Why cats should be allowed in HDB flats

A wonderfully-written commentary by Judith Tan on why cats should be allowed in HDB flats. Source: ST Interactive.

Thoughts on the HDB rule

http://catsandstuff.blogspot.com/2011/06/thoughts-on-hdb-rule.html

Finally after all these years, there's a chance that the HDB rule banning cats in flats may be overturned. That and the fact that the SCRS may be brought back is certainly cause for celebration.

I've heard from some people that they are concerned that a change in the rule might not help community cats - that in fact, people might run out and buy more pedigree cats and that more breeders will come in and fill that demand. I don't believe that this will happen. Will some people go and buy cats? Undoubtedly. Will some breeders and pet shop owners try and sell more cats? Again, this will certainly happen. However I don't believe this is going to be a big issue.

The thing is - most people aren't really aware of the ruling at all. I still hear from many people that they are shocked to learn that living with a cat (or cats) in HDB flats is illegal. They were never aware of this to begin with. I doubt that a change in the rule will therefore lead to an exodus of people rushing out to buy pedigrees.

What does a change in the ruling actually mean then? Two very important things. One, that if you are a responsible pet owner that you no longer have to live in fear. You will not need to worry that you could be fined or worse, to lose your flat.

Two, that the Town Councils will now have a real weapon in their arsenal to deal with irresponsible cat owners. We all know that irresponsible owners exist - it's just that for years there has been no way to effectively deal with them. A change in the rule will allow for this. As we all know, an irresponsible pet owner has LESS chance of being caught under the rule because they can always allow the cat to wander and claim it is not their cat. Responsible cats owners on the other hand, who keep their cats indoors at all times, are more likely to fall afoul of the rule. A change in the rule will mean that caregivers, TCs and the HDB can work together and focus their attention on those people who are irresponsible instead of penalising anyone who owns a cat, no matter how responsible they are.

After all these years and after all the work of SPCA and CWS (and having met four different Ministers and writing three different proposals on this issue), one has to wonder if all it took was the right person in the right position. It makes me a little sad to think that this possible change in the rules may have had nothing to do with the merit of the arguments. If so, this discriminatory rule would have been overturned years ago.

On the other hand, it's quite possible that the recent general elections have played a huge part in this change. It seems that the authorities are really listening to what people are saying.

So if this rule does change (and I am really hopeful that it will), the people who deserve a huge pat on the backs are all of you. All the caregivers who went out and sterilised, managed and mediated tirelessly are the ones who made a huge difference. I notice that more and more cats now are already sterilised and without dedicated caregivers, this would never have happened. I am sure that it has not gone unnoticed how caregivers are giving back to their estates.

There are another group of people who have been instrumental in bringing about change - all of you, who wrote to your MPs, who went to Meet the Peoples Sessions, who called, turned up and made the point that you are responsible Singaporeans whose cats are part of your lives. You let your MPs know that you are prepared to stand up and be counted and to give back to the community. It is YOUR voices that have been heard - or how else would the Ministers have realised that this was something that many Singaporeans care about? No society or welfare group can bring about a sea change without the support and voices of people - and you deserve a huge round of applause for getting all of us to this stage.

Now let's work together to make sure that this rule is changed. Please write to your MPs and the Ministers in charge at khawbw@mnd.gov.sg and tanchuanjin@mnd.gov.sg (or post on their facebook pages here and here) and let them know that it's important to change this rule and relegate it to the history books!

Posted by Dawn at 9:55 PM

Why Cats, Dogs and the Environment Matter...

https://www.facebook.com/notes/tan-chuan-jin/why-cats-dogs-and-the-environment-matter/203483016361148

Why Cats, Dogs and the Environment Matter...

by Tan Chuan-Jin on Sunday, 05 June 2011 at 13:12

Some have asked me why are we taking this up when there are so many other things to sort out.

Its not about the animals. Nor is it just about the environment (which is something I am also looking at). It is about the society we want to build. Some of you have shared -

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." --Ghandi.

Does this mean we stop worrying about other issues? Addressing these doesn't mean the rest of the work isn't done. Far from it.

My colleagues and I are fully aware of the many needs we need to cater to and indeed, the many things to be addressed. We discuss this weekly at Cabinet and within our Ministries. Things that we are able to move quickly we do. In other areas, we need to spend more time because there are different ramifications. The issues are seldom purely black and white. I realise that the expectations are there but as I have said before, things take time and we want to do it right.

