Of Cats: My Experience with Singapore Strays (Part 4)

When, us, stray cat feeders feed, we often feel very conspicuous, as if we are doing something immoral, something unethical and something bad.

Yet, time and time again, we still return to the same spot, feeding the community cats, checking their health and ensuring everything is okay.

But, there is a reason why we feel so conspicuous, and that is because, in a country like Singapore, most people feel that stray cat feeding is considered illegal. Well, in this post, I will like to tell you that community cat feeding is NOT illegal.

Minister K. Shanmugan (Minister for Law and Foreign Affairs) recently announced a stray cat feeding spot in Chong Pang, his constituency. It shows how the community can get together to tackle stray issues in Singapore, especially when supported strongly by Cabinet Minister and MPs (e.g.: Tan Chuan-Jin).

You can view the article here.

However, I must warn you of the following points when feeding community cats:

STRAY CAT FEEDING

Currently, the many naysayers who vehemently oppose feeding stray cats argue on the grounds of

(1) Dirtying the environment

(2) Encouraging further breeding

KEEPING THE ENVIRONMENT CLEAN

Feeding community cats is NOT considered illegal. However, under Singapore's Law, littering is. Hence, it is strongly recommended that you always bring a spare plastic bag to dispose of uneaten food, as well as to use a box.

Always use a small container to store your food

As community cat feeders, taking care of the environment is essential. As mentioned, once we ensure that we are responsible feeders as well, the opponents of stray cat feeding will not have a basis to argue that we are dirtying the environment, etc.

ENCOURAGING STERILISATION AND SPAYING OF STRAY CATS

Cat welfare organisations often have many problems in getting cats sterilise. The challenges include the lack of manpower and the lack of knowledge. 

In my experience, it is regretful to note that many community cats have yet to be spayed, but this is because they belonged to "The Wild" group (categorised in Part 1 of this series) and they know how to evade people and are extremely wary of any strangers.

Hence, it is essential that we support community efforts such as Spay Day, organised by the Cat Welfare Society. It is an annual event where the cost for sterilising community cats will be fully borne by the CWS. There are some really good (and cute) pictures taken during the event, and you can find them here.

A sterilised cat
Source: Skitch.com

A sterilised cat will always have clipped ears. If you are wondering whether it will hurt, the CWS has clarified under their FAQ that the cat's left ear is clipped while it is under anesthesia, and hence, it will not hurt. 

Anyway, having a direct physical trait is the fastest way anyone can differentiate between a sterilised community cat from an unsterilised stray cat.