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KEEP IT IN THE PHAMLY

A personal blog by Jade Pham


I went from no cats for nearly 3 years to suddenly two beautifully adorable and different kitties. Nolan Pham, I live with and he’s an absolute bundle of joy. Sprite is Big Brother Pham’s cat and lives with Dad Pham because the granddaughters love - but are allergic to - cats. She's also called Splat just because.

Sprite’s origin story is not as tragic as Nolan’s was, but it’s still a little sad. As a kitty she belonged to an elderly lady who passed away. The lady’s family inherited Sprite but they weren’t cat people so she ran away. Sprite ventured into Big Brother Pham’s yard one day where she met my Sister-In-Law and never left. At the time they just called her Cat.

Cat kept returning every day, and at first, they thought she belonged to the new neighbours but eventually figured out she was no one’s cat and living in Big Brother Pham’s garage. Slowly, they began to feed her and soon she felt like part of The PhamLe.

Cat injured herself one day, and Sister-In-Law arranged a vet appointment where she learned Cat’s given name is ridiculously girly and didn’t suit this solemn, gentle, docile cat so she remained Cat. She was adopted out by the RSPCA 4 years ago, and had no record of vet appointments since then. Sister-In-Law wanted to adopt Cat but didn’t want to get her children’s hopes up in case her old family came for her, so Cat remained a visitor that they loved, fed and cared for.


Sure enough, a month later a family with young kids rocked up to the house to claim Cat. We thought it was goodbye forever until the next day when Cat came right back to The PhamLe and stayed for another couple of months. Just as Sister-In-Law was starting to think maybe Cat’s unwanted family weren’t coming back, they rocked up for the second time and took her. And again, Cat ditched them and came right back to The PhamLe. This time though, we knew her old family were moving away to regional QLD soon, and held our breath for days hoping they wouldn’t come and take her for the move. They did not. And so, Cat was given her Phamly name: Sprite. The young nieces think she’s named for fairies but, really, eldest niece really likes the fizzy drink. But Sprite is hard for kids to say so now she's also called Splat.

When Big Brother Pham moved next door to Dad Pham, we weren’t sure if she was attached to their old house or to The PhamLe so still there was hesitation about making her officially one of us. The first day she was, understandably, stressed going from an outdoor roaming cat to being confined in Dad’s house while we moved Bro’s life into his house. But next day, Sprite was already exploring the house, and a couple of days later she was adventuring around her new yard. Dad’s house has a cat door because of Tigger Pham back in the day, so she can come and go as she pleases. And she strangely chooses to stay indoors for most of the day, unless the girls or Sister-In-Law are outside and she goes to say hi.

She’s got a good, comfortable little life now - indoors, outdoors, constant companionship because Dad Pham is almost always home and if not, her PhamLe is just next door and they visit her throughout the day. When I sleepover, she kindly lets me sleep in my old room while she curls up at my feet. Adorable.

I love cats!

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Finally, I am a cat lady again by way of aunty and roommate to an adorable kitten. Still too irresponsible to be a cat mum. Nolan Pham. This little nugget of joy came into our lives in November last year. His origin story isn't a great one.

A piece of human garbage went and put him in a plastic bag, and threw him in a bin. It makes me livid to think of how many animals die abandoned in horrible ways like being thrown in the bin, rivers, left on the side of a road - it's not much more effort and way less cruel to surrender them to an animal shelter.


Little Sissy Pham drove to Toowoomba to meet another kitten named Ava, who was adorable in pictures but didn't like Little Sis when they met. So Little Sis had a play with the other kittens the foster mum was caring for. Ava was there with a few others from her litter, and none of them clicked with Little Sis. Instead, it was the lone wolf of the pack - Nolan, who chose her as his human. He was separated from his litter.

Poor Nolan was found alone sadly, but in a way he was lucky to be alone because his independent streak is what Little Sis wanted. A kitty who can handle being home alone during work days. Nolan is definitely an independent cat, but also affectionate and likes to be around his humans when they’re home - or wander off to play his own games if we’re being too boring. He pretty much owns every room and surface in the apartment and courtyard now, so while he may not have had the brightest of beginnings, he's in for a great life being adored by his Phamly.

I’ve missed having a kitty in The Phamly. And now we have two! I’ll tell you about Sprite, Big Brother Pham’s cat, another time. Her origin story is a little sad too.




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It's been a rough week for this cat lady... though, am I technically a cat lady if I don't have any cats? Yesterday I farewelled the bright, little bundle of joy that is Frederick, the Great. Only one day after I said goodbye to Tigger Pham. He was a little foster kitten who was rescued by the good people at Animal Rescue Queensland. He was doomed to be destroyed at a few months of age when his heart murmur was discovered. We had hopes his kitten body would grow and heal his heart but it did the opposite causing complications that he eventually couldn't overcome. Sadly, Frederick was put to sleep at 4.10pm on March 9th, 2015 and his body will be cremated. His two final months were filled with much love and playtime and cuddles galore. I hope he enjoyed it as much as we did.
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Last night I farewelled my beloved friend of 18 years. Tigger Poojumy Schnoogum Pham was buried at 10.30am this morning. Dad Pham burned incense for her and said a prayer for her sweet, little soul.
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Tigger Pham came into our lives in a sports bag with her sister Cuddles. She was scrawny, blue-eyed, bulgy-eyed, had weird white moustache-like fur on her mouth, a stumpy tail, short legs and was pretty ugly by most kitten standards. It was love at first sight. Her sister on the other hand was perfectly symmetrical with grey and white fur like a wolf; and long, sleek elegant limbs and lines. Cuddles was built for grace, Tigger was built for dopey.


I let Little Sissy Pham pick which of the two kitty kats she'd like knowing that she'd pick the excitable, playful and standard cuteness of Cuddles. That meant I would get the understated fur ball who sat in a lump and refused to play. When Big Brother Pham tickled Tigger’s tiny hind-paw to get a reaction she shuffled her tiny tush sideways and didn’t bother to look at him. In that one moment I knew the little snob and I were kindred spirits.


Whenever asked if I’m a cat or dog person I immediately say ‘Cat!’ but to be honest, Tigger Pham is the best of both worlds – she’s a dog-cat. Her cat-likenesses are: landing on her feet, eating demurely, hassle-free bathing and toilet etiquette and a fondness for changing favourite napping spots. Her dog traits are: she comes running out meowing to greet you when you get home, comes for walks with Dad Pham and me (only at night and pre-dawn, mind you, she gets picked on by magpies during the day), she follows you from room to room for the company and her clumsiness (the only cat more dog-like in agility is Captain Catman).


Tigger Pham stayed in Brisbane when I moved down to Melbourne five years ago and Little Sissy Pham managed to make her clinically obese in a few short years by feeding Tigger her favourite fatty feasts morning and night until her fur started to fall off and she looked like a blimpish wobbly wombat. It was lucky Tigger injured her tail somehow one day and needed to go to the doctor who told Little Sissy Pham that Tigger’s tail would heal itself but her morbid obesity was another story. It was time for a strict diet!


Tigger Pham grew in other ways while I was away too – she learned how to use computers and made a FaceBook page to keep me updated on her activities and weight loss. She also learned how to use Skype though she always stood uncomfortably close to the camera. What a clever baby!

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