If you are facing a problem or have received an advisory from our team, please read the information below on actions you can take to resolve these issues:
Pet Cats
- Unsterilised pet cat
Pet cats should be sterilised without any exception.
If your neighbour has not sterilised their pet cat, please advise them to do so by leaving this advisory at their doorstep. If they refuse to do so and the cats are causing a nuisance (caterwauling, peeing to mark territory, roaming, etc), please write to [email protected] with the exact address of the unit.
If you have not sterilised your pet cat, please do so to ensure that you do not cause a nuisance to your neighbours and community. You can book a sterilisation slot with your nearest vet. If you are facing financial difficulties and require assistance to sterilise your cat, please write to us at [email protected].
- Roaming pet cat
Pet cats must be kept strictly indoors and should only be allowed outdoors under human supervision. Even then, this may be risky and it is the owner’s responsibility to care for the cat should it be injured or subject to abuse.
If your neighbour is allowing their cat to roam, please advise them to do so by leaving this advisory at their doorstep. If they refuse to do so and the cats are causing a nuisance (caterwauling, peeing to mark territory, roaming, etc), please write to [email protected] with the exact address of the unit, the time the cat is spotted and what nuisance is causing.
If you are allowing your cat to roam, please stop doing so immediately. You are exposing your cat to dangers and likely causing a nuisance to your neighbours. If your cat is trying to get out of the house, please ensure you cat is sterilised and provide your cat with distractions and re-train your cat to stay indoors. This could include placing cat condos by a meshed window so that they have a view to observe birds and insects safely, providing them with treat puzzle toys and even hunting toys like mice and feathery toys to stalk and hunt.
- Cat living in unmeshed unit
Responsible owners will ensure that their pet cats are kept safely indoors and that any windows or gate has grilles/mesh that will not allow a cat to accidentally fall out.
If you see a cat sitting at the window/balcony/other unmeshed part of the house from which the cat can fall, please advise the cat owner to mesh their home by approaching them with this advisory. There are a variety of options to secure homes with varying price range, so there will be something that suits every home. If they refuse to do so and the cats are repeatedly found in such a situation, please write to [email protected] with the exact address of the unit and images of the cats exposed to the dangers and the date and time the cats were spotted.
If your house is presently unmeshed, please get it meshed up. Your failure to mesh can result in your cat falling down and injuring itself or dying a slow and painful death. Just because your cat has never jumped to the window does not mean that it never will. There are many options you can consider for meshing and they all have different price ranges so research these options. If you need more information, please visit this page.
- Smell from unit
Urine and faeces will leave a lingering smell if they are not cleaned regularly and thoroughly. All responsible cat owners must provide their cats with a place to defecate in and clean that regularly (at least once a day) and thoroughly.
If your neighbour has persistently failed to clean their home, please advise them to do so with this advisory.
If you have difficulty with maintaining the cleanliness of your home, please reach out to us about possibly obtaining additional litter boxes and cleaning solutions to assist.
- Missing pet cat
If your pet cat is missing, please immediately contact Animal Response Centre (ARC) at 1800 4761600 and SPCA at 62875355. Provide the following information:
- Where your pet was last seen
- The time at which your pet was last seen
- Your pet’s name, breed, approximate age, sex and colour
- Microchip
- Description of the cat, e.g. tail length, tipped ear, collar, etc
Put up posters around your neighbourhood with your cat photo, last known sighting and your contact number.
Post in facebook groups such as “Lost and found pets in Singapore” to ask for assistance.
- Pee / poop along corridor or outside a unit
If you find pee or poop outside your unit, please try to identify the cat. Please see if you can trace the cat to a unit in your block. If it is a community cat, please see if anyone is feeding the cat along the corridor near your place and send us this information.
Here are some steps your can take to deter the cats:
- Corridor or other smooth surfaces – Pour white vinegar or lemon juice where the cat usually lingers, Another option is to sprinkle crushed mothballs or salt and baking soda where the cat usually lingers. These ingredients are not harmful and will not hurt the cat or yourself but they will discourage loitering as cats dislike these scents.
- Plant pots – Please blunt disposable chopsticks around the pot to prevent the cat from climbing in. Ensure the sticks are blunt so as not to injure yourself, the cat or a passing neighbour.
- Encountering a cat – Using a small spray bottle, lightly squirt water toward the body of the cat whenever you see the cat outside your door. This will discourage the cat from loitering and visiting your home again. Use cold water so you don’t hurt yourself or the cat.
