1180. Incredible Singapore story: Mum's ultimatum to the stray kitten

Sunday Oct 5, 2013 8.50 am

Bright sunshine day. An adult couple with an older woman from Tampines brought the cat for her vaccination at 8.50 am today. I was surprised as most pet owners don't come so early.
"This is the growling cat," I had recorded in my case sheet in July 12, 2009 when she was brought in for spaying. She had caterwauled 7 days ago, displeasing the neighbours. But today, this cat no longer growls. "She dares not go out of the house," the older woman said. 


"How does the cat pee and poop?" I asked. Many cat owners used litter boxes."
"She just goes to the toilet floor near the drainage hole and pee and poop there. When she came on the first day, I talked to her. Pee and poop here or you will not be adopted. The kitten went to the toilet to pee and poop."

"Really?" I asked the adult daughter whose husband was with her.
"Yes," she confirmed.
I find this story to be incredible. A stray kitten of 3 months of age, living in a car park, could understand human talk and complied to avoid being homeless.

Well, it was possible that she had been to such concrete floor in the car park as a stray kitten and so this was a coincidence. 
"In Buddhism, there is the belief in re-incarnation. Are you Buddhist?" I asked the mum.
"Yes," she said. "The previous person was bad and was reborn as a kitten!"
"How about the cat scratching the furniture?" I asked.
"Seldom, she's is afraid of me. I bought her a scratching post."
"Why didn't you tell the cat that she would be homeless if she scratched the sofa?" I asked.
"Well, scratching is not as serious as urination and passing stools in the apartment."

It was good to see this cat growing up to 4 years of age and looking very healthy. Her tongue was very pink. Her white nose was pinkish and her yellow eyes were bright. She had those leopard spots in mid-abdomen behind the chest and black long vertical stripes of the zebra. She had greyish green spots and was much loved.    

The owners lived in Tampines and as there are several vet clinics nearer to her home, I was surprised that they made an appointment and brought the cat to Toa Payoh, driving all the way. This cat was vaccinated annually in 2009, 2010, 2012 and now.