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Financial Report June 2014 and Budget for July 2014

Financial Report May 2014 and Budget June 2014

Hola! look at our financial report in May! It's so colourful especially in the food part. In May we have a major allergies after the first 2 bags of Pro Plan, so we have to change the food. The first and best that I found (and is willing to deliver) is Acana so I chose that brand; but then the price is rather obscene (for me, at least). Not that I don't want to give the best for the Syndicate, but because we are entering summer season, when donations are the least throughout the year.

While using Acana, I looked up other available brand, and Taste of The Wild is the closest in grade to Acana that I can get (and want to deliver). It's grain free, no by products, and holistic. It is still a lot more expensive than Pro Plan, but I cannot find anything with the same protein level (min 40%) so like it or not I have to upgrade. So far, cats are OK with it, though the smell is not as strong as Acana (Acana uses salmon, Taste Of The Wild uses chicken)

With great thankfulness for your support for the extra fund raiser, we are closing the month with 2 Dollars surplus. The first in history!

And then, the budget for June is on minus USD 117, the smallest minus in history as well. I deliberately cut everything (compared to previous months) for two reasons: First is because I am using top-of-the-line cat food brand, so hopefully the logic is that I need less vitamin and medicine because the cats' immune is better. Second is because June is in summer season. During our life from 2008 - 2013, summer always means severe drought in term of donation; we have never reach our target before and honestly, I am not sure I can pile up as many jobs as I used to 5 years ago to fill the gap if I make it too large. I still hope that like May, the first in history we will be able to reach the target and that some of the budgeted post will not take as much.

Two of our regular monthly sponsors recently cancelled their subscription, so we are, for a moment, down to USD 160 in monthly sponsorship, but God is merciful upon us and bring us a new supporter who sponsors 4 cats and bring the amount back at USD 200. Halelujah!

May God keep us in such luck too this month. Pray for us, and please share our posts! you can choose a lot of social media at the bottom of this post, that will only take you one click. The more you share, the more people know about us, the more sponsor we likely to get. And if we get more donor, it means the burden is less.

Happy June, then, everyone. Wishing you the best of luck this month, and if you do, please don't forget us.

Ciao!

Taken By The Storm

By the time I finished this post, the weekend is too far over. I fully realize that I have completely missed one schedule, but I couldn't have done it any other way.

Three days double shift, three other days normal 8 hours; the plan was I take advantage of my geographic location; 12 hours ahead of the other part of the world, and steal at least one weekend night manning The Whiskers' Syndicate, and the other day a little rest.

On my way cruising that plan, I come across Murphy's Law, and as it notoriously said: If something can go wrong, it will go wrong.

Starting with a scratch.

One of the hammock kitties suddenly had rash all over his belly. He had his flea prevention and there was no flea on him. And then his two brothers start scratching. I put on rash ointment so they won't scratch the whole day, and think that it might be some microscopic visitor hitch-hiking to soon be gone.

The next day I found out that Ash' EGC had flared up so badly she drooled excessively and unable to eat. It hurts her enough even to open her mouth to lick something. I still thought that it is her immune again, so I give her her prescription and go back to work.

The next day, it's Bobtail.

Bobtail had turbulent history. He was OK before he was adopted but the recent negligence that brought him back to me destroyed him. He was full of parasite and only recently bounced back to complete health. I know he will be all right; he is a strong guy and a smart one, to ever run away from his new home and walk back home, but it takes time. It's just so happened that he contracted EGC midway.

At the back of my mind, some alarm start blinking.

And then the next day, Estebel got her mouth full of ulcers, just like Ash and Bobtail. At the same time, I noticed that more kittens went into scratching frenzy; some scratch themselves raw, while the other had infected scratch wound on their back.

That night Nekomi (pronounced nay-co-mee) stopped eating.

The next day practically the entire sanctuary refuse their food, a scandal never before happened even in our worst nightmare.

By then the alarm no longer blink. It was blaring with a siren impossible to ignore; and as I staggered from autopilot to manual steering, I've got full list of rash, EGC, fur loss, vomiting, foul odour stool, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, and desperate look of 75 pair of eyes every where I turned around.

