This visit marked SOAR’s final cat litter donation done in an interview style format. Although we will continue donating cat litter to shelters in need, this was the last time we documented the journey this way. Coincidentally, it was raining when we arrived, as if the sky itself knew a chapter was coming to an end and a new one was about to begin. We travelled all the way from Johor Batu Pahat to Perlis, spending nine hours on the road. Our destination was Bustana Kucing, a shelter known not only for the number of cats it houses but also for the heart and structure behind its daily operations. This time, we donated 240 packs of cat litter to support their overwhelming needs.
The shelter is run by Mohd Taufik Md Zain, fondly known as Cik, and his wife Puan Noor Azlina Abu Bakar. Their love for cats started during childhood, and what began as a simple interest slowly grew into a lifelong mission. Since 2015, they have been renting and operating the current space, dedicating ten full years to caring for abandoned, sick, and rescued cats. Bustana Kucing stands out for several reasons. It is the first shelter in Perlis to receive official approval from the Department of Veterinary Services DVS, with certification granted from 2023 to 2024 and extended for another three years. It is also the only shelter in Perlis equipped with an oxygen machine used for cats with breathing difficulties. In addition, they provide nebulizer treatments to help deliver medication directly into the respiratory system. The shelter even has its own on site vet, allowing them to treat minor illnesses and monitor ongoing medical conditions.
During our visit, Cik guided us through their eight different wards, each serving a specific purpose. The first ward is the recovery area, where cats that previously entered ICU are quarantined. The second ward houses mother cats and their babies. They use our low dust SOAR cat litter here because after their own testing they found it to be healthier and safer for young kittens and their breathing. The third ward accommodates mother cats with health issues or those that are pregnant and require extra care. The fourth ward is another ICU area, where every cat has its own medical card detailing its arrival date, diagnosis, and treatment progress, all organized with extraordinary discipline. The third ward accommodates mother cats with health issues or those that are pregnant and require extra care. The fourth ward is another ICU area, where every cat has its own medical card detailing its arrival date, diagnosis, and treatment progress, all organized with extraordinary discipline. The fifth ward is dedicated to cats recovering from sporo, where more than a hundred cats are currently receiving treatment. The sixth ward houses cats battling FIP. The seventh ward is another ICU unit, and the eighth ward is filled with two hundred to three hundred cats suffering from flu symptoms, a result of the constant rain followed by sudden heat. Altogether more than eight hundred cats reside in these eight wards.
To keep everything running smoothly, the shelter employs thirty staff members. Each ward has its own leader, and every caregiver pushes a small trolley filled with medicine and supplies specifically for the cats under their care. Mornings are dedicated to cleaning, while afternoons focus on health checks. The entire system operates with the structure and precision of a hospital but with a softer and gentler touch. When we asked Cik if he ever felt tired or overwhelmed, he simply smiled and replied, “Mantap.” He explained that many people abandon their cats because the cost of vaccination and neutering is high. To prevent more cats from being left behind, Bustana Kucing tries to ease the burden wherever they can. The cats they shelter come from public drop offs, street rescues, and local operations.
Bustana Kucing also works closely with MPK. When MPK captures stray cats from the market, they send them directly to the shelter. MPK also helps by providing medication and food. Even so, the shelter’s monthly expenses are enormous. Staff salaries alone cost RM42000, and the total monthly expenditure reaches RM80000, including medicine, clinic visits, equipment repairs, and cleaning supplies. Beyond the eight wards, the front area of the shelter houses more than one thousand healthy cats, separated by gender. A dedicated team regularly brings them for health checks, vaccinations, and cleaning. They also use antiseptics daily to maintain hygiene. Despite these overwhelming numbers, neither Cik nor Puan has ever considered giving up. Adoption is also taken very seriously here. Anyone wishing to adopt a cat must fill in a form and undergo an interview with Cik himself. He only approves the adoption if he is confident that the adopter will truly take good care of the cat. To him, every cat deserves a real and responsible home.
The rain that day felt gentle, almost symbolic, as if it was guiding us through the final chapter of this documentation journey. Although this marks SOAR’s final interview style donation feature, our support for shelters like Bustana Kucing will continue. Their dedication and love remind us that kindness does not always need to be seen, it simply needs to be done. In the future, we will continue sending cat litter to shelters that genuinely need support. After all, every pack of cat litter might be the quiet little help that changes a cat’s life.
