Memorable selfie moments with Billy, the Selfie Kitty. #SelfieExpert

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I am so excited to share memorable selfie moments of my adorable fluffy friends. Meet my two Siamese kitties named Missy and Billy. I got Missy in 2008 while Billy came to my life in 2012 , the year selfies became popular. Missy is more of a laptop kitty and I have blogged about her already. Look. 

memorable selfie moments

Left to right: Missy and Billy

I have been taking selfies with my two kitties since the word “selfie” became a household name. Let me focus on the Billy selfies because I documented his life when selfies became popular on the year he was born.

memorable selfie moments

Meet Missy. She is a laptop kitty.

Meet Billy, the Selfie Kitty

While I call Missy the laptop kitty, Billy is dubbed the selfie kitty in our household. Of course, I have had selfies with Missy but the selfies with Billy are much more adorable. He is quite a baby.

memorable selfie moments

Meet Billy

Let me start on the day , Billy came into our lives.  A facebook friend saw that I loved cats so he thought of giving me  Billy. This is my first selfie with Billy when I brought him home on August 2012. Isn’t he so cute? He looks terrified though but you will see that he was getting used to cellphone cameras in succeeding selfies.

memorable selfie moments

The year 2012 was also the year that my home became my empty nest. I love that my cats filled that void because they offer unconditional love and companionship. During the day when my family isn’t at home , I sometimes end up being alone in my corner of the world. I enjoy comfortable silences with them as they snuggle close to me.

Even during breakfast, I allow the cats to sit on my lap or to be seated beside my chair.

Of course, Billy sees his image on the camera and looks like he is in awe of himself. Missy got jealous and joins Billy on my lap. I find it so hilarious. All captured with a selfie.

So why do I love my fluffy friends and enjoy taking selfies with them? 

I am grateful to have  purring, gentle feline friends in my life.  My pets are a part of my family and I care that they are part of my photos. I also want to share the joy they give to me on instagram , twitter and facebook.

Aren’t they just adorable? Taking selfies with these fluffy friends of mine is such a stress buster.

Look how huggable Billy is in the next few selfies I took with him. It is quite relaxing. I just had to capture these moments.

He acts just like a human baby when cuddled on my arms.

Billy knows when I take selfies. Sometimes he just ignores his image but I notice he stares at himself at times. Well, taking selfies is so much a part of his cat life and mine.

Don’t you think Billy should get the title, the Selfie Kitty?

Though there are several memorable moments with Billy. One that strikes me are when he lies on top of my tummy and soothes my stressful day.  Billy with his  purring sounds is giving me the signal “all is well,” a message I can both feel and hear.

Once my pet kitty starts purring at me, I feel the weariness of the day melting away. My cute and cuddly stress-buster calms my nerves, makes me smile, helps me sleep better and even pushes me to exercise more.

Billy’s paw reaching out to my hand is the most memorable cat selfie moment.  Yes , I hear him purr “All is well”.

What about you? Are you planning to take selfies with  your fluffly friends?  You might ask “Which OPPO #SelfieExpert smartphone produces the best selfies?”

It is none other than the  OPPO F3 #SelfieExpert Dual Selfie Camera. Imagine the possibilities.

1. The dual 16 megapixels f/2.0 + 8 megapixels f/2.4 secondary camera allows you to fit your adorable fluffly friend  into the frame and get that perfect selfie.

2.  Selfie lovers will love the other options Oppo offer such as the live filters, a gif mode, and double exposure and even panorama selfies.

3. The Oppo F3 allows you to capture sharp selfies and 120-degree wide-angle view which is great for groupfie shot of more than one fluffly friend.

4. The OPPO F3 has an internal storage of 64 gigabytes with 4 gigabytes RAM which means lots of storage space for all your photos, selfies without affecting the performance of your phone.

5. The 3,200mAh battery is good enough to last an entire day with moderate use. And you don’t have to worry about charging. The Oppo F3  comes bundled with fast charging (2A output current) to quickly charge the phone in about an-hour-and-a-half.

6.  Even if not taking selfies, the  rear camera has 13-megapixel sensor  phase detection autofocus  which is handy.

I can imagine taking more selfie moments with the Oppo F3.   Billy , the selfie kitty will surely purr with joy during our  next selfie with this #SelfieExpert. Watch out for in at the BillyandMissy instagram account.

 

 

 

The 3 health benefits of cat ownership

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pet cats
I don’t know about you but I just adore cats.I have four felines at home: Billy, Missy , Zoey and Nomi.  They are the most huggable pets ever and they keep me company now that the girls are living independently .  Having a pet can be so comforting especially if one gets stressed out. For sure techniques like meditation, yoga and blogging can be therapeutic. But owning these furry lovable felines can also have many stress relieving and health benefits.  Let’s see.

