A man in Yishun has apparently turned his car into a makeshift two-storey home for his cats.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The dark grey car was seen at the second floor of a multi-storey parking lot at Block 347, Yishun Avenue 11 with makeshift cat beds and feeding utensils placed beside it, reported Shin Min Daily News.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When AsiaOne went down to the scene on Friday (May 8), two cats were resting in cardboard cat beds under the car.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A calico cat was seated below the hood of the vehicle while an orange cat was under the boot. The car owner was not present.<\/p>\n
There were also several pet care items and a plastic bowl filled with drinking water.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He, a 50-year-old engineer, told Shin Min that he owns the car and two cats.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He said he took in the two injured strays \u2014 a calico cat named Patches and an orange tabby named Tiger \u2014 over a decade ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The cats used to be kept at home but He let Tiger, who didn’t like being indoors for long periods, roam downstairs and soon Patches followed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He said that he bought his car about 10 years ago for around $100,000 but he drove much less this past year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He added that since there was rarely anyone home, he started placing the cat’s bed behind and under the car.<\/p>\n
“Before, when I drove out, they would find a place to hide but Patches is more affectionate and often waits for me to come home here,” He reportedly said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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He would occasionally open his car door for his two felines to rest in their “four-wheeled mansion”, which currently has a simple cat house and cardboard boxes placed in the back of the car.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He shared that neighbours are mostly friendly, occasionally greeting the cats, and that he hasn’t received any complaints so far.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Reisdents say they’re ‘always at the same spot’\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Zura Yunos,a 34-year-old sales associate who lives in the area, told AsiaOne that she always sees the cats in the same spot.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“When I come home every night, they’re always inside the car,” she said, adding that the owners are always with the cats at the same spot at night.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Another resident, John Lim, a 28-year-old salesperson, said he has seen the cats around since moving into the area about two years ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“They’re always at this same spot,” Lim told AsiaOne. “Every time this couple is coming, they (the cats) will walk up to them.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lim shared that he’s also seen the couple in the area at different times throughout the day, sometimes past 1am or in the early morning.<\/p>\n
“Most of the time you can catch them here because when they come here, they will be here for a very long time,” he added.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Town council cites safety and hygiene considerations\u00a0<\/h2>\n
In response to queries from Shin Min, Nee Soon Town Council said they were aware of residents setting up community cat feeding points and cat habitats in the multi-storey car park.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A spokesperson added they understood that residents had good intentions to care for the cats but also reminded that the car park’s primary purpose was for vehicle parking.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Based on safety and hygiene considerations, the town council said they have since removed the items from the parking lot, reported the Chinese daily.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The town council added that the authorities have been working closely with community partners and residents and encourage those interested in caring for the community cats to do so without compromising safety and hygiene.<\/p>\n
AsiaOne has contacted Nee Soon Town Council for more information.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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