-HeI_9QpPDpStMa_OMMZnTf_d9MV5MC1MFTaygLVxlrFxe5Ur4AhB9H-G_e5enxwoOc3kFusAzIYVZ_fS5wvLJGJwJIB7GaGyQtAY_81w/s320/20150927_192130.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4H00teE3TqSSngc-P9hTEd4naakLxLTy48hZ3XFTMNzWJBvEiB0Y8Nc2u1fO_kW4wc9qhm2ukt-Gh5hiCB4-PKdK4ukNg1kAM60qOsk1BMTqRD-lumWfPblw33Xe64QkiHUUa0oRq76U/s1600/20150927_192119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4H00teE3TqSSngc-P9hTEd4naakLxLTy48hZ3XFTMNzWJBvEiB0Y8Nc2u1fO_kW4wc9qhm2ukt-Gh5hiCB4-PKdK4ukNg1kAM60qOsk1BMTqRD-lumWfPblw33Xe64QkiHUUa0oRq76U/s320/20150927_192119.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373998628191717713.post-7047325454168454442015-09-29T09:00:00.000-07:002015-10-15T14:34:51.896-07:00Testing our cats with a new hair gel product<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i>What to do with leftover tuna sashimi?</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I discussed this with our cats at great length this afternoon.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
At So-chan's urging I created a tuna-flavored hair gel for cats. And then, again at So-chan's urging, I tested the product on Se-chan!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQ4D96znNeRvZd2NGsmU6LTOmp3KPem9QipEJdz7R9zcAg0nRhtlS2kWLn9Lw13HUtLHCsP3SqYduYwi6XBXBcHftF-B52pXvFwBW-pyWg4wrkvJppeO97hnpfUfEDyp5oRjD-REM-ww/s1600/20150928_160158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQ4D96znNeRvZd2NGsmU6LTOmp3KPem9QipEJdz7R9zcAg0nRhtlS2kWLn9Lw13HUtLHCsP3SqYduYwi6XBXBcHftF-B52pXvFwBW-pyWg4wrkvJppeO97hnpfUfEDyp5oRjD-REM-ww/s320/20150928_160158.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So-chan gave it a big thumb's-up. "It's the most delicious hair gel I've ever tried," he mewled.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpoAI8xi7WDgY_TeHcSVPuod_q6qQF2L88nW83C0m4Rr64BOXicnqXEvnhrUDGd-zbAG2Qn_wT3kmer6HIAcXlnmBjCwkRp0mgW9CYLSLOi90rg3BJ1tRVAa3604H1rAHkEMdSLWtZkko/s1600/20150928_160130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpoAI8xi7WDgY_TeHcSVPuod_q6qQF2L88nW83C0m4Rr64BOXicnqXEvnhrUDGd-zbAG2Qn_wT3kmer6HIAcXlnmBjCwkRp0mgW9CYLSLOi90rg3BJ1tRVAa3604H1rAHkEMdSLWtZkko/s320/20150928_160130.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Se-chan, however, was vocal in his dislike of the product.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Clearly, I need to spend more time refining my tuna-flavored cat hair gel idea. Next time, So gets a dollop.</div>
Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373998628191717713.post-53703168973294949722015-09-27T20:35:00.000-07:002015-09-27T20:35:12.329-07:00Cats and books...and paperSometimes books and cats go together. Paper left overnight on chairs, however, not as much. We're pretty sure the culprit was Se-chan.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskXIPGxv9mE1VpeAWU85uVJBC39O1Zihgm1IvKsSwS-ZeM8hzfoEarjA6k8RHapHpiXRpg2P3cjUss9tLqugP-voDYc8q2cS9oo8dEe9jF9GW3iSu3BhO4kBWjTFxi0t8MzqpT4h5XvQ/s1600/20150928_121355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskXIPGxv9mE1VpeAWU85uVJBC39O1Zihgm1IvKsSwS-ZeM8hzfoEarjA6k8RHapHpiXRpg2P3cjUss9tLqugP-voDYc8q2cS9oo8dEe9jF9GW3iSu3BhO4kBWjTFxi0t8MzqpT4h5XvQ/s400/20150928_121355.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8aSvoKCzFIlVNWNff7IDwvXPY6ReWAhKZrRjzl2hMpiHSumApT9t-1ux0SS2IEcmqv8wvn-qLUCSGUvaTiI8uoNUqJd0lM9Tpvba5OJKGDlCvKmgCeAdHVlCpgbyDzud3Iej3nLOj-sk/s1600/20150920_090546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8aSvoKCzFIlVNWNff7IDwvXPY6ReWAhKZrRjzl2hMpiHSumApT9t-1ux0SS2IEcmqv8wvn-qLUCSGUvaTiI8uoNUqJd0lM9Tpvba5OJKGDlCvKmgCeAdHVlCpgbyDzud3Iej3nLOj-sk/s400/20150920_090546.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373998628191717713.post-5080006000761333012015-09-27T06:39:00.000-07:002015-09-28T03:42:01.333-07:00What this blog is about<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5_2Lsd02vAkzHHrGdHNJAL0dvCh50OW44HaieUnhyEDyhIT3xZYPs0j5NYq0nkPB5T0UPTb_zr7Xv_g5hn8pQQol7sqDmh9Pp5_iLfIo7xEPs5D4I5XQ7QuTm3YWl3RUu3AF7bq7Fd-g/s1600/20150811_132445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5_2Lsd02vAkzHHrGdHNJAL0dvCh50OW44HaieUnhyEDyhIT3xZYPs0j5NYq0nkPB5T0UPTb_zr7Xv_g5hn8pQQol7sqDmh9Pp5_iLfIo7xEPs5D4I5XQ7QuTm3YWl3RUu3AF7bq7Fd-g/s320/20150811_132445.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">So-chan and Se-chan and their cat-doll, Asaichi, on top of our refrigerator in Kanazawa, Japan. So is to the left and looking up angelically (he's a good actor). Se, who follows So everywhere, is looking down in disgruntlement. It's the late afternoon and they're begging for a second treat of dried fish.</span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">THE UNLIKELY JOURNEY OF SO-CHAN AND SE-CHAN:</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">TWO VIETNAMESE CATS NOW LIVING IN JAPAN</span></b></div>
