Cats are banned in HDB..?
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I think i just read in a page in the straits times That "Cats are purr-fect pets".. it states somewhere that cats are banned in HDB flats cause they shed and dirty the place somewhat.
Is that true? Since when? If they're banned In HDB flats then won't all cats be homeless?
And i read about this article from chit chat about the guy who was sentenced to 3 months jail for abusing several kittens and cats..? Anyone has the article? -
I dun tink they are banned..
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That's for abusing cats, amigo -
Are they sure?
Cats know how to dig holes and shit in the hole and den cover up the holes. -
Yes, all along cats are banned from HDB flats. This is a 20 year-old rule which HDB refused to acknowledge and change, despite repeated efforts by the Cat Welfare Society and SPCA to work with HDB to change this rule over the years.
Remember, about 80-85% of the local population lives in HDB flats.
Cats aren't allowed in flats, and are subject to inhumane torture and culling by town councils just by being in the streets. What this effectively means is that cats have no place in our '1st world' society. Sad, isn't it?
HDB say cats shed fur, poo anyhow, etc. and are a nuisance. As if yelping dogs in HDB, lousy karaoke singers and late night mahjong players in HDB flats are not a nuisance?
I'll post the articles for your info. -
Man jailed 3 months for torturing kitten
The Straits Times
March 7, 2006
Man jailed 3 months for torturing kitten till its eye protruded 1 1/2-month-old kitten also beaten on head and had to be put to sleep for its injuries
By Elena Chong
A MAN who rubbed the eyes of a kitten and beat its head was jailed for three months yesterday for animal abuse.
David Hooi Yin Weng, 42, pleaded guilty to torturing a female black-and-white kitten at his rented flat in Block 544, Bedok North Street 3 on Nov 14 last year.
Police found the cat with its left eye protruding and blood stains on the nostrils when they visited his flat on the evening of Nov 14.
The 1 1/2-month-old kitten had to be put to sleep for its injuries.
Pleading for leniency, Hooi said he made a 'mistake' and would not do it again.
He could have been fined up to $10,000 or jailed for up to 12 months under the Animals and Birds Act.
It was cat lover Ngiam Mui Wah, 46, who tipped off the police that Hooi might be ill-treating cats.
Ms Ngiam, who is self-employed, went to court to testify as a prosecution witness but did not have to do so as Hooi pleaded guilty to the offence.
She told The Straits Times yesterday that Hooi had been seen torturing cats before.
Ms Ngiam, who is part of a group feeding stray cats in the Bedok area, said a retired school teacher told her last June that she had seen a man strangle a kitten at Block 545 while she was taking a morning walk in the park.
Police were called in but could not find the dead cat.
Ms Ngiam then contacted the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and also made a police report.
Two months later, Ms Ngiam saw a man trying to catch a cat at the void deck of Block 543.
She immediately called the retired teacher who came and identified him as the same person who had killed the kitten last June.
Hooi left before the police came, but residents said he lived on the 11th floor of Block 544.
Ms Ngiam said his neighbours told them they had seen dead cats along the common corridor two to three days earlier.
Ms Ngiam, who has a pet cat, said some neighbours had advised her to let Hooi do what he liked with the stray cats and not to be a busybody.
'I don't agree. If everybody were to think that way, there will be a lot of problems not only to cats but also to human beings as well,' she said.
Ms Deirdre Moss, executive officer of the SPCA, said two cats were picked up from Hooi's flat. One was put up for adoption while the other was the badly injured kitten that had to be put to sleep.
'Although SPCA is not legally empowered to act in cruelty cases, the SPCA will investigate all alleged reports of animal abuse and assist the authorities as in this case,' she said.
Between 2000 and last year, at least five people were jailed for abusing cats and causing their deaths.
Straits Times
11th March 2006
Bedok residents started night patrol to nab man killing strays.
By Tanya Fong.
