A Tiong Bahru community cat named Bob is rallying humans living in close proximity to it to raise funds for its health treatment.
Bob the community cat first surfaced at Eng Hoon Street in Tiong Bahru around 2009, and eventually became well-loved by residents for its feline charms and catty countenance.
"He's been a very good mascot for the street to bring people together," said resident Kelvin Ang.
Fell sick
Bob is now twelve years old, which is approximately 64 in human years.
And for the past eight years, he has been suffering from a chronic bladder condition which requires regular vet check-ups.
He also needs daily medication, as well as hydration via a drip, which a small team of Tiong Bahru residents take turns to administer for him.
Due to his condition, he is also sometimes warded at the vet.
Currently, according to The New Paper, there are about 10 residents involved in taking care of Bob.
They take turns to bring him into their homes every night, and feed him steamed fish and vegetables twice a day.
Crowdfunding campaign
In order to pay for his medical supplies and fees incurred at the vet, the residents have started a crowdfunding campaign on Give.Asia hoping to raise S$5,000 by September 2018.
According to Bob's Give.asia page:
"All donations will be placed in a bank account managed by one of our volunteers and will be used only to pay for Bob’s medical supplies, medication, hospitalisation costs and vet consultation fees."
They also added that "evidence of transactions will be made available on Bob’s Facebook page, along with copies of all relevant receipt".
As of May 16, the fundraiser has already hit S$3,500.
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Not the first time
This is not the first time residents have tried to raise funds for Bob.
The previous time it was done was in 2010 when Bob got into an accident.
To help pay for his treatment, residents and shop owners raised a total of S$16,000.
As the vet gave them a discount, the remaining money was used to fund the cat’s subsequent medical bills.
However, since the sum of money has run out, residents are left with no choice but to start a crowdfunding campaign again this time.
Top photo via Bob's Give.asia's page
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