This change in the law will enable residents of the city-state who live in public housing to become cat “parents,” according to the Straits Times. It may sound surprising, but since 1989, felines have not been allowed in apartments administered by Singapore’s Housing and Development Board (HDB).
The agency justified this ban by explaining that it is generally difficult to “contain” these animals indoors.
“They tend to shed fur and defecate or urinate in public areas, and also make caterwauling sounds, which can inconvenience your neighbours,” said HDB on its website.
Singaporeans who illegally house a cat in their public housing risk a fine of SG$4,000 or even eviction from their homes.
The Straits Times reports, however, that cat owners in housing managed by HDB are rarely punished, unless their neighbours complain about the presence of their four-legged friends.
These neighbourly conflicts should become even rarer from Sept 1, 2024, when the government lifts the ban on cats in the city-state’s public housing.
However, Singaporean tenants will have to follow certain rules if they want to welcome a feline into their home.
Firstly, no more than two will be allowed. They will also have to take an online course to learn how to be a responsible “cat parent,” and register their pet in the national domestic cat identification file by means of a microchip. Sterilisation is recommended but not mandatory.
Another obligation is that owners will be required to ensure that their cats are kept in a “safe environment,” for example by installing gates or fences to prevent them from roaming, according to the Straits Times.
The new regulations will be tested for a transitional period of two years, during which time Singaporeans in homes managed by HDB will have to formalise their situation.
This change testifies to the attachment of the city-state’s inhabitants to cats.
Indeed, over the years, the cat population in Singapore has continued to grow. By 2023, it was home to no fewer than 94,000 domestic cats, according to a study by Euromonitor International, cited by CNA – a figure up 10% in 2019.