FOR five months, a group of Bedok residents took turns to patrol their neighbourhood over seven hours every evening. Their mission - to catch the man they suspected of torturing and killing the area's stray cats.
KEEPING A HEAD COUNT: Madam Sharifah Khamis, 40, a member of the Bedok neighbourhood cat patrol, started taking a census of the area's strays.
One of them, Miss Ngiam Mui Wah, 46, finally caught him in the middle of another attack and had enough evidence to make criminal charges stick.
That ended David Hooi Yin Weng's reign of terror. The 42-year-old packer was this week jailed three months for animal abuse.
The first attack on the neighbourhood's strays began last June, when a retired school teacher, Madam Jeya, 58, saw a man pick up a kitten from a drain and throttle it.
Recalling her horror, she said: 'I saw him strangle it - he was pressing the cat's neck between his thumb and fingers. Its eyes were almost going to pop out, and it started to bleed from its nose and mouth.'
She rushed home and called the police, but he got away with that one.
The episode gave her nightmares for weeks after that. She told her neighbour, fellow stray-cat feeder Miss Ngiam, about it.
All at once, the bloodied bodies of kittens in the neighbourhood's void decks and drains started to make sense. A 'cat killer' was definitely on the loose.
They set up a neighbourhood patrol. Ten residents - backed up by young boys who often cycled in the area - came forward. Each team did a two-week shift from 6pm to about 1am.
Team member Sharifah Khamis, 40, also started taking a census of the neighbourhood's strays. If one cat or kitten went missing, patrol members were asked if they saw it.
STRANGLED CATS: Hooi was jailed three months for animal abuse. -- ST READER SANDY LIM
The killings continued. Last October, a 58-year-old therapist who wanted to be known only as Mr Bakri stumbled upon an attack in progress in the void deck of Block 545. The man was strangling a kitten and kicking its mother away.
Mr Bakri said he shouted at the man, who challenged him in Hokkien to a fight and dared him to call the police. When he took out his mobile phone and began dialling, the man dropped the mangled kitten and fled. Mr Bakri chased after him, but lost him.
By this time, the patrol already knew the man's name and that he lived in Block 544 - but for months, the man continued with the attacks and managed to give the patrol the slip.
Then, Miss Ngiam got her break in November.
Perhaps he was complacent that day - but he merely sauntered away still holding the animal, and challenged her to call the police.
She said: 'I was so angry. I knew if I let him walk away, another kitten would surely die.'
She called the police and led them to Hooi's 11th-floor flat. There, they saw all the evidence they needed - the six-week-old kitten, bleeding from the nose and its eyes bulging from their sockets. Hooi's neighbours then piped up to say that they had seen dead cats along the corridor outside his flat.
News of his three-month jail term gave a sense of relief to the residents, but they think the sentence is too light. The law provides for a maximum sentence of 12 months. Most who spoke declined to give their full names for fear that Hooi might seek revenge after serving time.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) attended to 708 complaints of animal abuse last year. Of these, fewer than five were cases that involved extreme cruelty resulting in police action.
SPCA executive officer Deirdre Moss said: 'Many times, people hear about abuse cases and it just stops there. We commend the women who blew the whistle on the abuser in Bedok. Thanks to their vigilance and persistence, he was caught in the act.
'The SPCA depends on the public to follow their example and be willing to stand up and testify.' -
yup. v long ago.Originally posted by _Aaron_:I think i just read in a page in the straits times That "Cats are purr-fect pets".. it states somewhere that cats are banned in HDB flats cause they shed and dirty the place somewhat.
Is that true? Since when? If they're banned In HDB flats then won't all cats be homeless?
And i read about this article from chit chat about the guy who was sentenced to 3 months jail for abusing several kittens and cats..? Anyone has the article?
cats are nv allowed to be kept in HDB flats, u duno meh?
cats dun even got license ar.
i duno y like that.. dogs can enjoy all the luxuries, the air con.. but cats? can only be strays, drains and rubbish chutes are their home.
