She used to track clicks as a former digital marketer. Two years after leaving the corporate world, Ms Charlene Phua is still tracking. But now, her targets have whiskers and four legs.

The 28-year-old left her job in 2023, burnt out and unsure of what to do next. Today, the freelance user experience (UX) designer applies her skills as a volunteer with Catsafe, a youth-led project that leverages smart trackers to alert feeders when community cats go missing.

Ms Phua feels it is meaningful work – helping to protect Singapore’s stray cats at a time when animal abuse cases are at a 12-year high.

There were 961 confirmed cases of animal cruelty and welfare issues in 2024, said the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

Ms Phua has always loved cats but never had the chance to own one. She joined Catsafe in July through Better.sg, a volunteer-run charity that supports technology-for-good initiatives. At the time, she was learning UX skills on her own but struggling to find work in a tough market.

Catsafe was one of 20 youth-led projects showcased at the SG Youth Forum, under the Young ChangeMakers (YCM) x SG Youth Forum Grant. Teams can pitch their ideas and receive up to $10,000 to implement their projects. Bo...