<span id="goog_802874211"></span><span id="goog_802874212"></span><br />
The purpose of this blog is to share the story of two stray kittens that my girlfriend, Haru, and I caught and brought into our homes when we were living in Vietnam. The kittens are named So and Se, and on March 2015, at around the time of their first birthday, we moved with them to Kanazawa, Japan.<br />
<br />
I am the author of the novel <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lotusland-Essential-Prose-David-Joiner/dp/1550719300" target="_blank">Lotusland</a></i> (Guernica Editions), which was published in March 2015 – clearly, it was a busy month for all of us – and I'm working on a book about our rescue and adoption of two stray Vietnamese cats that I plan to self-publish before the end of this year.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl4ac9agijOx45NWMd7NHekFXK1Or1eFdbWCcmzxTqNEEdCdEbDXNu4u2VCyTOBZPs60P2gyLIeYtraQvtgPfh4fYAlLXeFTxv55tDCAkd1PDELYia_LnwJLceJxtNOsZLxpesavIydW8/s1600/Lotusland_cover+copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl4ac9agijOx45NWMd7NHekFXK1Or1eFdbWCcmzxTqNEEdCdEbDXNu4u2VCyTOBZPs60P2gyLIeYtraQvtgPfh4fYAlLXeFTxv55tDCAkd1PDELYia_LnwJLceJxtNOsZLxpesavIydW8/s200/Lotusland_cover+copy.JPG" width="125" /></a></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The cover of my novel. For more on my book and writing, please visit my author website, <a href="http://www.david-joiner.com/">www.david-joiner.com</a>.</span></i></div>
</div>
<br />
For this blog's inaugural post, I'll share a brief summary of the book I'm working on now. Note that the tenses are consistent for the time when I wrote the piece, which was late in 2014. I'll also include some photos of So and Se. More photos and videos will be forthcoming, along with captions and anecdotes, in the days ahead.<br />
<br />
I hope people enjoy our blog and will keep an eye out for my book when it comes out!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
*</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
We’ve been living in a secure riverside complex in Ho Chi
Minh City, Vietnam, since January 2014. It’s one of those rare finds in an
urban sprawl: lots of open, soft grass; beautifully maintained trees and
flowers; a long stretch of river dotted with water hyacinth and birds of every
description; and fish so big that not too far upstream from us a 200-kg carp
was recently caught. We also have a lot of stray cats here. It’s not clear
where they all come from or where they disappear to. But in the news a few
weeks ago it came to our attention that two men were arrested for coming into
our neighborhood and stealing pets and strays. It turned out they were selling
them to local restaurants where men eat them believing they will boost their
virility. They admitted to stealing 200 cats and dogs.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Back in March a family of cats – a mother and three kittens
– started hanging out on our back porch. Why they chose us, when there were 38
other such porches to choose from, I have no idea. The mother cat was quite skinny,
so we took to giving her a bit of food each day. One small serving of wet cat
food was soon enlarged with a handful of dry cat food. Eventually we were
feeding her small plates of wet food twice a day with a midday snack of dry
food. We knew we were encouraging the cats in ways we shouldn’t, for we
couldn’t take them all in and we were planning to move back to Japan in January
2015, but we felt sorry for them. We thought that if we fed them well they’d
grow strong enough to survive in a place where cats rarely survive for more
