Pet shop owner Chan Chow Wah loves our furry feline friends. He loves them so much that he lives with 30 of them under one roof, and even sells his own brand of cat food for them.
Mr Chan, 46, has been involved in animal rescue for over 10 years. The neglection of palliative care for cats had sparked his interest in providing comfort for them.
The former exports manager is also the owner of Animal Human Alliance (AHA), a pet shop located at Pasir Panjang. Officially opened in late 2013, the shop sells products that range from pet food to home-care products.
This love for cats was not formed overnight, but ignited 13 years ago when he adopted his first two felines.
“That opened up my eyes to the situation of community cats in Singapore, so I began by feeding the cats in my area,” he said.
From there, he got to know about Metta Cats and Dog Sanctuary, a non-profit organisation which provides a safe haven for injured, abused, or abandoned animals. The sanctuary is also home to old and special needs animals, providing them a place to live out the rest of their lives in safety and comfort.
He sponsored food to the sanctuary, and progressed to supporting rescuers as well. Along the way, he decided to start his own business and open up AHA.
One of his first innovations in his shop was carrageenan-free cat food.
His idea came about when he realized that a lot of cat food contained the preservative ingredient, carrageenan, which has been under scrutiny in recent years. According to J K Tobacman, Associate Professor of Economics from University of Delaware, exposure to carrageenan was associated with the occurrence of intestinal ulcerations and neoplasms. This means there may be a chance for new and abnormal growth of tissue in a part of the body, which may lead to cancer.
Mr Chan then started liaising with factories to produce the cat food. It took him quite a bit of time to find a factory that was willing to work with him on carrageenan-free food as he faced a lot of challenges when it came to logistics.
“As we were the only customers who wanted carrageenan-free food, we had to do a lot of planning ahead to get this going,” he said.
The Apple of His Eyes
The stars of his pet food brand, Ken Ken and Gold-D, can be found on a lot of AHA's packaging and marketing efforts.
Ken Ken, a golden Manx cat, was found in the Ubi area with hot liquid poured on him which burnt his entire back. Ken Ken was then taken to the vet and fought for his life for about three months, before being discharged to Metta Cats.
During one of Mr Chan’s visits to the shelter, Ken Ken ran towards him and gave him a kiss, which instantly sparked a connection between the two. After Mr Chan heard about the cat’s situation, he immediately made the decision to take in the nine-year-old cat .
“Nobody would adopt a cat with a bad scar, so I told Metta Cats that I would take him in and put him in my shop,” he said.
After some time, Mr Chan was afraid that Ken Ken was getting lonely by himself, so he asked Metta Cats to recommend a companion based on his temperament. He was then given to the second star of the brand, Gold-D.
Gold-D was also an FIV ( Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) positive cat and he needed acupuncture treatment to boost his weak immune system. According to Mr Chan, it was more holistic and didn’t have the negative effects of steroids. Since his diet was heavily affected by his weak immune system, Mr Chan saw it crucial to manage what he eats.
Mr Chan wanted to feature the adopted animals on his brand, but couldn’t name it after Ken Ken, the older of the duo, due to copyright issues with a similarly named brand. Hence, the brand was named after the little brother, Gold-D.
He mentioned that if a pedigree cat or a kitten, especially a ginger cat were on their labels, they’re more likely to be adopted, as compared to a normal stray cat.
“Thus, we put them up as a model to start a dialogue, and I’m glad someone took the first step. We are happy that what we’re trying to do resonates with people,” he said.
Over the many years of animal rescue, Mr Chan has rescued many cats with medical conditions including FIV, Feline leukemia virus (FeLV), organ dysfunctions and different forms of cancer.
He often finds his hands full, literally, as he dedicates about four to five hours a day caring for all of the animals in his care at home, which includes two dogs.
Sometimes however, he cannot do it all on his own. Together with the help of his partner and his cat-sitter, apart from providing basic care to all the pets, they also provide special care to pets who suffer from complex illnesses.
Such care would include injecting subcutaneous fluids into cats who suffers from kidney failure and also apply medication to cats who suffers from serious eye injuries once every six hours. These pets are truly treated like royalty as they get to sleep in the bedrooms, too.
While some of them were alive, Mr Chan threw them birthday parties. Many of these felines however, passed on after their battles. It wasn’t easy to bid them farewell, but he knew it was for the better.
“They refuse to go because they are worried about us, but we need to give them permission and reassurance,” he added.
Furr-ventions
Pet food isn’t the only innovation Mr Chan brought to life. Combining his passion for animals with his business acumen, Mr Chan has ventured into other cat-related projects.
He introduced a fine fragrance for all cat lovers, Gold-D Bleulight, as a way to engage discussion about cats among fragrance lovers.
With an estimated overall budget of $10, 000, he solely produced, filmed and edited a documentary on the story of Ken Ken and Gold-D over a span of two years. “We are not a nuisance!” touched on the topic of making life better for community cats and their compassionate feeders.
The documentary also looked into Taiwan and Italy's stance on coexistence between humans and cats.
"For Taiwan, cat rescue works evolved into an international tourist attraction. Whereas in Rome, cats are designated as Bio Heritage," he said.
The film has won a few international awards at the Accolade Global Film Competition, Los Angeles CineFest and Spotlight Documentary Film Awards, among others. Mr Chan is currently working on his second film, which is set to premiere in February next year.
He recently held an exhibition last year, Cats of Keith Stevens, showcasing the lives of stray cats in Hong Kong. The photos were taken by Keith Stevens, a British civil servant from the 1970s, who captured them as a hobby. The collection was bought by one of Mr Chan’s friends, who then passed it to him as he had a vast interest in cats.
The funds raised during the exhibition, which adopted a pay-as-you-wish concept, were all given to feeders around Singapore so they can continue doing what they do.
His other products include a pet dish, cat-themed calendars and EZ-link card designs. Some of the funds raised from his ventures are donated to Metta Cats and Dogs Sanctuary and feeders.
Currently, Mr Chan has expanded his business to other countries such as Malaysia, Cambodia and Hong Kong. He also owns an office in the UK and is selling food to rescuers from Spain, Greece and Morocco.
Despite all that he has done, Mr Chan wants to do more as he makes the most of every moment.
“Love is just love. But when love is ignited, you need to take action to make things happen.”
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