My survival instinct woke up, and start kicking.

Most common cause of all those faults list is fleas, but none of them have fleas. They don't have worms, and they weren't sick before.

The next on the list is allergies, but to what?

So I start eliminating their vitamins, supplement, one after another, until I was left with only cat food.

But I have been using that cat food for years and nothing happened. I like that brand because it contains higher protein rate than the other, and it helps all those emaciated and underweight cats catch up (relatively) sooner, hence healthier. And now The Whiskers' are allergic to it? Doesn't make sense.

I noticed that several months ago, that brand I used gone out of Indonesian market for quite a long time (around 1 month), that forced me to feed the cats home made food because I can't afford better brand.

Most of other brands that I can afford has lower rate of protein, aside from huge amount of chemicals and fillers. Feeding the cats those brands for mere practical reasons means I only look for trouble, in my opinion, so I go with home made food because at least I know what they eat.

After a month, that brand came back to the market, but the supplies aren't stable. Sometimes it's off for one week, sometimes abundant. The Syndicate seems to like it a little less, but until last week when Templar (a kitten) start scratching, I didn't notice anything wrong.

Maybe the manufacturer change some of the ingredients, maybe they change supplier of some ingredients, maybe it got contaminated somewhere along the logistic line, or someone tampered with that brand.

The latter thought came to mind because last month, Indonesian police apprehend a veterinarian and his accomplice for manufacturing and distributing fake Royal Canin that cause a lot of cat got sick. And since Indonesians are so creative and enthusiastic with "free money" someone else might get the idea.

I don't have time to guess, anyway. If cat food seems to be the main problem, then I have to change immediately before things got out of hand.

Back to the Murphy's Law: anything that can go wrong will go wrong.

And guess what? all that catastrophe happened when donations flow is at the lowest.

Yeah right. Of all the time in the world, dear God, Thy choose now? You sure love me.

I shared my concern with Lori, and if some of you noticed she has been more aggressively pounding on your doors for donation, it's because I have to change the food to better brand, which is of course, more expensive.

On one of the days when I got only one shift work, I went around town to find what better brand that won't make our finance collapsed overnight, and ended up with this:

It is USD 15 (per bag of 7 kgs/15 lbs) more expensive than the usual brand, but it doesn't use rice, or corn, or soy, or by products. I am not going to promote that brand, but it is my best shot at the moment.

I should have changed the food gradually, per common theory, but I stop the old cat food immediately and change with the new one.

And it extinguish the fire in seconds.

The cats love it. When I opened the bag, for the first time after the incident, they no longer lazily wait for me to distribute the bowl in the cattery.

a few drops on the ground and this is what I get

Can you see it in their eyes?

Two meals, one day, and they scratch less. No more vomit, diarrhoea gets better, EGC recedes, and life's looking good.

Those with dermatitis will need time to heal all those grisly wounds, and rashes, and my math instinct is still kicking me, but for the time being, I can breathe.

The next day, I got a message that there's a package for me from USA.

Our friend Karen from California told me last month that she sent some cat grass seed and mouse toy, but when I retrieve the package, we got a surprise:

 

After the whole week enduring what must be unbearable itch, The Whiskers' Syndicate got something new to play aside from my hand made toys; and they play with it so intently they forget scratching.

Since it's only one, I bring it back and forth from the house to the backyard so both the kittens and the adults can take turn to play.

The next day, another message come saying that there's another package from USA. This time, it's our other Californian friend Christine Stewart sending a package of Revolution, dewormer, and catnip!

So while the kittens dominate the Cheese Chase, the adults got high on substance.

At least they're not scratching. They forget about those painful rashes and ulcers and for one moment, after all this ordeal, they can go back to well... being cat.

Ultimately, THANK YOU. Thank you Karen, thank you Christine, thank you everyone who responded to Lori's mayday on facebook. You guys can't come in better time.