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Catch the human rats
TODAY
Catch the human rats
I Say
Monday • March 20, 2006
Goh Boon Choo
The March 14 edition of Today carried the article, "Hunt for Tampines gang of four". Police were "on the lookout for a gang of suspected teenaged delinquents who allegedly preyed on their peers".
I cannot help but wonder why we never see a headline that reads instead, "Cat killer on the loose: Police step up patrol in Bedok North Street 3".
David Hooi Yin Weng, 42, is serving a three-month jail sentence for torturing a 1½-month-old kitten until her left eye protruded, her nose was bloodied and her brain haemorrhaged.This case struck a chord with Singaporeans, whether animal lovers or otherwise. People were astonished at the brief sentence.
Nobody can fathom how Hooi could even think of torturing a defenceless fur ball that would have fitted snugly into a human hand.But why not? Hooi is a habitual cat killer who has confessed to killing cats since the age of 15. He has a 27-year record of torturing cats and kittens. Slit stomachs, bloodied eyes, crushed skulls, mangled necks — he seems to have done them all.
But these are not the only pertinent questions, for the case raises questions about Singapore's legal processes and Singaporeans' passivity.
Hooi used to kill with impunity. Witnesses have seen him strangle kittens in broad daylight. Cat carcasses were found at the foot of Blk 534 or along its 11th-floor corridor. Neighbours came to know his macabre handiwork. Yet, they remained silent.
Alarmed residents who were volunteers and cared for cats in the area began filing police reports in mid-2005, but cats kept dying horrifically. Frustrated, they began nightly patrols with civic-spirited boys. They found out who Hooi was and where he lived. Yet the killings continued. Apparently, they needed to nab the perpetrator red-handed before the police could arrest him.The volunteers got their break after five months.
Ms Ngiam Mui Wah, a volunteer, witnessed Hooi trying to abduct a cat. The helpers mobilised and pressed the police to go to Hooi's flat immediately.
When the police entered Hooi's rented flat, the hapless kitten was barely alive. They found another cat, apparently next in line to receive his sick ministrations.
Between 2000 and last year, "at least" five people were jailed for abusing cats and causing their deaths. Why have so few been charged? After all, the SPCA received over 700 reports of animal cruelty in the last year alone. Since 2002, animal abuse penalties have been enhanced to a fine of up to $10,000 or a jail sentence of up to 12 months under the Animals and Birds Act.
But such deterrence is apparently still inadequate.
Part of the problem may lie with how cases of cruelty are dealt with, as the maximum penalties have never been meted out.
Perhaps there is another factor: How the police view reports of cruelty. As evinced by the brave volunteers, it was their efforts that got the infamous cat-killer arrested.
Many people dismiss animal cruelty as an unimportant issue, but anyone who thinks animals do not feel pain ought to read David Wallace Foster's insightful piece, Consider the Lobster (Gourmet magazine, August 2004, www.lobsterlib.com).
It is a fact that animal cruelty is a precursor to violent human crimes.
No less than the Federal Bureau of Investigation has published research on this issue.
So why do Singaporeans and the authorities still seem to view animal cruelty as inconsequential petty crime?
In contrast, we cane vandals and jail shoplifters. What will it take before we treat animal cruelty with the corresponding gravitas?
In his plea, Hooi said "he made a mistake and would not do it again". However, with his record, who can trust that a three-month jail sentence is enough to reform him? What safeguards are there to ensure he does not relapse?
Hooi also threatened the witnesses who confronted him. I fear for the brave residents of Bedok who helped put him in jail. The volunteers, though awaiting his release with trepidation, are determined to prevent him from killing again.
I shudder at the thought that he might move to an area where residents have the same attitude as those who advised Ms Ngiam to "let Hooi do what he likes with the stray cats and don't be a busybody".
Unless concrete measures are taken to ensure Hooi never has the opportunity to kill again, we must brace ourselves to be horrified — and hope Hooi does not go beyond cat-killing.