FTs and FWs is one such topic. In fact, as I read your various posts and listen to my residents, I see a few key themes:

- Living space: too many too quickly, over-representation in particular areas

- Fairness and opportunity for our own Singaporeans at the workplace (including discrimination against our own), housing, schools

- Are we bringing in the right types of FTs and FWs

- Better information to be made available

- Local and small SMEs are finding it difficult as we have tightened up foreign supply

etc

Housing:

- Prices, availability of both normal flats and rentals

- Eligibility...young couples, singles, divorcees, low income groups, elderly

- Design considerations

etc

'Singaporeans First' is another key theme that surfaces.

As I have explained. We are looking at these issues. There are also many many ongoing matters that continue to be done because we need to keep our country going. They may not be on the radar screen but doesn't mean they are not important. Many many things work here. Not always perfectly but it helps provide us a good and stable environment for us and our families. We cannot slacken in these areas.

Which brings me to our cats, dogs and environment.

When we begin to care for different aspects in society, we will begin to grow as a people. What distinguishes us as humans is our capacity to love, care and respect. Which is why such avenues, be it with animals, our environment, and indeed with fellow humans...caring for the less privileged in society, respecting elders and being there for them in their twilight years...the spirit of volunteerism and to be involved... are critical in the building of our nation, and the forging of our heart and soul.

Not everything is an economic digit. Some of the most important things in life cannot be quantified.

At the end of it all, it is about us and the society we want to build for our children.

Facebook: "I am an HDB Cat Owner."

https://www.facebook.com/hdbcatowner

About	We are responsible cat owners and proud of it!

Description

Minister Khaw Boon Wan has expressed his stand that culling cats is not the way to go. He believes a more humane approach is possible if responsible owners spay their cats. (The Straits Times, June 4 2011) He has sought Minister of State Tan Chuan-Jin to work out a compassionate and mature approach towards the stray cats problem. This includes the related issue of the current HDB regulations forbidding the keeping of cats. This is welcomed news. So cat owners, there is no more reason to hide. It is time to show HDB what it means to be a responsible cat owner. A responsible HDB cat owner 1) sterilises their pet cats 2) keeps pet cats indoors 3) takes effective measures to secure the safety of cats in high-rise flats If you own cats and aren't doing the above, what are you waiting for? The well-being of cats in Singapore now depends on you. (read less)

Website	http://www.catwelfare.org

HDB to look into the possibility of allowing cats in flats

HDB to look into the possibility of allowing cats in flats

04:47 AM Jun 04, 2011

by Amanda Feng

SINGAPORE - The Government will look into the possibility of allowing cats in HDB flats, Minister of State (National Development and Manpower) Tan Chuan-Jin told MediaCorp yesterday.

Brigadier-General (NS) Tan was responding to MediaCorp's queries following National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan's blog post yesterday on encouraging cats to be sterilised instead of being culled.

Adding that BG (NS) Tan will help him tackle the issue - given the former's interest in this area - Mr Khaw said he would like the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) to "seriously consider reviewing its culling programme for cats".

Mr Khaw noted that killing the cats was not the best solution. The right thing to do is for cat lovers to own the problem and to eliminate problems caused by irresponsible behaviour, he added.

When contacted last night, BG (NS) Tan said that allowing cats to be kept in HDB flats was one of the issues they were looking into.

According to the HDB's website, flat owners "are not allowed to keep cats in HDB flats, as it is generally difficult to confine cats within the flat premises". It added: "Nuisance caused by cats such as shedding of their fur, defecating/urinating in public areas or even the caterwauling sounds that they make can cause a lot of disturbance, which affects the environment and disrupts neighbourliness in our housing estates."

Cat Welfare Society vice-president Veron Lau welcomed BG (NS) Tan's comment but she said the society would like to work with HDB and AVA to educate people to be responsible cat owners.

Last year, the AVA put down 5,100 stray cats.

Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) executive director Deirdre Moss said it was "already very happy" that Mr Khaw brought up sterilisation as an option instead of culling.

Said Ms Moss: "In addition to this good news, we are overjoyed that (BG Tan) has agreed to look into allowing cats to be kept as pets in HDB flats. It's very encouraging that the minister is promoting kindness to animals." AMANDA FENG

HDB, Town Councils and NEA "cull" the wrong species for being "dirty"!