1. Cats can improve your mood– Never mind if certain online characters are serial attention-seekers breathing down your necks. It’s almost impossible to remain in a foul mood when a super-soft furry cat rubs up against your legs begging to sit beside you. Once my pet kitty cat starts purring at me, I feel the weariness of the day melting away. My cute and cuddly stress-busters calm my nerves, make me smile, help me sleep better and even push me to exercise more. There is evidence that just 15 to 30 minutes of quality time with a cat can calm your nerves and boost your mood.

When you spend time with a cat, your production of serotonin, a chemical that boosts feelings of well-being, goes up, and your cortisol levels go down. Cortisol, along with high blood pressure, is a result of stress, and can lead to high cholesterol and hypertension. This means that spending time with a cat can keep you healthier in the long run

Want to be healthier? Get a pet!

cats
2. Cats Stave Off Loneliness and Provide Unconditional Love Cats offer unconditional love and companionship. During the day, my family isn’t at home so I end up being alone in my corner of the world. I enjoy comfortable silences with them as they snuggle close to me.

A 2003 Swiss study “found that having a cat in the house is the emotional equivalent of having a romantic partner. As well as initiating contact much of the time, studies have shown cats will remember kindness shown to them and return the favor later.”

But cats really do have the upper hand in these relationships. After thousands of years of domestication, cats have learned how to make a half purr/half howl noise that sounds remarkably like a human baby’s cry. And since our brains are programmed to respond to our children’s distress, it is almost impossible to ignore what a cat wants when it demands it like that.

cuddling

Billy is so huggable.
3. Cats Can Reduce Stress, Sometimes More Than People Of all the reasons why cats (or pets in general) have great health benefits, it is this fact– “While we all know the power of talking about your problems with a good friend who’s also a good listener, recent research shows that spending time with a pet may be even better! Recent research shows that, when conducting a task that’s stressful, people actually experienced less stress when their pets were with them than when a supportive friend or even their spouse was present! ”  Missy, reminds me to stop working and relax.

missy and me
In fact, these cats don’t judge me; they just love me. You should check out my cat photo gallery.

Do you have pets?

There is more to life than increasing its speed

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daluyon beach resort

It’s a beautiful day here in Daluyon Beach and Mountain Resort in Palawan. I am here for work (more on this in another blogpost but the short of it is The Province of Palawan, Palawan Tourism Council, Department of Tourism and USAID-Advancing Philippine Competitiveness Project have collaborated to launch the World’s Best Island campaign in support to the DOT’s Visit Philippines 2015.)

While at the beachfront yesterday, this dog approached me and even sat beside me, so I took a selfie. Cute ! I took the time to enjoy nature with this adorable dog. Just being zen. Enjoy the moment.

The Zen approach: nothing is there to be done. There is nothing to do. One just has to be. Take a rest and be ordinary and be natural.

These days, I find myself getting busier and busier. I have slowed down considerably as health is still wealth. It is not fun when things become to be a burden. Like Douglas Pagels, I think it is sometimes “..important to work for that pot of gold. But other times it’s essential to take time off and to make sure that your most important decision in the day simply consists of choosing which color to slide down on the rainbow.”

—–

On a lazy Sunday afternoon, I get reminded to just be. I often find myself with my pet cat, Missy who “meowed” asking to be placed on my lap as I watched TV with my husband. My pet never fails to make me smile. I picked her up and placed her on my tummy. She looked so contented. Missy stares at me as if reminding me that I need to be relaxed and be playful. Like always, she massages my belly with her paws. I find it so de-stressing. I am thankful for these quiet times.

I hope you can join me , take a deep breath, relax and enjoy some terrific quotes from Zen masters to soothe your being.

““The quieter you become, the more you can hear.” Baba Ram Dass

““This art of resting the mind and the power of dismissing from it all care and worry is probably one of the secrets of energy in our great men.” Captain J. A. Hadfield

““No matter how much pressure you feel at work, if you could find ways to relax for at least five minutes every hour, you’d be more productive.” Dr. Joyce Brothers

““Your mind will answer most questions if you learn to relax and wait for the answer.” William S. Burroughs

““Calm in quietude is not real calm. When you can be calm in the midst of activity, this is the true state of nature. Happiness in comfort is not real happiness. When you can be happy in the midst of hardship, then you see the true potential of the mind.” Huanchu Daoren

““There is more to life than increasing its speed.” Gandhi

““The tighter you squeeze, the less you have.” Ma-Tsu

““When we are unable to find tranquility within ourselves, it is useless to seek it elsewhere.” Francois de La Rochefoucauld

My pet kitty gives me the answer: Is the cat going up or down the stairs?