The writer is a reader concerned with animal and environmental issues.
Cat feeder takes proper care of strays without messing up
http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/forum/story/0,5562,378325,00.html
March 17, 2006
Cat feeder takes proper care of strays without messing up
We are writing in response to Mr Joshua Chia's letter "Take the right action to take proper care of stray animals" (ST Online Forum, March 15).
We would like to point out that the volunteer mentioned is being responsible. She feeds responsibly and cleans up, and she sterilises the cats so they do not multiply.
This volunteer and many others like her also help to deal with any complaints that may arise. Volunteers also ensure that the cats are given proper medical treatment.
What Mr Chia is referring to is littering. Littering is never encouraged whether it be food left for cats, birds or people. For example, many people leave food remnants in void decks as well, and this should similarly be frowned upon.
Perhaps Mr Chia is not aware that cats are not allowed in HDB flats or that 13,000 healthy cats are killed every year for the last 25 years because they are not able to find homes.
Sending them to the already over-burdened SPCA and Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority means that most of the animals are put to sleep because they do not have enough space for them. The SPCA gets 1,000 animals every month and it does not have the space to house them all.
By removing the cats, you create a "vacuum effect". Cats enter an area for territory, not for food. If you remove the cats, especially sterilised cats, new cats will move in.
Sterilised cats are more territorial and this keeps the population stable by keeping other cats out. This results in a controlled, managed cat population.
If we take Mr Chia's suggestion, any shelter would be filled up in no time.
Shelters are very expensive to run. In the meantime, cats on the streets will keep reproducing. Given Singapore's limited space, large shelters are impractical.
In the US, it was found that when sterilisation was actively promoted, shelter admissions dropped by half. The number of animals killed also dropped drastically.
Simply put, if you control the reproduction of the animals, you will be able to control the number of cats humanely without having to constantly kill them. We have also found that this works in many neighbourhoods in Singapore. Mr Chia may want to find out more about the Trap-Neuter-Return-Manage programme on the Cat Welfare Society's website at www.catwelfare.org.
On a final note, the reason Mr Chia may not see any cats or feeders in his estate may be that there are care-givers who are doing their job very well.
Many care-givers feed them without drawing notice to themselves and they cause the least inconvenience to others. It is highly unlikely that he has no cats in his estate. More likely, these cats may be so well managed that he does not notice them.
Dawn Kua Su-Wen (Ms)
Director of Operations
Cat Welfare Society
http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/forum/story/0,5562,377832,00.html
The Straits Times
March 15, 2006
Take the right action to take proper care of stray animals
Tanya Fong's story "Neighbourhood patrol helped send cat killer to jail" (ST, March 11) had a picture which showed a woman feeding cats in the HDB void deck.
As we cheer the landmark case against animal abuse, it is also timely to think about responsible ways to care for stray animals.
Despite years of campaigning by the town council against feeding pigeons, residents in my neighbourhood still feed them with bread crumbs and leftovers. Such actions by compassionate residents have caused pigeons and crows to gather and the mess created by the food and bird droppings pose a health hazard.
Luckily, there are no stray cat feeders in my neighbourhood. I do not dislike cats but I would not want to see stray animals coming to the void decks for their meals for hygiene reasons. Stray animal feeders should also think about their neighbours who dislike or have phobia of animals.
Animal lovers could consider adopting stray animals if it is within their means and they comply with official guidelines on the allowable breeds.
They could also help by bringing stray animals to the SPCA or the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority so that these animals can be given the necessary medical treatment and a chance for adoption. More importantly, animal lovers could volunteer their time and money to the SPCA for such a cause.
The schools, residents' committees and religious organisations could set up mini-pet farms to adopt stray animals if there is sufficient demand and support. Besides providing home for stray animals, the farms will help to inculcate love and responsibility for animals in students and fellow Singaporeans.
