SINGAPORE — A proposed transfer by the Government to permit Housing and Development Board (HDB) households to come clean with two cats per flat, thereby reversing a 34-year ban on cat possession in public flats, is within the works.
“To strike a balance between accommodating some residents’ desires to own cats, and maintaining a harmonious living environment for all, there will be limits on the number of pet cats that each household can keep,” mentioned Senior Minister of State for National Development Tan Kiat How on Saturday (Dec 2).
Under a proposed cat administration framework he unveiled, pet cats may also must endure necessary microchipping and licensing in order to permit authorities to reply to well being outbreaks extra successfully and maintain “irresponsible” house owners to higher account, he added.
Mr Tan was talking on the Pets’ Day Out occasion held at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, which was organised by the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS).
The proposal will likely be available for additional enter for 2 months with the intention to implement the framework within the later a part of 2024, he mentioned.
When the framework is launched, Mr Tan mentioned there will likely be a two-year transition interval could be launched to permit pet house owners “ample time” to fulfill the licensing circumstances. During this era, all pet cat licences could be issued free-of-charge.
At current, HDB residents haven’t been permitted to personal pet cats since 1989, and offenders could also be fined as much as S$4,000 if discovered to have a pet cat of their flat below the Housing and Development (Animals) Rules.
Over the years, cat house owners have continued to advocate towards the ban. In May, an AVS survey discovered that the majority respondents had expressed help for permitting cats as pets in HDB flats.
On Saturday, AVS mentioned in its assertion that it’s going to suggest the next most limits:
- Two cats (and one canine of an accepted breed, as per the present restrict) for every HDB premises
- Three cats or dogs, or a mix of each for every personal premises
Nevertheless, Mr Tan mentioned the authorities recognise that some households could at the moment have extra pet cats than the proposed restrict of two cats per HDB flat.
To this finish, Mr Tan mentioned that ought to the proposed framework be rolled out, these with greater than two cats can also apply to license and hold all current pet cats then.
But this could be topic to AVS’ approval to make sure the pet cats’ welfare aren’t compromised, and that they aren’t inflicting “disamenities” to neighbours, added Mr Tan. AVS can also conduct checks to make sure that the pet cats are being stored in good situation.
Mr Tan added that the authorities are additionally wanting into helping cat fosterers that may exceed the proposed limits.
“We understand that there are cat fosterers in our community, who play an important role in caring for cats and finding forever homes for them. We are studying ways to support you,” he mentioned.
OTHER LICENCING CONDITIONS MOOTED UNDER THE FRAMEWORK
In order for pet house owners to be licenced below the proposed framework, they need to be sure that their cats are “kept under control” in public and take steps to guard their cats from indoor and out of doors hazards, resembling by putting in window grilles, meshes or different limitations to forestall cats from roaming or falling from top, mentioned the AVS in a press release.
All first-time cat or canine licence candidates should additionally full a one-time free on-line pet possession course, earlier than they are often issued a licence.
The on-line course will cowl basic pet care expertise and accountable pet possession and could be available within the 4 vernacular languages.
To stem unintended cat breeding, Mr Tan urged house owners to sterilise their cats as sterilisation brings well being and behavioural advantages, since sterilised cats are additionally much less inclined to roam and caterwaul.
Hence, for sterilised cats which can be licensed through the two-year transition interval, AVS will suggest to problem free life-time licences, whereas charges could apply for brand new cat licences issued after the transition interval for unsterilised cats.
“While we also plan to license unsterilised cats for free during the transition period, this licence will need to be renewed regularly following the transition period and at a higher fee,” he mentioned.
Apart from pet cats, the proposed framework will contain increasing the Trap-Neuter-Rehome/Release-Manage programme for free-roaming dogs to incorporate neighborhood cats.
The programme would build on an current scheme to subsidise the sterilisation and microchipping of neighborhood cats since 2011. Plans are additionally underway to improve funding help to incorporate the trapping and boarding of neighborhood cats.
“This will allow us to better manage our community cat population holistically and in a humane and science-based manner, as we have done for our free-roaming dogs,” mentioned Mr Tan.
‘A POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT’: CAT WELFARE SOCIETY
Speaking to TODAY on the sidelines of Saturday’s occasion, Cat Welfare Society (CWS) president Thenuga Vijakumar mentioned she was “very heartened to see positive development” within the areas that the group had been advocating for.
“We know that most cat owners are responsible and do not cause disamenities to others. This proposal will legitimise responsible cat owners and eradicate disamenities caused by irresponsible cat owners.”
For instance, the licensing and microchipping of cats that CWS has been calling for are necessary strikes to carry errant cat house owners accountable.
As for the plan for neutering and rehoming neighborhood cats, Ms Thenuga mentioned the transfer builds on the prevailing stray cat sterilisation programme, which is funded by donations.
“Now, the issue here is that the funds are for this have always come from donations through CWS, and donations will always be contingent on external factors that we have no control over,” she mentioned.
“So for that reason, if there is an entrenched support programme… that would be great, because it means we could do a lot more and we could supplement the work that we are already doing.”
From Saturday till Feb 1 subsequent yr, members of the general public can discover out extra concerning the proposed framework and share their suggestions by a web-based survey at go.gov.sg/cat-framework.
