Unlike most pawrents (read: pet parents) in Singapore, Adriena, 33, is a mom to two cats and two dogs. Besides the logistical challenges of looking after so many pets, she constantly worries about their end-of-life processes, given that all four pets have a medical condition.
“I have a French Bulldog named Taco who’s 8 this year with food allergies and cataract. My other dog, Terra, is a 2-year-old Cocker Spaniel who recently had pancreatitis and has irritable bowel syndrome,” shared Adriena. “I also own two cats. Rumi is a 5-year-old mixed-breed (British Shorthair and Ragdoll) with a heart condition. Meanwhile, Maya is another mixed-breed aged 4 with allergies.”
When asked why she owns more pets than the average pawrent locally, Adriena laughs loudly before diving into her story.
“I first got Taco in 2015, then got Terra as a companion for him about 2 years ago. When I got Taco, I didn’t know I could love a pet so strongly, to the point that whenever I have to leave him at home to go out, I’d feel very sad,” confided Adriena.
“The strong affection I have for my pets was similar to what human parents probably feel for their kids.”
— Adriena
But things got harder when Adriena learned that Rumi was diagnosed with a cardiac disease that only gave her a two-year life expectancy.
“I was devastated when I heard the news from the vet. I cried so much knowing that she didn’t have much time with me,” said Adriena, remembering that difficult period. “For a while, I created daily journal entries to commemorate our time together as much as possible…
..I feel the 3D Memories feature in the pawsums app would have been a great way to capture my time with Rumi and my other pets as a family.”
— Adriena
Rumi’s heart condition spurred Adriena to give her pets only the best in an effort to extend their lifespan. “I stay on top of their diet, vet checkups, and vaccinations to see if these could help them live longer,” she explained. “I think positive lifestyle changes do help because Rumi is still alive today, having celebrated her 5th birthday.”
Because of her experience with Rumi, Adriena advises fellow pet parents to get pet insurance, if they haven’t already done so.
“I always share my pet concerns with my best friend who also owns a dog,” remarked Adriena. “We’re both aware that cats and dogs live relatively shorter lives than humans. That’s why I get triggered whenever I see Instagram reels like “My dog is left with X months.”
The 33-year-old went on, “Obviously, I feel a lot of sadness about it because I can’t do anything. I can only give them the best quality food and lots of care and attention so they know they are loved.”
Just for food, pee pads, and grooming, Adriena forks out about S$1,400 monthly for her four pets. “I spent a lot on Taco at first due to his food allergies. He is now on a raw diet of venison and kangaroo every meal. I try to avoid processed foods for my pets, only choosing raw or human-grade food and single protein treats.”
When asked how the pawsums app could potentially help her with looking after her pets, Adriena answered, “I think it would be a good place to house all of my pets’ medical information digitally. Paper records usually get lost easily but if I could save all of my pets’ health records with in-app reminders, then it can help me stay on top of their vet appointments more efficiently.”
“Also, I think having an online community for pet parents would help a lot,” she mused. “I have joined quite a few Facebook communities and regularly ask for tips on how to care for my pets. It helps that many of these community users are as detailed and forthcoming in information as I am.”
“Because I know Rumi has a timeline due to her heart condition, I’ve already researched which crematorium I want for her. I’m likely going with The Green Mortician as their aqua cremation method seems gentler than the traditional fire-based cremation,” she shared. “It helps me to budget in advance for cremating my pets when the time comes, especially since most of us pet parents don’t know when our pets will pass on.”
Adriena also laments that the endless scrolling to find a particular picture of a particular pet can be quite annoying sometimes.
“In the iPhone album, my pictures are not automatically organized. I think the Albums feature in the pawsums app would really help to cut down on the endless scrolling so I can find a specific picture of Rumi or Terra more easily.”
