Responsible cat ownership ensure that pet cats are kept safe and well provided for in their homes and that they do not cause any nuisance to their neighbours. This has not been possible as there is no standardised requirements of pet cat ownership and further, a ban on cat ownership in HDBs in Singapore.
CWS work was therefore to (a) set up a standard for all cat owners to adhere to and (b) overturn the ban of cat ownership in HDBs. To achieve this, CWS had contributed to the Code of Animal Welfare and subsequently created a cat-specific framework for responsible cat ownership.
CWS’ responsible cat ownership framework set out the following criteria:
- Pet cats must be sterilised once they are old enough (approx. 5 to 6 months old)
- Pet cats must be kept safely indoors. To that end, all windows, gates, service yards, balconies and such should be secured with grilles no wider than 2” (smaller if the pet is a kitten) to ensure a cat cannot fall out accidentally.
- Pet cats should be provided with good quality food and fresh water daily.
- Pet cats should be provided with medical care as and when they require it. Denial of medical care is an act of cruelty.
- Pet cats should be provided with litter boxes that are cleaned regularly.
- Pet cats should be provided with sufficient stimulation in the form of toys, scratchers, cat condos, etc.
It is worth noting that the framework set out by CWS is more stringent than that being proposed by the governmental authorities as we require mandatory sterilisation of pet cats.
CWS is happy to share that both goals will be achieved in 2024. We have worked extensively with the authorities to overturn the current ban on cat ownership in HDBs in the past years and put in place a clear licensing framework and penalties for non-adherence to the requirement of responsible cat ownership.