Those of you who own pets in Singapore know all too well that the costs of pet food and treats can add up over time.

Which was why the public readily stepped up to give to a veteran cat feeder of 17 years after a tiny plea for public donations was made a year ago in March 2023 to help him out with his expenses.

About S$8,000 donated

Within a year, members of the public have donated about S$8,000 to help Uncle Ong, 70, buy cat food.

The sum was tallied based on the record of donations received by S&S Pet's Shop, the pet food shop at Block 462 Tampines Street 44 that Uncle Ong frequents.

A year ago, I got in touch with the pet shop owner, Steven Chan, after coming across Uncle Ong on one of his feeding rounds in Kallang.

Chan has since been managing and disbursing the donated funds for Uncle Ong to purchase the cat food, which then gets transported to his flat in batches, essentially taking care of the delivery logistics.

Prior to this arrangement, Uncle Ong had been forking out more than S$400 a month just to buy cat food to feed the cats in Kallang and Hougang on a daily basis, rain or shine.

Grateful for donations

Following the donation drive, Uncle Ong, who is a private transport bus driver, told Mothership that he is grateful for those who have given to him, as it has helped greatly in lifting a financial burden off his shoulders.

He said he now has more money for himself and his family.

He previously revealed that he makes S$1,000-plus a month as a bus driver, a job which he plans to undertake until he cannot do so anymore.

However, even if he stops working, he said he would continue to take public transport and bring along a trolley to feed the cats in Kallang and Hougang.

"Thank you for helping me. You all very good. I am just an old man who feeds cats," Uncle Ong said when asked if he would like to say anything to the people who have helped him.

He reckons he has about two good years left earning a living as a bus driver.

Spends S$0.70 on each cat per day

These days, on average, he spends about S$0.70 feeding each cat a day.

Two cats can consume one can of cat food in one feeding session.

On top of wet food, Uncle Ong also gives kibbles.

He makes it a point to wash down the feeding area with buckets of water to prevent pests from showing up.

Over the past year, the cost of pet food has increased, and a carton of cat food that used to cost S$32 is now S$34.

Feeding more cats now than before

As a result of the donations, Uncle Ong has kept up with his daily feeding rounds, rain or shine.

It has also allowed him to feed even more cats.

Curious as to how and why this has been happening, I observed his activities and the areas he frequents.

After he claimed to have spotted a cat, which was not part of his regular brood, somehow appear overnight in the Kallang industrial area, I encountered the cat as well.

It resembled a Russian Blue, but was skittish, hungry, and relatively well-groomed.

On one occasion, before Uncle Ong's arrival, the cat appeared to have been eating mutton biryani given to it by a foreign worker in the area.

There are no residential estates within 800m to 1km of where the cat was spotted in Kallang.

While I suspected that this could be a case of pet abandonment that takes advantage of Uncle Ong’s charity, the veteran cat feeder remained unperturbed.

He fed the cat without qualms whenever he saw it.

Got hurt previously feeding cats

Despite doing this for years, regular feeding comes with its challenges, especially for the elderly.

Uncle Ong got injured once in the past year while feeding cats as he slipped and fell, and ended up hurting his back and legs.

This was one of the injuries that have left him worse off and needing to see a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner.

He resumed feeding the next day after getting bandaged.

But what bothers him more is when some of the cats he feeds fail to show up anymore.

Over the years, he has seen community cats getting injured or killed by traffic over the years, and would feel helpless whenever it happens.

How to donate

Those who wish to help Uncle Ong can purchase cat food for him via this link.

Donors who are keen to help by contributing smaller sums can contact S&S Pet's Shop at [email protected].

Top photos via Mothership