Students split over cat therapy event

Posted On 04 Apr 2016

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By Nicole Lim, Ry-Anne Lim

Cats were the centre of attention at the university’s first cat therapy event, organized by the NTU Cat Management Network and the Animal Lovers Society. PHOTO: KENJI KWOK

For two hours, Adora and her friends were on duty in a tutorial room at The Hive. Their job scope entailed: befriending strangers, bringing a smile to their faces, and letting out the occasional “meow”.

Adora is no human, but a white and furry one-year-old female Maine Coon.

She was one of 10 cats brought here by Cat-Assisted Therapy Singapore (CATS), who joined hands with NTU’s Cat Management Network (CMN) and Animal Lovers Society (ALS) to hold the university’s first cat therapy event on 17 Mar.

Cat therapy is a form of animal-assisted therapy that uses human-animal interaction to promote relaxation and healing.

Although CATS rarely brings its cat therapy events to schools, founder Mohamad Sharil Abdul Rahim, 30, said he agreed when CMN proposed a collaboration as the event was for a good cause.

“We decided to work with CMN because they were raising funds for stray animals on campus,” he said.

CMN did so by charging a $10 entrance fee, which did not stop the event from selling out its two one-hour sessions as students showed up to pet, cuddle and take pictures with the cats.

Still, some questioned the $10 charge as students from the National University of Singapore (NUS) were given free admission to a similar cat therapy session held on their campus in November.

Chen Jianhong, 21, a first-year student from Nanyang Business School, felt that the event organisers should have followed suit and waived the entrance fee.

“If I want to take care of cats, I can just do it with the cats on campus,” he said.

Wong Si Ting, 22, a third-year student from Nanyang Business School, agreed. The fee might change a student’s mentality when playing with the cats, she said.

“There’s the mindset that I need to make full use of my $10, which wouldn’t make the therapy very relaxing,” she added.

CMN president Ng Yi Shu defended the admission fee and said the aim of the event was to raise funds for the club, adding that total proceeds would be split evenly between the CMN and ALS.

“The total amount of money collected will go towards treating campus cats with illnesses, buying cages to hold them, and rehoming the stray dogs around campus,” said Ng, 22, a second-year student from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information.

But having to fork out $10 did not deter cat lovers from attending the event. Many expressed an understanding towards the price tag.

Ng Xiu Yi, 23, a final-year student from the School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, thought the event was a good way for her to care for campus cats.

“I know that the donations will turn into welfare for the cats and I trust the society because based on past records, they’ve been pretty transparent in their work,” she said.

For Muhd Iylia Asyraf, 24, a second-year student from the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, the session was a stress reliever after a long day of school.

“For cat lovers who do not have cats at home like myself, the session was a good opportunity to experience what it’s like to own a cat,” he said.

Others felt that the event was more convenient and less costly than visiting local cat cafes, which charge an average of $12 for an hour-long visit.

Alfred Ang, 22, a first-year student from the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, said: “It’s in NTU, which makes it extremely convenient.”

Despite the divided reception, CMN raised around $450 from the collection of entrance fees and additional donations, prompting them to consider making the therapy session a yearly affair.

CMN president Ng said: “We hope more students will understand our cause for fundraising and be more interested to attend cat therapy sessions in the future.”