Monday, November 30, 2009

Pet shops to be certified

From http://www.catsandstuff.blogspot.com/

Monday, November 30, 2009

Pet shops to be certified

Thanks to yskat for this article on how people running pet shops will soon have to undergo a compulsory training programme. While this is a good step in terms of hopefully at least impressing about pet shop owners what they should do, and how the animals should be treated while under their care, the real issue is that most pet shop owners who sell animals are in it obviously to make a profit. If they're too fussy about whom they sell the animals to, they'd go broke. In addition, why sell animals when there are so many animals that need to be adopted? I don't really see this making any real impact unfortunately.

yskat said...

Most people will think twice about abusing another person because the consequences are enormous. In contrast, there're almost no consequences for abusing, neglecting or abandoning pets. (The anti-abandonment law is hard to enforce). I don't think any amount of education's going to help. If AVA is serious about responsible pet ownership, they should look into stopping the animal trade.

November 30, 2009 10:37 PM

All-Black still didn't turn up

Spoke to the car park lady who was aware of the presence of All-Black but she was not aware of his disappearance.
Only Houdini was around and he ate outside the drain.

Checked with AVA: he isn't there.

Have Eat Greens Day here

My Paper
30th November 2009
Viewpoints

ALL of us have a role to play in addressing the emerging crisis of climate change.

One of the many actions we can take to reduce global warming is to reduce our meat consumption.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization produced a major report titled Livestock’s Long Shadow in 2006, which demonstrated that meat production is very intensive in the emission of greenhouse gases and use of water, as compared to equivalent plant-food production.

To address these environmental concerns, the Vegetarian Society (Singapore)would like to propose that companies, schools, organisations, families and individuals adopt a weekly Eat Greens Day, a day when everyone eats plant foods instead of animal-based foods.

Elsewhere in the world, places such as Ghent in Belgium and Sao Paulo in Brazil have adopted a weekly day of this type.

Would this work in Singapore?

DR GEORGE JACOBS
PRESIDENT,
VEGETARIAN SOCIETY
(SINGAPORE)

Sunday, November 29, 2009

14 Year Old Cat Brings Happiness To Seniors

All-Black remains missing (day 2)

Only Houdini was around at 6.30am.
Where-ever All-Black is, may he be free of suffering.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Guppy Fishing is Cruel








































I am writing to express my concern over the use of live guppies as amusement for children at Geylang Prawn Fishing Restaurant (Out With Racquets, In With Rods, Lifestyle, Nov 22).

Just as the use of dogs or cats for public entertainment with ropes or nets in a commercial setting would unlikely be welcomed by the public, I hope guppies would be given the same consideration.

There is no justification for the continued use of live animals for entertainment.

I hope the owners of Geylang Prawn Fishing Restaurant will exercise some social responsibility and stop the cruel practice.

Veronica Lim Lay Koon

Prawns do feel pain, say scientists

Do Fish Feel Pain? The science behind whether Fish Feel Pain


Send your email to enquiry@geylang-prawning.com.sg protest against the cruelty and that you will boycott and ask your friends/relatives to boycott as well!

or feedback at

http://www.geylang-prawning.com.sg/index.php?option=com_contact&view=contact&id=1&Itemid=136



Good Morning, Sweet Oreo



Houdini's "kaki" ("partner"), All-Black, missing this morning

Unusual for All-Black not to be waiting for his breakfast.

Only Houdini was in the drain waiting.

Can only hope that All-Black is safe and free from any harm, whether from cars or abuse by human or harm by dogs from the adjacent factories.

Can only hope that he turns up tomorrow morning.


Reflection of values

Straits Times Forum
Nov 28, 2009
My Point

Reflection of values

'The abuse of animals, environment, maids, the elderly and others is certainly of concern to any mature society.'

MR TEH THIEN YEW, general manager, Singapore Kindness Movement Secretariat:

'I understand where Ms Michelle Elizabeth Yin is coming from in Tuesday's letter, 'Have a heart - How can Singaporeans show kindness to one another if they show no mercy to homeless animals?'

I am sure many share the same view, as I do, that the way we treat animals is sometimes a reflection of the values of kindness we hold in our hearts.

The same can be said about the environment and even those disadvantaged in our community.

The abuse of animals, environment, maids, the elderly and others is certainly of concern to any mature society.

And as Singaporeans, we should be concerned.

It was therefore heartening to read on the same day in The New Paper a contrasting account of a man's selfless love for strays over the past two decades.

There are Singaporeans who are willing to - as Gandhi said - 'be the change you want to see'.'

800 cats escape from cooking pot (China)




















China, November 27, 2009 - THE cat is out of the bag for a store in China which is licensed to sell flowers, birds, fish and worms.

Instead, it was discovered that the owner had for the last six months been catching stray cats or stealing them from owners for sale to restaurants throughout the country.

Animal rights activists got wind of the trader’s activities and with the help of police managed to save 800 of the feline creatures from ending up on the dining table.

The cats, locked up in iron cages in a store in northern China’s Tianjin municipality, would have been transported to Guangzhou, Guangdong province, and slaughtered.

But 30 residents rallied for nearly 24 hours, negotiating with the trader and the police, to free the animals.

Qin Xiaona, chief of the Beijing-based Capital Animal Welfare Association, who rushed to Tianjin as word spread, alleged it was obvious most of the cats were stolen.

“The police told us that the trader bought the cats. But the trader was unable to provide receipts to prove any of the 800 purchases.”

Qin said the cats were suffocating in the cages and many of them would have died on the way to Guangzhou.

Police have given the volunteers a room in a nearby school to house the cats, many of which are in need of urgent medical care.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Cats are IDEAL companions in a HDB flat!

As our population reaches the "silver tsunami", and "nests" become empty, loneliness can lead to depression that takes away the quality of living. Cats, when adopted after careful consideration and cat-proofing the flat to keep them safe indoors, are great natural antidepressants.


Dealing with loneliness: animal companions

Three reasons to own a cat instead of a dog
"Reason three: The size of most cats make them ideal pets. It pains me to see people that live in apartments that own a big dog. The cats size makes it the perrrfect (I couldn’t resist) companion for apartment dwellers. A good size apartment will be big enough for one or two cats to have enough space."

Human are dirty.....do we cull them?


7pm: at the back of a block of HDB block. HDB keeps repeating that "cats to dirty..." to reject appeals after appeals to remove the ban on cats!

Would you give Oreo a good home? Never to abandon her for ANY reason at all?






