27: The pampered pets of Singapore
Fur better or worse.
Within a one-mile radius of my apartment there are 51 shops catering for pets. Wizard of Paws, Bubbly Petz, Weetail Therapy, Smitten Kittens, Breakfast At Fluffys, The Barkery, Dapper Dogs, Wag A Tail, What Up Dawg: whenever a business closes around here, another pet enterprise pops up in its place.
There are something like 200,000 cats and dogs in Singapore1. Pets are increasingly seen as part of the family, with owners referred to as pawrents and the animals as their furkids. As someone who grew up in a house alongside cats and dogs, I get it. They were way more normal than my sisters. Even so, you can’t help but wonder how far the pet-fetish will go.
There’s an old joke that if aliens arrived on earth, they’d see humans walking behind dogs collecting their poo in little plastic bags and would immediately know who was in charge. When I see some Singaporean dog-owners wiping the behinds of their furry friends post-plop, I’m with the aliens.
Kennels are now called pet hotels, with The Wagington (I’m not joking) offering a Royal Suite that boasts a queen-size bed, 32-inch television and surround sound system. There are daycare facilities with swimming pools, salons and ‘dognasiums’. The Animal Arts Academy offers ‘standard pet grooming services, from brushing to styling, nail clipping to tooth brushing, health evaluations and anal gland expression.’
Anal gland expression.
Anal. Gland. Expression.
Pet food has become similarly rarified. I thought we were posh when we switched Jenny the golden retriever from cans of Pedigree Chum (top breeders recommend it) to sacks of Eukanuba back in the 2000s. Today, the freshly cooked venison and pumpkin meal from Furry’s Kitchen costs more than the McDonald’s Prosperity Burger I had last night, although to be fair it is probably more nutritious (see also Fast food in Singapore). Meanwhile, another local pet shop offers add-on seafood options including green-lipped mussels and tuna saku.
Out in public, dogs and cats are treated with corresponding respect. There are bicycle attachments allowing you to plonk your pet on the handlebars when you go for a ride.
Pet strollers and pet backpacks are commonplace, giving dogs and cats a suitably cushioned throne to lie back in as they watch the puny humans slaving away. Never mind the fact that taking the dog for a walk is supposed to be exercise for the dog.
In many restaurants, pets are not only welcome but I once saw one seated at the table and being fed alongside the grown-ups at an upmarket pizza restaurant. I assumed it was a two-year-old in a convincing onesie, but no, it was a cat being spoon-fed its dinner. Pets truly have become part of the family in Singapore.
And at the end of their lives, they inevitably have their own care home: The Fur Folks Home is ‘a palliative care centre and medical boarding facility dedicated to providing compassionate end-of-life care for pets’. It looks nicer than many of the old folks’ homes I’ve seen.
Like I said, I get it. But when I see the extremes to which pet care is going - well, I can’t help having a certain expression on my face, like I’ve just picked something up in a little plastic bag. But judging by the number of shops in my neighbourhood, Singapore’s enthusiasm for pets continues unabated.