Singapore set to axe cat ban in public housing

STORY: Singapore is lifting its apartment-cat ban later this year, and that means feline fans like Shamir Osman can finally breathe a sigh of relief.Under the 34-year-old law banning cats in public housing where the vast majority of Singaporeans live, Osman could face a fine of around US$3,000 and have his cat Harley evicted, if the pet was caught.But authorities rarely enforced the rules.“We understood that, and we were being responsible owners in the sense that we made sure that the girls didn't go outside, whether to urinate or defecate on our neighbor's homes or their plants or whatever that.”Singapore's ban on cats in public housing – known as HDB flats – is yet another example of the city-state's infamously exacting rules-based culture.The ban kicked in in 1989. Authorities reasoned cats were "difficult to contain within the flat … they tend to shed fur and defecate or urinate in public areas, and also make caterwauling sounds, which can inconvenience neighbors".The tipping point to why Singapore is changing its tack seems to be an official survey in 2022 showing 9 out of 10 respondents thought that cats were suitable pets to keep, including in HDB flats.The authorities are now consulting the public on a "proposed cat management framework" which should come into place in late 2024.Lawmaker Louis Ng, who ran an animal welfare group before joining parliament in 2015, says the plan shows how the public can pressure the government to review its policies."I think the overriding, most important thing is that it shows the government is listening, that many, thousands have spoken up, the government has looked into this policy and is finally reviewing and making some changes. It shows that if we all speak up, things can happen."New cat ownership rules in HDB flats will make licensing and microchipping cats, as well as installing window meshing to prevent cats from falling from heights, necessary.Each flat will be limited to just two cats, though.Long-time cat rescuer Chan Chow Wah says that could be a problem for him."Because ironically I will be in a situation where if I see a dying cat or a sick cat and I bring them in for palliative care, that act alone may actually be illegal because you've exceeded the number of cats."The cat rescue community in Singapore though, on the whole welcomes the new law.They say it can help mitigate challenges such as escalating cat abandonment.Dogs have not been subject to a ban, but they are limited to one per household and only certain breeds and sizes can be kept as pets.