Rise in Cat Disturbances
- Harun
- Jul 31, 2019
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 8, 2019
The issue of cat disturbances in the Bukit Batok area is rising among residents
Though there has been a decrease in the cat population ever since sterilisation was introduced, cats still somehow pose a problem for residents in Singapore, particularly in Bukit Batok.
The cat population isn’t growing as fast as it used to back in the 1990s. According to an article by Temasek, the sterilisation of cats has decreased the population of community cats from 150,000 in the 90s, to about 60,000 as of 2017.
However, residents report that there has been an increase in the number of cats in their neighbourhood. In an interview with ‘Love Kuching Project’ representative, Ms Ng Shu Yi, she said that, “the increase in number of stray cats at void decks could be due to abandonment by cat-owners.”
‘Love Kuching Project’ is a community-based cat rescue group primarily focusing on cat welfare objectives, such as rescuing injured cats, rehabilitating them and even adoption.
‘Love Kuching Project’ also does educational talks. They promote the education of cats as companion animals via their social media accounts as well as outreach programs in hospitals and nursing homes.
Organisations such as ‘Love Kuching Project’ show that the local community do indeed support these feline friends in Singapore. However, it is also up to residents to ensure the cats’ safety as well as their own comfort.
In an online survey, with 100 respondents whose ages range from 15 – 40 years old, a few respondents shared their experiences of facing cat disturbances. Some of the responses included cats entering their homes, cat litter, and caterwauling late at night.
Some of these problems faced by the residents were listed under the Housing Development Board’s (HDB) website as the reasoning for the ban on cats in HDB flats.
Despite the issue of various disturbances caused by cats, there are a few residents at Bukit Batok who feel differently regarding the ban on cats as well as their welfare.
Farahizyani, 19, a resident of Bukit Batok West, commented that cats should be allowed in HDB flats, “they are the same as dogs and other pets, why are dogs allowed but not cats?”
“Cats are pets, dogs are also pets.” - Haji Kamsari, 64
However, for the various residents who are still disturbed by the presence of cats in their area, a few suggestions were given by Ms Ng Shu Yi to prevent cats from causing trouble near homes.
One way would be to “plant citrus plants, as cats hate the smell,” or keeping an area clean after the feeding of cats as there are some residents who may feed the cats, and leave a mess behind.
In the end, cats will still roam around our neighbourhoods, eat and lie down wherever possible as they are still animals. We as humans can make their lives and ours much easier by doing our part such as providing the right care to strays, or simply hand over the matter to the respective organisations such as ‘Love Kuching Project’.
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