We have seen countless of stray cats in our daily life, be it at the HDB void deck, hawker centers, rubbish dumps or even in drains. Some may appear hostile and aggressive, while others may look tame and willing to get closer to you. The definition of a stray is a domestic animal found wandering at large or without an owner.

Strays are no different from pedigree cats, they belong to the same animal group. Why do people look upon them not as cats but rather pests? They may be filthy and carry around germs, but this is the result of not having an owner to be pampered by and taken care of.

Some people have a preference of taking in pedigree cats and groom them, can they not do the same for strays? Pedigree cats are considered the upper class in their eyes, and strays as the lower class which they abandon and shun. Strays are after all still cats.

Every year, a huge number of strays are put to sleep by SPCA because they are unwanted. It is a cruel act but one which needs to be done under the circumstances.

I had a tabby colored cat which was a stray, she stayed with me for so many years. She basically accompanied me in my growing up years. She may have torn apart my shirt, scratched our sofa and is an overall lazy cat, but I still love her. I still remember the nights where she would snuggle up next to me on my bed, the bond and affection which we shared was special. The only reason why I was forced to give her away to SPCA was due to my mother’s asthma. I could only watch with my heart bleeding as they took her away from me.

If you do not have any restrictions bounding you from keeping a cat, consider yourself lucky. Instead of taking a pedigree cat for a pet, why not adopt a stray and give it the happiness which it can only dream of? You are not only giving it a home and showering it with love, you are also reducing the number of strays in Singapore, let strays experience the feeling of being loved.

Earlier on, I was relaxing my body after a vigorous exercise at the fitness corner when this ginger colored cat came up to me and started caressing my thigh. He began to feel comfortable being around me and minutes later, he just laid beside me just staring at me. When I looked into his eyes, what I saw was the eyes of a stray hoping to have a warm home who would care for him.

I wanted so much to say, “I will take care of you”. Give it the best environment I can but sadly due to circumstances not within my control, I can’t. I need to consider my mother’s health and that involves not having a furred animal in the house.

I hope everyone who is reading this post, treat strays as cats and not outcast them as some pests. Do adopt them and give them a life of luxury.