A video and several photos recently made the rounds online showing cats hanging out on the ledge and even on the kitchen window clothes rack outside a second storey HDB flat:

Dismissed by some

Such a scene was dismissed by people who don't own cats as no big deal, as any fall from two floors does not appear severe:

Cat lovers worried

But it sent cat lovers' hearts racing as they appreciate the dangers posed to cats, and pets in general, when they wander out of the secure confines of a high-rise apartment and risk a potentially fatal fall.

Serious pet owners also recognise the irresponsible actions of pet owners who do not spend some money to mesh up the windows as a security precaution.

7th floor hangout

If cats hanging outside a second storey apartment was not deemed high enough for some, several photos shared on a pet lovers Facebook page showed cats outside a seventh storey HDB flat, which surely qualifies as clear and present danger.

According to the post by Milo Chan, the incident took place in Sembawang and there were three cats in total.

Dilemma

Cat lovers who saw the post were unanimous with their advice: The witness should report it to the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA).

However, getting the authorities involved is a last resort solution.

According to HDB's long-standing rules, cats are already not allowed in HDB flats as they are deemed difficult to control period:

Cats are not allowed in flats. They are generally difficult to contain within the flat. When allowed to roam indiscriminately, they tend to shed fur and defecate or urinate in public areas, and also make caterwauling sounds, which can inconvenience your neighbours.

One of the oft-cited actions by the authorities is to instruct the apartment dwellers to remove the cat or cats from the premises for good.

This process would then involve other adopters to step in, rendering the solution to ensure the safety of the cats as effectively re-homing them.

Number of cats dying from falling from a height

According to a December 2016 report, a conservative estimate of five cats are found dead monthly after falling from a height.

Mesh up

As part of their community outreach and education, the Cat Welfare Society has always advocated for cat owners who stay in high-rise apartments to mesh up their windows at home to prevent deaths from falls.

SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Singapore) has also advised pet owners to mesh up.

What happens when a cat falls down and dies in Singapore

Typically, CWS finds out about cases of cats having fallen from a height via members of the public.

The town council will be alerted when they find a dead cat in their estate.

The town council then gets in touch with CWS to get the deceased cat removed, and the group's members will take photos and put up posters around the estate and post notices on social media to find the cat's owner or feeder, if it is a community cat.

The cat's caregiver will decide if the cat's body should be sent for an autopsy to determine its cause of death, or to get it cremated.