We refer to Mr Goh Shih Yong’s article “Strays problem: Putting pets down should be last resort” (ST 17th October 2003). The Cat Welfare Society welcomes AVA’s statement that killing unwanted animals should be a last option, and that it will be continuing with awareness campaigns to encourage responsible pet ownership. However, we are disappointed by the direction the government has taken in terminating the Stray Cat Rehabilitation Scheme (SCRS). It comes at a time when we were just starting to see results. For example, last year a total of about 10,000 cats were destroyed at the SPCA and AVA. This is a significant sudden drop of 3,000 compared to the previous 20 over years, when 13,000 cats were destroyed each year. The decrease suggests that: (1) the population of stray cats is finally decreasing, (2) more cats are being sterilised and hence not having to be removed and killed. This implies that the population is becoming more stable and better managed, the first important step towards a decreasing stray cat population. The government admits that killing is not a long term solution and that the complex stray cat situation requires a multi-pronged approach. Yet it is stopping one prong of the approach (sterilisation) and concentrating only on killing and public education. Experience over more than 20 years has proven that killing has not been effective in controlling the stray population, yet they have illogically chosen to go back to this inefficient and more costly method. Sterilisation and the SCRS on the other hand, was showing encouraging preliminary results in terms of population reduction. Now that this has been discontinued, the responsibility to sterilise strays is left to animal lovers and animal welfare groups. However, without government support, sterilised cats may still be destroyed and this would defeat our efforts and waste our limited resources The number of cat related complaints received was used to gauge the effectiveness of the Scheme. This is arbitrary as there have always been complaints even before the SCRS was implemented, and there will continue to be complaints as long as there are cats and people who dislike them. As the Scheme is about sterilisation and gradual population reduction over the medium to long term, it can be expected that cats will continue to be seen in neighbourhoods but that they will not be able to proliferate and add to the population. The Scheme is non-traditional and innovative. As with any novel method or new idea, especially if they require a change of mindset, it may be unpopular and take time to be accepted. We feel that discontinuing the SCRS was a huge step backwards when we could have moved forward by fine-tuning and adapting it based on feedback. Animal caregivers and animal welfare groups have the same objective as the government and are just as anxious to find ways to reduce the number of strays on the streets where they struggle to survive. Like all Singaporeans, we want our environment to be safe and pleasant. However, we do not believe that killing and education by themselves are the answer to solving the stray cat problem. It is vital that sterilisation and responsible management be adopted. Another humane option is to place stray cats in homes. We agree with Dr Teo Ho Pin of Holland-Bukit Panjang GRC when he commented that people who want to take care of cats should keep them in their homes. Unfortunately, many of us cannot do so because we belong to the 85% of Singapore households that live in HDB flats where cats are not allowed. It has also been mentioned that cats could be kept in shelters and long-term boarding. The costs however, of running such facilities are crippling. Furthermore, there is a limit to the number of cats that can be boarded at any one time and this number is not large enough to see a significant drop in the stray population. We see the management of stray animals as an issue of life and death, and not just a matter of convenient expediency. To us it is imperative that the rate of killing is reduced. We ask those who object to sterilisation and responsible management of stray cats to be tolerant and to reconsider their stand against a method that has the greatest potential to work if implemented properly. Killing over the last 20 years and more has not resolved the stray cat issue. Sterilisation will, if given more time, resources, publicity and committment. Dr Lynn Yeo President Cat Welfare Society