Cats should be allowed in HDBs, members of parliament (MPs) Louis Ng and Raeesah Khan agreed at a sharing session on animal welfare and pet ownership in Singapore streamed live on Facebook on Sunday, Oct. 11.

Ng, from the People's Action Party (PAP), and Khan, from the Workers' Party (WP), were invited by Hope For Animals, a local non-profit voluntary animal advocacy group, as guest speakers to its regular virtual adoption session.

Allowing cats in HDBs would allow more cats to be adopted and reduce number of cats being abandoned

Ng, who is the MP for Nee Soon GRC, spoke about his ongoing efforts at getting the ban on cat ownership in HDBs reviewed.

Besides trying to legalise cat ownership in HDBs, Ng said they are also trying to make it mandatory for them to be microchipped too.

This will reduce the abandonment rates, he said, explaining that it is now relatively harder for dogs to be abandoned as almost the entire dog population in Singapore are microchipped.

"But if you abandon a cat... how would you know who the owner is?" he said, adding that there were only two times when the owners who abandoned their cats were identified, one of which was because the cat was abandoned in a carrier with the owner's address on it.

If more people living in HDBs are allowed to keep cats, a move which Ng described will be a "big step forward", this would help "resolve a lot of issues that we've been talking about for years".

Ng elaborated that the rate of abandonment would be reduced by enforcing microchipping in cats and raising awareness towards responsible pet ownership.

Agreeing that cats should be allowed in HDBs, Khan said cat owners should also be educated on how to really care for cats in high-rise buildings, such as ensuring that windows are meshed, and keeping their cats indoors if they have neighbours who are not so fond of cats.

Ng continued to say that with the regulation that comes after the legalisation of cat ownership in HDBs, they could also make it mandatory for pet owners to sterilise their cats, adding that fosterers face an uphill battle with unsterilised cats that breed and add to their number.

Dealing with "aggressive" dogs

A number of other animal welfare-related topics were broached at the session as well, such as the euthanisation of Loki, a dog that was adopted from local shelter Exclusively Mongrels.

Ng said such an issue has cropped up in Singapore over the years, including the case of a seven-month-old adopted puppy called Tammy that was euthanised after she bit some family members.

He said that a work group has been set up to look into how they can improve the rehoming process, and possibly making it a requirement that every other avenue be explored before the owners can proceed with euthanising their pet.

Khan spoke about the importance of educating pet owners as well, saying that whenever a cat or a dog is brought home, the family should take responsibility for them, just like when a baby is brought home from the hospital.

Making sure pets and children get along in the same household

Khan, a parent of two who just gave birth to her baby boy, also shared some practical tips on how to make sure that pets get along with babies and young children in the home.

As cats do get aggressive if you pull their tails for instance, she said it is the parents' responsibility to teach their children how to interact with cats and ensure that the line is drawn clearly between playing and harming the cats.

As for Ng, a parent of three, he shared that he and his wife introduced their eldest daughter Ella to their adopted dog Penny at a very young age.

Ng added that they were lucky as Penny is very used to young children who might be rougher in their interactions with dogs.

He later cited an example of a good initiative for dog owners.

Dog owners have to go through mandatory training via Project ADORE when they adopt dogs. This is to allow them to understand more about dog behaviour and to help them better take care of their dogs.

On puppy mills

On the issue of puppy mills with terrible living conditions, Ng said the situation could be improved.

One example he cited was the "Lucy's Law" in the United Kingdom.

Under the law, buyers buy directly from breeders so that they could see for themselves how the dogs are being kept and treated. Licensed dog breeders are required to show puppies interacting with their mothers in their place of birth.

But he acknowledged that it might be harder to implement the same in Singapore, as many dogs in Singapore are imported.

Still, he does not rule out the possibility of having a similar law in Singapore in the future, saying his team is looking into it as one way forward.

Other animal-related issues they would like to raise

Khan also said one animal welfare-related issue she would like to pursue is having more stringent laws around backyard breeders, and making sure that penalties are harsh enough that people do not continue doing it.

She added that she would like to talk more to people who prefer to purchase pets to see what their intentions are. This is to shift the narrative to adopting instead of buying.

When asked what she thinks are the reasons why some people prefer to buy rather than adopt pets, Khan said besides the preference for certain breeds, there is the misconception that adopted pets are not as affectionate or beautiful.

She added that she does not really see that justification as the two street cats she adopted were really affectionate towards her, even sitting on her tummy and purring when she was pregnant.

As for Ng, he said he is looking into whether it is possible to make it illegal to declaw cats and debark dogs like some other countries, though the Singapore government urges people from doing it.

He added that he is looking into whether there is a need to increase animal cruelty penalties in Singapore, adding that there are now tougher penalties under the amended Wildlife Act that protects native wildlife outside protected areas.

They are also looking into possibly amending the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act as a way to not only protect local animals, but also to tackle the international trade of endangered species.

You can watch the entire session here:

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Top image via Hope for Animals/Facebook