The Cats Situated at The Heart of Singapore

When one mentions Marina Barrage, Marina Financial Centre, MCE, Gardens By The Bay, what comes to mind is a modern and developed Singapore. In this little red dot, a number of stray and community animals share the same space with us and sometimes, in the most unexpected places.

Sometime in October, one of our Noah's Ark CARES volunteer was alerted to an area with a number of unsterilized cats, at a worker's dormitory off MCE. We had previously spayed and rehomed some of the dogs around that same area too when we were asked to help the cats as well. We were informed that this dormitory will be demolished at the end of November this year. After finding out that the cats will be shelter-less soon, the volunteers made a decision that the cats should not be returned to the site after sterilization. It would be inhumane to return the cats back to the site as the dormitory is in the middle of many other construction sites - they may be knocked down by heavy vehicles and their source of food would have been gone soon too.

A site check was promptly arranged and after speaking to the site supervisor, we gathered that there are over twenty cats within the dormitory premise! We saw a number of cats, both adult and young cats moving around in the compound - a clear sign that the cats have been breeding in this premise. During this first visit, we brought out six cats for sterilization, vaccination and to be microchipped.

Four younger and scrawny-looking cats followed us around as we checked out the place, hoping that we will spare them some food. According to the site supervisor, the cats are fed with leftovers and scraps left behind by the workers each day. It was heart-wrenching when the young cats wolfed down the canned food and kibbles when fed - they never had a full meal before, the already-scarce leftover food is usually lapped up by the older cats. We then passed a bag of kibbles and a carton of canned food to the supervisor so that he could feed the cats meanwhile. We assured the supervisor that we will remove the cats in batches (over the next two to three weekends) and that no cats would be left behind when the dormitory is vacated.

 

Noah's Ark CARES volunteers hope to rehome as many of the dormitory cats as possible. All six cats which were brought out are very friendly; they are alert and are eating well after their sterilization. We brought out a three to four months old cream-colored kitten and five adult cats. JJ, Bella and Matilda are all looking for homes. They love human interaction and look forward to feeding time. If you can welcome them to your family and provide them forever homes, please contact Noah's Ark CARES at noahsarkcares@gmail.com.

Noah's Ark Natural Animal Sanctuary (NANAS) in Johor Bahru was set up to provide a forever home for our street animals. This group of cats who are not rehomed after they have been sterilized will be sent to our sanctuary where they can live out the best years of their lives.

We need your help to contribute to the following costs for this project:
1) Sterilization
2) Vaccination
3) Microchipping
4) Transport to NANAS 
5) Lifetime boarding and medical costs over at NANAS (sponsorship)

If you are able to contribute (no amount is too small for the animals), please write to us at noahsarkcares@gmail.com.

Many times, all it takes is an unsterilized male and an unsterilized female cat/dog to cause a population explosion. Noah's Ark CARES' mission is and will always be, to reduce the stray population in Singapore (and Malaysia). This is a community project which we need your help and contribution. 

Thank you for your continuous support in driving our cause and please help us spread this important message: STERILIZATION is the only humane way to control our stray population!


Warm regards,
All of us @ Noahs's Ark CARES

Shasha - The Girl with The Broken Tail

Shasha - a petite brown mongrel with yellow eyes that lives at the end of a street. She lives in a high culling area but fortunately, her factory took heed of our advice and made the effort to keep her within their premises. She was just spayed by us in mid August this year and we see her weekly still – her workers know us well too. :)

 Shasha when we spayed her

A few nights back, we were as usual reaching Shasha's factory when we noticed her excessively licking her tail and realized that her tail was infected and swollen. We checked with the security guard and a few workers present but they were not sure what actually happened. We believe it to be an industrial accident, looked as if the forklift went over her tail.

We went back the next day for little Shasha. The workers could not find her at first and the factory premises were big. It took more than an hour to locate her but the workers really put in effort to search for her as they wished to see her get medical treatment too. When we finally got hold of Shasha, we realized that part of her tail was already gone as it was slightly shorter (she had a long beautiful tail initially) and we hope she did not have to go through too much pain.

Over at the vet, Shasha was running a fever from the infection. The vet also mentioned she is rather thin – her sudden weight loss was due to the injury too as she had in fact put on a bit of weight after her sterilization. The vet advised slight amputation and she had to be warded for at least a couple of days.

 

We visited Shasha a few days later and she was looking good. After Shasha finished her course of medication, we brought her back to the factory and she was hopping around in delight! She is rather shy with strangers but familiar with the workers and well loved by the factory. They kept thanking us for helping her.

Going back to where she came from

 Happily wriggling her butt upon seeing her worker

 

Following closely behind the worker who is leading her back into the factory premises

Shasha’s case might not have been that life-threatening or a tear-jerking rescue but we strongly believe in trying our best to help every street dog that needs medical aid. Our volunteers who have been quietly running our PID (Project Industrial Dogs) for years and who faithfully walk the streets almost every other night, are tirelessly working towards the same goal as many other AWGs (Animal Welfare Groups) and independent rescuers – to see less strays on the streets, through active sterilization.

If you will like to help us cover Little Shasha’s medical bills and/or help other street dogs, we will be most grateful. Please email us at noahsarkcares@gmail.com – be it donation in cash/kind, volunteering or fostering/adoption. Thank you!