And to everyone else, I hope this can show you how much a little help means humongous to us. The Cheese Chase is only USD 15, but it made the kittens and cats get over their misery. Catnip is only a few Dollars, but it helps the cats get over that whole week full of turbulence and climb the rainbow to find that pot full of gold, sardines, happiness.

I also hope to re-assure that even 1 dollar small coin you donate really help us save life, because otherwise we won't be able to buy better food that break them free of agony.

Last night, late Sunday, after trying fruitlessly to publish this post (internet disturbance!!), I finally give in to the influenza that has been pounding my head and shutting my nose for the whole week (in addition to cat food gate).

Nose-diving onto the bed,  and slowly disintegrate into exhaustion, I can still hear the ball rolling on the Cheese Chase, and some catnip mouse crashed onto the concrete.

It sure is one heck of stormy week.

April 2014 Financial Report And May 2014 Budget

Howdy everyone!

Though the report is late (please forgive me), I still want to share our cash drawer so you know what I do with your contributions. Every single penny goes to the cat mob.

As in the sayings, we enjoyed April shower last month. Not only we have Recycle 4 Rescues charity auction to benefit The Whiskers' Syndicate, we also had the honour from EFA Captain Nicole Planchon and her shop Brizel Handcraft to sponsor our Easter Raffle (see income from charity auction and easter raffle in April financial report); so although our monthly fund raiser didn't quite reach the target (only USD 865 out of USD 900), the extra income saved us and we are "only" minus USD 66. That's 726,000 Indonesian Rupiah. Three quarter million folks!

Even so, I am still very grateful that everyone is willing to participate in our raffle. It's been fun, and - believe it or not - it is the first time I ever made a live video, so all the more reason to celebrate!

In May, however, it is going to be a hard work for me. We have a wonderful new sponsor: Raeosunshine Pets, by Rachel Foland including us in her May give away. The grand prize is a personalised pencil colour pet photograph.

and additional two plush terry cloth quacky duck:

This wonderful event drag our Pitch In relatively fast, though unfortunately, it will not bring extra income, kicking us plunging down to minus USD 332 (see May 2014 budget).

But seriously, Josie, if the minus is so much, why don't you just raise your Pitch In goal?

That's the easiest way, of course, and the most reasonable, but speaking from experience in the past 3 months, it is already so very difficult to raise USD 900 every month. We are dragging and begging all the time, so to be honest, although I still believe that our friends will not forsake us, I don't have the confidence to update the Pitch In goal in fear that all of you will be intimidated by the additional digit.

Our Etsy shop didn't do very well either, with only 2 sales in April, 1 sale in March an zero sales in February.

Hence, I have to go back to work double shift again starting this month. I am leaving the cats alone 16 hours a day, 3 days a week, while the other 3 days will be a normal 8 hours.

It's not without challenge. Though our sanctuary is no longer under the threat of drowning, we still have a dozen of kittens who are only 7 weeks old, and a few seniors and special need cats who needs attention. In this last month of monsoon before dry season officially start mid May means a lot of wind, and a lot of URI (Upper Respiratory tract Infection). This is the first monsoon for our hammock kitties; a bunch of kittens we picked from the street during the renovation so doubtless they will take turn to get sick.

There's no exact cure for URI, and even if cats are vaccinated, they can still get sick. However, close observation and quick action is the most important key to recovery and while working (over) full time, I won't be able to watch them even when they are sick.

And then, there's always this note below my report or budget that utilities and other expenditures are my responsibility. Those are:

• USD 350 Mortgage
• USD 25 Electricity bill
• USD 25 Water bill
• USD 10 other expenditures (garbage disposal, security service (for the whole block), and community reserve.

I guess by now you understand why I (have to) work like crazy.


It might sound fatalistic, but if you ask me, Que Sera Sera. I have done my best in my power, and what is left for me is to hope that someone will have our back.

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." ~1 Peter 5:7

Our Milky Way

Until very recently, I never knew that big shelters in USA, Britain, or other sovereign countries are paid large sum of money the way a corporation do. I only knew they have a brilliant copywriter who can tug at any heart string - even those made of rock - when asking for donation.