HDB rules on keeping cats responsibly needed

HDB rules on keeping cats responsibly needed

05:55 AM Jan 31, 2011

A friend who volunteers to assist her town council in resolving complaints about cats was recently asked to "remove" a cat that defecated outside a flat. Otherwise the cat would be rounded up by the town council's pest controller to be surrendered to the Agrifood and Veterinary Authority (AVA) where it would be killed.

My friend spoke to the cat's owner but he stubbornly refused to keep the cat indoors, citing the lack of HDB rules binding him to do so.

Most owners are responsible but rules are needed to control the few black sheep. I plead with HDB to listen to feedback from residents, the Cat Welfare Society and the SPCA - to successfully reduce the complaints that arise from irresponsible cat ownership, regulations that include compulsory sterilisation, keeping cats indoor and micro-chipping are needed.

Even the AVA, after all, has information on how to keep cats responsibly in flats.

Letter from Tan Chek Wee

Write to TODAY

http://www.catwelfare.org/downloads

Humans also shed hair...can HBD please BAN HUMANS too?

HDB bans cats (http://www.hdb.gov.sg/fi10/fi10326p.nsf/w/PetTypesOfPetsAllowed?OpenDocument) because "shedding of their fur"

HDB BANS HUMANS because.....

Flat owners are not allowed to keep humans in HDB flats, as it is generally difficult to confine humans within the flat premises. Nuisance caused by humans such as shedding of their hair, defecating/urinating in public areas or even the "attempts to reproduce humans" sounds that they make can cause a lot of disturbance, which affects the environment and disrupts neighbourliness in our housing estates.


Difficult to confine humans within flats! Otherwise the streets will all be empty!



Human hair
























Humans urinating

Human defecating



Humans menstruating


























Humans make NOISE!



Quarrelling with hokkien obscenities hurled.

Cat In A Flat? It's A Purr-fect Idea

http://www.moggies.co.uk/articles/aug2010/purrfect.html

http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/homestyle/cat-in-a-flat-its-a-purrrfect-idea-20100817-1289c.html









Cat In A Flat? It's A Purr-fect Idea

By: Miles Godfrey - Sydney Morning Heald, Australia


If you've ever wanted to keep a cat in a flat, but thought the unit a whisker too small, think again.

A new study says keeping pets in city apartments is a purrrfect idea. It also advises how to get your paws on a building which is pet friendly.

And in a move which will set posh pooch's tails wagging and get yuppie moggies purring with delight, developers of upmarket new buildings are said to be increasingly willing to accommodate animals.

One in four Australian households are now based in apartment blocks, says the Petcare Information and Advisory Service (PIAS), which is attempting to bust the myth that pets can't live in small units.

"There is absolutely a perception out there that cats and dogs can't live in units because they are too small... but it's really not true," says PIAS spokeswoman Susie Willis.

"Traditionally, people think you need a quarter-acre backyard for a dog to run about in, but most are just as happy in an apartment as long as you take the right steps."

And developers and real estate agents that were traditionally "anti-pet" are now changing their ways, Ms Willis added.

"We know city dwellers want to keep pets and some developers are now cottoning on to that fact," she said.

"They've realised there is money to be made from allowing pets."

She said Sydney's upmarket Jacksons Landing development and parts of Melbourne's Docklands residential development, among others, are now pet-friendly.

PIAS's research is based on a 2008 study involving 800 respondents and has been turned into a new guide, called Pets In The City.

It aims to advise people which pets are most suitable for apartments, such as those which shed less hair.

And it offers advice on how to find pet friendly buildings, negotiate with anti-pet real estate agents other potential obstacles to pet ownership.

It has won the backing of Sydney mayor Clover Moore.

"In a society in which people often live on their own, pets give pleasure, they teach responsibility, they provide security, and they love and are loved in return," Ms Moore said in a statement.

For more information visit: petsinthecity.net.au.



