She gives up locks to help stray cats

It was an impulsive decision that she regretted at first.But business journalist Cheryl Cheah, 27, knew that it was for a good cause. And driven by her love for cats, the decision came to fruition.

In front of a crowd of some 15 curious bystanders at pet shop The Pet Safari in nex mall yesterday, Ms Cheah had the first-time experience of getting her head shaved at the hands of a pet groomer.

“I hope to let people know that you can sacrifice a few of your material things and personal appearance to do something for street cats,” she said.

With the buzz cut, she hopes to raise awareness and funds that will to go towards the sterilisation of stray cats in the community, in an event called Spay Day.

Since last month, supporters have donated $2,200 towards her cause through online fund-raising platform give.sg.

All proceeds will go to the Cat Welfare Society (CWS), the organisers of Spay Day.

The target is to hit $10,000 by the end of this month.

This year, CWS will hold two Spay Days – one on May 25 and another sometime in October.

The events will be held through partnerships with 28 veterinary clinics here and CWS aims to sterilise 600 stray cats over those two days.

Spotting a cleanly shaven pate, Ms Cheah said she is now worried about her two pet cats. “I don’t know if they will recognise me when I get home,” she said.

This article was first published in myPaper