The stallholder and the lady employee of a vegetarian stall in a HDB coffee-shop love cats. They brought the cats in the vicinity for sterilisation. They were especially fond of one particular tortoise-shell cat that came to reside in the stall.
Perhaps this being a coffee-shop in an old mature estate with a higher percentage of residents, the cat was well tolerated, not only by the other stallholders but by the coffee-shop's customers.
The stallholder was aware that Lin-Lin would be rounded by the pest controller if just ONE customer complaint but he was prepared to bring Lin-Lin home then.
A year since the photos above were taken (2007), the coffeeshop was closed as a result of en-bloc. The stall relocated to another coffeeshop within the estate but a far distance away.
Lin-Lin adjusted to the new location.
Then this coffee-shop was closed for refurbishing for some weeks. The stallholder, who lives in another town, decided to bring Lin-Lin.
Unfortunately Lin-Lin escaped from the carrier upon reaching the stallholder's block.
Despite searching for hours every night and occasionally catching glimpses of Lin-Lin in the drain, who seemed to be gradually losing weight, Lin-Lin didn't seem to recognise the stallholder out of fear and disorientation. A pet taxi guy was engaged to trap Lin-Lin but many attempts failed.
Today is 2 years since Lin-Lin was lost.
I stopped by this stall this late afternoon.
The lady employeer recognised me after a while as I have not patronised this stall for a year. She then exclaimed that Lin-Lin was found. She said that on a rainy day, Lin-Lin just appeared in front of her boss, the stallholder! He just carried her home! Lin-Lin was skinny by then. A year has passed since that eventful day and Lin-Lin is now a fat cat enjoying life in a safe home!
