Gong Xi Fa Cai from KoFi

Gong xi fa cai

KoFi (adopted from a shelter)

And HDB ban cats because they make noise??

Straits Times Online Forum
31-01-2009
Karaoke noise: Don't let majority suffer in silence

I CANNOT agree more with Mr Huang Jun Jiek ('Kara-not-ok', Jan 20) as I had a similar experience on Chinese New Year's Eve.

The Bedok Crystal Residents' Committee held a karaoke session on the open ground next to my block.

It was so loud that at my home, my friends and I had to shout at one another just to be heard. I appealed to the organisers to tone down the volume. Shockingly, I was asked why they should do so for 'one family', that they had a right to enjoy themselves, and that they had a police permit.

I remember reading in The Straits Times Forum page that in such situations, the police will advise the organiser to reduce the noise level.

I see no point in calling the police because advice can be ignored. The only workable solution is to set a maximum limit on the noise level, and take action if that limit is breached.

My estate is undergoing upgrading so that lifts can stop at every floor. Ironically, the noise created from these works, even though it may be sustained throughout much of the day, is more tolerable.

During the karaoke session, there would have been people who were trying to rest, watch TV, have a conversation or nurse a headache (which could well be caused by the singing).

Policymakers have never shied away from doing what is right, even if it is not popular. Such unnecessary karaoke noise clearly 'benefits' only the participants. It does not make sense for the majority to suffer in silence.

Tan Chin Aik

Novel and economical way of cat-safe-ing the door grills

As the gap between the door grills is wide enough for a home cat to venture out, the guardians hit upon the idea of putting up mop-sticks between the grills. Alternately is to split a clothes-hanging bamboo stick into 4 and insert between the grills. The bamboo sticks would be taller and hence there would not be a need for wire-mesh at the base even but the mop-sticks are aesthetically more acceptable.

Flaws in the argument

Monday, February 2, 2009

Flaws in the argument

Here's AVA's response to an article about Dr Tan Chek Wee that I missed earlier.

I'm glad AVA has said they support the sterilisation of community cats. On the other hand, I know I'm not the only one who thinks their argument is pretty much full of holes.

Dogs are being killed, even though we don't have rabies in Singapore, in the event that the disease might enter Singapore. One shudders to think what this means for the birds, chickens and other fowls - after all, they might get avian flu! Or worse, what if there is another outbreak of SARS? We'd better kill all the people preemptively then - they might get it too!

Also how on earth is educating the public on pet responsibility supposed to help with community animals? While I can understand the importance of stressing responsible pet ownership, these animals we are talking about are already on the street. All the education on the world is not going to change that fact. And even if it could be argued that AVA meant that they want to 'educate' people to open their homes to take in community cats and dogs, most people won't be legally allowed to even own them. Proves a bit of a conundrum doesn't it?

A community cat and a senior citizen who witnessed two teenagers abusing cats

This gentleman said that he saw two teenagers with sticks going around the car park taking sweeps at cats resting under cars. The cats managed to escape without being hurt. He scolded the kids.

AVA: "No easy solution for strays"

TODAY

No easy solution for strays

A combination of measures are used to manage animal population here

Friday • January 30, 2009

Letter from Goh Shih Yong
Assistant Director, Corporate Communications for Chief Executive Officer,
Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority:

We refer to the article “The outspoken doc” (Jan 20).

Stray animal population control is a complex issue and there are no easy solutions.

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) is fully committed to ensuring animal health and welfare and has adopted a balanced approach in the management of strays.

For dogs, all must be licensed for the purpose of rabies control. Rabies is a disease fatal to man. It is endemic in this region. AVA culls stray dogs to manage the risk of rabies transmission should the disease be introduced into Singapore.

As all dogs, whether sterilised or not, are susceptible to rabies, sterilised strays should be properly homed and licensed, and not be returned to the environment.

For cats, AVA encourages sterilisation as a way to help prevent the proliferation of strays.

This alone, however, is not enough. It is a fact that stray cats, including sterilised ones, create numerous disamenities to the public, ranging from nuisance to hygiene concerns, even physical threat.

It is thus inevitable that culling has to be carried out as an additional measure to keep the stray population in check.

AVA and the Town Councils (TC) are open to working together with the community and the caregivers in looking at keeping the stray cat population manageable.

In any precinct, caregivers wanting to start a sterilisation programme for stray cats should approach and work with the TC, as the TC is in a better position to understand the concerns of the majority of its residents.