A post from a dear friend of mine, Christine Stewart, who follows the crash, burn and bruises of The Whiskers' Syndicate since the early days, sent me into google and the search result pretty much made me grin.

Ouch

In my naivety, while relying to the uncertain existence of donation from generous individuals, I try to get myself a job to pay my own food, the mortgage, and the bills. Why not? This is my house. The Whiskers' Syndicate mobsters lived here, of course, but it is still my house. From one freelance job to another, I tried to save as much as I can so when the donation run dry and one of the cats are sick, I still have money to care for them and pay for the vet. In our little place on this planet, there's no credit. No pay, no service, even if you know the vet personally.

I am not jealous though, at least I try not to. Those CEOs has better luck. They are born in a well off country that has better knowledge, technology, and civilization. And they landed on cotton candy. But as much as the God I believe in give them all the fancy things that I can only dream of having for the cats, I believe that He too will provide, in His own term. It might not be a free car, free house, or the license to play God and kill "overpopulated animals", but in better shape:

He blesses me with friends who are willing to scroll their sleeve and get dirty; He blesses me with supporters - who come and go - but always there to pull together when we brushed death. He blesses me with allies who - although not rich enough to give me millions - are creative and passionate to produce myriad of fund raising events. And the most important thing, God blesses me with the opportunity to use all these riches in the way that no one ever before dare to go.

So where will this journey take us? No one can see tomorrow; but maybe it's better; because that would mean we can draw whatever scene we want to go through, because that would mean we can go at our own pace, and most importantly, it means we can choose the best companions to accompany us along the way. I hope you choose us though, because we're happy to choose you.

The Whiskers' Syndicate Monthly Financial Report March 2014

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.

No, that's not me, I am not that grand. It's John F Kennedy.

I agree with him though. While expressing thankfulness verbally get the message across, it is just as important that we live our gratefulness. After all, words without action is nothing.

So here is a summary of what we do with your donation, as a gratitude for your generous gesture, and as a form of our responsibility as the trustee of your kindness.

Thank you very much for your support and for believing in our cause. We wouldn't be alive today if it's not because of you.

Quest 2 Canaan (3) - end

After a week off the heights and heat of the repair, the world started rather awkwardly.

In one sense we subconsciously started to adapt to the re-gained freedom, albeit with challenges such as the heatwave and volcanic ash poisoning aside from the inconvenience of having to live in a place closer to a ruin than a proper house. It's still better than having to grow fin and embrace the floods as we turned into catfish (instead of just cat).

A sort of fuel that make us kick our own rear and drag ourselves out of the semi comfort zone is the potential to a fuller, better life, obviously without the natural disaster, and a proper house instead of a ruin. Aside of that, we are sitting on top of sum of money that comes from our supporters around the world. Money that they earnestly earn and give, a gesture that make every single coin glow with hope, and prayers, and pure power that we would really want to be responsible for.

The new team, when they come, half an hour earlier than their supposed schedule, is a three generation family that consists of a grandfather, a father and his brother, and a grandson. I found out about this as the supervisor came a little later and ask if the cats are generally OK with the new time. On the interview I mentioned that I have cats equal to the whole human village and if any of them show adverse reaction, I will call the contract off. He seems to take the threat seriously (he should, I am serious). I just laughed because at the time those people arrived, the cats were already inside the cage and sleeping with their stomach full and a dose of Pet Natural Vermont Calming Cat, donated by our supporters.

First thing first; I pointed out that the pipe broken by the previous team seems to be leaking, as shown by the growing wet patch on the new wall. The new team look at it, undid the wall, and when the first brick was off, was sprayed with a bucket of water that had accumulated over a week. They laugh it off as "a kid's work",  wipe themselves dry and re-done the pipe.

Within a half day the father finished the whole wall. Without chicken song, boiling temper, heart break, and stamp approval from one of our superintendent.

OK, where's that superintendent again?