More videos on Video

More videos on youtube

Photo album

Gender: Girl

Temperament: Absolutely trusting and a "chatter-box"

Sterilised: Yes

Uses litter bin (pine pellets): Yes

Does she get along with other cats: Yes

Estimated DOB: 08-04-2009

If you would like to adopt Oreo, please send an email to adoptarescuedcat@gmail.com

Oreo disapproves of irresponsible cat feeding


If you truly have compassion for "stray" cats, please feed them responsibly by clearing the leftover and wisely, by feeding them away from heavy human traffic to avoid complaints from human beings who may have phobia or hatred of cats and also to have them neutered!
Town councils may activate pest controllers to "remove" the cats in the vicinity of any complaint. This, of course, is ineffective as "new" cats will move in to fill the vacuum and irresponsible feeding will resume!
Town councils should recognise that there will always be people who feed cats. Putting up "no feeding strays" will only encourage "ghost feeding" where feeders will move again quickly to avoid being caught instead of remaining behind to clear the leftovers after the cats have finished eating.
Town councils should consult the SPCA and the Cat Welfare Society on how to address irresponsible feeding. Posters such as this will be useful:




A community cat called Tom-King

An alpha male that was neutered in May 2005.

Just after a routine morning cleaning....litter accumulating!


The openings to the rubbish chutes are right in the kitchens besides the windows, yet some human beings will throw anything out of the windows! Utter laziness and utter selfishness!!
When birds feed on the discarded food, the town councils will activate the pest controllers to poison them! Utter stupidity and laziness of town council management!

My heart bleeds this morning :(



Kalama Sutta

Do not believe in anything (simply)
because you have heard it.

Do not believe in traditions because they
have been handed down for many generations.

Do not believe in anything because it is
spoken and rumoured by many.

Do not believe in anything (simply) because
it is found written in your religious books.

Do not believe in anything merely on the authority
of your teachers and elders.

But after observation and analysis
when you find that anything agrees with reason
and is conductive to the good and benefit of one and all
then accept it and live up to it.

Buddha
(Anguttara Nikaya Vol. 1, 188-193 P.T.S. Ed.)

Thursday, November 26, 2009

An ex-community cat




Stray Cat Sterilisation Project at Bukit Merah View

Stray Cat Sterilisation Project at Bukit Merah View.

Lou Ek Hee DVM

Head, Animal Welfare Section, CAWC

Introduction

Until about 3 years ago, culling was the only method officially recognised for the control of stray cats in Singapore. In November 1997, AVA (Agri-food & Veterinary Authority - then PPD) embarked on the Stray Cat Sterilisation Project at Bukit Merah View to explore the use of sterilisation and responsible management as an alternative method.

Presented paper

Over the years, culling has not significantly reduced the number of cats destroyed each year or the number of complaints received (see Charts 1 and 2 below). The inference we can make from these figures is that culling has not been effective in the long run in resolving the stray cat situation.

Chart 1: Number of cats culled per year for past 20 years.













Chart 2: Number of complaints about cats per year for past 10 years.











Objective

We undertook the Project at Bukit Merah View to explore the use of sterilisation and responsible management as a method to control the stray cat population and deal with the stray cat situation in HDB housing estates.

Sterilisation & Responsible Management - its Rationale

Sterilisation and responsible management of strays is considered by animal welfare organisations worldwide to be the most humane and effective long-term method to control stray cats. In Singapore sterilisation has been increasingly used by animal lovers over the last decade. Animal lovers believe that this method will reduce the number of cats that have to be culled each year. In 1991, the SPCA lent their support by sponsoring the sterilisation of stray cats at veterinary clinics through a system of sterilisation vouchers. Animal lovers could take these vouchers and get their stray cats sterilised for free at the clinics. SPCA also started sterilising stray animals at their clinic twice a week.

The rationale of sterilisation and responsible management is that sterilised cats do not reproduce anymore and thus do not caterwaul and cause noise nuisance, which is one of the more common complaints received. The cats remain to defend their territory and prevent other cats from settling in. At the same time they also help to check the populations of rats and cockroaches. The cats are cared for by responsible animal lovers who undertake to prevent the cats from causing nuisance in sensitive public areas. In this way, the animal lovers work with the authorities to control and manage the stray cat population. This is a self-help, co-operative type of approach to deal with the stray cat situation.

Method

The Project was a 3-way collaboration between AVA, Tanjong Pagar - West Coast Town Council and a group of animal lovers (volunteers). The volunteers caught and managed the cats, the Town Council provided a room to hold the cats, the publicity for the Project and sent out questionnaires for the 3rd survey. AVA provided transport for the cats, sterilised and ear-tipped the cats and conducted the surveys.

The Project sought to determine the following:

1. the degree of public intolerance towards stray cats
2. the public response to sterilisation and responsible management
3. the effectiveness of sterilisation and responsible management to control stray cats

The Surveys

Questions for 1st survey:

1. Are you troubled by cats?
2. Should their population be controlled?
3. If the cats are sterilised and responsibly managed, can the cats remain?
4. How many cats can be allowed to remain per block / area?

20% of the 2998 households, i.e. 600 households, in BMV were surveyed. Initially personal interviews were conducted from house to house. Later to speed up the survey, the questionnaires were mailed out. Together the response rate was 43%, i.e. 256 of 600 households responded. 41 - 43% said they were troubled by cats. 71 to 95% would like the cats controlled. 80% were agreeable to having sterilised cats remain. They felt that 1 to 2 cats to greater than 10 cats could be allowed per block or area.

Questions for 2nd survey:

1. Are the cats less of a problem now that they are sterilised?
2. Can the sterilised cats be allowed to remain?
We surveyed the 256 households that responded in the first survey. Forms were mailed out to these households. The response rate was 17%, i.e. about 44 households responded. 56% felt that sterilisation had worked; 23% could not commit. 63% agreed to having sterilised cats remain; 14% could not commit.

Questions for 3rd survey:

1. Have you noticed less kittens in the area?
2. Do you think sterilisation has helped to control the cat population?
3. Are you agreeable to having sterilised stray cats around?
Survey forms were mailed out by Tanjong Pagar - West Coast Town Council to all 2998 households. The response rate was 3.4%, i.e. about 102 households responded. 76% fully supported the Project and felt that it had been a success. 15% did not support at all. The remaining 9% agreed that sterilisation had worked but did not want the cats to remain regardless of whether they were sterilised or not.

General Findings:

We found that generally the level of objection to the presence of stray cats was about 20%. However from dealing with complainants, we found that 4 out of 5 (i.e. 80%) did not want the cats culled. When control through sterilisation and responsible management was explained to them, they were supportive of this method of control. Through extrapolation therefore, only 4% of people are not willing to accept sterilisation and responsible management for the control of stray cats. The feeling we got was that in general people are agreeable so long as they know that there is a systematic effective method being used to control the population of stray cats so that it does not continue to grow over the long term. An overwhelming majority of people did not want cats culled.