We believe, above all, that public education on responsible pet ownership is key to reducing the problem of strays.

To this end, AVA actively promotes and organises campaigns on responsible pet ownership. We are confident that with perseverance, there will be an improvement to the stray animals problem in the longer term.

We thank Dr Tan Chek Wee for his passion and commitment in helping in the management of stray cats in the community.

We are equally appreciative of the same effort put in by many other caregivers in their own communities.

While the AVA and TC will continue to work together with the community and the caregivers, we must also balance the interest of all sectors in the community, including those who are adversely affected by stray cats.


This letter gives an excellent opportunity to be the voices for the stray dogs and cats - write to
TODAY at news@newstoday.com.sg; include full name, address and contact phone number
cc to "Shih Yong GOH" <GOH_Shih_Yong@ava.gov.sg>


Read
Fact "Singapore has been free from rabies since 1953"

Sri Lanka “Work Together to Eliminate Rabies”. Vaccinating home-bred and stray dogs and sterilization to control dog population will be extensively undertaken island -wide."

Control of rabies in Jaipur, India, by the sterilisation and vaccination of neighbourhood dogs.Help in Suffering, Maharani Farm, Durgapura, Jaipur 302018, Rajasthan, India.
A programme to sterilise and vaccinate neighbourhood dogs against rabies was established in Jaipur, India. Neighbourhood dogs were captured humanely, sterilised surgically, vaccinated against rabies and, when they had recovered, released where they had been caught. Between November 1994 and December 2002, 24,986 dogs were treated in this way. Direct observational surveys of the local dog population indicated that 65 per cent of the females were sterilised and vaccinated, and that the population declined by 28 per cent. The records of human cases of rabies seen in the main government hospital of the city between January 1992 and December 2002 showed that the number of cases had declined to zero in the programme area but increased in other areas.

Rabies control in Nepal - Dog Sterilization and Vaccination Program at IAAS

Pro-stray dog responses e.g. sterilisation, cleanliness
The effective solution: Sterilisation-cum-vaccination

For decades the Municipal Corporation of Mumbai used to kill up to 50,000 stray dogs annually. The method used was electrocution. In 1994, in response to demands made by our organisation and others, dog-killing was replaced by mass sterilisation and immunisation of stray dogs. Under this programme, stray dogs are surgically neutered and then replaced in their own area. They are also vaccinated against rabies.

* Since territories are not left vacant, new dogs cannot enter.
* Mating and breeding also cease.
* With no mating or crossing of territories, dog fights reduce dramatically.
* Since fighting reduces, bites to humans also become rare.
* The dogs are immunised, so they do not spread rabies.
* Over time, as the dogs die natural deaths, their numbers dwindle.

The dog population becomes stable, non-breeding, non-aggressive and rabies-free, and it gradually decreases over a period of time.

Cats and Nonsense

mollymeek (mollymeek) wrote, @ 2009-01-29 19:40:00

Cats and Nonsense

"Cats are not allowed to be kept in HDB flats as they are nomadic in nature and are difficult to be confined within the flats. Due to the nomadic nature of cats, the nuisances caused by cats such as shedding of fur, defecating/urinating in public areas, noise disturbance etc would affect the environment and neighbourliness in our housing estates. In view of this, HDB has the policy of not allowing cats to be kept in HDB flats." (HDB Website)

It's difficult to confine cats in flats. Maybe cats can walk through walls. Molly shall try it later.

But because cats are not allowed in HDB flats, cat lovers have resorted to adopting strays outside the flats. You might not see that many around until their caregivers come with their food and these kitties come from all directions. Isn't this itself going to aggravate any problems like defecating in public areas since these cats can't even be kept in homes where they could be trained to use litter boxes?

What the HDB website says sounds almost self-contradictory. We don't allow cats to be kept in your flats because it's . . . difficult to keep cats in your flats. (OK lor, then I let them stay outside, but that is precisely what you don't want. So I take them in, you say cannot. I let them out, you catch and cull them. Then may I know where they can go? My minister's private housing?)

Which reminds me, is there something special in private housing that keeps cats confined within their owners' property? Like, do cats behave differently in condominiums? If the government doesn't need to care about disputes arising from cats in condominiums (it doesn't need to enact a law that prevents everyone from keeping cats lest neighbors start chopping one another up over cats), then why would the HDB have to care about people keeping cats in public housing? So what if public housing is public housing? It doesn't mean that the HDB has to do something to prevent conflicts between neighbors that might arise from someone's choice of pets. If the gahmen says it is not its business or that it has no right to stop people from keeping cats, who could blame it? (Heck, even the police can say that it's not their business to intervene with certain issues because they are domestic affairs.)

