Possible titles:Sisterhood of the Meow-MeowsThe feline heart of Singapore

Picture 1: Cat auntie running her morning rounds, with a captured cat in need of veterinary attention. She insisted her face not be captured, because she feels the need to avoid possible public backlash.Cat aunties - not much is known about Singapores colloquially-labelled cat feeders. Lesser known is that they are a part of an invisible network, a secret society after the elusive feline heart.Not confined to the local context, there are vacuous cat feeder stereotypes. To name a few: theyre alone, elderly, outliers, eccentric and most common of all - women.The truest stereotype of all, is that cat feeders struggle against social stigma and public disapproval. What is untrue is that they are alone.Their stories begin with a rescued cat. After witnessing the small creature bleed red, or that it flinches in respond to pain, most cat aunties could not re-wear blinders to shut out the plight of our societys strays. The more stirring realization was that cats are unable to voice their needs. Each cat feeder starts out on his or her own, but discovers more through experienced feeders and cat lovers. The compassion for animals was always there, just a dormant pile of dry firewood.Without realizing it, he or she has been initiated into the secret society of cat lovers. Misguided good intentions?Misguided good intentions can often lead to unintended consequences. We understand you have cats in your apartment. If you are so concerned about the stray cats please make arrangements to catch them, clean them up and send them to a vet so that you can keep them all in your apartment as one big happy family. An excerpt from an anonymous letter addressed to Mrs. Wong, cat auntie.Sarcasm aside, the letter also highlighted that Mrs Wong was committing offences that are punishable by law. It stated that necessary actions would be taken against her.Some old ladies, when threatened they run, said Mrs Wong, 74. What they accuse me of is not against the law. I know the law, I am not an old, uneducated lady they can scare. Mrs Wong is one of the wealthier cat aunties. She is sharp and agile, eloquent and has raised two sons who are lawyers. She has the help of three domestic helpers to help with feeding the house cats and community cats through the central region of Singapore. Her domestic helpers were hired not for language abilities or elderly care skills, but for their love of cats.

Picture 2: Mrs. Wongs home, while being interviewed. She is beloved by her cats, they constantly vie for her attention.The first round of feeding starts at 7:30pm in the evening, and a second round to collect the plastic containers of food and water at 11:30pm. She estimated her monthly expenses to be $20,000, dipping into her retirement fund. She does not have a running count of cats she feeds.Mrs Wong argues that cats have the same right to exist as people, and have their one chance at life. The preservation of cats is not limited to feeding them, she also captures strays that are unsterilized or require medical attention. The strays that have been neutered remain with her for observation, before being released to their original environment, with a snipped ear. The snipped ear is an indication to the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) that the animal is sterilized, and should not be recaptured. Cat Aunties have a belief that once cats once captured by the AVA have very uncertain fates. She estimates having neutered more than a thousand stray cats. Her unofficial cat operation has been running for two decades.Over the years, she has encountered generous veterinarians, cat adopters and fellow cat lovers. One such cat lover is Susan, who comes by to chat on a daily basis. Susan works with Mrs. Wong to screen potential cat adopters, and divide some of the hefty expenses. Above all, Susan shares the emotional burdens that come with the job.'Why are you wasting your time'?"Did you take a vow? an elderly woman asked Helen, 54, bank manager and cat auntie. Maybe she thought I was doing penance, or that I'm making amends for past wrongs, recalled Helen.Im just doing what I believe is right. If a person is hungry, he can work for money, he can beg for a bowl of noodles, he can ask for help, said Helen. Animals cannot do that.

Picture 5: Tri-coloured cat sleeps snugly in a cardboard box.She recounted an incident in which she was brusquely told off by a man for dirtying the void decks, wasting her money and time on cats, when they cannot respond with gratitude.Just then, a stray cat came up and brushed herself against my ankles, and I replied to the man Sir, this is their thank you, said Helen.Being a cat auntie is no walk in the park. They meet with all forms of resistance; the most difficult is from their families. It is a costly endeavour, physically, emotionally and financially.After about ten years in, I knew I was in too deep, said Halizah, who feeds about 75 community cats. I dont have much time for social activities or friends, but I cannot give up now.Halizah juggles a full-time job, family and her cats. Undeterred by the limitations of time, she feeds neighbourhoods of community cats. The first round is completed by 7:00am, and again in the evening which can stretch till 11:00pm.All of the interviewed cat feeders declined to be photographed for fear of compromising their identities. Some of them fear public outrage, and try their best to remain respectful of the shared public spaces.People see us as a nuisance, they think we have nothing better to do, said Halizah, cat auntie, 40s.They dont realize that were preventing the cats from being a nuisance to them.

Picture 4: One community cat about to eat, but wary of the presence of strangers.In a world where no cat aunties exist, would the public be better off?The cat population would explode. People dont see the functions of cat feeders, said Joanne Ng, CEO of Cat Welfare Society. Cat feeders control the stray cat population,the responsible ones educate others of the proper way to care for cats, and by feeding them, they prevent hungry cats from invading homes, or rummaging through rubbish, all of this at the expense of cat aunties own pockets.Joanne likens the community of cat feeders to a Residents Committee (RC), the grassroots organization that exists to foster a community spirit and liaise with government bodies for the benefit of residents.The rewards of the jobHelen is considered an authority on cats in her housing estate, and nicknamed Mother Teresa of cats, to which the devout Catholic hastily objects to. Her responsibilities as a cat auntie have led her to approach families with unsterilised cats to educate and even offer to pay for the expenses if finances are an issue.

Picture 5: While his siblings suckle, curiosity gets the better of this blue-eyed ginger. The kittens await adoption.Her warmest memory was an experience with a family whose shoe cabinet was occupied by a mother cat and her litter of newborns. Unexperienced with cats, they contacted Helen who explained that mother cats find the safest places to keep their young. In spite of their fears, the family allowed the cat to remain where she was, and for Helen to come by with food and water. Six months later, the kittens were adopted off, but the family took in the mother cat, and christened her Mary.It may come as a surprise that not all cat feeders are cat crazy. Timothy feeds three stray cats, but professes to love only plants and fishes. They came around, so if I dont feed them, who will? he said.When people pass by they ask, Why so fat? Why so sad, said Timothy,referring to his three cats sad expressions, which earn them scraps from the areas restaurants.He speaks of them with the air of a proud parent who believes in the tough-love approach.Trail after a cat auntie and observe. Notice the cats that await the sound of footsteps, sniffing for traces of familiar scent. Their ears pricked, anticipating the tch tch call that heralds feeding time. The human creature they recognise as their guardian, who alone basks in their adoration and absolute devotion.If acting on the compassion for cats is crazy, then by all means, label them crazy.