Killing does not work In Singapore, more than 13000 stray cats are killed every year for the past 20 over years. This has not reduced their population nor the number of cat-related complaints received. Cats are elusive - only the most tame ones get caught leaving the wilder ones free to reproduce. If a cat is removed from its territory and killed, an ecological vacuum is created and new cats will move in and re-colonise the vacated areas quickly. This results in a continuing cycle of killing and re-population. Catching and killing is a short term, fire-fighting approach that does not address the root of the problem and thus is not effective in directly tackling the issue of unwanted strays. What is Sterilisation? Sterilisation involves the surgical removal of part of the reproductive organs from an animal so that it can no longer reproduce. It is a safe and quick procedure that is performed by a veterinarian with the animal under general anaesthesia so that there will not be any pain. The procedure takes between 5-15 minutes and the cat recovers to normal activity within 1-2 days. Both male and female cats have to be sterilised. Even though a male cat does not have kittens, he can be responsible for impregnating dozens of females. Sterilised cats can be recognised by a tipped left ear. Why Sterilisation? The “catch-sterilise-return-manage” method Sterilisation prevents unwanted litters. It is a long term, humane, more effective and far cheaper alternative to killing. This method allows the stray cats to live out their lives without adding to the population. Benefits of Sterilisation: Sterilisation alters cat behaviour and makes them tamer, more sedentary and easier to manage. Sterilisation - stops noisy mating calls - reduces roaming and cat fights, which decreases risk of injuries, accidents, infections - reduces spraying of urine. - makes them healthier because they don’t have to put all their energy into breeding and caring for their young - makes females less likely to suffer from mammary cancer and womb infections Returning sterilised cats to their territories guards against new unsterilised cats migrating in, and will keep rat and cockroach populations in check. Proper management of sterilised cats by registered caregivers under the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority’s Stray Cat Rehabilitation Scheme will ensure they remain healthy and are accepted by the community. It is far better to have a population of sterilised cats that cannot reproduce anymore and are responsibly managed than to have unsterilised cats that are uncontrolled and difficult to catch. Sterilisation improves the quality of the cats' lives, improves our environment and fosters a more tolerant and gracious society. * The Cat Welfare Society would like to urge all cat owners to be responsible and sterilise their pet cats so that no more unwanted animals are born to suffer needlessly. We also encourage all cat owners to keep their sterilised pet cat strictly indoors ** MUIS, the Islamic authority in Singapore, understands and approves of the practice of sterilisation of animals on humane grounds to control their population and reduce the wasteful destruction of lives.