Of course, there is probably this fixation with the need to show that something is being done to promote harmony. But this brings to mind a sacred kind of harmony. So maybe those who cannot touch dogs could complain that there is some kind of discrimination going on since they are deprived of one obvious and very popular choice of pets.

Meowwrrrrrr.

Same old excuse

Same old excuse

Okay seriously now - how often is HDB going to trot out the tired excuse about cats being 'nomadic by nature' and 'difficult to be confined' to justify not changing the HDB rule?

Since this has been raised yet again, let me refute this one more time, especially for people who may have come to this blog for the first time :-

1. Cats are excellent apartment animals. Why? They don't need to be walked and they are small. They entertain themselves. They are pretty quiet most of the time and are generally much quieter than dogs. More than 30 local vets signed letters attesting to the fact that they are wonderful for people in apartments.

2. What on earth is being nomadic by nature? If you let a dog, rabbit or child run around with supervision, I would not be at all surprised if they wandered out of an HDB flat too. Don't believe me? Just leave that door open :)

3. This also applies to cats being difficult to confine. Really? My cats are all confined indoors and they don't go out. Ever. It wasn't difficult at all to keep them in. All it took was some time and effort on our part to cat proof the place. Think of it as akin to baby proofing a home.

I know many people who have cats who never, ever go out. Most responsible people with cats do not want their cats to wander in the first place - there are all manner of dangers out there. Also as responsible neighbours, many realise not everyone likes their cats as much as they do and that it is better to keep their cats indoors.



So instead of a ban how about just focusing on responsible pet ownership? The problem isn't in the inherent nature of cats - it's in the irresponsible behaviour of some cat owners. Plus right now what incentive is there for being responsible and keeping the cat in? It just means that if the HDB comes along any cat owner can be fined (or possibly evicted) if any cat, no matter how well kept, is found in their flat. If the cat is outdoors though, that isn't a problem with the HDB at all - but it may be a huge problem for your neighbours.

What's the solution? Allow people to keep cats - but ensure that these people are responsible. Make sure that the owners are responsible for sterilising their cats and keeping them indoors at all times. Also a limit could be imposed on how many cats are kept in a flat. This also allows the HDB to better use their resources to monitor genuine cases when there is a problem. Currently, they have to have to inspect flats every time there is a complaint, whether that complaint is valid or not. The mere presence of a cat is enough to get a cat owner into trouble - and also means that the rule can, and has been subverted, by neighbours to get even with each other. Instead of promoting harmony, this rule is doing the exact opposite.

Small, furry, outlawed: Singapore torn over cat rights

Small, furry, outlawed: Singapore torn over cat rights

Reuters - Thursday, January 29

By Gillian Murdoch

SINGAPORE, Jan 29 - Cat lovers in Singapore are campaigning for felines to have the same rights as dogs -- a roof over their heads and a safe home.

For decades cats have been banned from Singapore's high-density Housing and Development Board flats, which house more than 80 percent of the 4.6 million population.

Anyone caught breaking the rule faces a fine of Singapore $4,000 .

Khin, a healthcare worker, was forced to move homes after a housing official spotted her cat and snapped four or five photos of the feline sleeping "illegally" on her couch.

"I never dreamt I would have to move house to keep cats," said Khin, who has no surname.

"Singapore is modern and they have rules to keep people harmonious but this is ridiculous."

While some pet owners can afford to move to cat-friendly private housing, others cannot.

"Irresponsible owners would just dump them," said Boon Yeong, one of a multitude of informal cat feeders who take it upon themselves to look after the estimated 60,000 strays living in Singapore's storm drains, carparks, and alleyways.

Being thrown or born onto the streets can amount to a virtual death sentence, Yeong said.

FURRY FUGITIVES

Every year more than 10,000 strays are culled by the island's authorities, the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals .

Strays not rounded up and killed have a life expectancy of two to three years while indoor cats average about 20.

But with felines banned from the vast majority of homes, getting them off Singapore's streets isn't easy.

Some desperate cat lovers spend thousands of dollars to board "illegal" moggies, year-after-year, in non-profit cat shelters.

