TODAY
Bonding over a ‘community cat’
05:55 AM Feb 17, 2010
Letter from Dr Tan Chek Wee
FIVE YEARS ago, when I moved into my block of Housing and Development Board flats, I noticed a tri-coloured cat at the void deck.
She was easily placed into a carrier and taken to the vet for sterilisation.
She was then returned to the void deck bearing a surgical cut on her left ear, a symbol of her neutered status.
Ginger (picture) – as she was affectionately called – became a mascot of the block and is cared for by several families.
One day last week, a Jewish neighbour told me that Mr Ali, a Malay resident on the third storey, was concerned that he had not seen Ginger for the past few weeks.
I went to his flat and we chatted about Ginger and cat-related things. Most importantly, a friendship was forged.
I then went to the second storey and knocked on the door of a Chinese family whom I knew was very fond of Ginger too.
Sure enough, the cat was safe and sound in the flat.
I walked up to convey the good news to Mr Ali who said he would pay a visit to the Chinese family to see our “block cat”.
I then took a lift to the 11th storey to inform the Jewish lady.
It is time for Town Councils to stop “automatically” assigning “cat nuisance” to any feedback about cats.
What Ginger does to bring about inter-racial harmony and neighbourliness is akin to what some community events can achieve.
That is why cats like Ginger are aptly called “Community Cats”.
