A community cat called Tabby-Boy

Cat in ad in My Paper

Biggest cat killer is intolerance

Straits Times Forum
HOnline Story
Dec 2, 2009
Biggest cat killer is intolerance

THE Cat Welfare Society is heartened by Mr Teh Thien Yew's support of kindness to homeless strays in Saturday's letter, "Reflection of values". He said that the way we treat animals is a "reflection of the values of kindness we hold in our hearts".

His words as general manager of the Singapore Kindness Movement Secretariat gives us hope that our society can put our minds and our hearts together towards the humane management of these community animals.

An average of 10,000 cats are surrendered or trapped and sent to the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals every year.

Almost all of them are put down. Many are victims of abandonment, neglect and abuse, but the biggest cat killer by far is intolerance - a social quality that is affirmed every time a trap is loaned to residents with no love for the animal, and rewarded every time a complaint is satisfied with the activation of pest control.

Human kindness towards homeless strays prevails through the sheer dedication of ordinary Singaporeans all over the country and the officers of the authorities that align their practices to their convictions by supporting sterilisation and responsible management.

They lead by example in showing us that kindness towards strays is not at odds with the goals of our society for harmony, for well-being and for progress.

Ang Li Tin (Ms)
President
Cat Welfare Society

Town council to remove trees

TODAY
Town council to remove trees
But some Marsiling Rise residents say the garden is source of community pride
by Esther Ng
05:55 AM
Dec 02, 2009

SINGAPORE - For 10 years, the trees - an assortment of mango, jackfruit, drumstick, soursop and neem - have been carefully tended by a group of residents from Blocks 116 and 117 at Marsiling Rise.

Now, the trees look likely to be cut down, giving rise to the question of whether town councils should follow the letter of the law in disallowing the planting of trees and plants in common areas - or if they can show some discretion when residents take ownership of their surroundings.

Sembawang Town Council is planning to remove the "unauthorised planting" in the turf area between two residential blocks.

Dismayed about the decision conveyed in a notice last month, 31 residents sent the town council a petition on Nov 5.

"Political leaders have exhorted us to develop a sense of pride in our community, and we have taken this to heart and have spent money tending to our garden," wrote retired doctor Praema Raghavan, who has spotted Golden Orioles, Munias, Koels, Bulbuls among the trees.

But the plea failed to persuade the town council.

On Monday, the group spotted contractors surveying the area, two weeks after the last correspondence from the town council explaining why it could not accede to their request.

In an email to Dr Praema, senior property manager Terence Chan said: "While it has been our town council's policy to allow planting by residents, the plants should be kept in pots neatly arranged in front of their flat units.

"For residents who wish to carry out in-ground planting, we have also worked with the Residents' Committee to provide a community garden at Blk 116 for such activity.

"We believe this is a more balanced approach in catering to the hobby and community bonding of residents as well as maintaining the aesthetics of the estate."

According to Dr Praema, the plot of land where the trees are located had been saved once before.

This time, though, Member of Parliament Hawazi Daipi said he learnt of the situation only when contacted by MediaCorp.

Efforts by housing board residents to take ownership of their community have been in the news recently, for example, when the HDB set up a new community relations department.

And at a ministerial walkabout in October, Minister Lim Hwee Hua praised a petition by another group of residents, who were trying to convince the National Parks Board to allow them access to tend their herb garden at Bishan Park while the latter was undergoing upgrading.

"This is a very good reflection of a sense of ownership," Mrs Lim had said.

Dr Praema is still hoping that Marsiling Rise residents' efforts will similarly not go to waste.

"The garden has educational value. Kindergarten teachers bring their kids here for excursions," she told MediaCorp.

All-Black died (body seen in the drain)

I spoke to the sweeper (from PRC) this morning. He said he saw the body of a black cat in the drain by the side of the road, besides a tree, a few days ago. He had noticed All-Black before and he too thought the body in the drain was All-Black.
I asked him if he had seen any injuries on the body but he wasn't sure.
He said he left the body in the drain and it was likely swept away when the drain swelled up from a heavy downpour.

Vaccination for Cats: Helpful or Harmful?

Vaccination for Cats: Helpful or Harmful?

Written by Dr. Don Hamilton

Vaccination is not as widely and unquestionably accepted today as it was in the past. Many pet guardians and veterinarians believe we have taken the concept much farther than its usefulness warrants. In twenty years of veterinary practice, I have made the transition from believing strongly in the protective power of vaccines to becoming continually more certain that they create at least as much illness as they have ever prevented. In truth, I now consider vaccination to be tantamount to animal abuse in most cases.

Read on......

All-Black still missing :(

08-12-2008 (All-Black in his un-neutered state)

All-Black was trapped for neutering on the 21st of December 2008.
Sterilised on 23-12-2009.
23-12-2008

14-02-2009

He became more trusting as time went by.

Some months after he was sterilised, he was observed to lose weight but it came to a stable state over the last few months. However he remained active and in fact, his appetite improved.

He used to "attack" Houdini who hence preferred to stay within the drain until recently when Houdini lost some fear of him and came out of the drain when "food" arrived.

05-09-2009

There is sadness when a community cat that we care for suddenly disappear. It is hard not knowing if the cat is alive, hurt, in tremendous pain, bewildered after being transported away in the back of a lorry, etc.

We can only cherish the time that we have cared for a homeless cat and hope that a positive experience of loving-kindness will steer them on a path to happiness.

With time the sadness will soften but the connection with All-Black remains always in my consciousness, even if my memory were to be robbed by illnesses such as dementia.