Joshua Chia Yeong Jia
Cat saga shows animal abuse is a serious crime
The Straits Times
March 10, 2006
Cat saga shows animal abuse is a serious crime
IN RESPONSE to the report, 'Man jailed 3 months for torturing kitten till its eye protruded' (ST, March 7), the Cat Welfare Society would like to commend the authorities for acting on this case and for sending the message that animal abuse is a serious crime which will not be tolerated.
Too often, unfortunately, people are of the view that animal abuse is not serious as it involves just an animal.
However, studies have found, among other things, that domestic violence in a home usually starts with the family pet. Studies have also shown that children who abuse animals are more likely to become violent adults.
We applaud Ms Ngiam Mui Wah, who tipped off the police, for having the courage and conviction to come forward when others urged her not to do so.
She has shown herself to be a concerned citizen and an active resident in her estate. Her actions are an inspiration to all of us.
We are also pleased with the manner in which this case was handled by the police. We have had volunteers attempting to make police reports, only to be told that animal abuse is not a crime, and to refer the matter to animal-welfare groups.
We hope that this case will highlight to the public and law-enforcement officers that animal abuse is a crime, and is treated as such by the law.
Dawn Kua Su-Wen (Ms)
Director of Operations Cat Welfare Society
http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/forum/story/0,5562,376726,00.html
March 10, 2006
Sentence way too light for act of gross cruelty
IT DISGUSTED me to read that David Hooi Yin Weng, 42, was sentenced to only three months' jail for torturing a 1 1/2-month-old kitten until her left eye protruded and her nostrils were bloodied. Her injuries were so severe that she had to be put down.
The sentence is ludicrous, given that Hooi had been seen torturing cats before. Apparently it was not the first time he killed a cat, yet he had the cheek to plead for leniency. On what grounds?
Yet, it seems that his plea that his crime was a 'mistake' was accepted - the three-month sentence is well below the maximum. Adding insult to injury, he was not fined, despite the provision for a custodial sentence of up to a year or a fine of up to $10,000, or a combination of both.
We must not belittle Hooi's crimes just because his victims are not human. Research has shown that animal abuse has larger implications for society because serial killers and mass murderers, more often than not, committed acts of cruelty to animals earlier in life.
Abuse involves power and control over a vulnerable victim. Studies show a direct relationship between animal abuse and family violence. Children, spouses and the elderly in abusive homes are just feathers in the cap of the abuser.
Thus, it is disturbing to learn that some of Hooi's neighbours had advised Ms Ngiam Mui Wah, who tipped off the police, to 'let Hooi do what he liked with the stray cats and not to be a busybody'.
These people are condoning cruelty to animals, and they send a very powerful but very corrupted message to our children: it is OK to maim and kill as long as the victim is weaker than you. It may start with animals, but this is where the seeds of discrimination and apathy are sown.
Not every child who abuses animals grows up to commit murder, but proper guidance must be given so that children will grow up to have empathy and compassion, not just for animals but for all beings.
Animal cruelty concerns all Singaporeans. We must acknowledge this fact, and do all we can to prevent it.
Singaporeans must speak up against animal cruelty, and law-enforcement officers must do their part to bring abusers to justice and see that they are punished to the fullest extent of the law.
Tini Abdul (Ms)
http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/forum/story/0,5562,376732,00.html
March 10, 2006
Someone broke his paws and fractured his hip
FOR every case like that of David Hooi Yin Weng who was convicted of animal abuse, many cases go unreported or were closed because of a lack of evi- dence.
SAD CASE OF A CAT CALLED SHADOW: Shadow, who is now able to raise its 'behind' to do his business, has a few years to live. He will never walk like a normal cat. He hops like a kangaroo, and his hip joint remains frail.
On Oct 18 last year, a young woman living in my estate found a kitten hiding in the shoe cabinet outside her flat. It was a male kitten, four to five months old. His trusting temperament indicated that he was a home-bred kitten.
He was limping. At the vet's clinic, X-rays revealed that deformities in both his paws were due to multiple fractures that had healed. Someone had derived pleasure from exerting great force on the paws repeatedly.
