The Electric New Paper :
Controlling the cat population
Owners must also do their part
WE REFER to the letter 'AVA should provide free sterilisation instead of euthanasia for cats' (The New Paper, 18 May) by Dr Tan Chek Wee.
27 May 2009
WE REFER to the letter 'AVA should provide free sterilisation instead of euthanasia for cats' (The New Paper, 18 May) by Dr Tan Chek Wee.
We understand Dr Tan's concern for stray cats and would like to explain our approach in managing the stray cat situation in Singapore.
The Agri-food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) encourages sterilisation as a way to help prevent the proliferation of strays.
However, this alone is not enough.
Stray cats, whether sterilised or not, can create problems to the public, ranging from nuisance to hygiene concerns.
With an estimated population of 60,000 stray cats in Singapore, it is inevitable that culling has to be carried out, along with sterilisation, to alleviate these problems and keep the stray population in check.
AVA has to balance the interests of cat lovers and those affected by stray cat nuisance.
We loan cat traps to residents troubled by stray cats coming into their premises, and cats that are not owned are euthanised humanely.
We would like to take this opportunity to remind cat owners to sterilise their pets, so as to prevent unwanted litters.
Cat owners should also prevent their pets from wandering and posing a nuisance to their neighbours.
This will, in turn, help to reduce the demand for cat trap loans and the need for euthanasia.
With regards to the Trap Neuter Release scheme mentioned by Dr Tan, AVA had, in 1998, worked with animal welfare groups and town councils to establish the Stray Cat Rehabilitation Scheme (SCRS), under which AVA provided free sterilisation.
This was started as a voluntary scheme which depended on local community support and tolerance towards stray cats.
In 2003, the scheme was discontinued as it did not resolve the problems caused by stray cats, such as cat faeces dirtying the environment and pest problems due to food remnants left by feeders.
It was also observed that there was no reduction in the number of complaints received on stray cats.
Notwithstanding this, AVA, in consultation with the Cat Welfare Society, proposed a stray cat sterilisation programme in March 2007.
AVA would subsidise the cost of the sterilisation of stray cats if the caregivers of stray cats, town councils and the community in the respective precincts agree to participate in the programme.
We thank Dr Tan for his feedback.
GOH SHIH YONG
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS
for CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
AGRI-FOOD & VETERINARY AUTHORITY