"It's really a no-choice situation," said Tay Sia Ping, the manager of the island's biggest such cat shelter.

About a third of her 1,400 furry boarders were evicted from HDB apartments, she said. Few are ever adopted.

While Singapore's cat lovers want the "cat ban" lifted, as it was for small dogs three decades ago, authorities say it is necessary to avoid cat-related spats between neighbours.

"Our principal consideration is to preserve a pleasant living environment and good neighbourly relations," Singapore's HDB told Reuters in an emailed statement.

"We need to strike a balance between pet lovers and those who are more sensitive to the disturbances caused by animals."

HDB's website says banning cats, not dogs, is justified, as "they are nomadic in nature and are difficult to be confined".

Some 10,000 years after felines were first domesticated, easing human-cat tensions remains a "million dollar question", said Kate Blaszak, Asia Veterinary Programmes Manager for the World Society for the Protection of Animals .

The world's first top-level meeting of cat population management experts, organised last year, did not identify any magic bullets, Blaszak said.

"One size does not fit all. What is effective and appropriate in one situation may in another," she said.

In the meantime, supporters of Singapore's strays say they are waiting for the cats' death sentences to be lifted.

"Most people who have problems don't want the cats to be killed, nor does killing the cats usually solve the problem," said Singaporean cat welfare advocate Dawn Kua, one of many who blog about their plight

"No one is happy with the 'solution' -- it's just a knee jerk reaction without solving the underlying problem."

The taming of Mala

Animal Liberation

Fur and Feathers and Other Sentient Beings

The personality of the household cat may vary from aloof, demanding, comfort loving, happy to be cuddled one minute, and then prone to raking your skin with sharp claws the next. Dogs may destroy gardens and furniture, lick away their owner's salty tears when they sense sadness, and fiercely guard their humans and their property. The one constant is that they are Dharma lessons in the making. Here are seven stories of precious pets and animal friends from Mandala readers .

Story 2: The taming of Mala

In 2004, I "liberated" a cat from the Pound. This large tabby (weight 7kgs) had been captured after four or so years as a feral animal. She was so violent that the vets at the Pound could not medicate her or treat her illnesses. It also meant that she could not be "adopted" out to a new owner.

So, for about six months, this cat was confined to her cage, spitting and attacking anyone who approached her. As time passed, and more cages were needed, she was the next on the list to be put down by lethal injection.

When I arrived at the Pound, I asked to see an older cat that nobody wanted. I was shown several cats, but I wanted to know more about this large tabby languishing in the corner of its cage. The staff told me about her violent nature.

I walked over, put my hand to the cage and began quietly reciting mantras. I'm sure the staff thought I was crazy - this bloke in a red dress (I did explain that I was a Buddhist monk) singing to a violent, feral cat. To everyone's amazement, including mine, she walked over, and began mewing and rubbing her side against my hand.

Despite the warnings, I "adopted" the cat whom I named "Mala." Since Mala has been living at our Chengawa Buddhist Centre [in Canberra, Australia], she is completely transformed. Mala almost always joins us in the gompa for meditation evenings, settling herself down in front of the altar, crossing her paws and purring quietly.

In 2005, we were fortunate to have a weekend visit from Geshe Thubten Dawa who kindly conferred the Vajrasattva Initiation. Mala just wouldn't leave Geshe-la's side. After we set up Geshe-la's teaching throne, Mala insisted on sitting at its base, then moving to its cushion. She insisted on sleeping at the foot of Geshe-la's bed, and took to following him through the house. During the weekend initiation, Mala sat at strict attention next to Geshe-la's teaching throne. Geshe-la just adored Mala, declaring her to be a "Gompa Cat."

These days, Mala faithfully attends every meditation and teaching session; making sure that she has a front row position. However, she still finds it difficult to control herself outside the house. So we go out into the backyard on supervised visits. Most of the time, Mala is content to leave the birds, butterflies, and insects alone and to sit with me in the sun listening to Dharma teachings on my MP3 player. She is a little treasure!

—Ven. Alex Bruce (Losang Tenpa)

This article is an excerpt of the full article printed in Mandala

Project CCK (Choa Chu Kang) Commences

01.27.09

Project CCK (Choa Chu Kang) Commences

Posted in Uncategorized at 11:51 pm by pawpledge

The pre-CNY Flea Market was good and we did manage to raise a fair bit to start working on Project Choa Chu Kang. Last week, the Paw Pledge team went down to Choa Chu Kang Central (Ave 1) to talk to the caregivers. After the killer cut open the last pregnant cat, the caregivers were paranoid of this psycho killer running rampant in the area cutting open cats and kittens, decapitating cats, etc. The caregivers started picking up the strays and putting them indoors.

