I have just received a warning from HDB or Town Council about keeping cats in my HDB flat. What should I do?

Please email info@catwelfare.org for assistance.

The first thing you need to ask yourself is if you have observed responsible cat ownership by

• keeping your cats strictly indoors; and
• sterilising them.

These are the 2 most important conditions of cat ownership as they dispel all the reasons that HDB cite as to why cats are banned as pets in HDB flats -- that they are hard to confine, that they shed fur and defecate in public areas and that they caterwaul (during mating season).

By meshing your windows and gates, the cats will not be loitering in public areas. They will also be kept safe from falling out of windows. Sterilising them will eliminate the need to roam to find a mate and the caterwauling and fighting during the mating ritual.

Please do not, under any circumstances, abandon your cat in public areas as a result of receiving a warning. Pet cats often do not survive well on the streets as they have lost the instincts to fend for themselves. They also add to the community cat population in the estate and are thus in danger of being trapped for culling.