SINGAPORE – More than 24,000 pet cats have been licensed and microchipped since new rules for cat ownership took effect in September 2024.
Of these animals, 97 per cent have been sterilised.
About 24,000 cat owners have also completed the online pet ownership course, which is mandatory for first-time cat licence applicants.
These updates were given by Senior Minister of State for National Development Tan Kiat How during a cat microchipping drive at Bukit Merah Secondary School on Feb 8.
Mr Tan said that “very good progress” has been made on the licensing and microchipping requirements under the new Cat Management Framework by the National Parks Board’s Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS).
He added that one of the areas of focus for 2025 will be providing more support for microchipping – this procedure, where a microchip is inserted under the animal’s skin, is needed for traceability in the event of an outbreak of disease.
“Last year (2024), we organised 11 sessions to provide free microchipping services for pet cats. We microchipped more than 2,800 cats. And this year, we are organising another 30 sessions in response to strong demand,” Mr Tan said.
Senior Minister of State for National Development Tan Kiat How at a cat microchipping drive at Bukit Merah Secondary School on Feb 8.ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
The AVS said that microchipping drives will be held at schools, community centres and veterinary clinics that have offered their support, as well as at community pet-related events in various neighbourhoods across Singapore that are convenient for cat owners to access.
The new framework states that up to two cats can be kept in each Housing Board flat, and up to three cats in each private residence.
Owners are required to license and microchip all their pet cats by Aug 31, 2026.
Licensing is free for two years from Sept 1, 2024, after which it will cost $15 for a one-year licence for a sterilised cat and $90 for an unsterilised cat, same as the cost of licensing pet dogs.
The AVS had said in May 2024 that those with more cats than the limits set for HDB flats and private premises will be allowed to keep all their existing pet cats if they license them within the two-year transition period.
It will be an offence to keep unlicensed pet cats from Sept 1, 2026. Cat owners will be subject to fines of up to $5,000 for not complying with licensing conditions, similar to the regulations already in place for dog owners.
Mr Tan said that efforts have also been made to provide free sterilisation for cats in low-income households.
“We launched the pet cat sterilisation scheme last year to support low-income households to microchip and sterilise their cats. We have about 1,000 applications, of which 200 have been done,” he said.
The AVS said that this scheme provides free sterilisation and microchipping as a form of early intervention to stem the unintended breeding of pet cats from households that are unable to afford sterilisation.
Cat Welfare Society (CWS) president Thenuga Vijakumar told The Straits Times that the progress made so far to license and microchip is positive and encouraging.
She said it shows that many people are not only aware of the need to license and register their pets, but they are also willing to do so of their own volition.
But Ms Thenuga highlighted that cat owners from low-income families or those with many cats will still require additional support.
“In order for them to get the free microchipping and licensing services, they first have to put the cat in a carrier, get transport, and get there and back home,” she said.
For some owners, this is a real issue, she said, as they do not own sufficient or even any pet carriers, and may not be able to afford or arrange for transport.
Said Ms Thenuga: “Our focus from the second quarter of this year is on responsible caregivers and how to help them comply, because many of them may be elderly or may have taken in quite a few rescue animals also over time.”
Owners are required to license and microchip all their pet cats by Aug 31, 2026.ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
Newlyweds Krystle Koo, 30, and Sam Yap, 33, are proud cat parents to two British shorthairs.
They adopted Xueli as a kitten almost three years ago from Ms Koo’s former colleague, and bought Taro when he was also a kitten from a pet shop in Woodlands more than two years ago.
They took both pets to get microchipped and licensed for free at the cat microchipping drive at Bukit Merah Secondary School on Feb 8.
“We came today so that they have proper identities, and hope that initiatives like these will encourage other cat owners to microchip their pets so that there will be fewer strays and abandoned cats,” said Mr Yap.
- Elisha Tushara is a correspondent at The Straits Times, specialising in Singapore’s education landscape.
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