We're not sure if you know about this, but there's been a longstanding rule that bans anyone who lives in an HDB flat from keeping a cat:

Facebook user Alfredo Seow posted an enforcement letter a friend of his received from them recently:

Seow's Facebook post is flooded with comments expressing dismay and fury at the revelation of this rule, as well as the upsetting prospect of the cat owner having to give his pet away.

Some also told stories of their own experience:

But others advised taking steps like meshing up his home's windows and gate, and ensuring the cat is spayed so it doesn't go into heat.

There were also reasonable folks like these:

In recent years, the government has implemented a pilot project in Chong Pang, part of Nee Soon GRC, to allow HDB owners to keep cats.

And according to Straits Times reports on it, it had been going pretty well, and is likely to continue for the coming two years as well.

Prior to that, in 2011, then-national development minister Tan Chuan-Jin also spoke about this in Parliament. Then, he accurately highlighted the following:

"Most complaints of nuisance are due to reasons such as irresponsible owners allowing their pets to defecate in public areas without cleaning up, and some members of the public irresponsibly feeding strays."

A sentiment echoed by Veron Lau of the Cat Welfare Society:

Update: The Cat Welfare Society said in a Facebook post that they have identified and been in touch with the owner, whom they say evidence points to having allowed his or her cat to roam freely and pee all over the place over the period of a year, despite mediation attempts. Here's their post:

By the way, can you think of any animals that shed fur, defecate and make noise too?

Probably the 62 cute little HDB-approved breeds that do not go "meow".

You can read Seow's Facebook post in full here:

Top photo adapted from Grumpy Cat; Alfredo Seow's Facebook post

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