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The professor explains whether the cat is going up and down the stairs.

Professor, my brain is flipping. Tell me, is the cat going up or down the stairs?

Chater explained that the cat image has two possible interpretations because of “the amorphous gray square at the top of the picture.” He suggests we focus on “the angle between the plane of the staircase and the surface represented by this gray patch.”

is this cat going up or down

In my facebook wall post, some answered up or down. TJ Dimacali says “Duh, down. The cat’s tail and the stair molding are clear indicators. Even National Geographic agrees with him.

Some viewers say the cat is going down the stairs because of the shape of the edges of the steps, while others say the image was taken from the top of the steps looking down.

While everyone is bent on checking the stair molding, I decided to ask Missy to help me with this question. She is quite an online cat as you can see in this photo below:

missy the cat

I called Missy to go up and down several times just to get these blurry photos. Here it goes.

Missy going down the stairs. Note her tail is raised almost at a right angle.

Missy going down the stairs. Note her tail is raised almost at a right angle.

Missy is going down the stairs. Compare with the 9Gag photo

Missy is going down the stairs. Compare with the 9Gag photo

Missy goes further down the stairs, confirming the tail is raised up almost at right angle.

Missy goes further down the stairs, confirming the tail is raised up almost at right angle.

I called Missy upstairs. Her tail is raised much lower , and is close to the 9gag photo

I called Missy upstairs. Her tail is raised much lower , and is close to the 9gag photo

Note how Missy's tail looks like and compare with the going down the stairs

Note how Missy’s tail looks like and compare with the going down the stairs

Missy is going up the stairs. Note the tail is similar to the 9gag photo.

Missy is going up the stairs. Note the tail is similar to the 9gag photo.

Me : What does Missy think?

Missy purrs: The cat is going up the stairs. See my tail?

Me: Enough said.

Goodbye Kylee

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If you are a regular reader of my blog, you must have come across the mis-adventures of our handsome cat.. Kylee, the Applehead Siamese pet kitty of my daughter Lauren. I’ve written numerous times about him: here, here, and here.

The sad news came in the middle of a roundtable discussion this afternoon about the cybercrime law. My daughter sent an SMS that Kylee died. I couldn’t be there to comfort her (and my daughter in Australia). I already knew something was not quite right with Kylee that morning. The night before, the vet came over to check on Kylee and arrived with a diagnosis that Kylee suffered a bout of pneumonia. You know I always thought Kylee would overcome this latest health battle . He suffered a stroke two months ago but Kylee managed to walk again after being paralyzed for a few days. I guess Kylee was preparing us for his death. I cried thinking he was dying yet he survived.

But today was different. Kylee felt cold to the touch as I cupped his face and stroked his fur. He let out a small meow as I thanked him for the beautiful memories and how he lived a full life. I thanked him for the joy he brought to our lives. Good thing I had cradled him to let him know how much he was loved by all of us. I never thought Kylee would leave us that day.

But why fuss over a cat? I lost five family members including the devastating loss of my beautiful son. I treat Kylee and our cats as members of our family. I am at a loss of words. Butch Dalisay who lost his pet cat a year ago, says it well:

What is it we grieve for when we lose our pets? Perhaps the passing of our own time, of affection freely given and fully rewarded, and of that rarest of relationships in this age of Facebook friendship , a pure, uncomplicated love nourished by touch and gesture instead of speech.

There are just so many memories. I recall the day I picked up Kylee from the pet store in 1999. He was so tiny that he could fit on the palms of my hand. Among the two kittens, I chose Kylee because he was the most playful . The shop owner gave me a male cat when Lauren wanted a female kitty. We only found out a few months later. Good thing Kylie (original spelling) can also be for males (Kylee).

He outlived our 6 year old son. This feline holds a special place in our family because of the memories of Luijoe playing and caring for this cat. An unusual thing happened on the day my son died. According to the helpers, Kylee slept on Luijoe’s pillow the whole day. That was the only time they saw this strange behavior . Did Kylee have a sixth sense that Luijoe died?

Kylee is a music lover who enjoys listening to the girls playing the piano by sitting on top of the piano. Sometimes he plods , paw by paw on the piano keys as he listens to his own kitty melody. Singing along with my daughter is another music activity but when he’s overwhelmed with the soprano pitch, he ends up nipping her hand. nanggigil.

