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If you think rags to riches stories only happen to humans, think again. Tisoy, a stray cat, broke that mould as he became a real estate tycoon in ways you can never imagine.
A Place to Call Home
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In 2011, Tisoy was spotted roaming outside an apartment building in Singapore. The cat was originally owned by a child. However, the young boy admitted that he and his family are not capable of properly taking care of Tisoy. Therefore, he ended up as a street cat.
Luckily, Tisoy was admitted to Mount Pleasant Veterinary Group, a vet clinic in Changi dedicated to caring for ailing and injured animals. At the same time, it strives to find homeless animals new homes.
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The people who brought Tisoy to the clinic hoped that the staff would be able to find a home for the abandoned cat. It turns out it was home that found him. The staff took in the white and ginger cat and made him their very own residential cat.
Certain Love for Boxes
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The clinic staff share the same love and affection for Tisoy. However, their furry companion was hard to please, most especially when it comes to his sleeping place. They tried to use soft blankets and towels for the cat to sleep on. However, Tisoy has peculiar cat behaviour of kicking them into his litter tray and soiling them.
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To halt Tisoy’s messy habit, the staff gave him a cardboard box with bedding for him to rest in. It turned out to be a success as their well-loved cat settled in quite quickly and contentedly. The discovery of his soft spot for boxes led two of the clinic’s vet techs, Gillian Koh and Dorothy Tsang, to create, innovate, and spruce up Tisoy’s future homes.
With Gillian as the creative director and Dorothy as the chief architect, they created innovative designs for their residential cat’s new cardboard homes. Some of their greatest masterpieces for their furry buddy include a Christmas log house, Chinese temple, and also a vet clinic based on the Changi practice.
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Labour of Love
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The two vet techs’ affection for the former street cat drove them to create these well-crafted cardboard homes. Gillian and Dorothy humbly shared that these houses were a labour of love.
“We enjoy making the homes–Tisoy loves them and our patients love them”, Dorothy shares. “Making the homes helps us de-stress and relax, and the homes have a similar effect on Tisoy.” She also narrated that Tisoy’s igloo home may look simple but it was actually complicated to build due to the cut-out piece’s sloping angles.
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Their efforts were never wasted because Tisoy obviously loves his new homes. Tan Choon Yi, another staff at the clinic, shared that the cat loves to explore or take a nap inside his half-completed properties.
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They would usually place the unfinished cardboard boxes in another room. However, it seems like Tisoy would always manage to get his paws on them. Choon Yi fondly added how he would only get out of the box if it is already feeding time.
However, it is not only Tisoy that enjoys relaxing inside the cardboard box buildings. Three of the vet clinic’s kitten patients, Amber, Max, and Oscar, absolutely love to lounge in them too. The three siblings are especially fond of their Swiss cheese cardboard box. In fact, they cannot stop themselves from playing ‘whack-a-sibling’ for the whole four days they spent in the clinic.
Feline Stress Reliever
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According to experts, it is expected for cats to instantly fall in love with these cardboard boxes. Evan Yeoh, a vet at the clinic, explains that cats are especially susceptible to stress. With the noisy animals and strangers going in and out of the clinic, cats tend to become stressed despite the staff’s efforts to reduce the stressors.
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He added, “A cardboard box with peepholes allows a cat to feel safe and observe the environment at the same time.” Feline patients that are placed inside cardboard boxes tend to be more relaxed and calm. The vet clinic’s clients are also very pleased when they receive a complimentary cardboard house as soon as their feline friends are discharged.
Gillian and Dorothy are proud of their creations, and Tisoy definitely approves too. “Making the houses for Tisoy and our feline patients is satisfying and rewarding,” said Gillian. “A box to a cat is like a safe haven, a kitty cave where they can take refuge when they feel threatened or uncomfortable.”
Simple Creativity
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The two vet techs proved that a little dose of creativity is a big help in creating innovative items for your pet. You do not need to constantly shop all the time to provide your furry companion with his needs, because they can be simply found in your home.
Therefore, instead of buying pre-made cat houses, why not make your very own DIY cat cardboard house as fun and artistic alternative? Yes, it may take up lots of time and effort, but once your furry buddy is smitten over your handicraft, you know it is worth it.
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