However, the limping was due to a recent severely-fragmented fracture of the left hip. The veterinary surgeon operated on him and inserted a plate into the joint.
The kitten, named Shadow, is now able to hold up his 'behind' to carry out the basic functions of urination and defecation. The vet said he has a few years to live. He will never walk like a normal cat. He hops like a kangaroo, and his hip joint remains frail.
Cruelty towards a defenceless animal is a symptom of a 'sick' society. We need serious introspection into our sense of morality to find out why such atrocities occur in our society.
We need to examine the Government's - and this includes the town councils and the HDB's - attitude and action where animal welfarism is concerned, as well as the attitude of parents and schools on kindness or cruelty towards animals.
Perhaps we have to heed the words of a wise man who lived in the 6th Century BC called Pythagoras, who said: 'As long as man continues to be the ruthless destroyer of lower living beings, he will never know health or peace. For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seed of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love.'
We may have made great economic strides in a short span of time but if we neglect the moral development of our nation that cannot preclude the way we treat animals, then I am afraid we will always remain a nation without a 'soul'.
Dr Tan Chek Wee
http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/forum/story/0,5562,376610,00.html
March 10, 2006
Three months' jail for kitten abuser is not enough
FOR torturing a 1 1/2-month-old kitten until her left eye protruded and her nostrils were stained with blood, David Hooi Yin Weng got away with only three months' jail ('Man jailed 3 months for torturing kitten till its eye protruded'; ST, March 7). The kitten's injuries were so severe she had to be euthanised.
Given that Hooi had been seen torturing cats before, the unfathomably light sentence seems almost irrelevant.
The law provides for a jail sentence of up to a year, a fine of up to $10,000 or a combination of both. Why was the full weight of the law not brought to bear on Hooi?
This case demonstrates, once again, that Singapore does not take a serious view of deliberate cruelty. We don't have to look far for further proof.
For neglecting his Alaskan malamute to the point of death over 1 1/2 years, Mr Lim Bee Leong was fined a mere $3,000. For large-scale abuses at his Lim Chu Kang dog-breeding farm, Lawrence Kuah Kok Choon, with a known illegal animal trade record, was fined a mere $1,000.
In contrast, we cane vandals and jail shoplifters.
The compassion of the courts towards animal abusers is disturbing, not least because of the evidence that animal cruelty is linked to violent crimes.
In First World countries, animal abuses are lambasted by society. A truly vibrant and cosmopolitan city boasts gracious citizens who respect fellow beings and do not ill-treat animals. A humane and gracious society recognises this and acts to protect the rights of animals.
Singapore would become a better society if we acknowledge the intrinsic value of animals. Hooi's case shows that our laws need to be revised and implemented more stringently to stop abuse at its roots.
Goh Boon Choo -
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This is HDB's standard template reply for the past 20 years.
HDB's chronic misconception of cats
HDB won't allow cats in flats
The New Paper, Friday 10 Feb 2006
I refer to the letter "Why Is HDB Against Cats In Flats?" (The New Paper, 21 Jan).
We wish to explain that cats are not allowed to be kept in HDB flats as they are nomadic in nature and it is difficult to confine them to flats.
Cats can shed fur, dirty public places, make noise and cause disturbance.
Despite the prohibition on cats, HDB has been receiving from residents numerous complaints relating to cats.
As our priority is to promote a pleasant living environment and good relationships for all residents in our housing estates, HDB will maintain its existing policy on not allowing cats to be kept in the flats.We thank the writer for her feedback.
Mrs Foo-Ho Yoke Ming
Deputy Director (Branch Operations)
Email: [email protected]
Housing & Development Board
SPCA: Allow cats in HDB flats
The New Paper, Wednesday 15 Feb 2006
I refer to the letter "HDB won't allow cats in flats" (The New Paper, 10 Feb) by Mrs Foo-Ho Yoke Ming, Deputy Director (Branch Operations) Housing and Development Board.
