Marie’s Kampung Life With 11 Pets Wins The Internet

PETALING JAYA: For some, “balik kampung” happens once or twice a year. For others, there’s no village to return to. Yet many still appreciate the bliss of being surrounded by nature and embracing a slower pace of life.

For 40-year-old Marie Roger, that isn’t an occasional escape, it’s her everyday reality.

Roger, who has never left her childhood home in Kuala Selangor, also runs the social media page “Kampung Paradise”. She has around 40,000 followers across platforms.

Living with eight dogs and three cats, Roger’s life revolves around her grandfather and her pets in their humble village home.

“I stay at home and take care of my 95-year-old grandfather full time,” she told FMT Lifestyle. “I started the Kampung Paradise account in 2023 but only started posting more about my life in January this year,” she said.

Roger said that while her brother provides financial support, she wanted to seek ways to care for her rescued animals herself instead of relying on him entirely.

“I used to scroll through social media and see posts of people feeding strays and donating food to shelters. I noticed that most of the food used was processed,” she said.

That observation eventually sparked an idea: to start a small business selling homemade dog and cat food, the same food her own furry kids eat.

“My whole family are animal lovers, so I grew up with pets. Just like humans, animals should avoid overly processed food. Even if they only live nine or ten years, at least they should be healthy and happy,” she said.

She sources all her ingredients from the wet market to ensure freshness. The dog meals typically include lamb or beef cooked with chicken, along with carrots, long beans, and pumpkin. The meals are enriched with salmon fish oil. For her cats, she keeps it simpler with plain tuna or chicken, also supplemented with salmon oil.

Despite living in the kampung, she says her days are packed.

“My day starts at 4.30am. I tend to the animals first thing – clean their area, take them for walks, and feed them, which takes a couple of hours,” she said.

She also looks after her grandfather and handles daily chores while running her dog food business.

“I always have my phone with me, so if my dogs do something cute, I’ll record it and post it on social media later,” she added.

Most of her videos feature adorable moments such as Roger feeding her dogs, who patiently gather and wait for her cue before happily digging in. She also posts their playful antics during walks and games of fetch.

Her pets, each with unique names like Dingo, Pumpkin, Ginger, Odi, and others, are all rescues.

“Many people here abandon female dogs as well as black dogs. We wanted to give them a home,” Roger said.

Roger also frequently shares videos of other animals around her home, including cows, monkeys, frogs, and even a monitor lizard.

One of her most viral moments came in March, when a video of her interaction with a cow in the area garnered more than two million views. In the clip, she tries feeding the cow various vegetables, but it ultimately chooses to eat bread instead, an amusing moment that netizens found hilarious.

“I think many of them are animal lovers too, or people who once lived in a kampung. It reminds them of those simple days and brings back memories,” Roger said.

Her pet food business has gained popularity nationwide, even attracting customers from Singapore.

“Many people place repeated orders with me and request that I donate the food to animal shelters. One of them said they are thankful because they never had the time to do it themselves, but through me, they are finally able to contribute.”

Reflecting on her life, Roger said she has no regrets.

“Everything in the kampung gives me happiness – the animals, my grandfather – it’s a peaceful place to live. For me, this is like hitting the jackpot. Even if you gave me RM1 million, I wouldn’t go for city life.”

Follow ‘Kampung Paradise’ on Instagram and Tik Tok