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Chiefy, you are forever in my heart

Run free and cross the rainbow bridge, my sweet Chiefy baby!

Our beloved Chiefy passed away today, the 27th of December 2023, at RBG1 in Ratchaburi, Thailand. I got the news from Rinse on the drive home this afternoon from our cottage in Härnösand. Rinse is also still in Manila and had to relay instructions to the boys left behind at home in Ratchaburi.

Chiefy was buried at past midnight by Junjun, Janjan and Neil under a spot between an atis and a guava tree there in Ratchaburi, organized by Rinse and with the help of ma’am Janssen. A photo of his final resting place will be added later (most likely after Rinse is back and pays a visit to the place).

I will start the long story by saying that Chiefy lived with me from the day I took him home in April 2016 (Bangbon, Bangkok) until I left for Manila in March 2017. I went back to Bangkok to see him once more before I left for Austria in May 2017. I flew back from Vienna to Bangkok in September 2017 hoping to take Chiefy with me to Austria this time, but he got denied at the last step – AQS (airport animal quarantine station)…

From then on until his passing, he had been living with my always helpful and kind-hearted friends Rinse Galupo and Guilbert Fincalero and their family and staff (past and present) at RBG1 & RBG2 in Ratchaburi, Thailand (Filipinos who have been teaching and doing business in Thailand for almost two decades now). How I met them is another story for later.

Six years of Chiefy’s life, 2017-2023, he spent with them. They housed him, fed him, bathed him, took him to the vet when needed, they cared for him all those years… And then sadly, they had to bury him today.

I am truly truly truly grateful and thankful to Rinse, Guilbert and everyone who became part of Chiefy’s life after I left Thailand. Thank you so very much, guys!

Thank you!

Thank you!

Thank you!

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Pet Travel: Thailand to Austria

Article first posted : September 9, 2015
Article updated: October 19, 2016
Final update: June 14, 2017

The Traveling Cats – Moving again?

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Yes! Cats de Block will be traveling again.

So… After making the decision to move once more, we are faced with this new challenge of how to get all of our furry 7 out of Thailand and off to Europe in a few months. When I wrote this post in late 2015 (last year), our options were Holland, Austria, Germany, Ireland, UK, Spain, Portugal, etc. We chose Spain and my husband Ronald left for Malaga in September 2015. The cats were supposed to follow soon after; however, their trip was cancelled as I had decided to extend my stay in Thailand.

After a brief holiday in Saigon (last week of January 2016), I arrived back in Bangkok to a new job offer which I decided to accept. After a month at my new workplace, I summoned hubby back and he returned to Thailand albeit reluctantly.

As I am updating this post on October 19, 2016, exactly a week after Thailand’s beloved King Bhumidol Adulyadej passed away, Ronald is scheduled to fly to Vienna. The cats will follow. For sure this time.

 

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How Old is Your Cat in Human Years?

What a cat’s age is equal to in human years…

The Traveling Cats

There are some calculators and formula you can find online and use to convert a cat’s age to its equivalent in human years so to speak.

According to Calculator Cat, the first year is equivalent to 15 years. On the cat’s second birthday, add 10 years. Then add 4 years for every birthday that follows.

What this is saying is that when a cat is two years old, she/he has matured to about the same as a 25 year old human.

Let us find out how old our furry babies are in the de Block household.

Here are our eight cats’ actual ages or estimated in the case of their mother, Lucky.

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New Year 2015 in Bangkok

Wishing one and all a very happy and prosperous new year!!!!

New Year’s Eve photos

New year’s eve and day was spent with friends and with cousin Jenny in Bangkok.

Before I arrived at their apartment, Jenny and Ate Rebecca made a run for round-shaped fruits in the market to prepare before the New Year countdown right before midnight. After dinner with both of them at Jenny’s place, we went to bed. We woke up at a quarter past midnight and walked to kuya Ricky’s condo which was located just in the next block. Earlier that evening when ate Rebecca mentioned they had macaroni salad, I was ecstatic and could not wait for midnight.

Thankful to kuya Ricky and ate Josie for the New Year’s Eve feast and the freedom to voice out my emotions through their karaoke. Likewise, to ate Becca for inviting me and insan. A Pinoy selection of macaroni salad, dinuguan, puto, pinakbet, and more in between songs. So sarap! 🙂

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Cats Love Their Shirted Baskets

I called them shirted baskets because they are baskets with shirts on 🙂

Got this excellent idea of using shirts to cover the cat baskets from a post in The Freecycle Network FB page shared by our friend Josette. The furries LOVE them! Plus I have an excuse to go shopping for new tank tops to replace the ones I used for the cat baskets. 😉

Splash

Splash and Cotton
Splash and Cotton in their shirted baskets

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Thai Visa Run to Vientiane 2015 (MEESUK) – Photos

Thai visa run to Vientiane –> Staying one night in Vientiane during my Thai visa run with Meesuk Travel last January 7-9, 2015

The Winning Tower Condominium, 958/6 ถนนสุขุมวิท 71 แขวงคลองตันเหนือ เขตวัฒนา กรุงเทพ 10110

(They are located along Pridi Banomyong, Sukhumvit 71, Bangkok – between Soi 38 and 40)

Mobile: 081-341-9007 , 080-586-8495, 089-792-1543, 089-446-0008, 084-663-5902

Email: meesuk_travel@yahoo.com, meesuktravel@gmail.com, meesuktravek@hotmail.com

Photos

Taken during the drive to Vientiane, at the Thai embassy, in the hotel, and while visiting the town with my roommates and fellow Filipinos who came with Meesuk

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The Traveling Cats

The Traveling Cats