than a few years at most.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY26mVmYfg7Hw6_4rUlatU0OHgAZ69CIOoZorl9gZukGn-ktmPbL82itazGl00eexdQB1q3VWNHR2qiTfGqjbYOaStnsDQ4LBVqzuKBtdgQ39WXBog_oa8dMd55LjM640KWjTeMfxCS_s/s1600/10389651_4389880363301_2705538179176687747_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY26mVmYfg7Hw6_4rUlatU0OHgAZ69CIOoZorl9gZukGn-ktmPbL82itazGl00eexdQB1q3VWNHR2qiTfGqjbYOaStnsDQ4LBVqzuKBtdgQ39WXBog_oa8dMd55LjM640KWjTeMfxCS_s/s640/10389651_4389880363301_2705538179176687747_n.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The mother cat, Marmalade, on our back porch with three of her four kittens: Su, Se, and Shi. Marmalade soon disappeared, and then Shi, too, we never saw again. We eventually caught Su and Se. Su is with a family in HCMC, while Se became our second adopted cat.</i></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A few weeks later the mother cat disappeared. But the three
kittens kept coming around, and we kept feeding them, wondering what to do.
Eventually only one kitten stuck around, and we’d occasionally see the other
two on the steps of our porch, but mostly they just hung out by a nearby
bridge.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4AeKOESt4rmSVJeRr6VCb_sRofUYVJrFaYNsBF95K1npZF7kshcIWbKrC1k-cMmGhkGUzYKyy1L4UQ95qhcdmmSjKKigDODf2YWd6UqjvlPK59EngIWnSrfgvj0jAYOhD-NN76YPiIPU/s1600/10425039_4424315224151_4756622129297497240_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4AeKOESt4rmSVJeRr6VCb_sRofUYVJrFaYNsBF95K1npZF7kshcIWbKrC1k-cMmGhkGUzYKyy1L4UQ95qhcdmmSjKKigDODf2YWd6UqjvlPK59EngIWnSrfgvj0jAYOhD-NN76YPiIPU/s400/10425039_4424315224151_4756622129297497240_n.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Su, standing, and Se, sitting. Su came every day to tape naps in the sunshine on our porch and to eat the food we placed outside for it twice daily. Se rarely ever came, but he showed up on the day I planned to catch Su and the rest, as they say, is history.</i></span></div>
<br />
One day I walked to the bridge and was shocked to find a fourth kitten.
He was small and skinny and could barely walk. His left foreleg looked as if
someone had snapped it in half above the wrist. No wonder we never saw it with
its mother and siblings on our porch – it had no way to get there.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I saw it, I kind of freaked out. I picked it up and ran
back home with it, thinking “Its foot is broken! It’s about to die!” After it
scarfed down a plate of kitten food we stuffed it in a backpack and brought it,
purring the whole time, to two vets. The first vet, I think, wasn’t a real vet
at all, but the second one was and he agreed to help us find a home for it. So we
gave it to him feeling greatly relieved and went home.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But soon we found ourselves driving our motorbike on roads
we had no business being on, all so we could justify stopping at the vet’s,
which always just happened to be nearby, and asking to see the kitten. They
brought it out to us in a plastic basin, and we sat in the waiting room petting
it for 20-minute stretches before embarrassment made us leave. After about a
week of this we decided to adopt it. The doctor and his staff saw it coming all
along. I’m guessing the kitten did, too.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOS4GN2mwX5I4-TFrefCi9cUpG2DcfbzUcY-kAxGjSPcGdiHej6jVFACIOhCGA8rTgqqqrO6RfTdDuCh-NeKN-UW_5EtD1dDCDRBI8BZlhzeyeALkZjPmtnRjcfEWhY50Mr5qH3gPbke4/s1600/20140719_110205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOS4GN2mwX5I4-TFrefCi9cUpG2DcfbzUcY-kAxGjSPcGdiHej6jVFACIOhCGA8rTgqqqrO6RfTdDuCh-NeKN-UW_5EtD1dDCDRBI8BZlhzeyeALkZjPmtnRjcfEWhY50Mr5qH3gPbke4/s200/20140719_110205.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDMAv954ZPjw7hxSY9mObT_nPlMcIfrenW2EI6QMNxKZXLWfErEl60m3nx-OmiZqvF-FWOFlWeqCtngy_E7jT2wuEycSEPQpug-pELgCbxx5YP8Ya-htGgmZDhfjtda8HeWUv1W6mQK8/s1600/20140714_154616.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDMAv954ZPjw7hxSY9mObT_nPlMcIfrenW2EI6QMNxKZXLWfErEl60m3nx-OmiZqvF-FWOFlWeqCtngy_E7jT2wuEycSEPQpug-pELgCbxx5YP8Ya-htGgmZDhfjtda8HeWUv1W6mQK8/s200/20140714_154616.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Left: So-chan slowly recovering from various illnesses and blood loss that nearly killed him. Here he is screaming with pleasure (okay, he's yawning) atop a care package filled with cat food and toys that Haru's mother sent from Japan.</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Right: So-chan on one of his worse days, following his near-daily subcutaneous drip to treat his chronic dehydration. Beside him is a plate of boiled, diced chicken, which was the only food he was willing to eat for a long time.</span></i></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was sick, however, and refused to drink water, so in
