“Buddy, in the Park” Image © CatsHope™
“In the Scary Carrier” Image © CatsHope™
Buddy’s Story — Part Two: Home at Last
Buddy Speaks:
Leaving the Park
I knew the person who came for me. Tiffany was part of my park life. I knew her voice, her face and the sound of her beads. I had waited along her path and come running when she called. But this time, there was a carrier.
Entering it frightened me. I struggled and kicked within the small space. In the park, I knew where to hide and which way to run. Inside the carrier, I could not choose my own way.
Then I heard Tiffany speaking. I looked at her face. She was still there, and I began to calm down. I did not understand where we were going, but I recognised the person taking me. I trusted her.
Some other feeders and a few members of the Bagua group gathered around us while we waited for a taxi. They spoke gently to me and said goodbye. Their familiar voices helped me settle.
"Falling Ill in Foster Care" Photograph © Catshope™
Foster Care and Falling Ill
My first stop was a foster home.
There were many cats there. I made friends, slept beside them and ate with them. But this place was very different from the park. I did not understand what was happening or how long I would stay. It felt temporary, and I wondered what would happen to me.
Would this be my home? Would I be going somewhere else?
The next day, I was taken to a vet and received a vaccination. I was returned to the foster home and mingled with the other cats. At first, I felt all right. A few days later, I became very ill. My temperature reached 41°C. I wanted to sleep and had little appetite. My fosterer saw how unwell I was and contacted Tiffany.
My people were concerned about the fever following my vaccination. Digestive troubles made things more difficult. There were cats around me, but I had little energy for their company. I rested while my people tried to help.
Then Tiffany came.
"On Tiffany’s Bed" Photograph © Catshope™
The Face I Knew
I looked at Tiffany. For three years, she had fed me in the park. I knew her from the paths, the pagoda and the evenings when she stayed while I ate. She came in the rain and she came nearly every day. I was very glad to see her.
She had not simply left me at the foster home. She had remembered me. Now she was here, and when I looked into her eyes, I knew… she had come to take me home.
I was feverish and weak, but I was not afraid to enter the carrier she brought. I climbed in and lay down. I had little strength for anything else. I could not understand every arrangement my people had made. But I knew Tiffany, and I trusted where she would take me.
Our first stop was the vet. I received an injection and medication. Then we were on our way again. This time, we went home together.
When we reached the sanctuary, I knew… with an inner certainty… This was my new home. I knew I had a home. I was home at last.
"Struggling with Fever at CatsHope™" Photograph © Catshope™
Being Cared For
I was still ill when I arrived at CatsHope. At first, I stayed in a separate enclosure, where Tiffany could monitor me and take precautions around the other cats.
There was veterinary treatment and medication, along with the supplements Tiffany gave me. She stayed close, watching me and tending to me while the fever lingered. She wiped me down with cool, wet towels and helped me take what I needed when I had little appetite or energy.
I was used to her bringing a meal to the park. Now she returned throughout the day to check on me and tend to me.
The fever did not leave immediately, but Tiffany was there to help me through it. I did not like the syringes, but I understood that my people were trying to help me. As time passed, I began to feel better.
Tiffany remembered that I had eaten a rat shortly before leaving the park. She considered that history while working through my digestive troubles. Probiotics and a special diet became part of my care.
Gradually, I grew livelier. I had only wanted chicken for a while, but after my course of probiotics, I began accepting tuna again. My fever and digestive troubles resolved, and my appetite returned.
I became more interested in what was happening beyond my enclosure. Eventually, I was well enough to begin coming out.
"Hanging Out in the Store Room" Photograph © Catshope™
A New Kind of Park
There were cats to meet here, too. I was a bit shy at first. I was interested, but I wanted to keep my distance and watch before approaching.
I had made friends at the foster home. Now I had another family to get to know, each with their own habits and favourite places.
I watched.
There were routes through the rooms, places to rest and windows where I could look outside. I learned who wanted company and who preferred some distance.
My people supervised our introductions. I could be assertive about my space, and we needed time to become familiar with one another. I did not join every activity. Often, I preferred a place in the background, where I could observe without being in the middle of everything.
That suited me.
In the park, watching had helped me decide when to approach and when to move away. Here, it helped me understand my new furmily and the place we shared.
And then there was Mimi. I grew close to her. I like to keep an eye on her and look out for her. I have my own ways of being part of a family.
Gradually, I found my place in it.
"I was served up for Chinese New Year with Catnip" Photograph © Catshope™
Different Strokes for Different Folks
I have different manners for cats and humans.
With the cats, I like room to make my own decisions. I can share a home without joining every game or following everyone around.
With my people, I enjoy attention especially for me. A quiet visit. A familiar voice. Someone sitting close without a crowd gathering.
Tiffany had known me outdoors. Now she was learning the cat I could be indoors, with regular meals and somewhere secure to rest.
I was still independent. Still observant. Still particular about company. But I no longer had to wait beside a park bench for her to arrive.
"Feeling Safe" Photograph © Catshope™
Home at Last
I still enjoy the sun. Now I can find it by a window, settle comfortably and watch the world outside.
At night, I watch the moon.
There is no need to search for shelter before the rain comes. No need to leave my resting place to look for a feeder.
When Tiffany goes into another room, I can stay where I am. She knows where to find me.
I knew her face when she came to collect me. Now, at last, I know the place we returned to together.
My home.
And the carrier that frightened me when I left the park?
I walk into it by myself now.
"The Iconic Train Playground at the Park" Photograph © Catshope™
Caregiver’s Note — Tiffany Argent
I collected Buddy from Tiong Bahru Park on 13 June 2025. He was comfortable with me but frightened by entering the carrier. He calmed when he heard my voice and looked at my face.
Buddy spent just over two weeks in foster care. His first vet visit, vaccination and deworming took place on 14 June 2025. He became unwell afterwards, although his fosterer did not give me an exact onset date. Intermittent fevers were documented by 21 June and reached 41°C. Digestive problems complicated his recovery. The veterinary explanation recorded in my contemporaneous report included a possible immune response associated with latent feline herpesvirus.
After Lyra’s adoption, I collected Buddy on 30 June 2025, took him to the vet and brought him home to CatsHope. I nursed him for a week while he received medication to control his fever, alongside close monitoring and cool, wet towel wipe-downs. His follow-up vet visit was on 7 July. Further treatment with probiotics addressed his continuing digestive troubles.
He gradually recovered, although he remained selective about food, accepting chicken but refusing tuna. After completing his course of probiotics, his fever and digestive problems resolved, and he began eating tuna again. He became brighter and more active, and was eventually well enough to leave his enclosure for supervised outings.
Article by Tiffany Argent Article by Tiffany Argent, CatsHope™ Ambassador. Story and images © CatsHope™
Buddy’s voice is imagined. The account of his rescue and care draws on my observations and contemporaneous records.