The letter contains statements about cats which do not, in SPCA's opinion, justify the prohibition on keeping of these animals in HDB flats.
Cats are clean animals and make excellent apartment-dwellers. They are independent, do not need daily walks and are quite content to be indoors.
SPCA is of the opinion that cats should be permitted to be kept in HDB flats on the proviso that they are sterilised, micro-chipped and confined indoors.
Cats are by nature very quiet once sterilised, as the mating instincts would no longer be present. They are easily trained to use kitty litter in a designated space so there is no reason for them to go outside.
The SPCA has been lobbying for a more humane solution in reducing the number of stray animals in Singapore.
If HDB amended the rule on the prohibition of cats, it would undoubtedly reduce the number of stray cats in HDB estates and in turn the numbers of complaints it receives.
-- Deirdre Moss
Executive Officer
SPCA
Cats' bad habits no worse than dogs'
The New Paper, Friday 17 Feb 2006
I refer to the reply, "HDB won't allow cats in flats" (The New Paper, 10 Feb) from Mrs Foo-Ho Yoke Ming, Deputy Director (Branch Operations) of HDB.
She said that cats can shed fur, dirty public places, make noise and cause disturbance.
With all due respect, I must say that dogs also exhibit these traits, not to mention their inclination to mark territory by peeing in various public spots they pass.
Yet certain breeds of dogs are allowed in flats.
I don't have any problem with this but I am not happy with the reasons given for banning cats.
The reply also mentioned that it is difficult to confine cats in flats.
I have seen cats in private flats happy to be kept indoors.
I agree with Ms Deirdre Moss of the SPCA in her letter, "SPCA: Allow cats in HDB flats (The New Paper, 15 Feb), that cats become quiet and retiring after they have been sterilised.I urge the HDB to review this policy.
-- Idham bin Jantan -
Cats are purr-fect pets, yes, even in HDB flats
The Electric New Paper :
Cats are purr-fect pets, yes, even in HDB flats
OH, no, you're thinking: Yet another animal column from Joanna Hughes.
By Joanna Hughes
07 March 2006
OH, no, you're thinking: Yet another animal column from Joanna Hughes.
Please believe that I meant it when I vowed not long ago not to write another word about pets, large or small, for at least six months.
But then, someone wrote in to The New Paper asking HDB to revise their ban on cats and HDB wrote back.
And I just can't let this one go.
'We wish to explain that cats are not allowed to be kept in HDB flats as they are nomadic in nature and it is difficult to confine them to flats. Cats can shed fur, dirty public places, make noise and cause disturbance.'
The reply was from Mrs Foo-Ho Yoke Ming, the HDB's Deputy Director (Branch Operations).
First of all, cats are peculiarly attached to places, according to books on cat behaviour.
Cats have travelled thousands of miles to return to their homes. In my block alone, a young cat abandoned by her elderly owner when his family put him in a home still waits outside some two years later.
Cats like to be inside, if they are neutered and their needs (food, clean water and clean litter) are met. Unsterilised cats will respond to nature's most urgent imperative, but a simple, painless and relatively inexpensive operation can take care of that.
My cats have always been house cats and I challenge anyone to show me happier, healthier cats.
As for shedding fur, surely a vacuum cleaner or a dust mop will take care of that at home. Although admittedly, they also shed fur in public places.
On that subject, the biggest shedders I have ever met after dogs are women, as anyone who has seen the sinks in a ladies' loo can testify.
Do cats pee in lifts like humans? I had a colleague who had to pick her way daily past a pile of human faeces left on the stairs leading to her flat.
Cats at least bury their poo. I have yet to see a cat deposit a child's used and dirty diaper on the pavement or throw a lit cigarette into a dustbin or park illegally, thus blocking the SCDF from putting out the fire caused by the lit cigarette.
Cats lick themselves frequently and do not smell, unlike many fellow travellers on the MRT.