addition to treating it for chronic diarrhea, fur loss, and severe weakness –
which involved boiling chicken, pork, beef, and fish three times a day to make
sure it got the protein it needed – we had to bring it in every few days to be
rehydrated with an IV drip. We and our kitten were in mutual agreement that IVs
totally sucked. Especially when they had to be administered at three a.m. The
IV regimen dragged on for two or three months, but it also saved his life.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the same time all this was happening, we were trying to
help the other three kittens survive without their mother. One of the three
disappeared. The other two were becoming a bit bolder in our presence, entering
our apartment and playing with table legs, the hardwood floor, and things no
human can possibly see, and we ended up catching both of them easily. One we
found a foster home for. The other is now our second cat.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAqXxjoBQYRWuaMlMJotcMXJyG5Y8XEPzW9NJwTIssBsh4VgJrZjlEUeog_K6asItEfsMs4YW2HxycI8bi2gYezfxMwTmGw4FQ1Eu445E0OM6UyB5PvBr3KFQKvUr3pgSfETPmTNneho/s1600/20140731_151055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAqXxjoBQYRWuaMlMJotcMXJyG5Y8XEPzW9NJwTIssBsh4VgJrZjlEUeog_K6asItEfsMs4YW2HxycI8bi2gYezfxMwTmGw4FQ1Eu445E0OM6UyB5PvBr3KFQKvUr3pgSfETPmTNneho/s320/20140731_151055.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Se-chan staring at his sibling, So, who is zipped up into his carrier in preparation for yet another visit to the vet.</i></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We plan to bring our two cats with us to Japan in March.
Japan is very strict about letting foreign animals into their country, but
we’re doing what we need to do to make it happen smoothly. No Japanese carrier
allows pets in their cabins on international flights, so we’ll be flying on
Korean Air. I had enough miles saved up for us to upgrade from economy to
business class on a one-way flight to Tokyo, and after a miscommunication on
Korean Air’s part that affected our reservations with our cats, they were kind
enough afterward to grant special permission to take both of them with us in
business class on the same flight (normally only one pet can fly on business
class per flight). Our biggest challenge now is to keep each cat’s weight below
3.8 kilograms. If they become heavier than this, they have to fly in cargo.
Right now our larger cat weighs in at 3.4 kilograms. And he always acts as if
he’s famished.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjp5U7t-vjj5QefYlZmSORqGtiFJVsu6Z9DNDWq9-SJRNM3rMRJI2PRQKYXDsSesr5XYxVj8so_HZM8qD-wNM1BwAesO5hoxuUvf-8fTDj8ML8rC6X1i3S9D4WxnMreBSMwsXqdcpKgN4/s1600/1903005_4852131359287_6150856365767608130_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjp5U7t-vjj5QefYlZmSORqGtiFJVsu6Z9DNDWq9-SJRNM3rMRJI2PRQKYXDsSesr5XYxVj8so_HZM8qD-wNM1BwAesO5hoxuUvf-8fTDj8ML8rC6X1i3S9D4WxnMreBSMwsXqdcpKgN4/s320/1903005_4852131359287_6150856365767608130_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>So (left) and Se (right) later in 2014 as we inched forward in our preparations to move with them to Japan.</i></span></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We planned to leave Vietnam on January 15th, when our
one-year lease expired. But because we have to wait 180 days after the cats’ final
required vaccination, we’ve extended our lease for two months and pushed our
move back until March. We leave on the night of the 179th day, but we arrive in
Japan the next morning: Day 180.</div>
Sapuchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16174078725199024297noreply@blogger.com0