01:06 PM February 3, 2009
Letter from Dr Ambika d/o Ommini Vidyadharan
I REFER to the letter "Cat management courses for Town Council officers" (Feb 2).
In my opinion, cats are far less disruptive, far less aggressive and far more odour-free than dogs. The unreasonable bias of the Housing and Development Board (HDB) is rather disconcerting. I fully support Dr Tan Chek Wee’s point that the HDB must review its archaic rule banning cats. May I also say I appreciate the efforts of Ms Deidre Moss, executive director of SPCA, in her ongoing crusade on behalf of cats, both pets and strays.
Several things HDB officers do are comical and bizarre. In one incident, an officer was quick to notice a cat inside a home, but not the clutter and mess in the corridors he was walking along. Unwanted junk, old boxes, newspapers, rusty bicycles, etc, are much more of a public fire hazard and are a downright eye-sore. I wonder why the officer did not whip out his camera and snap some worthwhile photos of that, rather than the cat!
The officer had clearly intruded the privacy of the resident by taking the photos of her premises. To worsen matters, he over-stepped his limit by threatening her with a fine. He even returned with another HDB officer to snap further photos and with plastic bags to physically remove the cat.
Is this what HDB officers are appointed to do? There are far more important matters to be looked into than to launch a witch-hunt of pet cats.
In my opinion, cats are far less disruptive, far less aggressive and far more odour-free than dogs. The unreasonable bias of the Housing and Development Board (HDB) is rather disconcerting. I fully support Dr Tan Chek Wee’s point that the HDB must review its archaic rule banning cats. May I also say I appreciate the efforts of Ms Deidre Moss, executive director of SPCA, in her ongoing crusade on behalf of cats, both pets and strays.
Several things HDB officers do are comical and bizarre. In one incident, an officer was quick to notice a cat inside a home, but not the clutter and mess in the corridors he was walking along. Unwanted junk, old boxes, newspapers, rusty bicycles, etc, are much more of a public fire hazard and are a downright eye-sore. I wonder why the officer did not whip out his camera and snap some worthwhile photos of that, rather than the cat!
The officer had clearly intruded the privacy of the resident by taking the photos of her premises. To worsen matters, he over-stepped his limit by threatening her with a fine. He even returned with another HDB officer to snap further photos and with plastic bags to physically remove the cat.
Is this what HDB officers are appointed to do? There are far more important matters to be looked into than to launch a witch-hunt of pet cats.
Comments
1 - 1 of 1 response for "Messy corridors more of a bother than cats"
winnie tan
If cats are not allowed in HDB flats, then where should they be housed? Imagine, if every household abandon their cats, the streets would be flooded with strays. Cats are very good companions. They are quiet and clean. It's good animal therapy, even for sicked people at home.