I know I could not just bury him anywhere. We don’t have much of garden so I thought of pet cremation services. While my daughter was on the other line, I told her I wanted Kylee cremated. Within a few minutes, I looked for my twitter friend @angelicumOda who owned Rainbow Bridge Pet Aftercare Services but they were non-operational that week. I was glad he referred me to Dr. Manny of Pet Valley who arranged to pick up Kylee at our home. Lauren seemed happy with the funeral arrangements. Cremation is a means to permanently memorialize our pet in some special way.

I also felt that cremation is a proper and dignified tribute to Kylee’s life. It gives us the opportunity to do the last gesture of love and appreciation to a companion that we considerered nothing less than a family member and who deserves nothing but the best. Lauren chose a ceramic urn that allowed an inscription of a dedication. Since Kylee loved the piano, the urn will be placed on top of it.

I rushed home hoping I could still give Kylee one last pat before “Pet Valley” arrived. Just my luck as I drove inside the garage, the van arrived. I caught Lauren and Marco at the living room with Kylee lying on a blue blanket. We made the final arrangements including the type of urn to be used. With a heavy heart, Lauren slowly wrapped Kylee with the blanket and carried him over to the man.

It was time to let go. Good bye Kylee. Thanks for the 14 years of companionship. I patted his head. Then my husband and I hugged Lauren.

Lauren wrote about So Long Space Cat Kylee


(Photo taken a few months ago by Lauren)

Sleep well and dream your kitty dreams, Kylee. Know that I will never love another cat as much as I love you.

– Lauren

Charmed by Marzipan, the celebrity cat at Astor Theatre

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The ideal of calm exists in a sitting cat. ~Jules Reynard

I am not easily impressed with celebrities, whoever they may be—actors, actresses, politicians or what not. But meeting Marzipan was different. It was my daughter who told me all about Marzipan when she watched a movie at the elegant Astor Theatre. If you are in Melbourne, you probably know about the Astor Theatre built in the 1930s. It still retains the old-fashioned double-bill format. The original art-deco furnishings create a unique atmosphere for movie-goers.

As I walked past the winding staircase of the theatre, my daughter caught sight of Marzipan snoozing on her basket. She patted the furry ball and pretty soon, Marzipan stood up posed like a queen.

What a cutie. There she stood with her haughty yet regal cat look.

Her paws were crossed just like a fine lady. How regal.

I felt honored when Marzipan jumped up to my lap. You know that feeling when your celebrity-idol smiles at your direction? That is how I felt when Marzipan snuggled on my lap and allowed me to caress her. There are few things in life more heartwarming than to be welcomed by a cat. Simple joys, I know .

Many know that Astor Theatre is known for its unique programming to the legendary Astor Choc-Ice but the celebrity of the house is what everyone loves most about the theatre. That is what I want to believe. I am such a cat lover.

They say “a meow massages the heart.” Marzipan can’t make purry sounds. She is close to twenty years old and may be even deaf.

Playing both well-loved classics and recent releases, the Astor Theatre offers a variety of films. I came an hour before the film began (though I didn’t watch any) and snuggling up with Marzipan in their sumptuous couch and eating Choc-Ice is just so heavenly.

There is more to the Story of Marzipan.

Some nineteen years later, after startling a variety of viewers each and every time she runs across the banister during Poltergeist or sashays up and down the auditorium steps during 2001‘s Dawn of Man, after achieving a level of local fame long-standing members of staff could only dream of, not to mention playing to the sympathies of passers-by who then feed and provide an excess of blankets for her, Marzipan is still able to scale the theatre walls and somehow mysteriously hears the FOH Supervisor call her for dinner despite her being apparently deaf.

And what of it? Marzipan is the kind of kitty who adores everyone’s endless and unbridled attention. What cat wouldn’t? She has a whole team of ushers to clean out her kitty litter, not to mention more than five hundred friends on facebook. She’s the only one at the theatre who’s received postcards from patrons when they’re on vacation and she’s usually the only one the journos want to feature in their photographs of the theatre too. Receiving the biggest cheer of all at our 75th Anniversary Celebrations in April of this year, Marzipan is Melbourne’s little darling and yet she remains as down-to-earth as ever. Well, maybe every now and again she has a moment of diva about her…

I am so charmed with Marzipan as with all cats. Marzipan sat on my lap as long as she could while I patted her neck. She didn’t want to play favorites she jumped on to my daughter and other movie-goers who were seated in other couches.

Oh , cats are just so independent. Cats come and go without ever leaving. With a sigh, I let her go.

When I went back to my hotel, I added myself as one of her fans in her facebook page, Marzipan the Astor Cat.