By March 2000, we had sterilised 370 cats. Random counting done in June 00 and July 00 showed that between 75% to 90% of stray cats in the area had been sterilised.

Results:

With reference to our original project parameters, the results showed that:

1. 4% of respondents strongly objected to the presence of cats, whether they were sterilised or not
2. greater than 80% felt that sterilisation had worked to control the cat population and reduced nuisance problems
3. the results were promising but they were preliminary and the real effect can only be seen over the long term.

Discussion

In any urban environment where people live, there are bound to be stray cats because there is food and some form of shelter. The problem of stray cats is of a complex social nature. It is faced by most cities worldwide but may be more pressing in Singapore because of our limited land area.

The stray cat situation is compounded by irresponsible cat owners who allow their unsterilised pets to roam and mate or abandon them and further compounded by the conflict between sympathy for and intolerance towards cats. Caring for stray cats is kind and charitable and can promote a kinder and more caring and gracious society. However such acts if done indiscriminately can lead to the cats reproducing unchecked and to littering of the environment. In such a situation these kind acts are misplaced and irresponsible.

At the same time intolerance hampers humane methods of control that do not use culling. People who are intolerant of stray cats often want immediate action to remove all stray cats from the neighbourhood and may be intolerant of even a few cats. They are often not willing to consider long-term methods of control while at the same time refusing to assist constructively to solve the specific problem that they may have with the stray cats.

Stray cats are elusive and reproduce rapidly. Any method of control should take this into account. Control requires restriction of the cats' food source and/or a way to stop their reproduction. To stop their reproduction the cats need to be either culled or sterilised. Below is a table comparing the methods of culling vs sterilisation and responsible management.

CULLING

쨌 Immediate visible response to complaints
쨌 Temporary effects
쨌 Problems return within short period
쨌 Inhumane
쨌 Continuing cycle of removal and repopulation
쨌 Traditional, fire-fighting approach
쨌 Pest control can only catch easy cats
쨌 Town council deals with cat complaints
쨌 Recurring perennial costs
STERILISATION & MANAGEMENT

쨌 Immediate stabilisation of population
쨌 Reduction in the medium to long term
eir reproduction the cats need to be either culled or sterilised. Below is a table comparing the methods of culling vs sterilisation and responsible management.

CULLING

쨌 Immediate visible response to complaints
쨌 Temporary effects
쨌 Problems return within short period
쨌 Inhumane
쨌 Continuing cycle of removal and repopulation
쨌 Traditional, fire-fighting approach
쨌 Pest control can only catch easy cats
쨌 Town council deals with cat complaints
쨌 Recurring perennial costs
STERILISATION & MANAGEMENT

쨌 Immediate stabilisation of population
쨌 Reduction in the medium to long term
쨌 Medium to long-term solution
쨌 Humane and advocated by animal welfare organisation worldwide
쨌 Promotes kindness to animals
쨌 Promotes a caring and gracious society
쨌 Breaks the cycle
쨌 New, innovative, proactive approach
쨌 Promotes community involvement and volunteerism
쨌 Volunteers can catch even difficult cats
쨌 Volunteers can help with complaints
쨌 Requires greater public tolerance
쨌 Projected lower cost in the long term
Our surveys show that only 4% of people strongly object to sterilisation and responsible management to control the cats. Up to 96% of people do not want cats culled. From the viewpoint of control, it is preferable to have cats that are sterilised and managed by responsible volunteers who are willing to come forward and work with the authorities to deal with the stray cat situation in a systematic and controlled manner over the long term.

Contribution of Volunteers

Volunteers can make a significant contribution to the control of stray cats. They are very dedicated and committed to stopping the culling. Their concern for the plight of the cats is assurance that they will do what is necessary to make sterilisation and management work.

Recently, the International Director of the RSPCA visited Singapore and during my conversation with him, he remarked that he thinks that sterilisation and responsible management in Singapore can work countrywide because there are many volunteers active throughout the island and they network with each other through SPCA and recently the Cat Welfare Society. I think this is a very significant observation.

A volunteer living in Marine Parade was also recently given a volunteer award by the Marine Parade Community Development Council (CDC) for his work with stray cats. The General Manager of the Marine CDC stated in the program brochure that "we have chosen to focus on those active citizens who, in one way or another, have made a direct impact on the lives of fellow Singaporeans and whose passion and dedication in their chosen areas of community work make a tangible difference to others." This is encouraging as it is official recognition that cat volunteers can be part of the solution instead of being seen as part of the problem.

Conclusion

Sterilisation and responsible management has the support of up to 96% of the public. The majority of people want cats controlled but do not want them culled. They are happy to know that AVA's present approach to the stray cat situation emphasises humane management and is targeted towards achieving long-term results. Sterilisation and responsible management is humane and helps to promote a kinder and more caring and gracious society. It promotes volunteerism and encourages both animal lovers and the people bothered by cats to be active in a constructive and self-help manner to work with the authorities to deal with the stray cat situation.

Pui Pui the Toa Payoh Cat - Strangled to DEATH on 21st November 2009

http://pawpledge.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/toa-payoh-north-abuse-case/

November 25, 2009...11:25 pm

Meet Pui Pui the Toa Payoh Cat









Don't let this lovely community cat's violent death goes in vain.
You can do these for Pui-Pui:

Send an email to
MAH BOW TAN
Job Title : MINISTER - MINISTER
DID : 31067111
Email: MAH_BOW_TAN@MND.GOV.SG
Unit: MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (MND)

Organisation: MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (MND)
Description: VISION
An Endearing Home , A Distinctive Global City


to restore the Stray Cat Rehabilitatio Scheme.

See

Support the Stray Cat Rehabilitation Scheme!

(FaceBook)Stop Culling and Revive Stray Cats Rehabilitation Scheme in Singapore





Monkey smell, monkey come


TODAY
Monkey smell, monkey come
05:55 AM Nov 26, 2009
Letter from Sharon Chan Asst Director (Central Nature Reserve), National Parks Board

WE REFER to the letter, "Monkeys outside reservoir area" (Nov 23).

Mr Chin Kee Thou suggests that tree pruning and construction work at MacRitchie have driven monkeys into housing estates. From our observations, the availability of food sources is the main culprit.

Feeding monkeys alters their natural behaviour, and makes them too familiar with humans. Hence, we have strict regulations prohibiting monkey-feeding in our parks and nature reserves. Feeding makes the monkeys a nuisance, even to visitors who do not give them food.

Should residents spot any monkeys in their estate, please do not encourage this behaviour by feeding them. Left-over food should also be kept in covered dustbins so it is not accessible to monkeys. Let them return to their natural habitat to forage.