Yes, a territorial cat fight can cause a few minutes of yowling, but compare that to tipsy lovers' quarrel, an all-night mahjong game, a boisterous karaoke session or even a void deck full of possibly illegal gamblers.
Now that I think about it, maybe the biggest problems in HDB estates walk on two legs.
I don't want to make this another Eastern vs Western values issue, but in the West, most apartments allow cats but not dogs.
Or if they do allow dogs, the owners must pay a higher security deposit. Dogs mate and squabble over territory. They shed and poo and pee, inside and out. They chew walls and tear up doors. They will howl when lonely.
And many of the more active breeds, like the small terriers, are almost impossible to confine happily in a small flat.
Why not try out a policy that allows cats in HDB flats provided the owner can provide proof of sterilisation and micro-chipping, plus a pledge to keep the cat indoors?
Or even demonstrate that he or she knows cat care basics, like the importance of a clean litter box and proper veterinary care.
A licence can cover the costs that such checks would incur. And let cat lovers enjoy the same healthy benefits of pet ownership - legally. -
Its kinda stupid how we have all these arguements in favour of keeping cats in HDBs, but nothing is, and it seems, will ever be done.
Maybe we can do a petition, walk the streets with signboards, we'll make it as the first Cats ever petition for Singapore! -
Originally posted by _Aaron_:Its kinda stupid how we have all these arguements in favour of keeping cats in HDBs, but nothing is, and it seems, will ever be done.
Maybe we can do a petition, walk the streets with signboards, we'll make it as the first Cats ever petition for Singapore! -
nothing is ever done abt this ruling because it takes them too much work to study the behaviour of cats and write a paper justifying that cats can be kept as pets. It's the usual gar-men style....
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its just an unwritten rule right?
lots of malays keep cats as pets. -
eh truth be told.
I don't think they really check.
Not just malays, alot of pple keep cats as pets..
hmm...~ -
i'll destroy everything...Originally posted by _Aaron_:Its kinda stupid how we have all these arguements in favour of keeping cats in HDBs, but nothing is, and it seems, will ever be done.
Maybe we can do a petition, walk the streets with signboards, we'll make it as the first Cats ever petition for Singapore! -
I think it is a written rule... just that they wun do anything about the cats until they received complaints....Originally posted by dragg:its just an unwritten rule right?
lots of malays keep cats as pets. -
It shows the utter stupidity and rigidity of the bureaucrats.
Screw them. Cats make so much better housepets because they are more self-disciplined in keeping themselves clean. -
if the cats go into other pple house how arh?
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Merry Meet To All,
Well Cat is truly a magnificent creature that hold an important place in many different cultures & religions especially in all Pagan, Wiccan , Esoterics Mystic, Magick & Witchcraft. For thousands of years, cats have been regarded as mysterious creatures with supernatural powers. No doubt Cats has its fair share of Beliefs & Superstitions too... what your friend told you is one of them just like "Letting a cat look into a mirror will cause you trouble" however some of these folklores don't exist till now for no reasons. For a Cat lover, probably by looking into their Pet Cat's eyes can tell its mood whether happy , sad or cranky... ha ha ha
Anyway Cats are not the only intelligent creatures around us although they are really proud little Devil...ha ha ha Sensitive to energies & all happening around them with sharp sense of sights & highly intuitive, protective over their owner makes them wonderful companion but Cats tend to attract alot of Yin energies... Most commonly known Familliar of Witches since Ancient times... Absolutely Mystical & Mysterious these Felines...
Blessed Be,
Oceanos -
actually what the article said is pretty true... once their basic needs are met, cats are perfectly happy to stay indoors rather than wander around....Originally posted by hisoka:if the cats go into other pple house how arh?
and i guess part of it lies in the pet-owners' responsibilities too.... if owners are willing to act responsibly and keep their cats at home, there's no fear of cats wandering into other people's space.... even in flats it's easy... all you need is a simple plastic barrier across your metal gate so that they can't squeeze between the bars....