The biggest problem now is that most are not sterilised because funds are inadequate. We managed to get 2 vouchers from SPCA, and Blessing Home donated $500 for sterilisations. We also raised some money selling our sterilisation theme t-shirts at Cats Day and the Flea Market. It’s a good start to 2009.

Sterilisation at CCK starts this week. We got 3 slots at Joyous Vet. While visiting the caregiver’s flat, we also saw this little fellow in the photo. Her name is Baby and she’s slightly under a year old we presume. She follows everyone around and wants to be held at every possible chance. Such a cutie! She’s a tuxedo medium hair cat. Fluffy fur…we think she’s a mix breed….might have some British Short Hair breed in her. Nevertheless, she’s just really cute and we hope to find her a home. If you are interested, you know how to get in touch with us - pawpledge@gmail.com

Baby for Adoption

This cat seeks a good home

Kucinta - The Love Cat Of Singapore - And The Bobtails Of Malaysia

Kucinta - The Love Cat Of Singapore - And The Bobtails Of Malaysia
by Sarah Hartwell

This article was written after a period spent in Kuantan, Johor Bahru, Kuala Lumpur and Penang in Malaysia and in Singapore City. My husband was living and teaching in Kuantan, giving us a number of local contacts who contributed information. The remainder of this article is based on my own personal observations.

The island of Singapore was originally known as Temasek ("Sea Town"). It was renamed Singapura ("Lion City") when a visiting Sumatran Prince glimpsed what he thought was a lion (probably a tiger) in 1299. It did not achieve great prominence until the 1800s when Sir Stamford Raffles arrived. Singapore underwent a period of intense economic growth and was declared a freeport. Today it is one of the busiest ports in the world and attracts many tourists.

In the minds of cat enthusiasts, Singapore is associated with the Singapura cat rather than the lion. However, it is probably easier to find a lion on Singapore than to find a Singapura. Like that Sumatran Prince, I glimpsed cats, though they were neither lions nor Singapuras!

The island has a history of feline mascots. Singa, a rather jolly little lion, is mascot of the annual Courtesy Campaign and was introduced in 1979. This event brings Singaporeans together in an ongoing drive to improve everyday courtesies and make Singapore is a welcoming place. A hard-hatted Singa appears on roadworks signs apologising for the inconvenience while a car-driving Singa urges motorists to drive carefully.

The old mascot of Singapore is the Merlion; the lion-headed fish whose statue guards the rivermouth at Merlion Park. It is also the Singapore Tourist Promotional Board emblem and acts as a seal of approval on reputable stores. "Kucinta, the Love Cat of Singapore", was introduced during 1991 as part of a tourist promotional campaign worldwide. "Kucinta", better known as the Singapura, is known on the island as the Singapore River Cat, or less attractively as the Drain Cat since cats live in the huge, open monsoon drains during the drier seasons. Whether Kucinta will succeed the long-established Merlion mascot remains to be seen and many Singaporeans seem bemused by the use of the humble cat, rather than the majestic lion, as a promotional emblem.

Statues of Kucinta will soon be seen around the banks of the river where the cat supposedly originated. However, although I saw numerous nervous cats of Oriental or Bobtail type, I found no Singapuras - somewhat disappointing since tourist leaflet claimed that they could be seen near the river! There has been controversy over whether the Singapura's discoverer 'created' the breed using cats taken to Singapore with her, but Singapore has adopted the cat as a mascot anyway. During my stay I saw tabbies, bicolours and self-colours, but not a single cat with "ticked fur the colour of old ivory" though this might simply mean that Kucinta is a shy and elusive creature. Having scoured the river area and not managed even a glimpse of Kucinta, I eventually began to wonder "are there any Singapuras in Singapore?"

Singapore is linked to the Malaysian town of Johor Bahru (JB) by a causeway. JB is uninspiring, but is the terminus of the toll motorway to the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur (KL), about five hour's drive away. KL is very cosmopolitan with a great diversity of people. Here I found Siamese-patterned cats and grey Korat-like cats - well Thailand (Siam) is just next-door! The Siamese were closer to the kink-tailed old-style (Applehead) Siamese than to the tubular-bodied, wedged-headed modern Siamese, but not as chunky as Colourpointed British Shorthairs. I was pleased to see them as I prefer the older style. Most of the local moggies had whippy kinked tails or bobtails.