We thank Mr Chin for his feedback. For further clarification, he is welcome to contact us at our 24-hour helpline at 1800 471 7300.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

AVA keeps "parroting" that SCRS "did not resolve the problems..." : THIS IS NOT TRUE!



Read this: Stray Cat Sterilisation Project at Bukit Merah View.

Conclusion

Sterilisation and responsible management has the support of up to 96% of the public. The majority of people want cats controlled but do not want them culled. They are happy to know that AVA's present approach to the stray cat situation emphasises humane management and is targeted towards achieving long-term results. Sterilisation and responsible management is humane and helps to promote a kinder and more caring and gracious society. It promotes volunteerism and encourages both animal lovers and the people bothered by cats to be active in a constructive and self-help manner to work with the authorities to deal with the stray cat situation.

Read Singapore ends TNR program amid SARS panic

Read CWS's Annual Report

MESSAGE FROM THE COMMITTEE
2003 was a hard year for cats in Singapore. Due to the termination of the Stray
Cat Rehabilitation Scheme (SCRS, which had been commended both locally and
overseas), many cats were caught and killed. Killing is not the solution. Already,
cat populations in a number of areas have become de-stabilised and have
increased because the sterilised cats that have been removed are no longer
there to defend the territory from newcomers.
The reasoning and principle behind the SCRS were sound, but to be successful it
needed more time, resources and commitment from the authorities and Town
councils who had agreed to implement the Scheme. Unfortunately these were
lacking, and sadly the Scheme was terminated without consultation with the
various animal welfare groups.
We also felt that abandonment of pets should have been taken more seriously by
the authorities because abandoned cats were increasingly contributing to the
rising numbers of street cats.
On the subject of shelters, because of the problem of irresponsible ownership
and abandonment, we feel that the establishment of cat shelters is not a
workable nor practical solution in the long term. This is why the CWS did not take
part in AVA’s call for a bid for land to set up shelters. As the population of cats
continues to increase (especially with the cessation of the Sterilisation Scheme),
there will always be a greater demand for spaces than we can cater to. Shelters
drain resources and finances – the money and volunteers could be used more
efficiently in a well-managed sterilisation programme. This would ultimately be
more effective, humane and cheaper than culling or sheltering. Nevertheless, we
recognise and appreciate the efforts put in by other animal welfare groups to run
such shelters.
The current situation has made the need to address the ruling against the
keeping of cats in Housing Development Board (HDB) flats all the more urgent
and necessary. We feel strongly against this ruling, which we believe is based on
flawed reasoning and fear of change. We will continue to try to have this ruling
amended so that more homes will be available for our street cats. With our
proposed conditions of sterilisation and microchipping, owners of pet cats will be
easily traced and made responsible for their cats, and this would be a deterrent
against abandonment.



From: Hon Mun WONG

Dear ****

I would like to take this opportunity to share with you on how AVA goes about managing the stray animal population in Singapore.

Stray animal population control is a very complex issue which involves many factors and players. As there is no quick solution, AVA adopts a multi-pronged approach in the management of strays.

AVA encourages sterilisation as one of the ways to help prevent the proliferation of strays. However, sterilisation alone is not a sufficient measure to control the stray population. Culling also has to be carried out although it is an unfortunate and thankless activity which we would rather not perform. It is an undeniable fact that stray animals create numerous problems ranging from public nuisance to hygiene concerns and even physical threat to the public. Whilst we encourage the adoption of strays to reduce their population in the environment, it is not possible to find suitable homes for all of them. It is thus inevitable that some of them have to be put down humanely.

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 sterilization. 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.


In 2007, AVA in consultation with the Cat Welfare Society agreed on a stray cat sterilisation programme. In any precinct, volunteers wanting to start a sterilisation programme for stray cats would need the concurrence of the Town Council and the community in the respective precincts. The cost of the sterilisation would be subsidised by AVA. To date, AVA has not been approached by any Town Councils or caregivers interested in the programme.

AVA believes that public education is imperative in raising the standards of responsible pet ownership and reducing the problem of strays. To this end, AVA has been actively promoting animal welfare and responsible pet ownership. While we do not expect instant results, we are confident that with perseverance, there will be an improvement to the stray animal problem in the long term.


Best regards

Dr Wong Hon Mun | Deputy Director | Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority
Tel +65 63257837 | Fax +65 62206068 | Website www.ava.gov.sg

397 Joo Chiat Road: The workers there are the cat-haters



















397 Joo Chiat Road is the shop at the corner with the lorry parked outside. Has no signboard.

The workers there are the cat-haters who are determined to trap the community cats there that I care for, and send them to AVA.

They had the gall to argue with me about cats being put to sleep upon impoundment - and worse, lied about Shuuji having been caught by them and sent away.

It's beside a rosewood furniture shop, by the way.

They are henceforth on my shit list.




















Shuuji was a community kitty that used to linger around 397 Joo Chiat Road. Remember: 397 Joo Chiat Road, currently the location of a cat-hating motorised bike shop. He was trapped and sent off to AVA since Saturday night, 21 Nov 2009.

This morning, Tues 24 Nov, I arrived to feed Shuu-chan's friend Kuro and noticed the said cat-haters were trying to trap Kuro. After telling them off and putting Kuro to another safer spot across the road with other kitties who are cared for by me, I went back and told them to call me should they have cat issues. They were chuffed - to get my number. Numbskulls. I hope they lose their nether regions tonight. In their hands.

Anyways, got back to the office, had a niggling feeling to call AVA - and sure enough, Shuuji was sent over to them in a trap.

Rushed down with my hotaru-kun. We got Shuu-chan out, the poor lad.

He's now going to lodge with me - until I find a new home.

If anyone knows anyone else who is keen to adopt a sweet-natured, beautiful, grey-brown kitty, about 4-5 years old, microchipped and sterilised... pleasepleaseplease let me know.

Meanwhile, Shuuji is getting a bath at my usual pet shop. I'll strap him on Mirei (that's my jitensha) tonight and bring him home - and hope the rest of the 4 kitties don't get aggro... he's been through enough stress.

















Shuuji took to the bed in the spare room immediately... and made himself very comfy...

Shuuji close-up, with his mesmerising eyes.

... and Shuuji, obviously having adapted to his surroundings, being manja with me.


ML

A tip-ear (neutered) cat in a Chinese temple

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Loaning cat traps to private property owners is as good as promoting cruelty to animals - legally.

Straits Times Forum
Nov 24, 2009
My Point

MS MICHELLE ELIZABETH YIN:

'In the wake of the World Kindness Day, I hope the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority will take a moment to think: How can Singaporeans show kindness to one another if they show no mercy to homeless animals on the streets? Loaning cat traps to private property owners is as good as promoting cruelty to animals - legally. Offer free neutering instead of euthanasia.'