- Caged / leashed cat
If you encounter a situation where a cat is caged for an extended period of time in a day or leashed, please write to us ([email protected]) and the SPCA with the following information:
- Exact location of the cat;
- Images of the cat; and
- If you have noticed the cat in that situation for more than one instance, please state all the dates and times you have seen the cat.
- How do I rehome my cat
We would ask why you need to rehome your cat and if there are alternative solutions to be worked out first.
For instance, if you need help to sterilise your cats, you can write to [email protected].
If you are truly unable to keep your cats, then you can post them up for adoption on our adoption page (www.catwelfare.org/adoptions) and on the various facebook groups.
- How do I relocate my cat
You will need to check on:
- Exporting guidelines from the country you are exiting; and
- Importing guidelines from the country you are entering.
Singapore’s import and export guidelines are set out here: https://www.nparks.gov.sg/avs/pets/bringing-animals-into-singapore-and-exporting/exporting-dogs-and-cats/preparing-to-leave-singapore
- I received a HDB notice about my cat
Please send us a copy of the notice.
We will assist you provided that:
- All your cats are sterilised;
- All your cats are kept strictly indoors; and
- Your house is regularly cleaned and there are no smells of pee and poop.
If you require assistance with sterilisation or meshing, we can assist. Cleanliness is a habit that you will need to pick up.
Community Cats
- Feeding community cats
Feeding community cats is not illegal provided it is done responsibly. There are two requirements for responsible feeding:
(a) The food must be placed on a receptacle like a paper plate / wax paper and not directly on the floor
- The food must be cleared within 2 hours of being placed out.
If these requirements are followed, then no penalty will be incurred by the feeder.
If they are not, then the feeding will be considered an act of littering and this will attract a fine under the laws of Singapore.
- Unsterilised cats spotted
Please take pictures of the unsterilised cats and write to [email protected] with the exact location, number and pictures of the cats. We will try to locate any caregivers in that vicinity, failing which, we will likely need your assistance while coordinating a trapping.
- Abandoned cats
Please take pictures of the unsterilised cats and write to [email protected] with the exact location, number and pictures of the cats. We are only able to provide sterilisation assistance for the cat and the cats will need to learn to adapt to the community.
If you wish to rehome the cats, then we will assist you with the process and our adoption platforms are available to you.
- Cat fights
If you hear cat fights in your area, please try to trace the source and break up the fight. Such fights usually occur because of new unsterilised cats in the territory. If the cat is unsterilised, please assist to get it sterilised.
- Dog-cat conflicts
If you come across community dogs in your area, please write to [email protected]. We work with AVS and the caregivers on the ground to work on ways to manage the potential conflicts. The AVS works with dog groups to trap, neuter, release and manage or rehome the dogs.
- Harassment by public about feeding, etc
If you are harassed by anyone about feeding, please politely ask them to stop and inform them feeding is not illegal. They can write to [email protected] if they have questions.
If it fails, please ask them for their name and number to file a police report.
If you ever feel like your personal safety is threatened, please immediately call the police.
- Sick/injured cat found
Please contact the SPCA for medical assistance. It will be helpful if you are able to secure the cat and bring it to them as they have limitations on their resources as well.
If you wish to bring it to a private vet, you may do so and the expenses will be borne by you. You can inform the vet that the cat is a community cat as some vets offer discounts for their care.
- Kittens found
If you find kittens in the community, you can either care for them in the community until they are old enough to sterilise and return to the community as well, or you can foster them and have them rehomed.
Rehoming can be a lengthy process so please only take this on if you are able to commit till they are adopted.
- Abused cat
If you come across an abused cat, please contact the SPCA for medical assistance and write to us at [email protected] with the details on where the cat was found and the condition of the cat. We will assist to follow up on it.
Others
- Doesn’t feeding cats lure cats into my estate?
Feeding of cats does not lure them into an estate. Cats are usually already within an estate and if there is no food source, they will cause disturbance by looking for food in areas like dumpsters and homes. Feeding cats responsibly will ensure they are not causing a disturbance to other residents.
- I want to remove / relocate the cats in my community
We do not provide removal or relocation services because they are ineffective, a waste of money and cruel. Please write to [email protected] with the issue you face and we will assist you.
- Illegal breeding / sale of animals
Please write to [email protected] with information on the suspected residence that is illegally breeding and/or selling animals. Please include the site where you saw the advertised service and any communications you have with the person.
- Cremation or burial of cats
There are several pet cremation companies in Singapore.
Please ensure any burial is done on private land and not state land as digging up state land is disallowed.
If you require assistance with a cat-related issue, please write to us at [email protected].