S'pore woman, in her 50s, built about 200 cardboard houses for community cats so far

Imagine a small town built for cats.

This is what Janet Chin, who is in her mid-50s, is putting together for the community cats in her neighbourhood in northern Singapore, one cardboard house at a time.

Want to give community cats a home

Speaking to Mothership, Chin, a self-described animal lover, said she often feels bad for the community cats who have no home to return to, especially when the weather turns rough.

She has brought home eight rescued cats and found homes for more than 30 others she rescued from the streets, though finding adopters has not been easy lately.

Seeing cats sleep on the cold, hard ground of void decks, then coming home to the cats she had taken in, curled up in soft, quilted beds, made her want to improve life for the community cats, she said.

Started in 2021

Chin said the idea came to her after she saw feeders using carton boxes as shelters for the cats under their care.

Moreover, she loves to dabble in DIY projects and has done most of the repair work at home, as well as designed the interior of her past and current flats.

In 2021, she made her first house for one of her favourite community cats in her area.

Watching it walk in and sleep peacefully inside warmed her heart, she said.

She then went on to try and make sure every cat in her area had their own house, and has built close to 200 so far.

Her work later caught the attention of cat feeders and lovers around the island, and some asked her to make houses for community cats in other areas.

How the houses are made

The main material used for the houses is a clean carton box.

Its size depends on what Chin can collect from provision shops near her home or from supermarkets near her workplace.

She also uses water-resistant wallpaper, as well as recycled materials and decorations she buys online.

As her designs have become more elaborate and she usually works on them during lunch breaks, each house takes a week or longer to build.

She also makes new houses every two to three months to replace the old ones.

Her designs are inspired by what she sees around her, from a castle in a movie to a nostalgic building, a colourful photo booth, or even a new fast-food outlet.

The largest house she has made measures 70cm by 70cm by 50cm and holds four adult cats in Chinatown.

According to Chin, the cats love their houses.

Residents are also excited by them and often take photos of the cats resting inside.

Some cat lovers have also occasionally asked to buy houses in specific designs, Chin shared, adding that all the money she receives goes into the box for her cat rescue work.

One of her favourite designs is this:

"I personally like this house as it serves as a reminder that our community cats are part of Singapore."