Animal welfare has increasingly been in the spotlight.
There is increasing discussion on ensuring that these animals are humanely bred, especially when living conditions can be bad for some animals.
In Singapore, the good news is that standards for breeding and selling pet cats have been raised. The standards are now aligned with what pet dogs enjoy.
But it may still take some time before you can welcome these friendly felines into your HDB flat (officially, anyway).
Here is what you need to know about the news guidelines for breeding and selling pet cats.
Improved Guidelines for the Sale and Breeding of Pet Cats
Are you a cat lover?
If you are, you may have attended the Asia Cat Expo 2023, which takes place this weekend (29 and 30 July 2023) at Suntec Convention Hall 406.
At the event’s opening yesterday (29 July 2023), our Senior Minister of State for National Development, Tan Kiat How, revealed some good news to improve the health and welfare of pet cats.
According to Senior Minister Tan, the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) has refreshed its licensing conditions for the breeding of cats for commercial purposes.
The licensing conditions now match that which dog breeders follow. The dog breeding standards were reviewed and implemented in 2021.
This means there will be improved minimum standards for the “housing, diet, emergencies, [and] transfers of animals” for pet cats.
Furthermore, AVS has introduced additional measures which require pet shops and breeders to sell pet cats and kittens from one of two avenues.
The first is from licensed farms. The second is from AVS-approved imported sources.
If you are a licensed breeder, you should also expect to be inspected at least once yearly to ensure proper living conditions for the cats you breed.
You may face additional inspections or other penalties if you disregard these requirements.
We sure are glad that the treatment for cats is improving, with more good days to come.
While we rejoice about the welfare of pets in the hands of pet cat breeders, can the lives of these cats beat what they enjoy at home?
It is no secret that many people pamper their fur babies with luxury food (think raw salmon and beef) and fun toys to play with.
So perhaps the best way to improve the welfare of pet cats is to quickly allow them to live legally in HDB flats with their owners.
Unfortunately, the current ban on cats in HDB flats from 1960 is still in place. And there does not seem to be any action shortly despite some previous hints about the cat ban potentially being lifted.
You can watch this video to see the same Minister who graced the Cat Expo Asia 2023 share more about this topic.