| The Electric New Paper : |
| You TOWN COUNCIL AND ANIMAL ISSUES |
| Removing neutered cats not the answer |
| A PROPERTY officer of my town council responded to a resident's complaint that her three-year-old daughter was afraid of the cats in the void deck by activating the pest controller to 'remove' thecats. |
| 24 March 2011 |
A PROPERTY officer of my town council responded to a resident's complaint that her three-year-old daughter was afraid of the cats in the void deck by activating the pest controller to 'remove' thecats. A cat that was already neutered was caught and then released to residents who volunteer to manage the cats in the neighbourhood. Still, the officer insisted that the number of sterilised cats at the void deck be reduced to appease the complainant. The problem with cat phobia or ailurophobia lies with the person and not the cats. Removing the cats will not resolve the phobia and it will only invite more cats to fill the 'vacuum effect'. And the 'new' cats, being un-neutered, will give rise to more problems for the complainant and the town council. This example clearly indicates the need for formal training of property officers on how to handle animal issues. The town councils should collaborate with the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Cat Welfare Society to start a certification training programme so that feedback about animal issues are effectively managed.
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http://www.catwelfare.org/downloads
