“One of the best memories in my life was the time when people started referring to me as Mylapore’s ‘cat man’. True to the title, I’ve been at the service of these magical creatures for the past twenty years, trying my best to feed and nurture every single one I’ve spotted till date.

A typical day begins early, around 6:30 am when I step out with a bag of cat food, looking for hungry felines in the area. And most often, I walk up to entire clowders waiting eagerly to dig into their morning meals, inside popular temples. Here’s where I take my time to distribute the food properly while simultaneously scanning for any animal in need of medical care.

And this simple routine has become my life’s purpose with time! I foster cats outside twice a day while attending to the ones in my community during the afternoons.

What’s funny though, is that my love for the species is newfound, despite being around animals all through my life. I guess it strengthened the day I discovered ‘Tyson’, my pet cat, outside Nageshwara park 19 years ago. Back then, he was tiny and in a state of despair, being pecked by crows all over before I took him in and he gradually became a part of my family.

Now, of course, my work with all these animals does come with its fair share of obstacles, especially amongst residents and some authorities. Nevertheless, the genuine intent to support our four-legged neighbours definitely helped me garner the support of like-minded others, who also volunteered alongside. And together with all the support from them and my own family, I’ve been able to dedicate all my time, the last two decades without ever taking a break.

I mean, even during significant events like my son’s marriage and housewarming ceremony, a part of my mind was constantly thinking about these strays, to the point that I returned home those same days, immediately once the core rituals were over.

The bond I share with these little ones is priceless and catering to them gives me the most satisfaction. Now going a step further, I can also confidently state that they’ve helped me fight through some difficult times as well, including COVID and serving them is just my way of expressing gratitude for all the joy they’ve brought into my life.”

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