Meet the Hooman Behind the Cat

It Started With a Breakup

Ironically, I started smoking because of a breakup.

I thought smoking would help me get through heartbreak. I had no idea that one decision would lead to years of nicotine addiction.

My first serious attempt to quit came during COVID, when I flew back to Taiwan from the Czech Republic. Back then, I smoked roll-your-own tobacco. Too scared to use an airport smoking room in the middle of a pandemic, I decided to finish all my tobacco before boarding.

So I smoked around 100 cigarettes in two days.

When I arrived in Taiwan, I started coughing like crazy during quarantine. I was taken to the hospital by ambulance for another COVID test, and my quarantine was extended by a week.

The plot twist? I didn't have COVID. I'd simply smoked way too much.

That became my first time quitting after years of smoking.

Quitting, Relapsing, and Starting Over

Over the years, I've quit for different reasons. Sometimes I wanted to improve my health. Sometimes I wanted to look and feel better.

At one point, I managed to stay smoke-free for quite a long time.

Then I made the classic mistake:

"I'm in control now. One cigarette won't hurt."

Later, my health started getting worse. I had asthma when I was younger, but it had been dormant for years.

As my smoking got heavier, my asthma came back.

I tried switching to lower-nicotine tobacco, thinking it might help. It didn't.

My smoking increased from about a pack every three days to around 30 cigarettes a day. I coughed so hard that I sometimes vomited, and I eventually ended up in the emergency room.

You'd think that would have been enough to make me quit for good.

It wasn't.

Work stress pulled me back into smoking again. My weight changed, my physical fitness declined, and things that used to feel easy became harder. I knew smoking was hurting me, yet knowing that didn't automatically make quitting easy.

That was one of the biggest lessons I learned: knowing why you should quit and getting through the moment when you want to smoke are two very different things.

Why I Created SOS Cat

Eventually, I decided to quit again. This time, I started thinking about the problem differently.

Looking back, I realized that staying smoke-free wasn't simply about willpower. Having a meaningful reason to quit helped me, but I also had to get through all those individual moments when I wanted to smoke.

I started wondering: what if, instead of relying only on willpower, people had something they could actually do when a craving hit?

That's where SOS Cat began.

I wanted to build a quit-smoking app that felt less like being lectured and more like having a companion in your corner. Something you could turn to when cravings showed up, with music, a quiet break, progress tracking, and a sassy tabby cat to keep you company.

A little cattitude.

A cat by your side to take on nicotine, one craving at a time.

Always in your corner.

I'm Not an Expert. I've Been There.

I'm not a smoking cessation expert. I'm someone who lived through the cycle of addiction, quitting, and relapse, and eventually decided to build something that could help others through those moments.

I know what it's like to start over. I know how frustrating it feels to relapse after making real progress. And I know that one setback doesn't erase everything you've done before.

I created SOS Cat because I wanted to make those difficult moments feel a little less lonely, and quitting feel a little less overwhelming.

If you're trying to quit smoking, vaping, or using other nicotine products, I hope SOS Cat can be there when you need it.

One craving at a time.