Read
http://www.petitiononline.com/catraps/petition.html

Write to
MAH BOW TAN
Job Title : MINISTER - MINISTER
DID : 31067111
Email: MAH_BOW_TAN@MND.GOV.SG
Unit: MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (MND)

Organisation: MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (MND)

and cc to
MS TAN POH HONG
Job Title : MEMBER
DID : 63257530
Email: TAN_POH_HONG@AVA.GOV.SG
Unit: AGRI-FOOD & VETERINARY AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE (AVA)
Parent: AGRI-FOOD & VETERINARY AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE (AVA)
Organisation: AGRI-FOOD & VETERINARY AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE (AVA)

Dog's final moments should be with owner, not an organisation - no matter how humane

The Straits Times
ST Forum
Online Story
Nov 24, 2009
Dog's final moments should be with owner, not an organisation - no matter how humane

I REFER to Sunday's letter by Ms Angelina Chng, 'Why buy when you can adopt a pet?'.

When a beloved pet dog has reached the end of its life and is sick and suffering, the responsibility of euthanasing it should not be passed on to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

While SPCA will accept a dog that is taken to its shelter and surrendered, it should not be the place where an old and faithful pet is sent to die, alone and away from the home and family it has known. The owner who has decided to have her pet humanely put down can take it to a vet or arrange for the vet to carry out the euthanasia at home in a familiar environment.

The owner has a choice to be with her dog when it is gently put to sleep or abandon it to strangers in a humane animal organisation that has no choice but to put the dog down.

Irene Low (Ms)

Monday, November 23, 2009

A community cat in Cassia Crescent

Koon-King has his ears cleaned today

Oreo, Kunyit and the cat-friendly cleaner


The cleaner said he has to sweep his designated area 3 to 4 times a day but yet "very dirty"!

"Go meatless one day a week"

TODAY Online Only- "Go meatless one day a week"
04:10 PM Nov 22, 2009
Letter from George Jacobs, President, Vegetarian Society (Singapore)

I refer to "Earth will get hotter", (Nov 19). The large majority of climate scientists are warning that we must prioritize the reduction of our greenhouse gas emissions or face catastrophic, possibly irreversible, consequences. This is not a science fiction movie, such as the recent film 2012; this is ever-worsening reality.

Fortunately, there is one easy way to cut our greenhouse gas emissions: eat less meat. The United Nation's 2006 report, Livestock's Long Shadow, attributes18 per cent of our greenhouse gas emissions on livestock, whereas transportation accounts for 13 per cent.

As a result of this and other research, more and more international leaders - including Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore - are asking us to reduce meat consumption. Instead, global meat consumption is projected to double by 2050.

Dr R. K. Pachauri, head of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change believes that reducing meat consumption is the biggest single contribution people can make to curbing climate change, and he has called on people to try going meatless one day a week. He himself goes meatless every day.

Others are following Mr Gore and Dr Pachauri's lead. For instance, the cities of Ghent, Belgium and Sao Paulo, Brazil have one day a week in which everyone is encouraged to enjoy meatless meals. In the United Kingdom, meat-free menus are being promoted in hospitals as part of a National Health Service strategy to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

The German government's environment agency went further, advising people to eat meat only on special occasions. Meat reduction for green reasons is in line with a trend in Germany to eat less meat for health reasons. According to Destatis, Germany's federal statistics agency, meat consumption there has dropped from 64kg per capita per year in 1991 to 58.7kg today.

Let's hope that the world's governments meeting in Copenhagen in December reach an agreement that can strongly reverse our greenhouse gas emissions. However, we need not leave everything to government. Every day, every time we eat, we can do our part by enjoying a diet lower in meat. And, who knows, our health may benefit too.

Animal, Vegetable, Miserable

Animal, Vegetable, Miserable

"People who are ethical vegans believe that differences in intelligence between human and non-human animals have no moral significance whatsoever. The fact that my cat can’t appreciate Schubert’s late symphonies and can’t perform syllogistic logic does not mean that I am entitled to use him as an organic toy, as if I were somehow not only morally superior to him but virtually entitled to treat him as a commodity with minuscule market value."

Gary Steiner, a professor of philosophy at Bucknell University, is the author of “Animals and the Moral Community: Mental Life, Moral Status and Kinship.”

Friday, November 20, 2009

A community cat in Cassia Crescent

Cassia_Crescent_20112009_06

Cassia_Crescent_20112009_03

Cassia_Crescent_20112009_04

Same OLD template reply from AVA

See this posting

From: Hon Mun WONG <WONG_Hon_Mun@ava.gov.sg>
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:05:20 +0800
To: ******

Dear *****

I refer to your email of 18 Nov 09 to the CEO of AVA.

We would like to inform you that as a public service, the AVA offers the loan of cat traps only to residents who are troubled by stray cats going into their premises. Nevertheless the borrower is advised to contact the Centre for Animal Welfare and Control (CAWC) of AVA for the prompt collection of any cats trapped and not to set the trap on Friday, Saturday and the eve of a public holiday.

Furthermore the borrower is informed that it is an offence to subject an animal to cruelty and to ensure any animal trapped is not subject to ill-treatment or injury. Should you have any evidence of any ill treatment or cruelty to stray cats trapped by a resident, please inform us. We will not hesitate to take action against the offender. The penalty is a fine of up to $10,000 and/or up to 12 months jail.

It will be very much appreciated if you could help convey this message to your fellow bloggers and friends. I would like to emphasise that AVA does not condone any animal cruelty acts.

Thank you.

Best regards

Dr Wong Hon Mun | Deputy Director | Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority
Tel +65 63257837 | Fax +65 62206068 | Website www.ava.gov.sg


To: Hon Mun WONG
Sent: Friday, November 20, 2009 6:32 PM
Subject: Re: Objection of Free Loan of Cat Trap & Free Euthanasia to Private Property Owners

Dear Dr Wong,

Thank you for your email. I appreciate the time you have taken to respond to my queries.

However, one of my main points was that regardless or whether the use of traps was cruel, I am concerned as a taxpayer that funds are being used in a manner that does not maximise cost efficiency.

I quote from my initial email:

"AVA's funds would be better utilised for proper control of stray populations via sterilisation efforts. AVA should reconsider reinstating the practice of offering free - if not subsidised - sterilisation of stray animals, a method which has time and time again proven to be effective at maintaining and reducing population of stray animals."

As a taxpayer, I do not agree with the use of my - and my fellow citizens' - funds being utilised, firstly, to provide free services for private estate home-owners, and secondly, to capture and cull stray animals.

