Actress Michelle Chia's fur kids welcome her husband as new family member

Introducing your pets to a new family member may be tricky, as they may get territorial or jealous.

For Michelle Chia, bringing then-boyfriend Jackson Chen into the fold was a piece of cake.

Her fur kids - Tasha, a 16-year-old mini maltese, and Marshal, a 1½-year-old ragdoll cat - accepted their new "papa" without any fuss. "It was very natural. They just got used to him really quickly, almost immediately," says the local actress-host.

Chia, 49, exchanged vows with Mr Chen, 41, a former actor-turned-realtor, on Indonesian island Bintan on Aug 8 after two months of dating.

She says her husband is an animal lover and used to have a Siberian husky, so he knows what it is like to care for pets. She adds that Marshal is "really not afraid of anyone", while Tasha seemed to recognise Mr Chen's place in the family right from the start.

The newly-weds have yet to go on their honeymoon because Chia had to leave for Beijing straight after the wedding to film Channel 8's Find Me A Singapore: The World's My Stage.

The docuseries celebrates Singaporeans who have made their mark beyond the little red dot. The series, with home-grown personality Sharon Au as co-host, is available on demand on mewatch and airs on Channel 8 every Thursday at 8pm.

Luckily for Mr Chen, he does not need to fight with Tasha, Chia's inseparable bedfellow, for a spot on the bed.

"Tasha doesn't sleep on the bed with me any more. Her eyesight is not so good now and she has fallen off the bed a few times," Chia says.

Chia, who bought her pets when they were young - Tasha was about three months old and Marshal was six months old - is pleasantly surprised that both had no issues when the couple moved to their matrimonial home.

Tasha, having moved with Chia several times before, settled in quickly. Marshal, too, adjusted with minimal fuss, especially with Tasha by his side.

"They adapt very quickly. I really think companionship is very important," Chia says, emphasising the mutual support her pets provide each other during times of change.

Unlike the stereotype of dogs and cats as rivals, Tasha and Marshal are close companions, often mirroring each other's behaviours. Marshal, with his striking blue eyes, is very "manja" (affectionate in Malay) and sociable, while Tasha is "very zen", quiet and mild. Chia says Marshal likes to snuggle up to Tasha, who obliges, though she sometimes wants to have her own space.

Chia is thankful that Mr Chen readily embraced his new responsibility as a pawrent - bathing Tasha, cleaning up after her and playing with Marshal. Chia is grateful for his support, especially when work or travel takes her away from home.

"He's super patient with them. So very thankful," she says.

Chia has always been surrounded by animals. Growing up, she had a wide variety of pets. Her parents' house was like a "little zoo", and she had cats, rabbits, fish, birds, hamsters, mice, ducklings, chicks and even an owl at one point.

The former child actress feels a deep attachment to pooches, having multiple dogs, including a doberman and a samoyed, throughout her childhood and into adulthood.

She values the strong emotional connection and companionship that dogs provide, like how they can sense her emotions and offer comfort when she is upset.

The local media personality likes ragdolls because of their easy-going temperament and affectionate nature. Her cat before Marshal was a ragdoll too.

Describing the breed of long-haired cats as sweet, gentle, patient and people-friendly, Chia also appreciates that ragdolls are easy to handle. "Anyone, even children, can carry them and they will not scratch or bite," she adds.

Interestingly, Chia notes that Marshal behaves more like a dog than a cat - a trait she attributes to being raised alongside Tasha.

Tasha, who has been Chia's companion for 16 years, is deaf. She also has bladder issues and is wearing diapers.

Compared with her previous dogs, Tasha is less emotionally expressive, but Chia describes the love and connection she feels with her as something precious and irreplaceable.

The couple are teaching Marshal a new trick - to turn off the tap.

Marshal loves to drink water from the basin in the bathroom or from the kitchen sink. When Chia or Mr Chen is at the sink, Marshal will come over, bury his face in their legs, meow and then jump up to the basin to ask for water. They turn on the tap with a small stream of running water and Marshal drinks directly from it.

They are training Marshal to signal when he is done drinking and then tap the faucet to turn it off.

"They bring so much joy at home. The eye contact they make, that feeling you get, even when it's non-verbal, you can tell there is so much love," says Chia.