HDB bans cats for these silly reasons:
http://www.hdb.gov.sg/fi10/fi10326p.nsf/w/PetTypesOfPetsAllowed?OpenDocument
"Flat owners are not allowed to keep cats in HDB flats, as it is generally difficult to confine cats within the flat premises. Nuisance caused by cats such as shedding of their fur, defecating/urinating in public areas or even the caterwauling sounds that they make can cause a lot of disturbance, which affects the environment and disrupts neighbourliness in our housing estates. "

There are MANY HDB residents who live with cats and they treasure their feline companions enough to keep them safe indoors by cat-proofing their apartments and to neuter them. Yet they have to live in fear of nasty neighbours who may report them to the HDB for "illegal activity" or if they are "sway" (Hokkien for "bad luck") enough for HBD officers to walk by their apartments and notice the cats inside. Read this "Small, furry, outlawed: Singapore torn over cat rights"

Speak out for your rights as "owners" of HBD flats and also as "good citizens" by responding to the Government's repeated calls to be involved in the management of YOUR estates, by forwarding this article to

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

and cc
LEE HSIEN LOONG
Job Title : PRIME MINISTER
DID : 62358577
Email: LEE_HSIEN_LOONG@PMO.GOV.SG
Unit: PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (PMO)

cc to
The Cat Welfare Society
email: info@catwelfare.org

The SPCA
email: eo@spca.org.sg (Executive Officer)

Write to the press
1) The Straits Times
"Please include your full name (as in IC), your address and a phone number. For women, please indicate Miss, Mrs or Ms. Send your letters via e-mail: stforum@sph.com.sg"

2) TODAY
email: voices@mediacorp.com.sg

3) MY PAPER
email: myp@sph.com.sg

4) NEW PAPER

HDB prides itself on its successful public housing programe but remains unashamedly ignorant of cats

This can't be cat fur!!!















































http://www.hdb.gov.sg/fi10/fi10326p.nsf/w/PetTypesOfPetsAllowed?OpenDocument

Cats:

Flat owners are not allowed to keep cats in HDB flats, as it is generally difficult to confine cats within the flat premises. Nuisance caused by cats such as shedding of their fur, defecating/urinating in public areas or even the caterwauling sounds that they make can cause a lot of disturbance, which affects the environment and disrupts neighbourliness in our housing estates.

HDB bans cats because "cats are dirty....."

Not an uncommon sight in a HDB void deck!! Is this caused by cats?
























Repeal the HDB (Housing and Development Board)'s Ban on Cats

What a humans urinating in public?

Human woman assisting a child to urinate in a public area when a public toilet is just few metres away...
What does HDB got to say about this "nuisance"?

























HDB says
"Flat owners are not allowed to keep cats in HDB flat.............Nuisance caused by cats such as urinating in public areas......

Caught in the act: ABANDONMENT of a pet cat!

Residents who volunteer to care for their neighbourhood's cats are called "caregivers".

They will trap cats and bring them to a vet for sterilisation.

The neutered cats with a surgical cut on their left ears are released back into the neighbourhood.

The caregivers continue to care for these cats by feeding them responsibly, i.e. not leaving any leftover cat food that will be considered as litter.

They will also provide assistance to the property officers of the town councils to resolve feedback about cats. Most if not all town councils's property officers are poorly equipped with knowledge about cats to provide effective solutions. The only "solution" that these officers can offer is what has been handed down by their precedessors, i.e. CULLING (this is really KILLING) that has been proven to be ineffective and a waste of public fund!

Read http://singaporecommunitycats.blogspot.com/2009/09/where-do-cats-go-when-they-are-rounded.html

Most of the cats in Singapore are due to abandonment such as from the home of the kid in the above youtube video clip.

When caregivers are able to trace the source to abandonment to such homes, they will speak to the family to persuade them to neuter their cats and to keep the cats indoor by putting meshes on their window and door grills. Sometimes the caregivers even pay for the neutering and the purchase of the mesh.

Stubborn irresponsible cat owners are a nightmare to any caregiver as any "new" abandoned cat or kitten jeopardises a successful "cat management or TnRm". In such cases, the caregivers can seek help from the SPCA that will send an inspector to counsel such families. Sometimes an "official" visit can be effective.

As HDB bans cats, some HDB officers are not willing to help the caregivers to counsel such families. The property officers of the town councils are NOT able to help in such cases as cats within a flat is NOT with the purview of the town council. However if cats from such irresponsible cat owners are dumped out of their flats, then it becomes the problem of the town councils if any resident were to complain! The property officers will then pressurise the caregivers to resolve to cat problems to appease complainants!

Visit Facebook Group:

Repeal the HDB (Housing and Development Board)'s Ban on Cats

HDB bans cats because the "shedding of their fur..."