Most of all, I am aware that there are more efficient manners of addressing the root cause rather than the symptoms of the problem at hand. Perhaps AVA could let me know if there are current review of policies to look into reinstating subsidies or full reimbursement of sterilisation efforts to prevent reproduction of the current stray population, hence allowing for a decline and control of the population.

Like many property owners and AVA, I too am hoping that there can be better means of control of stray populations. Nevertheless, I do not condone nor do I want my funds to be used for loan of traps and euthanasia for private property owners. First of all, should they wish to resort to the aforementioned methods, they should have the ability to contact private animal handlers or pest controllers at their own cost, rather than tap on the collective funds of taxpayers. Secondly, research has constantly shown the relative effectiveness of neutering methods for the current population, and I would much prefer for my funds to be redirected to initiatives that address the root cause (proliferation of strays) rather than merely scratch the surface of the problem and providing a stop-gap measure (via euthanasia).

It would be great if AVA could advise on the matter as to whether there are reviews currently underway to look at reinstating the previous policy of providing subsidies for sterilisation efforts please.

Thank you once again for your attention and I look forward to hearing from you soon.



Warm regards,

ML

An adopted community cat called Bengal Boy (almost KILLED by AVA for "wrongful" capture by the town council!





































Story of Bengal-Boy


30th December 2003: Bengal-boy was sterilised this morning. The staff of the clinic said he was a bengal-cross. He was released back into the community.

5th April 2004: Tommie and Bengal have gone missing for the last three days. I hope they were adopted. This is the inescapable impermance of all phenomena in this existence. I will live with the joy that our connection, even if it were only for a few month, will continue into a future time. We will meet again.

8th April 2004: Last evening, Sharifah told me that clip-ear cats surrended to AVA by Pest Control companies were keep in the holding room for some time. So I gave AVA a call this morning and to my horror, two cats in AVA matched the description of Bengal and Tommie (more certain was Bengal with his distinctive strips). They were caught from around Blk xxx, xxx and xxx. I was told that a Malay family would be going to claim 5 cats from this area. When I arrived at AVA, Pasir Panjang, two youngish elder Malay ladies were waiting there with a young man in his 20s. I identifed Bengal Boy easily. Tommie-boy was kept with two cats in another cage. I wasn’t so sure of Tommie and a staff of AVA had to bring him out to confirm his sex. The Malay family told me that 3 cats have already been brought back to xxx and they had prepared to bring back these two as well until they were told that I would be coming to claim them as well. The ladies said that their daughter was very upset when the cats were missing and she kicked up a row with the officers in the Town Council. I was shown a letter written by the Town Council to CWS that the 5 cats were caught around the blocks indicated above could be released back to the estate “provided they do not become a nuisance”. My guess was that the complaint on which Town Council had acted was not traced to the blocks where the cats were caught! Hence the cats were allowed to be released back to the place where they were found, rather than be microchipped and released to a “private residential address”.
Without the law protecting the cats, they are constantly at the mercy of human beings who do not care a hoot of any cat. Tame sterilised cats are easy “sitting ducks” for the pest control workers to finish their task fast so as to collect $20 per cat.
I wrote to the town council to “thank” them for releasing the cats and to avail myself to their service in meditating any complaints of the cats around my block and the next.
I left some dry food at the usual feeding place at about 6pm. Patchie and Dolly were around. Bengal-boy and Tommie did not appear until I brought down some wet food at about 7.15pm. I fed Bengal and Tommie again at about 10pm. Bengal was sneezing but he was eating.

22nd April 2004 7pm: Bengal still sniffles. I saw him scratching himself more than I would expect of a healthy cat. I saw a small bald patch on his head.
When I reached the car park at Blk xxx at about 9.45pm after the Yoga Class, Bengal and a few other regular cats were at the feeding area. He responded to my call and came to sit beside me on the edge of the drain. I fiddled with the Revolution before I managed to plunged the cap into the vial to break the nozzle. I caught hold of Bengal by his nape and he went into a submissive crouching position, long enough for the whole content of the vial to be squeezed onto the skin.

29th June 2004: 7.45pm: Got him into a carrier after his “makan”. From the backseat of the car, Bengal-boy meowed softly in protest.
8.00pm: Adopter arrived and we set off for xxx. Bengal-boy was quiet from xxx to xxx. 8.30pm: He meowed softly as he was coaxed out of the carrier. He hid beneath the bed.
8.45pm: Adopter sms-ed to say that he came out from beneath the bed and was exploring his new environment.

30th June 2004: Bengal gave a welcome puddle on the bed after controlling for more than 12 hours! The FIP test was very weakly positive. Vet explained that this meant the chance of Bengal having FIP was very remote. So Bengal is not going back to the streets! Hurray!

3rd July 2004: Bengal received his vaccination.

From: adopter
Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2004 2:06 PM
Hi:)
I’ll pass u some when i get a digicam but no worries yea!! he’s loved by both of us:)
i’ll tell u some funny incidents ya so that u won’t lose contact with him.
Lately, he’s been sleeping on the bed at night and sometimes on top of us. I love him so much until I cannot tahan. He so smart and handsome:P
He pees and shits only when i’m at home..and he makes sure that all the stuff is covered b4 he leaves the litter box.
He likes to sleep on the cabinet by the window and suns himself. And he stops climbing grills now. His favourite pastime is looking down on the street from the window. Did i tell u he likes to kiss us in the morning? When i leave for work I have no worries abt him misbehaving cos he is never naughty.
ok enough abt my baby.

From: ST (another cat-giver)
Sent: Wednesday, August 11, 2004 7:42 PM
I’m so relieved to know that Bengal Boy has been adopted by a good family! I call him Pringles, and he has always been one of my favourites! You see, whenever I go to the other blks, he would follow me. Except when I go to xxx as I do not allow him to cross the road. Apart from that, he follows me around everywhere and more than often my fiance, Jason and I spend hours playing with them in the night. I really miss him very much and must admit that it is truly heart wrenching to see his pix. He truly is a lovely cat, active & playful! We were planning to bring him and some others back home with us once we got our own place in two years, but now he has all our well wishes. It is not easy for me to let him go but part and parcel of life…..sigh
Yes indeed when he returned from AVA, the two (Bengal-boy and Tommie ) had a nasty cold. I fed them cough and cold syrup daily. I was cuddling them both for a good week in the nights till wee hours of the morning as they seemed so insecure and scared. I too attended to that bald spot you mentioned. I really miss him!

