Man, 63, adopts cat, it gives birth to 4 kittens in Tampines flat, they interbreed, ends up with more than 30 cats

A 63-year-old man adopted a pregnant cat in end-2019, which gave birth to four kittens.

Subsequently, the cats started to interbreed among themselves.

This resulted in more than 30 cats occupying the man's three-room flat in Block 138 Tampines Street 11.

He then complied with the authorities' demands to have all except two cats rehomed.

Chen Baodu, who worked as a gardener, told Shin Min Daily News that he initially felt a connection with the pregnant cat after feeding it.

State of cluttered home

When a Shin Min reporter visited the apartment, several cats were seen lounging at the corridor.

They bolted back into the house upon hearing noises from the reporter's approach.

The flat was visibly cluttered with religious artefacts, flower pots, a wooden table, plastic bottles, and cardboard boxes covered in cat faeces.

A pungent smell was also noticeable from the corridor.

Cats were seen climbing on the clutter, while kittens were strewn on the ground, at risk of being stepped on.

Chen said he could put up with the poor living conditions of the "cat park", as he would try to make the space livable for the cats by stacking up the clutter, but his financial situation was in dire straits.

Moreover, his neighbours were unhappy with the disamenities he was causing.

He then decided to comply with the authorities' requirement of only keeping two cats and handing the rest over.

National Parks Board (NParks) personnel were seen removing the cats from the flat on Feb. 7 morning.

Financial dire straits

Chen said he could afford to house the cats previously when he had a full-time job and received subsidies.

However, he resigned in February 2025 and the cost pressures mounted.

He subsequently found a new job that paid S$1,900 a month, but the expenses to take care of the cats were around S$1,600.

As he felt he could no longer afford it, he has accepted the fact that he has to give his cats up for them to receive better care.

Cats are emotional support pillar

Chen admitted that the cats had become his emotional support pillar, which made giving them up for adoption very difficult.

But he also recognised he had a problem, which was why he allowed the authorities to step in to take the cats away after his birthday.

Chen said: “It was my birthday yesterday, so I’ll let them spend one last birthday with me before they leave, so I can feel more at peace.”

Chen revealed that he has been suffering from depression, and has not had family and friends visit him as he has lost contact with them.

He used to live with his mother, but has been living alone after she passed away.

Resident's experience

A neighbour on the same floor said the cats trampled and defecated on her potted plants placed along the corridor.

The stench of the faeces could be detected in her home, she said.

The resident resorted to putting cat repellant mats outside her door to keep the cats away from her property.

She also placed a sonic cat repellant device that emits high frequency noises to chase the cats away.

Photos via Shin Min Daily News