Happy New Year, 2025! 🎉 I’m back in Singapore after spending an extended holiday back home over Christmas and New Year. It was such a refreshing and enjoyable stay!
I had the chance to relax, reconnect with family and friends, and even kick-start some health goals. With the new year comes fresh resolutions, and I’m feeling optimistic about sticking to them better in 2025. Cheers to new beginnings!
Whisker Chronicles: An Update on our Cats
Back in my January 2024 updates, I shared that my family has cats. These are feral cats from our neighborhood that we’ve befriended and cared for over time.
Our first cat, Blackie, has been with us for nearly six years now. Over the years, we’ve rescued many others, offering a safe haven for stray cats. Some have become permanent members of our family, while others come and go as they please. Hopefully, we’ll be able to tame and TNVR (Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return) them soon to keep them healthy and safe.
Last year, our feline family grew with a few new members: Kitler, a black-and-white kitten with an unfortunate resemblance to a certain dictator, twin sisters Julie and Julianne (likely kittens of Pepper, a friendly stray), a black tomcat named Nognog, and a little white-and-tabby kitten named Survivor—the sole survivor of Mama Nomad’s latest litter. Our “nomads” (the feral family across the street)—Mama Nomad, Pepper, and B2—have started spending most of their time in our garage, though they still keep their distance. That’s okay; we’re happy to give them a safe space.
Unfortunately, 2024 was a bittersweet year, marked by the loss of several beloved cats. In March, we said goodbye to Puti, our lively calico, followed by Cookie, our sweet black-and-white kitten. July brought another heartbreak with the passing of Poppy, our gorgeous black cat.
December was especially tough as we lost Orange, a feral tomcat known for being fierce with other toms but incredibly affectionate with humans. And just this January, we lost Piang (pronounced Pi-ang, meaning “lame” in the local language), a tiny kitten we had rescued near our church.
Though their lives were short, they were deeply loved and will always hold a special place in our hearts.
Bouncing Doggies! We have dogs!
On a happier note—can you believe we have dogs now? Even I was surprised! By the end of 2024, our furry family had grown to include nine dogs.
For context, my family never had dogs growing up. Apparently, we briefly had a white puppy when I was a baby, but my dad gave it to a neighbor because he worried it might hurt me.
On top of that, I developed a pretty severe phobia of dogs. I’d cover my ears whenever they barked, even if they were inside, and I couldn’t walk past one without feeling terrified. It’s only in the past couple of years that I’ve managed to ease my fear a little. I had no choice—our vet’s clinic has a bully dog named Draco who roams around freely. One time, I had to take my cat to the vet urgently, and I guess the adrenaline helped me push through my fear. (Not scientifically proven, of course, just my personal theory.)
Even now, I still struggle with barking dogs and remain scared of most of them. That said, I’ve grown comfortable with our own dogs and even with one aspin at another vet clinic. It’s kind of funny when I think about it—I have a dog phobia, yet here we are with a pitbull as part of our furry family!
It all started in January 2024 when we began feeding a stray puppy named Butitoy. He was an aspin (a portmanteau of asong Pinoy, meaning “Filipino dog”) living on the streets with his mom, Titay. They would take shelter under a parked car and occasionally come to our house for food. By the latter half of the year, they started staying with us semi-permanently.
Sadly, Butitoy passed away not long after (likely due to health issues from his time on the streets). Titay, however, stayed on and later got pregnant by another neighborhood dog named Lobi. Lobi isn’t technically a stray—he’s a pitbull/bully mix owned by a neighbor—but he roams freely because his family doesn’t pay much attention to him.
Last December, Titay gave birth to eight adorable puppies. Sadly, one of them passed away just a few days after birth, but the remaining seven are thriving—happy, healthy, and growing fast! They’re noticeably bigger than typical aspin puppies and take after their dad in looks. They’re also little foodies, willing to eat just about anything.
And what about Lobi, their dad? At first, he was intimidating—barking fiercely at my sister whenever she passed by his hut to feed Butitoy and Titay. But over time, he warmed up. One day, he even followed her home and was so determined to get inside that he stuck his head through the gate! These days, Lobi spends about 95% of his time with us and rarely goes back to his owner’s house.
Before anyone thinks we’re hoarding animals, let me clarify—we’re not. We rescue the animals we can, especially those that wander into our neighborhood needing help. We use our own resources to spay or neuter as many as possible (all of our friendly cats are already spayed/neutered, and we’re planning the same for our dogs). We also provide food, shelter, and vet care to ensure they’re safe and healthy.
While animal welfare is gaining more attention in our country, it’s far from where it needs to be. Government programs for strays are limited, focusing mostly on rabies vaccinations and occasional spay/neuter (kapon) drives. There’s still a huge need for education about responsible pet ownership and the care of stray animals. It’s a long road ahead, but every small effort counts.
2025 and beyond! What next for our furry family?
2025 started with a literal bang—our neighbors went all out with fireworks. As you can imagine, it was incredibly stressful for the animals. We did our best to keep them calm, but despite our efforts, three of our cats panicked. Two managed to escape their enclosure and darted into the house for safety. Meanwhile, Lobi, our big, strong pitbull, pitifully squeezed himself into the toilet to hide.
It was heartbreaking to witness, and I can’t help but shudder at the thought of strays out there with nowhere to hide and no one to comfort them during such chaos.
We’re planning to move to a bigger place with plenty of space for our growing furry family. While it’s unlikely to happen before the end of the year, we’re hopeful to make meaningful progress toward it.
In the meantime, we’re focusing on improving things where we are. We’re planning to expand our cat enclosures, ideally extending them outside so the cats can enjoy fresh air and a bit of outdoor time safely. As for the dogs—spaying and neutering are at the top of the to-do list! 😊