This is certainly NO cat fur!
Found in a HDB flat!!

A C-hild Urinating in Public - HDB should also say, "Flat owners are not allowed to keep chidlren in HDB flats"

HDB says...
Flat owners are not allowed to keep cats in HDB flats, as it is generally difficult to confine cats within the flat premises. Nuisance caused by cats such as shedding of their fur, defecating/urinating in public areas or even the caterwauling sounds that they make can cause a lot of disturbance, which affects the environment and disrupts neighbourliness in our housing estates.

Support SPCA's call to review HDB ban on cats

The Electric New Paper :
31 March 2010

Support SPCA's call to review HDB ban on cats
I REFER to the letter from Ms Deirdre Moss, executive officer of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) 'Allowing cats in HDB flats would result in less irresponsibility' (The New Paper, 22 Mar).


I fully support the SPCA's call to review the ban on cats in HDB flats.

It is mainly because of the ban that we have the problem of stray cats.

Animals like cats have been medically proven to be helpful in providing a source of comfort to patients, especially those who are autistic, suffer from depression or are bed-ridden.

The authorities have been advocating responsible pet ownership and with that, we should be able to get rid of this problem.

Culling of animals should not even be considered before all the alternatives are explored.

FROM READER DELPHINE GOH SOON HWAN

To support this letter, feedback the New Paper by clicking here

Allowing cats in HDB flats would result in less irresponsibility

http://tnp.sg/speakup/story/0,4136,234250,00.html

The Electric New Paper :

Allowing cats in HDB flats would result in less irresponsibility
I REFER to the report 'Residents get catty over mess' (The New Paper, 2Mar) and the letters 'Ban against cats should be lifted' and 'H...DB ban unfair to cat lovers' (The New Paper, 6 Mar).
23 March 2010


The SPCA supports the call for the longstanding ban on keeping of cats to be reviewed by HDB.

Abandonment and straying of owned cats is a common problem, resulting in many complaints which affect the status of sterilised community cats.

Responsible

The SPCA believes that permitting cats to be kept as pets in HDB flats would call for more accountability by owners (who are at present keeping cats), and result in less irresponsibility.

Cats actually are very suitable for apartment living.

SPCA has always advocated that pets be kept responsibly and in consideration of one's neighbours.

Residents could be permitted to keep cats on the proviso that they are sterilised, microchipped and kept indoors.

Together with a government-aided programme (along the lines of the Stray Cat Rehabilitation Scheme which was halted abruptly in 2003) carrying out sterilisation of community cats, we feel both initiatives would go a long way towards solving the straying cat problem.

DEIRDRE MOSS (MS)
EXECUTIVE OFFICER
SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (SPCA)

Humans are dirty and noisy..yet NOT banned in HDB flats!

http://www.hdb.gov.sg/fi10/fi10326p.nsf/w/PetTypesOfPetsAllowed?OpenDocument

Cats

Flat owners are not allowed to keep cats in HDB flats, as it is generally difficult to confine cats within the flat premises. Nuisance caused by cats such as shedding of their fur, defecating/urinating in public areas or even the caterwauling sounds that they make can cause a lot of disturbance, which affects the environment and disrupts neighbourliness in our housing estates.

Recalcitrant irresponsible cat owners!

This cat is seen outside a Malay family that has 7 adult cats and 4 kittens. When told of complaints by neigbhours from "mess" from his free-roaming cats, the owner claimed he gave away the 4 kittens. Over a period of time, 5 of the cats were neutered. He is procrastinating in getting the remaining 2 female cats to be neutered. Repeated advice by the SPCA Inspector to the owner to cat-proof the flat fell on deaf ears. A few weeks ago, the town council received yet another complaint of "mess" from cats from this unit. "Fortunately" the complainant was able to pin-point where the cat came from and so the town council officer cannot activate the pest controller (who is also the estate's cleaning contractor) to round up all the cats in the vicinity of the complainant.
This video was taken this afternoon showing a siamese-cross cat waiting for the windows of for the irresponsible owners to open the windows so that it could jump in!

The HDB cat ban promotes such irresponsible cat-ownership!

With cat-ownership rules and regulations that require mandatory sterilisation, microchipping and keeping cats indoor or face a big fat fine, such recalcitrant owners can then be taken to task!