Tag: adopting

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Community Stories

Aon’s Happy Tales: Thepianocats

Healthcare can be tricky, especially when it comes to insurance. After spending hours and hours searching for the best plan out there, you might end up with more questions than before. But there is a reason why we go through this ‘struggle’; all for the sake of our furkid’s health. 

This is especially so for Michelle, pawmom to four domestic shorthairs – Toothless, Milkshake, Cupcake, and Chopin. As a talent developer, harpist, and an avid kayaker, Michelle is all types of busy. However, her passion for nurturing pets has always been her number one priority. 

Brought Together By Fate

Michelle adopted both siblings Toothless and Milkshake together; she chanced upon an adoption notice for Toothless, and Milkshake was just rejected by a potential adopter, hence she took both in. 

During the circuit breaker of 2020, she once again chanced upon another adoption notice by Toa Payoh North Strays for help to rescue an abandoned kitten, and that’s how she met Cupcake. 

Chopin, was part of a litter from a pregnant cat at a car workshop – and that completes the family!

POV: Toothless and Milkshake judging you.

Four’s Never A Crowd

You must be thinking: Wow amazing, four cats in one household? Well, that’s actually not all. Michelle also fosters many cats, even multiple at once. 

Her journey as a fosterer is not an easy one. She has encountered many of them battling certain illnesses such as Urine Tract Infection (UTI), Feline Coronavirus (FIP), Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) among senior cats. Unfortunately, all these illnesses are more common than you think, which is a huge concern for Michelle. But thankfully, they’re all covered* under Aon Happy Tails’ Purrfect plan! 

*Pre-existing conditions are not covered and such exclusion is typical with health insurance. Click here for more information.

Michelle with one of her foster kitty.

Preparing For The “What-Ifs”

With so many fur babies under her care, she would have to spend a hefty amount on treatment if they all fall critically ill at the same time, which is the last thing Michelle wants to worry about. 

That’s when she chanced upon Aon Happy Tails! Upon looking at their coverage and plan, she felt that it was the perfect idea to get insured for peace of mind in the event of an emergency.

“I like Aon Happy Tails. It has a low deductible and covers most of the medical expenses such as vet’s fee, diagnostic tests and medication which can be quite costly.”

Chopin looking as majestic as ever.

*Bonus Content*

If they could speak hooman for 7 days, what would you say to them, or do with them?

“If they could speak hooman for 7 days, I would convince them to go kayaking with me! I’ve seen some pets going paddling with their owners, which I thought was pretty cool and fun.”

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Community Stories

Did I make a mistake adopting a Singapore Special?

I adopted Gigi back in 2017. I was a pawrent noob. Never owned a dog before, hardly knew anyone who owned a dog and knew nothing about Singapore Specials(SS). I did not know what to expect upon adopting and there were times i wondered if I was making a mistake.

My adopted SS – Gigi

One thing you have to know before adopting a SS is that they are all different – personalities, traits & temperament. There is no one-size fits all when it comes to Singapore Specials. I know of super timid, fearful SS but there are also SS who are very confident & friendly.

Gigi is a fearful dog who expresses her fear through aggression. When I first met her, I was told that she was aggressive towards other dogs and also very apprehensive towards strangers, especially in the house. Despite not knowing how to handle an “aggressive” dog, her pitiful past and adorable face moved me and I had to bring her home. She warmed up quickly to me and my family and that’s when I thought it was fate. Apart from her temperament, Gigi is all sorts of perfect – independent, house-trained and all-round well behaved. She could be left alone at home without a problem and she wouldn’t end up destroying the house.

Though she does not look it, she is fearful aggressive

But I struggled greatly with her temperament. She would bark at neighbours, lunge at other dogs, she even tried attacking strangers before. I started to live in fear of her accidentally injuring another dog or human which led to avoiding walking at crowded places or peak hours, waiting endlessly for an empty lift and refraining from inviting people over for dinner. Those were the times I asked myself if I had made a mistake adopting her.

I attempted to train her, engaged trainers, sent her for daycare all in hopes of helping her. There were failures and successes, there were times I really wanted to give up. Only when I came across our very last trainer did things change for us. It took a lot of conditioning, firm handling and hard work but I saw the changes in her. Both our lives have changed for the better and I cannot be more grateful.

If you asked me if I think adopting Gigi was a mistake – no, she is the best thing that happened to me and my family. And if given the choice I would still adopt her. But, there are some things I learned along the way and for anyone who is looking to adopt a SS, I would encourage you to consider these 3 things –

  1. Be prepared – There were so many things I wished I knew before adopting, like how to handle her temperament & what to expect. That would have saved us from ending up living in fear and feeling hopeless.
  2. Understand Singapore Specials – They may come with their trials & difficulties. SS are known to be skittish & fearful. Understand the temperament of the dog you are adopting be ready to make the commitment.
  3. Do not give up – The journey may not be easy but it is rewarding and don’t give up on your furkid once you have made the commitment.
Hang in there pawrents!

There is no journey like the one you embark on with your dog. The key is to know what you are getting into and never give up.