Pet-keeping is more common in KL than in the smaller towns I visited. During a ramble through KL, I discovered the "China Zoological Supplies" pet shop. Think of those news photos of finches crammed into small cages; as well as overcrowded cage-birds there were stacked cages of puppies and kittens (mainly Balinese, Angora and Persian; longhairs being uncommon and therefore more desirable). Although equipped with the basics, the cages were stacked outside the shop three or four high and the kittens were not in the best of health. I was unimpressed and it was hard to decide whether they were better or worse off than the scavenging cats living near restaurants.

A Malay friend of mine tells me that his mother keeps several rescued cats, including longhairs. During the most hot and humid season she bathes the longhaired cats every few days to keep them insect-free and healthy. Longhairs can suffer in the heat and humidity and trimming, clipping or even shaving is sometimes necessary for the cat's own comfort. I hoped that if someone was willing to actually purchase a kitten, it too stood some chance of a decent life. A few of the cats in KL and Penang wore collars, including an Asian Tabby sitting outside the Burmese Temple (where else!) in Penang, but the majority seemed to be strays, neither welcomed nor chased away.

The coastal town of Kuantan, close to the bay of Telok Chempedak, is a 30 minute plane journey from KL. It was in Kuantan that I saw caged cats at a Chinese cafe. They received a great deal of attention from tourists who feared the worst, but all was revealed at closing time when the cafe was locked up and the cats let loose. Due to the amount of discarded food from hawkers' food stalls on the streets there is a problem with rat infestation. During the day the two cats were confined to show-sized cages while at night they patrolled the cafe to deter rats. Luckily (for me) I saw no cats being kept for the table, though I was informed by Chinese contacts in Malaysia that cats are indeed eaten by some.

We spent as much time as possible in the countryside as an antidote to the high-rise scenery of Singapore and the bustle and grime of KL. Malaysia is a fascinating country, from its busy cities to its beautiful rainforests which are sadly being stripped of their hardwoods and replaced by rubber trees or oil palm plantations. In an out-of-the-way kampung (village) near Lake Chini I met a family of bobtailed polydactyl cats. The owners were fond of their 'six-finger cats' and the laid-back cats put up with a great deal of cuddling from the children. These confident village cats were in great contrast to the camera-shy town cats.

In the towns, nervous oriental cats, with tails ranging from tip-kinked to Bobcat-style stumps, scavenged at outdoor restaurants. One very pregnant restaurant cat condescended to sit on my lap and be cuddled - until I ran out of suitable titbits! Torties and tabbies predominated, perhaps such kittens were better camouflaged for survival, though at one restaurant I glimpsed a ghostly white tomcat with a perfect bunny-rabbit tail. He was a very well endowed tomcat, so his 'three-lumped' posterior was an amusing sight. Since he was very shy, we were regularly treated to this sight.

In the Malay tongue, cat is "Kuching" and "Kucinta" means "sweet little cat". There is a town called Kuching, but despite its name there are no more cats there than in comparable towns. At the time of my visit, the world-renowned Selangor Pewter had released a series of nine exquisite pewter cats modelled on popular breeds. Needless to say I bought the full set and had some fun with metal detectors at Kuantan and Kuala Lumpur airports!

From the majestic merlions of Singapore to the streetwise strays of Malaysian towns, the peninsular is home to a variety of felines - real and mythical and sometimes as elusive as Kucinta.

Original Publisher: Cat Resource Archive

Web site: http://www.messybeast.com/catarchive.htm

The Sidewalk Beauty, Stray Cats of Singapore

by Bian Huibin

Price: US$16.36 (S$22.90*) Region: Singapore Format: Paperback, 219 pages Published: 2008, Malaysia, 1st Edition ISBN: 9789675114311 SB#: 044740

About This Book

Tortiseshell, tuxedo, marmalade or mackerel tabby - the cats that live on the streets of Singapore come in all colours, shapes and sizes. Some are friendly and approachable while others are truly feral. Whatever their nature, their distinct personalities are evident to cat admirers and to photographer Bian Huibin. A Singapore-based art director, Bian confesses to being a little fearful of felines. Nevertheless he finds them irresistible. His photo album features numerous non-pedigree cats in everyday situations - feeding, grooming, climbing, lounging and of course, staring. Despite their grubby faces, these cats are effortlessly elegant and deserving of their "sidewalk beauties" label.

