SINGAPORE TO LIFT BAN ON CATS IN HDB FLATS
Authorities surveying public opinion on proposed cat management framework
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-yearold law banning cats in the government-built apartments that house the vast majority of Singaporeans.
Luckily for Mooncake, Singapore plans to scrap the ban later this year, freeing Sunny from the threat of a S$4,000 fine or her pet’s potential eviction.
“Cats are so much quieter than dogs. If they allow dogs, I don’t understand why not cats,” said 30-year-old Sunny, who works in marketing and asked to be identified only by her first name because she didn’t want to risk her cat being taken away.
Authorities rarely enforce the ban, which only applies to the high-rise Housing and Development Board (HDB) apartment blocks, where 80 per cent of 3.6 million Singaporeans live, and it has long been flouted by cat lovers.
The ban does, however, make things difficult: because they technically shouldn’t exist, HDB pet cats like Mooncake are not eligible for pet insurance.
Lawmaker Louis Ng, who has campaigned to revoke the ban, said the regulation sometimes becomes leverage for warring neighbours.
“A lot of times, the cats are collateral when there’s neighbourly disputes,” he said. “The neighbour will just say: ‘Oh you’re keeping cats, I’ll go and alert (the authorities)’.”
Singapore’s ban on cats in HDB housing is another example of the city-state’s infamously exacting rules-based culture, in which, for example, the sale and import of chewing gum remains banned.
Cats were allowed in HDB flats until Parliament amended the housing law in 1989. On its website, the HDB justifies the ban by saying 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”.
It’s not clear what made the government change its mind, but the tipping point appears to be an official survey in 2022 that showed nine out of 10 respondents agreed
that cats were suitable pets to keep, including in HDB flats.
The authorities are now surveying members of the public on the “proposed cat management framework” which should come into place later this year.
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.
Under the new framework, HDB residents would be limited to two cats. It also mandates licensing and microchipping cats, as well as installing mesh screens on windows so cats don’t fall out.
Some cat lovers say the new regulations don’t go far enough.
Thenuga Vijakumar from the Cat Welfare Society wants the law to mandate sterilisation.
Cat rescuer Chan Chow Wah, 50, also wants penalties for irresponsible owners.
He said 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.
But for many cat owners like Sunny, the law is a blessing that will bring her peace of mind.
“I think it’s a good thing and it’s a step forward after 30 years,” she said.