In the afternoon when they all go home, this is the end result of the entire left side wall:

Over the next days, I noticed that the new teams have meeting a lot. Everyday before they commenced work, they gather around and plan what is to be done; grandpa in charge. Then when someone or some part has some issues, they approach each other again and discuss what is to be done. The way they do this make all four of them can work on separate part efficiently and effectively in less time.

The cattery is turned into their workshop, especially the grandpa, who is a carpenter.

After they are done with the left side wall, the pillars of the pathway is immediately installed, anticipating the rainy season due in few days.

Then they jumped into digging the hole across the pathway. Look small? This hole is 2 meters deep and 1 meters wide. In here will be the rainwater tank.

Then they install the roof over the pathway, so when it's rain, they can still work.

Then the right wall ...

Moving lemon tree...

the struggling lemon tree... (we'll get to that point)

And here comes the rain ...

mud all the way

Last month over Facebook, my Australian mummy Trish was complaining about a window in the cattery that shows the roof of backside neighbour and asked if it is going to be "fixed"

Actually it was I who asked that window to be made. From afar, that roof is not a great view, but when you look over the window, it's a different story. Since that window has wire mesh on it, the picture is not clear; so I climb the water tower and took the picture of what's actually behind the house, and why I like it so much.

to the left

to the right

close up

It's a traditional Chinese style graveyard. Chinese thinks that the afterlife is parallel dimension, so they build their grave as the "house at the other side" for their ancestors. It makes the grave less ghoulish and actually beautiful, especially at sunrise or sunset. I used to go there by going down through the small ravine at the back of the house, through vegetable field and small river, cutting my way through the whole valley, to feed stray cats and dogs that use those pagodas as their shelter.

I do not always watch the worker on site. Sometimes I have to order materials or take phone calls inside the house, or pay for material delivery. At other time someone send me a message over facebook or email so I am busy with my cell phone, but there is always someone representing The Whiskers' Syndicate going round the repair site to see if something goes wrong.

Her name is Florence Nightingale. She was a street cat that called our porch home last year. I gladly opened my door, and she repay us by nursing all the kittens that ever come to our domain, treating them like her own child.

At one point a few months ago, I didn't find any baby bottles to bring home. I don't know why, but I didn't see any, at least not one without the mother. At that point I heard that the material store just five minutes walk across the street has new baby.

One day, Florence was gone, and I cannot find her. I saw her once or twice going into that material store, but when I chase her, she's gone.

When the repair start, I bought from that store, and it was when I start seeing her again. She stays in the store, and the people there give her food, but she is so very thin, it's really hard for her to walk more than ten steps without stopping for air.

I feel sorry for her, so when at one time she followed me out, I asked if she wants to "go home" because we missed her. She rubs herself onto my leg, so I pick her up, and bring her home.

I gave her special food because at that point, she can no longer stand straight, much less walk. She moved several step and sit, and then sleeps all day. I give her vitamin, milk, digestible protein, whatever cat nutrition I have and can afford to buy at that time.

Slowly, she is better. She does not seem to gain weight significantly, but she can walk around the house without falling because she is out of breath. A few days later she started her "tour of duty". Every one or two hours, she would go out to the backyard, walk round it, and sit at some spot where, when I come by, always find something wrong. The workmen called her "Misses Supervisor". If there is nothing,  then she would lay down and relax beside my leg.

When Stubby or Jane Marple gone out to the rest room (they do their business in the bathroom) and one of the baby cry, Florence is always the first responder.

And then at one point when I bring this Little Prince home

again, Florence nurse him like he is her own child. If he slips out between the cage bars (he's tiny) and walked out to the backyard unnoticed, Florence will follow him and as soon as I am back inside the house, will automatically notice that there's something wrong and thus get the naughty prince back inside.

Florence is still with us today, appointing herself the governess of the six kittens that's now start to run and jump. She is the only cat approved by the mothers, while other cats usually earns loud yell and some claws.

At the outside, we have another superintended patrolling the perimeter to make sure no one pick some brick when we're all busy at the back.

Hanshin is one of our longest residence. He followed me to my boarding house as a kitten in early 2009, and he grow up as Whiskers' Syndicate develops.

