CWS is proud to have contributed toward the Cat Management Framework announced on 11 May 2024.
The measures will start all cat owners on a common journey – a standardised level fo care with clear expectations on what responsible cat ownership is. This framework is driven by the tremendous efforts of responsible caregivers and fosters and consistent education of the public.
Here is a short overview of the framework:
Pet Cats
- Mandatory microchipping and licensing of pet cats. Licensing conditions and fees will apply.
- Two year transition period from 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2026.
- Sterilisation and microchipping suppot for lower income families pet cats.
These lagely accord with the responsible cat ownership guidelines that CWS has set out and pushed for. We are glad to see our work raise the minimum standards of care for pet cats in Singapore.
However, we take the view that AVS has failed to address one of the most pressing issues through its failure to mandate the sterilisation of pet cats. Unsterilised cats contribute to negative feedback like caterwauling, roaming and defecation. They also result in swift overpopulation within homes. Mandating sterilisation would curb all of these issues and ensure that disamenities are curbed. This is a missed opportunity and we hope the authorities will reconsider this omission.
Community Cats
The SCSP programme that saw partial subsidies from AVS toward sterilisation will be replaced by a TNRM programme with greater funding for the costs of sterilisation and ancillary costs of care.
CWS welcomes this news. We have been sterilising several thousand community cats each year with subsidies for only partial costs of sterilisation and microchipping. With the change, we will have greater coverage for the full TNRM cycle.
Education and Outreach
The framework is also expected to introduce community aat caregiving guidelines to encourage good practices and educate on responsible cat ownership.
CWS has provided guidelines for responsible cat caregiving and expects that this will be incorporated by AVS into their work on the same.
The Cat Management Framework is a welcome initiative. It is largely on point with what CWS has advocated for on the basis of our extensive experience and data collection but fails in its omisison of mandatory sterilisation. We will continue to work to push for this.