With over 12,000 followers, Singapore-based Facebook page Cats of Singapore is probably one of our preferred sources of daily squees. But peppered among the adoption calls, kitty lightsaber duels and strays flipping the birdie a couple weeks ago during the height of the Lee Sibling Saga, the Cats of Singapore have some interesting things to say about social and political issues, and we're regularly impressed with their liberal views and their dry humor. Here, we speak to the two founders of the page (who chose to remain anonymous) about their furry exploits. Be warned, though: it was hard to get a straight answer out of them.

How did the page start?

We were on a school field trip one day when we got bitten by a radioactive cat and gained the ability to speak Feline. Or perhaps we had a fantastic picture of a cat for Instagram and decided to go with a HONY-style caption to make it less boring. We’re not sure. The radiation has messed up our memories. 

Why cats?

They’re sort of everyone’s spirit animals, aren’t they? Adorable, but also deeply homicidal. That’s a metaphor for something. We’re not saying what. 

Some posts have incisive commentary, but others are regular kitty cuteness-porn. Why the switch-up?

The short answer is that we get bored with any one vein for too long. The long answer is that we’re all complex beings: no matter how apathetic somebody is, they still exist in society; similarly, no matter how intellectual we consider ourselves, we've all been biologically primed to squeal over cute animals. We can’t escape it. All we can do is kneel to our overlords. 

What kinds of issues really get the Cats of Singapore worked up?

Animal abuse, intellectual laziness, corporate greed, homophobia, racism, sexism, elitism. Various other sorts of jisms. Hypocrisy, from both sides of any spectrum. Secondary school kids who stink up the entire bus. Eh teenagers, stop it ah. Last warning. 

12,000 followers is no joke. What do you think the appeal is?

We’d like to think it’s our incendiary wit, but let’s be honest. Everyone is here for the cats. 

Are you sort of tricking cuteness-hungry readers into hearing political commentary?

Yes. Yes we are. Some have accused us of a political agenda. They’re entirely right. All our funding comes from the Feline Action Party (FAP), who want to make Singapore great again and bring her to her peak. 

What’s the reader response been?

Most of our readers are very encouraging and complimentary to the cats, which is really important. Many cats don’t want to be photographed because the media conditions them to see themselves as not cute enough, so we try to make our page a safe space for kitties to feel good about their bodies. Most people are surprisingly chill when it comes to the political commentary. That makes us suspicious. Have we created an echo chamber for ourselves? The thing about this page is that anybody who tries to argue with a cat automatically looks like an asshat. But what if we’re the asshats? It’s a real danger, turning into preachy self-righteous pricks. We probably already are.   

Can you tell us why you choose to remain anonymous?

People need dramatic examples to shake them out of apathy. We can’t do that as our normal selves. As mortal men, we are mere flesh and blood. We can be ignored, we can be destroyed. But a symbol... a symbol is incorruptible and everlasting. But seriously, our personal heroes are the folks who work in the light: NTU Cat Management Network, Lily Low Shelter, Cats of Redhill, Feline Forever Home SG, and many more. These guys regularly sacrifice their time and money to give our kitty friends food, healthcare, and shelter. They’re the real MVPs. We just pretend to talk to cats.