Why did Singapore ban cats in public housing for 34 years? What's changing now?

Cat lovers in Singapore can finally breathe a sigh of relief as the city-state plans to lift its apartment-cat ban later this year.

The 34-year cat ban, imposed by the Housing and Development Board (HDB), will be overturned in September.

However, the change in policy comes with a set of new rules.

Let’s take a look.

The cat ban

The HDB, which was established in 1960 to address a housing crisis that saw many people living in cramped settlements without adequate sanitation, is responsible for high-rise buildings that are subject to the cat ban, as per The Guardian.

Currently, almost 80 per cent of people reside in HDB apartments.

On its website, the HDB justifies the ban, which came into effect in 1989, by saying that cats are “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 your neighbours.”

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In Singapore, a city-state often renowned for its culture of law-abiding citizens, the ban is regularly disregarded.

The ban carries a fine of up to SGD$4,000 (US$2,970) and the risk of a pet’s eviction.

Dogs have not been subject to a similar ban, but they are limited to one per household and only certain breeds and sizes can be kept as pets: ‘yes’ to miniature poodles, ’no’ to golden retrievers, for example, as per Reuters.

Sunny prides herself on being a law-abiding Singaporean citizen, but for the last three years, she’s been hiding a feline fugitive called Mooncake.

The fluffy ragdoll lives with Sunny in defiance of a 34-year-old law banning cats in the government-built apartments that house the vast majority of Singaporeans.

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New rules

It’s not clear what made the Singapore government change its mind, but the tipping point appears to be an official survey in 2022 that showed that nine  out of 10 respondents agreed that cats were suitable pets to keep, including in HDB flats.

Under the new rules, residents will be permitted to possess two cats and one dog of an authorised breed, as long as they register and microchip their animals and finish a free online pet ownership course.

In order to keep their cats safe from harm, owners must “take reasonable steps,” such as installing grilles or netting to keep cats from going outside or falling out of tall windows.

Households with more than two cats will be granted amnesty, provided that their owners apply for licences during the transitional period.

The rise in pet ownership

The new regulations, which take effect in September, coincide with a noticeable rise in pet ownership and animal spending in Singapore.

Market research firm Euromonitor International has predicted a surge in cat ownership. In a report on prospects for cat food companies, it estimated Singapore’s current pet population at around 94,000 cats and 113,000 dogs.

In addition, a large number of HDBs in Singapore are home to stray or community cats, who are fed, watered, and given beds by their neighbours.

The executive director of the Singapore Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Aarthi Sankar, is hopeful that requiring cats to be registered will eventually stop individuals from leaving unwanted animals, which is becoming an increasingly common issue for rescue organisations.

“We are perpetually at about 70 to 80 per cent of our shelter’s limit,” she said, as per The Guardian, adding, “We try not to take on more cats than that in case we have an emergency rescue.”

Concerns

Some cat lovers say the new regulations don’t go far enough.

Sankar is concerned that some pet owners may misinterpret the new regulations and abandon animals that exceed the two-cat cap, failing to realise that there is a transitional period during which more animals may be registered and maintained.

According to Sanker, advocates of animal welfare have also pushed for the government to mandate sterilisation.

“We’ve seen many cases of people who hoard animals, particularly pet cats. And most of this begins because of accidental breeding within a litter of cats that they already have.”

Cat rescuer Chan Chow Wah, 50, also wants penalties for irresponsible owners.

He told Reuters he had to take care of a cat that fell from the third-storey and whose owners refused to pay its medical bills, as well as another cat that was abandoned after being diagnosed with heart disease.

“I end up taking over these cases. Basically, I look after them until they pass away,” said Chan, estimating he spent S$60,000 ($45,100) on vet bills in 2022.

With inputs from Reuters