Celeb Pawrents: Actress Rui En says raising four cats costly, but gives her four times the joy

SINGAPORE – Never did Rui En dream that a nudge and a touch were all she needed to bring her comfort during a time of grief four years ago.

The home-grown actress was mourning the passing of her two female four-year-old Persian cats Michi and Muppet, who died of illness within six months of each other in 2020. 

Her other cat Momo, a ginger Exotic Shorthair, sat next to her and used his paw to stroke her hand. 

“It was a very painful period for me. I remember one night sitting on my bed crying, then I felt something slowly stroking my hand,” says Rui En, 43. “Momo was so affectionate and sweet. I did not expect him to respond that way.”

A proud “pawrent” of four “warm and friendly” cats, she says they are “such misunderstood animals”. She adds: “They are not as aloof and cold as people think.”

The actress is an animal lover who recently made

her directorial debut in Homebound (2024)

, an anthology of five short films celebrating stories of resilience, hope and healing surrounding shelter dogs in Singapore.

Her 15-minute film Bacon starred local actor Andie Chen and animal welfare group SOSD’s shelter dog, a Singapore Special named Lengzai.

Rui En’s fur kids are about eight years old. Apart from Momo and male Ragdoll Mr Meowgi, whom she bought in 2017 and 2016 respectively, her two other cats were adopted from shelters.

“Muffin was my first cat, a rescue from SPCA. I adopted her about 10 years ago when she was just a kitten,” she says. “She was stuck in a glue trap that was used to catch rats.”

Mei Mei, the last to join Rui En’s family in 2023, is a female tricolour cat who was rescued from an industrial site.

Her felines have distinct personalities, each bringing joy and companionship in different ways, says the self-confessed “childless cat lady”. Even though she adores cats, she says she will stop at four.

“Momo, my Garfield, is chill and the most empathetic. Muffin has some health issues and, because she is deaf, she can get a bit feisty,” says Rui En.

“Mr Meowgi is very athletic and can be quite neurotic. He loves birds. He once almost leapt out of the kitchen window when he saw a bird fly by. Thankfully, he stopped just at the window ledge.

The Oppa, Saranghae! (2023) star adds: “Mei Mei is quite a character. I sometimes call her a gangster as she bullies the others to get her way. But when people whom she hasn’t met come to the house, she will hide from them.

“She shows her affection in the strangest ways. I’m fearful when she brings me ‘presents’ as they will be lizards and cockroaches.”

The bachelorette says raising her furry foursome can be costly, especially when they need medical attention.

“Vet bills are a killer, but thankfully, my kids are generally healthy and don’t need to see the vet often.”

However, Muffin had a health scare in 2020 when it was discovered she had an inflammation of the brain.

Rui En recalls: “The entire process – from doing the MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), keyhole surgery, hospitalisation to recovery – was rather long-drawn. The final bill came up to around $15,000.”

She does not have health insurance for her fur kids as she has not looked into the matter.

Monthly expenses average about $500. “My cats are low-maintenance pets. They groom themselves, so I don’t need to budget for that. I will trim their nails and brush them,” she adds.

Apart from cat litter, she spends the most on their food.

Mei Mei and Mr Meowgi are picky eaters, says Rui En. They will not eat the same type of food every day, so she has to constantly change the kibble and canned food.

Muffin and Momo consume cooked food sponsored by local pet food company Bom Bom, which offers customised meal packs for owners based on their pets’ nutritional needs.

While the sous vide meals may be a luxury, Rui En loves the convenience. “The food is so good yet Mei Mei and Mr Meowgi are so fussy. They won’t touch it,” she says with a laugh.

She is thankful her domestic helper also loves the cats.

“She looks after them when I travel and when my work ends late. I have heard enough horror stories about pet boarding places and I will never send them to one if I’m away,” she says.

“Also, my kids are such homebodies. They get very stressed if I take them out of the house.”