"Cats Of The World Photo Exhibition" on FaceBook

Thursday, June 5, 2008

"Cats Of The World" On FaceBook

Ciao! The photo exhibition has sadly come to an end last weekend. Funnily we took so long to put it together and so fast it's over! That's why the organisers have decided to make it at least 3 weeks next year (tentatively in June). We are currently sourcing for venues and sponsors for more whacky framing / presentation ideas, so do contact us if you have any input!

On a happy note, we sold another cat photo to a Canadian reporter as we were taking down the photos. According to the Arts House, visitorship for 'Cats' has been high, and they saw people just coming in for the exhibition (yay!). And many of you have given us a lot of encouragement (thank you) so we're definitely pushing on with a stronger show next year.

To encourage greater accessibility to 'Cats', we have created a Group called "Cats Of The World Photo Exhibition" on FaceBook so do join us as a member! All the 40 photos are also put up on this platform so do view them online if you haven't been to the exhibition and would like to buy a photo for just $50 (hint hint)! Ta ;)

P.S: That's my tuxedo cat Jarvis in the photo if you're wondering.

KoFi, an ex-"street cat"

She was found in a coffee-shop, scavenging for food. Cats within food serving areas are at great risk of being culled (=killed)!
Rescued to a shelter on 24-08-2005
Adopted 04-02-2007


Latest photos (KoFi and Ash)

There is no necessity to buy a cat. Adopt one from a shelter!

A sleeping community cat

Please help to protect community cats like this one by
1) Teaching children not to be "innocently" abusing them by screaming or throwing things at them.
2) If you are familar with any community cats especially those with good temperament, show your affection to the public by stroking them. However I usually advise children not to touch the cats as some cats may unexpectedly lash out, resulting in injuries and angry parents may complain to the town councils. If there are no caregivers to speak out for the community cats, some town council property officers may just response to such complaint by engaging the pest controllers to cull the cats in the vicinity of complaint.

An ex-"street cat"

The House of Pigs wishes all good health and happiness in the Niu year!

Monday, January 26, 2009

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

The House of Pigs wishes all good health and happiness in the Niu year!

When we clear our mind of evil thoughts, we can sleep blissfully like a cat

CHINESE PAINTING CAT POSTCARDS

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

CHINESE PAINTING CAT POSTCARDS

These are some postcards I got from the Salvation Army thriftstore, it is a 5-piece set made by Ikea. I don't know what Chinese painting has to do with Ikea but they are so adorable and such a great find for a nice price too =).

They are painted by Chen Dehong, a renowned chinese painter who mixes Chinese and Western methods of painting. Love the dexterity of the strokes, and how a few dabs and smudges portrays kitties so well.

I've always planned to take up chinese calligraphy/ painting but learning the technique takes years of practice; the simpler the artwork, the harder the technique. Also I'm guessing since handling the brush & ink will show how amateur (or pro) you are, it's just better not to get embarrassed because my chinese handwriting in pen is atrocious.

One of the cards was used as a trade with my mailart friend in Italy. Yes I totally mangled it - we had to have our personal touch on it so I had to wreck it up a little =)

China Beauty

Lotus Cat Tower featured in The New York Times

Lotus Cat Tower featured in The New York Times

October 1st, 2007

The Lotus cat tower was featured in a NY Times story published 10/11/07 in the Home section. Very cool! Click here to read what they had to say about it.

Lotus Cat Tower

Please HELP - Cat With Fish Hook in Paw (Changi Ferry Terminal)

Cat With Fish Hook in Paw

Submitted by litin on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 10:47

Appealing for people who can check up on this cat through this post.

We received this email from a concerned member of the public.

"I'm appealing to cat lovers and kind hearted soul to help a cat with a fish hook in its paw. The place is Changi Ferry Terminal. It can be access only by private transport. (No bus services).

Its paw is swollen and I fear it will die when the hook become rusty. Please do not sent the authority to come and put it to sleep. I do not have the transportation to get it to the vet.

Please help."

We were wondering which ferry terminal it could be, as there are quite many in the area, until we found this map. Click here for the map.

Here are some photos of the cat.


>

If anybody has any info on the cat's condition, please contact us asap at info@catwelfare.org.

Thank you!