Thx for letting me know his whereabouts!
Recently I have had a pretty bad scare! After one of my babies died and seeing Dixie aka Billie-boy (the white with gray patches) & Patchy got sick. They must have taken something poisonous! (Dixie is male but I mistook him for a female but somehow he doesn’t want to respond to any other name.) I wasn’t gonna take it lying down especially when I just lost a cat 2 days piror to that! So I fed him charcoal tablets and it worked! 2 days after, I found Hobbles(Patchy) sick too!!! After 4days of medication, they finally are eating as normal now. Maybe you can inform the other feeders about the remedy of charcoal tablets. The pet shop has confirmed that those we buy at the pharmacy and pet shops are of the same make. After watching many documentary films, I am even more convinced that charcoal is a natural remedy that animals take for posioning and indigestion.
So honestly, some selfish side within is extremely reluctant to part with Dixie. I understand that you are trying to re-homing him. However I recognised the fact that it would be dangerous not to as it will be 2 yrs from now till I get my own place. My parents are totally against the idea of me bring them home. Especially after my dog’s demise as my mom do not wanna go thru it anymore.

From: Diane
Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2004 9:02 AM
He doesn’t struggle when I bathe him. He did when he had his 1st bath in my home but now he’s so obedient and just lets me scrub him clean. He, however, hates it when i scrub his hind legs and his bum…he’s quite anal about me touching that part of his body.
I noticed that Bengal-boy is quite territorial recently tho. Lately, he’s been very vocal abt my landlady’s cats coming into the room. He used to let them but now he swipes them especially when they climb onto the bed to be with me. They also like to use his litter and eat his food u see. So i think, he has tolerated enough.

Here’s his latest photo taken on 24th April 2006 (the feline family has grown!)

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Loving Animals

Loving Animals

October 21, 2009

The following is a compilation of messages composed by Tsem Tulku Rinpoche on Twitter. Follow Rinpoche on Twitter to receive these and more... LIVE!

Loving Animals

Entertaining the idea of becoming vegetarian? It's not a big step or a difficult step BUT A NECESSARY STEP. Eating meat is like cigarettes and alcohol; you get an immediate 'satisfaction' or high, and then NOTHING.

You definitely want to do the right thing. And the right thing doesn't hurt you or return to you in a bad way. Just be kind and stop eating animals who also have the right to live. JUST DO IT. INSPIRE OTHERS TO DO IT. I request you and beg you to go ahead and go VEGETARIAN. I don’t want to sound pushy, but just passionate about it.

I'm now in process of looking for land to start an animal shelter. It is very exciting. We are acquiring our first land tortoise. It was in small cage at pet shop. When I saw photos of it, it broke my heart. He likes to run around on the grass, eat greens and have shelter from rain so we are in the process of making that for him. We dedicate it that we can do much more for animals in future. Please encourage others to save animals.

For your beloved pets, or animals you come across, it is very beneficial to recite the Medicine Buddha mantra (TAYATHA OM BEKANZE BEKANZE MAHA BEKANZE BEKANZE RANDZA SAMUGATHE SOHA) loud enough so that they can hear, and then blow on them gently. You can do this everyday or whenever. Same procedure for Namgyalma's mantra (OM DROOM SOHA) which is very benefical as well. You can also do Manjushri (OM AH RA BA TSA NA DHI) and Tara's mantra (OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SOHA), they are also very beneficial. If convenient, it is good to place consecrated stupas / lam rim books on their heads.

Blessed mani pills can be soaked in water, so that a little can be added to their drinking water. If you have fish, mantras can be blown onto the surface of the water. Mani pill-blessed water can be added to the fish tank as well, just a few drops is okay. By blowing mantras on animals, reciting mantras for them to hear, blessing them with mani pill water, putting precious objects on their heads, etc – all of this will help to plant precious blessed karmic seeds in their mindstreams so in the future, the seeds will open, affording them a rebirth with capabilities to practise Dharma.

Since you love your pets or feel compassion for animals, this is good way to help them and plant seeds. Whenever I have a chance, I would go to places where animals were to be slaughtered. I would go to recite mantras for them to hear. I felt terrible that these animals were going to be slaughtered and I couldn’t do anything about it, so I would recite mantras for them. Hopefully, I planted seeds in their mindstreams that would blossom or be triggered to open at a later date.

My pet dog, Yogi, gets mantras blown on him nearly everyday. Sometimes I will blow mantras on his foods before he eats. That helps also. This is a good way to bless our pets that we love. I am worried about my Yogi and what will happen to him when he dies so the best is this for him. This is also the best for all animals, which deserve our pity. So take the time to recite and blow the mantras recommended to bless their minds for a better rebirth in the. future. That is my wish which I share with you all. Much love, care and request to help animals / bless them. Thank you all very much.

#TsemTulku

Follow Tsem Tulku Rinpoche on Twitter for more daily musings ... LIVE!

Human beings are INTENTIONALLY DIRTY - garbage-bin is barely ONE metre away!



Wednesday, November 18, 2009

One of the Joy of Living with Cats is to see them feeling Totally Secure!













Objection of Free Loan of Cat Trap & Free Euthanasia to Private Property Owners

To:

Ms Tan Poh Hong (tan_poh_hong@ava.gov.sg)
Chief Executive Officer
Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA)

Sent: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 11:01 AM
Subject: Objection of Free Loan of Cat Trap & Free Euthanasia to Private Property Owners


Dear Ms Tan,

Objection of Free Loan of Cat Trap and Free Euthanasia of Cat to Private Property Owners

I am writing with regards to AVA's current practice of providing free loans of cat traps to private property owners, as well as the subsequent free euthanasia of captured cats to the said owners as well. I refer to your notice Ref no C/03 - http://internet-stg.ava.gov.sg/form/cat%20traps1.pdf

I would like to register my dismay and firm objection to this practice. As a tax-payer and a Singapore citizen, I find it abhorrent that such a practice is done at my expense without any agreement on my part. Leaving aside issues of whether euthanasia is a humane or cruel act, I am aghast that this practice is done at taxpayers' expense, when more cost-effective means of controlling populations of strays via the trap-neuter-return-maintain method are available.

While AVA has stated in your notice that "it is an offence to subject an animal to cruelty", the fact remains that because of the construction of these traps, it is not uncommon for animals to be injured (sometimes fatally) by the traps themselves.

I have also encountered instances of these traps used by individuals who left the cat and trap in the sun, thus subjecting the animal to immense discomfort and could be construed as cruelty inflicted to the said animal. Please see this link on Facebook for more information:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=165907&id=185453072387#/album.php?aid=165907&id=185453072387























I would strongly urge AVA to take into account the unhappiness and grievances of taxpayers and citizens opposed to this practice of free loans of cat traps and euthanasia. While I fully agree that the population of strays should be controlled, I feel that we should pay heed to research and studies proving that culling results in a vacuum effect in the population, and engenders new stray colonies to move into the same space.

