The standards and licensing conditions for the breeding and sale of pet cats in Singapore will now match those already in place for pet dogs.
This will help to "ensure the health and welfare of pet cats", Senior Minister of State for National Development Tan Kiat How announced during the Asia Cat Expo on Jul. 29.
The National Parks Board's (NParks) Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS) previously started a Pet Sector Review in August 2019 to review the guidelines for the pet breeding and boarding sectors.
The review involved engagements with industry stakeholders, the community and public, and a full set of licensing conditions for dog breeding were finalised and implemented in April 2022.
A public survey on managing pet and community cats in Singapore was also conducted.
New and improved guidelines
These licensing conditions for cat breeding cover areas such as housing, diet, emergencies and transfers of animals, and are aligned with the current dog breeding conditions.
Under the new licensing conditions, it is now also mandatory that pet shops only sell pet cats and kittens from licensed pet farms, or are legally imported from overseas or from other AVS-approved sources.
Home breeding, or commercially breeding cats at residential premises, is not allowed.
This "provides potential cat owners with added reassurances on the health and welfare of the pet cats that are being sold in pet shops", Tan said.
Aligning the licensing conditions across the breeding of different animals ensures that there is no disparity in terms of requirements and enforcement.
Additionally, licensed breeders will be inspected at least once a year.
This will be supplemented with additional inspections if breaches are found during previous inspections or when AVS receives feedback on any licensed breeder.
Focus group discussions
To further refine Singapore's approach on the management of pet cats, focus group discussions with cat owners, non-cat owners, community cat caregivers, HDB and private estate residents, and animal welfare groups will be conducted.
These discussions will revolve around cat management and its impact on the cats and their owners.
"Safeguarding animal health and welfare is a shared responsibility. We can do our part by ensuring a clean and safe living environment for our pet cats, and spending quality time with them," Tan added.
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Top photo by Audrey Lee