The efficiency and effectiveness with which the workmen handle their work made the entire process runs fast and smoothly. It brings amusement for the cats as they never ran out of places to play

The Orient Express

Though I scold him many times, Bon Ami (white and yellow) can't stop his addiction: scratching on the cement sack.

and the one behind the camera is paparazzi :D

Three weeks, and all the messy muddy backyard is turned into something completely different.

But to be honest, it's not what I want.


My idea was - at the start - a small pathway along the left side of the wall, maybe just 1 metre (3 feet) wide pergola, and drainage, so the cats and I don't have to run under the rain when they eat.


Something like this:

Instead, what I get is around 3 meters (9.8 feet) wide pathway that is raised 20 centimetres (around 7.8 inches) high, which make the drainage above the ground level, because the workmen didn't want to waste any material (e.g. cutting the roofing sheet). I did ask why the drainage seems to be floating above the ground instead of under it, but the workmen keep saying that they are not done with it yet, so I just stay quiet.

So, since we don't want to demolish everything and start all over (over my dead body!) we have to dig the entire outdoor area (where the water tower and lemon tree are) to accommodate the drainage.

I ended up with three (large) truck load of muddy soil on my front yard, and the entire Sunday supervising another contractor get all the dirt away back to the mountain. It rained that night before and all those mud left marks on the wall, making my front yard looks disgusting.

It's a lie to say that I am not disappointed. I had dreamed of a nice garden where the cats can go about frolicking the greenery and fresh air, and I even already picked some plants that I am going to grow at the back.

Now I have a 100 square metres (328 square foot) town hall; and it's so empty, our voice echoes in there.

But hey, that means the cats have more space to hang out. That means the cats doesn't have to crumple inside the cattery and instead can choose to lounge outside in the evening.

That also means the mobsters can run and play even when it rains.

Forget about the town hall. We want a small garden, and God give us Olympic Stadium.

""For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD  ~ Isaiah 55:8"

Fine :)

And then, one day, the dad approach me and asked, "Don't you want to paint the walls? It doesn't seems to be in the contract, but those grey walls will look ugly"

I just look at him, wondering how I should answer it (that the building actually ended up much larger than I thought and that it isn't suppose to need paint), he continues, "We had to make you spend extra money with all those dirt, so if you want to buy the paint tomorrow, we'll paint the building for you, for free"

Those men can't see it, but my psyche was rolling all over with grinning from ear to ear. Ho... Ho... Ho... Merry Christmas!!!

So the next Sunday, when they have their day off, I went around town looking for eco-friendly and cat-safe paint.

On their last day of work, came another surprise.

I thought they only come to pick up their stuff, clean up things a little bit, take their payment, and be gone.

I found out that the day before their supervisor told them about what I do and that I live alone. So since I give them a lot of stuffs that I no longer use, including some excess materials that they actually ask (wire mesh, cables, boards etc), they come down for one final bonus:

the cattery

the hallway

and the front yard! Look at all the mud, and that blob on the wall. Yuck. 

The end result:

The hallway

The window to my room, where all those mobs peek inside just to tease me when I work

The Syndicate's life saving washing machine is as bright as sun!

Everybody's favourite daisy brick

The cattery from the outside

and from the inside. That's Tao, one of the hammock kitties, coming forward.

Looks pretty empty, don't you think?
Animalrescuemarketing.com is rallying to help us buy new beds, blankets, toys and cat trees that were damaged or lost in the flood.
If you would like to participate, click the link below:

https://rally.org/whiskerssyndicate

If you have a facebook account, even if you cannot give, you can help the fundraiser grow by pressing "like" on the top of the page. The more people press "like" the more the page is exposed to the public, the bigger our chance to get sponsor/donor. Won't you help us?

A few months ago during our fundraising, our friend Kay Meow campaigned on our behalf and made this picture:

Today, I give you the answer. The new home of  Whiskers' Syndicate, that all of you have helped us build.

Thank you. Thank you without end for making our dream come true. We are alive today because of you.