Pierre's story

Pierre is a homeless cat in Singapore. He has been surviving in the streets for at least 8 years, despite being extremely human-friendly, a dangerous trait for felines who call the anti-cat streets of Singapore home.


Names: Pierre aka Bui Bui
He is known to various people by different names, and the most common is Bui Bui, hokkien for Fat Fat, given his cuddly shape. This name is given to him by Amy, and is also the name his other caregivers, Carol, Doris and Siew Kuen, call him.

Pierre is the name given to him by the tipped ear clan minions. He is also called Pierre in this blog as the tec minions helped to create and start this blog. It is his oldest known name, and it is a name easier to pronounce for anyone who speaks English. But he is registered as Bui Bui at the vets since his caregivers were the ones who brought him to seek medical help.


What Happened
Pierre is quite a lucky cat, escaping the intense culling of the SARS scare, and with regular food supplies despite going through various feeders as they moved in and out of his world.

However, his luck has run out. In late February 2010, he sustained injuries crossing a road to get to his daily afternoon feeding point. While his injuries were slight, the bigger problem was his failing sight which requires daily multi-doses of medication and frequent follow-up by the vet (for details of the diagnosis, go here). To rub salt in the wound, his home territory is no longer accessible nor safe.

Unable to return to his home and his old way of life, too used to being the lone cat, and too old and "plain" to be considered adoptable by most, the prospects seem dim for this human-friendly old boy.

However, he still has a bit of good luck turning his life around. One of his feeders, Amy, and her neighbours, Carol, Doris and Siew Kuen, have banded together to help him. Carol is now fostering him in her home, where he is the only feline. The costs of his medical bills and maintenance are being borne mainly by Amy and Siew Kuen. Amy is a low-incomer earner while Siew Kuen is a retiree.

Pierre now has safe haven. However, he may still lose his sight. His medication and vet visits are a strain on his caregivers' resources. If you can, please help them to help Pierre. Go to the Make a donation for Pierre page for details.


Adoption
Though Pierre has help now, Amy and Siew Kuen are worried about how long can they afford to continue taking care of his medical bills. This is because Amy is a low-incomer earner while Siew Kuen is a retiree, and they still have a colony of 8 between them to care for. So they are hoping that someone who is willing and is able to, will come forward to give their beloved Bui Bui a true forever home.


Pierre's History
Pierre has lived in the open plaza in front of a large building and has been a known resident there since before the SARs scare of 2003. Nobody knows where he came from or how the plaza became his home.

As a very friendly bum, Pierre has no problems getting along with human users of the plaza. Often he can be found sitting among groups of people, politely listening to the conversation, accepting the occasional friendly pet. He is also gracious and would finish up proffered food, from french fries to fried squid.

He is also a savvy bum who knew to hide in the bushes of the plaza if he felt threatened. He could also expect catfood from different feeders at different times of the day, which helped him maintain his shape.

He was already a grown adult cat when first sighted. The plaza faces a minor but busy road. On the opposite side is a shopping centre. Pierre crossed to and back from the shopping centre as a feeder was there to provide food in the afternoon everyday. This daily crossing was what led to his accident and the discovery of his failing sight.