Rather, AVA's funds would be better utilised for proper control of stray populations via sterilisation efforts. AVA should reconsider reinstating the practice of offering free - if not subsidised - sterilisation of stray animals, a method which has time and time again proven to be effective at maintaining and reducing population of stray animals.

Thank you for your kind attention and I look forward to hearing from you soon.


Yours faithfully,
ML

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

LAPD enlists feral cats for rat patrol

PROVIDER: Officer Sandra Magdaleno, who feeds and cares for the Southeast station cats, can describe each of her elusive crew: two black cats, two gray and whites, a tabby and a huge gray bruiser who hissed at everyone while in the cages where the cats acclimate. (Bob Chamberlin / LAT)


The felines have been introduced, to great effect, at several stations with rodent problems. Parker Center may get them too.

By Carla Hall

Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

December 29, 2007
Learn the trick

They are the homeless of the domestic animal world -- colonies of feral cats that roam residential neighborhoods and lurk around office buildings and commercial garages, scavenging for food.

Unlike other strays that might rub up against a leg hoping for a crumb or a head rub, these felines are so unaccustomed to human contact that they dart away when people approach. Feral cats cannot be turned into house pets. When they end up in municipal shelters, they have little hope of coming out alive.

But one animal welfare group has figured out a way to save their lives and put them to work in Los Angeles. The Working Cats program of Voice for the Animals, a Los Angeles-based animal advocacy and rescue group, has placed feral cats in a handful of police stations with rodent problems, just as the group placed cats in the rat-plagued downtown flower district several years ago -- to great effect.

Six feral cats were recently installed as ratters in the parking lot of the Los Angeles Police Department's Southeast Division, and another group will be housed at the Central Division early in the new year.

Their reputation as furtive and successful exterminators grew after feral cats were introduced to the parking lot of the Wilshire Division nearly six years ago. Rats had been burrowing into the equipment bags that bicycle officers stored in outside cages; inside the facility, mice were sometimes scurrying across people's desks.

"Once we got the cats, problem solved," said Cmdr. Kirk Albanese, a captain at the Wilshire station at the time. "I was almost an immediate believer."

After Albanese moved to the Foothill Division in the northern San Fernando Valley, he introduced feral cats to the building's mice-infested basement in 2004.

"I think it's a very humane way to deal with a very stubborn problem," said Albanese, now assistant to the director in the office of operations at Parker Center, which has its own rat problem.

The cats don't generally solve the rodent problem by killing rats and mice -- although the cats are game for doing so if they catch them. Rather, the cats simply leave their scent. Once rodents get a whiff of feline presence, like gangsters under a gang injunction, they move on.

"It's the smell of the cat and the cat urine," said animal rescuer Jane Garrison, a member of Voice for the Animals' board, who selected the half dozen feral cats for the Southeast station.

Less grisly than glue traps -- and usually more effective -- the cats go about their "work" naturally: "They prowl, they eat, they sit in the sun," said Melya Kaplan, founder and director of Voice for the Animals, who was responsible for putting cats in the flower markets.

Sometimes they rest under police cars or on top of the warm car hoods. When the cats are new to an area -- as they are at Southeast -- they spend much of their time hiding from view.

"They've got to play it safe and see if they're OK," said Southeast Officer Sandra Magdaleno, who feeds and cares for the cats.

Magdaleno, who has been rescuing animals for 25 years, can describe each of her elusive crew: two black cats, two gray and whites, a tabby and a huge gray bruiser who hissed at everyone during his days in the holding cages that the cats are confined to while they acclimate. When his cage was opened, the big bad boy timidly looked out.

"He jumped out of the cage and looked around, then he heard a car and jumped back in," said Magdaleno.

"You're like the cat whisperer," Officer Mark Miraglia deadpanned.

Garrison worked with two shelters to select the most feral cats possible. (If a cat suddenly gets friendly, the animal is pulled from the pool and, with any luck, is adopted.) The cats were then spayed or neutered, vaccinated, micro-chipped and ear-tipped (under anesthesia while the cats are being altered, vets notch an ear tip, the widely recognized sign that a cat is altered).

Then the cats were moved to the Southeast Division, put in large wire holding cages and housed in a shed for a month for the process of re-colonizing.

"You can't just take feral cats and put them in one location and expect them to stay," Kaplan said. "A feral cat will kill himself trying to get back to his old location."

According to Garrison, it takes about 30 days for a feral cat to be comfortable enough to consider a new location home turf.

Garrison said the Working Cats program can be used anywhere. "We are willing to put cats in any safe area -- businesses, hotels, industrial parks, even residences -- and we will do that for free."

Soon the ferals may get a chance to work their magic on the legions of rats that make their home behind Parker Center. "They're coming out of everywhere," said Officer April Harding, who works in media relations. "One time I stood in the parking lot and just watched in horror, like it was a movie."

Thom Brennan, commanding officer of facilities management for the LAPD, said he was still figuring out the logistics of placing cats at Parker Center. "Nobody was more skeptical about it than I was," he said. "It sounds like too easy a fix. But everywhere it's been done, it's worked. . . . I think I'm convinced it's a viable program that will help us."

At Southeast, the cats were released from their cages in late November. They hide themselves in the station's expansive parking lot, which is dotted with storage sheds, trees and bushes, not to mention dozens of cars under which to slink.

Magdaleno has a knack for spotting the felines. On a recent crisp afternoon, she spied one sunning itself against a wall behind a police cruiser. But like a celebrity in a reclusive mood, the feline dashed away as soon as a photographer trained a long lens on it. The officer pointed toward another row of cars; within minutes, a sleek black cat with yellow eyes trotted across the parking lot glancing in the direction of its watchers without breaking stride.

Magdaleno keeps the feeding station well-stocked with wet and dry food. Initially the cat installers brought provisions. Now it falls to the officer to buy food, which costs her more than $100 a month.

"That is a glitch right now," Kaplan said. "I'm working with the LAPD to put that in their budget."

But Magdaleno is so devoted to the cats that during a recent vacation, she drove back to the station from her home in Temecula -- where she lives with three dogs, two cats, three cockatiels and one husband -- to check on the ferals.

She gets some teasing from colleagues, who, nonetheless, have a penchant for rescuing animals in the area.

"I'm more of a dog guy," said Miraglia, "but I try not to hit the cats when I drive out. Does that count?"

Albanese said there has never been a shortage of people willing to care for the cats at any station where he has worked.

"If I were a wild cat, that would be a great job," he said. "Your meals are there, your housing is there, you're at a police station so you're safe."

For more information on "working" feral cats, go to http://vftafoundation.org/workingcats.htm.

carla.hall@latimes.com