Update: We have found someone who is willing to take care of the cat, if you wish to contribute to the medical funds for this cat's full recovery, please email us asap! I thank you in advance - Li Tin :)

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Changi Ferry Terminal

This afternoon, I headed down to Changi Ferry Terminal in search of the cat with fish hook in paw.

Seeing the stanger around, the shy fellow went to hide in the drain.

After getting the necessary clearance and getting in touch with the feeder, the injured kitten is nowhere to be seen. Despite the feeder calling and tempting with food, there is no sign of the kitten.

The feeder agreed to borrow a cage from his friend and try catching on his own.

CWS is appealing for funds to treat this cat.

Animal activists hail ruling

News @ AsiaOne

Animal activists hail ruling

Court ruling prevents killing of stray dogs in Mumbai, thanks to Former 'Baywatch' star. -AFP
Sat, Jan 24, 2009

MUMBAI - ANIMAL rights campaigners on Saturday welcomed an Indian Supreme Court ruling preventing the killing of stray dogs in Mumbai, which prompted a high-profile intervention from US actress Pamela Anderson.

'It's fabulous news,' Anuradha Sawhney, a spokeswoman for activist group the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in Mumbai, told AFP.

Former 'Baywatch' star Anderson backed Peta's opposition to a recent Bombay High Court ruling that nuisance strays could be put down and appealed to the municipal authorities to think again.

She argued that killing street dogs was not the way to solve the problem.

Instead she called for sterilisation programmes to be stepped up, including for those animals bought or adopted from shelters or pet shops.

'Dogs cannot use condoms, but with the municipality's help, they can be 'fixed' - painlessly, quickly and permanently,' she wrote in a letter to city council bosses.

India's Supreme Court ruled on the matter on Friday, saying a dog can only be put down if it is rabid, mortally wounded or incurably ill.

'A dog cannot be exterminated because it barks,' senior lawyer Fali S. Nariman told the court, according to the Press Trust of India news agency, adding that the authorities said they would abide by the ruling.

Mr Sawhney hailed the court's decision, but said it was not enough just to have a sterilisation programme for stray dogs, which are thought to number about 70,000 in India's financial and entertainment capital.

Civic waste management services also have to be improved as strays feed off easily-accessible garbage in the streets, she added.

Asked whether Anderson's involvement may have helped their case, she added: 'Maybe. It makes people realise that a lot of people do care about these animals.

'I think the main thing here is that we need to make people realise how important these dogs are and there's really nothing demeaning in having a stray dog. They're just another dog,' she said.

Try to find homes for unwanted animals

The Electric New Paper :

Try to find homes for unwanted animals

I REFER to the letter, 'Cats are fine, but spare thought for other animals too' (The New Paper, 14 Jan) in which the writer Mr Mohd Amiruddin Bin Reduan urged the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) to revise the current system of putting unsterilised cats to sleep.
24 January 2009

I REFER to the letter, 'Cats are fine, but spare thought for other animals too' (The New Paper, 14 Jan) in which the writer Mr Mohd Amiruddin Bin Reduan urged the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) to revise the current system of putting unsterilised cats to sleep.

We thank the writer for his concerns and for promoting kindness and respect to animals.

SPCA agrees wholeheartedly with him that people should be more tolerant towards our fellow earthlings.

For the record, the SPCA does not handle nuisance complaints about stray animals; neither does the SPCA round up strays that are surviving and thriving in our environment.

We believe that sterilisation of strays is the humane and effective solution to helping solve the overpopulation problem.

If the SPCA had a choice, we would not put animals to sleep other than those that are chronically ill, or dying.

The situation is such though, that we are the only organisation receiving hundreds

(about 700) of unwanted animals (pets and strays) each month, including cats, dogs, rabbits and hamsters.

In view of the large number of animals coming in to the SPCA, we have a selection criteria for adoption based on health, temperament, age and space. Sadly, those that do not meet this adoption criteria will be put to sleep.

SPCA is appealing to the public (pet owners and those who find a stray animal) to find a new owner/home for an animal they cannot keep rather than to bring it to the SPCA, where the chances are slim that the animal will be selected for adoption.

DEIRDRE MOSS (MS)
EXECUTIVE OFFICER
SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS

Copperfield is still around (Houdini is definitely MIA)

A community cat called Apex-Girl

A community cat called Tua-Pui-Meow

Community Cats in Bukit Merah

I fat meh?