There are two means of refuge from the misery of life – music and cats. ~Albert Schweitzer

The cat killer convicted for animal cruelty

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Remember the Cat Killer that I wrote on April 17, 2009? Wow, that was two years ago. Instead of sentencing him to six months to two-year jail term as mandated by law, Judge Catherine Manodon ordered Candare to pay a P2,000 fine (46 dollars) for violating the country’s Animal Welfare Act. He will also do volunteer work for Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) in the next two to six months. Candare is the first person in the country to be convicted of animal cruelty.

Two years ago , I was beyond horrified that someone could engage in a brutal act. I gasped at his description, I pulled it on its tail and threw it. Then like some pro wrestler I jumped on it and my feet landed on it’s torso. Slam! Felt good!. But as I continued reading, I got more appalled by the comments of the readers as the poster/blogger called for action ““Wanted Dead or Alive”“. Geesh, what kind of call for action is that? You might be a ““Cat Killer Killer”?

Both sides were just so cruel. I believe he needed help and compassion by the agencies concerned not a lynch mob approach.

A parent by the name of Cyn Buhain Baello is appalled at my “compassion” without even reading the context of my article on the Cat Killer

Have compassion for a man like Joseph Carlo Candare? A person like him who kills a cat for no reason other than for his enjoyment? He is a sadistic psychologically disturbed individual! What are you saying here?!? I am appalled at your misdirected “compassion”! For a parent like me I think his parents should teach him this early that such actions will only deteriorate later to physical injury (or murder) directed towards human beings – that’s the first sign that a man is crazy and can kill…even people. To even suggest “compassion” and “understanding” (Nonsense!) on your part means you tolerate these kind of behavior. This guy need jail time and he deserves every minute of it – 6 months to 6 years![/buzz]

My reply to Cyn was this “You are an amazing parent. But I am not you. A parent like me would want the kid to have therapy . Not all parents are like you who can teach their kids the proper way. Yes I suggest compassion and understanding for him to be rehabilitated. What can jail time do huh?”

Was the punishment just? I don’t know how Courts determine the degree of the judgement. There must be a formula or something but one can see Candare did violate the law on animal welfare. He is the first person to be convicted of animal cruelty in the Philippines. Something must have triggered him to enjoy killing the cat. Rendering community work with Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) and seeing the psychologist will help him heal.

Tweeters were disappointed that the conviction was light. I think it is light too. It is not grave enough. Community service should have been longer. Some feel a jail time should have been given. Instead of jail time, I was hoping he underwent therapy to treat the underlying cause of his cruelty. The good news here is the court decision will raise awareness to our animal welfare laws .

Be kind to animals.

See what others thought:

Compassion for Joseph Carlo Candare & Awareness of Philippine’s Animal Welfare Act

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UP TRIBUNAL DECISION: STOMPING A KITTEN TO DEATH IN UP IS NOT ““MISCONDUCT”

Click to Enlarge Photos

There’s nothing wrong with anger provided you use it constructively. Wayne Dyer

Meet the adorable kitties that give my family so much joy. They are so loved that we call them the other members of the family. Missy (left) is mine. Kylee (center) belongs to L and Lady (right) is M’s pet. Well, my husband gets to choose among the three but I think he has a thing for Kylee. They talk to each other at the dinner table. No kidding. I understand that not everyone is a cat lover. So when I read about Joseph Carlo Candare who got labeled as a Cat Serial Killer, I was beyond horrified that someone could engage in a brutal act. I gasped at his description, I pulled it on its tail and threw it. Then like some pro wrestler I jumped on it and my feet landed on it’s torso. Slam! Felt good!. As I continued reading, I got more appalled by the comments of the readers as the poster/blogger called for action “Wanted Dead or Alive“. Geesh, what kind of call for action is that? You might be a “Cat Killer Killer”? (Edit April 19– The yoopee multiply entry has been deleted now)

Still seething with anger, I shook my head and tried to understand the actions behind this brutality. Despite my disgust , I turned my thoughts to the student who studies at UP Diliman. What is the university doing about this? Is it providing help to Joseph Carlo Candare (JC)? I know his actions are just so gruesome to comprehend among cat lovers like me. Should I continue on with this anger? What will my anger bring me? Anger is a beneficial one if it is NOT allowed to harden into resentment or used as a battering ram to punish people. Anger signals problems we need to solve or it points to boundaries we need to set. Sometimes it is the final burst of energy before letting go settles in.

Breathe deeply. I can feel all this anger but still take responsibility for my behavior.

Right now, I can act on my anger and move on to a positive resolution.

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