AVS announces finalised Cat Management Framework with licensing and microchipping for pet cats starting 1 September 2024

- Two-year transition period for cat owners to adapt to new requirements

- Cat owners can license all their existing pet cats for free during transition period

The Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS), a cluster of the National Parks Board (NParks), will roll out the finalised Cat Management Framework to improve the management and welfare of cats in Singapore, with a two-year transition period for cat licensing starting 1 September 2024.

Under this framework, cats will be allowed to be kept in Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats, with up to two cats (and one dog of an approved breed, as per the current limit) for each HDB flat, and up to three cats or dogs, or a combination of both, in private premises. AVS will implement a two-year transition period from 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2026 to help pet owners ease into these changes. Those with more cats than the limits for HDB flats and private premises will be allowed to keep all their existing pet cats if they license them within this transition period.

Extensive Public Consultation for Cat Management Framework  

The rollout of the finalised Cat Management Framework follows extensive public consultation with multiple stakeholders, starting with a two-month public survey launched in September 2022 which garnered more than 30,000 responses and showed that overall, respondents were strongly supportive of AVS’ proposed approach to cat management. This was followed by focus group discussions with more than 100 cat owners, non-cat owners, community cat caregivers, cat fosterers and rescuers, veterinarians, representatives of animal welfare groups, and relevant agencies in 2023 to ensure that a diverse range of views was considered.

Following the input gathered from the first public survey and the focus group discussions, in December 2023, a second two-month public survey calling for feedback on the details of the proposed Cat Management Framework was launched. This included the mandatory licensing of pet cats and the proposed number limits within HDB flats and private premises. Similar to the first survey in 2022, findings from the second survey showed that the public was overall supportive of AVS’ proposed measures.

Finalised Cat Management Framework

The finalised Cat Management Framework aims to enhance the traceability and welfare of cats, safeguard public and animal health, and promote responsible cat ownership and caregiving. It comprises:

1)    A mandatory licensing and microchipping scheme to enhance the traceability of pet cats that will be rolled out from 1 September 2024, with a two-year transition period till 31 August 2026;

2)    A Trap-Neuter-Rehome/Release-Manage (TNRM) programme for community cats starting on 1 September 2024; and

3)    Education and outreach on responsible pet cat ownership and community cat caregiving.

(1)   Mandatory licensing and microchipping of pet cats

Cats will be allowed to be kept in HDB flats with up to two cats (and one dog of an approved breed, as per the current limit) for each flat. In private premises, the limit is up to three cats or dogs, or a combination of both. All pet cats will need to be licensed and microchipped. A two-year transition period starting 1 September 2024 will be introduced to allow cat owners to ease into the changes and meet the cat-keeping rules and licensing conditions.

This includes a range of supporting measures for cat owners in HDB flats and private premises which are:

a)    Allowing owners to license and continue to keep all their existing[1] pet cats as long as they license them during the transition period and are able to ensure that the cats’ health and welfare are taken care of;

b)    Providing free licensing during the transition period; and

c)     Rolling out the Pet Cat Sterilisation Support (PCSS) programme for low-income households on 1 September 2024.

It will be an offence to keep unlicensed pet cat(s) from 1 September 2026 onwards.

Pet cat licensing to start on 1 September 2024

Pet cat licensing will be available via AVS’ Pet Animal Licensing System (PALS) from 1 September 2024. Cat owners will need to meet the following prerequisites to apply for a licence:

a)    All pet cats will need to be microchipped.

b)    All first-time cat (or dog) licence applicants will need to complete a one-time free online pet ownership course before they can be issued a cat (or dog) licence[2]. The course will cover basic pet care skills and responsible pet ownership.

Cat owners will also need to comply with the following cat-keeping rules:

a)    Ensure that their cats are kept in a safe environment and take reasonable steps to protect their cats from hazards, including but not limited to installing mesh, grilles, screens, or other barriers to prevent the cats from roaming or falling from height.

b)    When in public, cat owners will need to ensure that their cats are kept under physical control (i.e., not allowed to freely roam), such as by using a harness or placing their cat in a carrier.

Cat owners will be liable for an offence in the event of any breach of the rules. More details for cat owners can be found on AVS’ website at https://go.gov.sg/cat-framework.

Pet Cat Sterilisation Support programme to start on 1 September 2024

AVS encourages all owners to sterilise their cats to prevent unintended breeding. To support low-income households, AVS will also launch the Pet Cat Sterilisation Support (PCSS) programme on 1 September 2024. PCSS aims to support low-income households by providing free sterilisation and microchipping for their pet cats. By doing so, the programme aims to stem the unintended breeding of pet cats belonging to households that are unable to afford sterilisation, by facilitating early intervention. It also seeks to address downstream animal welfare issues and disamenities arising from the overpopulation of pet cats.

The programme follows three successful pilot Pet Cat Sterilisation Days conducted in November 2023, February 2024 and May 2024, where AVS sterilised and microchipped over 270 pet cats, in collaboration with the Cat Welfare Society, the Singapore Veterinary Association, and Temasek Polytechnic. The pilot was partially supported through the Garden City Fund, NParks’ registered charity and IPC, with contributions from Temasek Foundation and the Estate of Essery Gerald Stephen, executed by Dr Tan Hwa Luck, as well as corporate organisations such as MARS Petcare. Additional donations through the Garden City Fund to support PCSS are also welcome.

The public can find more information on the eligibility criteria on AVS’ website and register for PCSS from 1 September 2024 onwards.

Support for cat fosterers

With the commencement of the transition period on 1 September 2024, cat fosterers can also apply to license their existing fostered cats through AVS’ PALS as long as they are able to ensure that the cats’ health and welfare are taken care of.

AVS recognises that fosterers play an important role in cat management. AVS will co-develop guidelines for cat fosterers together with HDB and animal welfare group partners and look into how responsible fosterers that meet these guidelines can be allowed to keep more cats. AVS will adopt a phased approach for this and will share more details when ready.   

(2)   New Trap-Neuter-Rehome/Release-Manage (TNRM) programme for community cats

AVS will partner animal welfare groups, veterinarians, and community caregivers to manage the community cat population island-wide through the Trap-Neuter-Rehome/Release-Manage (TNRM) programme which will start on 1 September 2024. This replaces and builds on the current Stray Cat Sterilisation Programme (SCSP) under which AVS has been subsidising the sterilisation and microchipping of community cats since 2011.

Under the TNRM programme for cats, AVS will enhance funding support for the sterilisation and microchipping of community cats and fund additional components such as the trapping and boarding[3] of community cats. Sterilised cats will be rehomed where possible, while the remaining cats will be released back into the community, where they can continue to be responsibly cared for by community cat caregivers.

AVS will continue to work closely with veterinarians, animal welfare group partners and community caregivers who have been actively supporting the SCSP and welcomes more partners to come on board the new TNRM programme.

(3)   Education and outreach on responsible pet cat ownership and community cat caregiving

AVS will organise roadshows and community events and conduct school education programmes to raise awareness on cat-related topics, such as responsible pet cat ownership, the benefits of sterilisation, and living with community cats in our neighbourhoods.

AVS is currently working with stakeholders including animal welfare groups, community cat caregivers, agencies, and Town Councils on developing guidelines to encourage responsible community cat caregiving. The guidelines may include the feeding of community cats and the placement of cat accessories (e.g., cardboard boxes) at permissible areas, to reduce disamenities at high-traffic areas such as lift lobbies and staircases. AVS targets to introduce the draft guidelines in September 2024, which will be refined further in consultation with stakeholders. The guidelines will be made publicly available through AVS’ website and other platforms when ready.

The public can find out more about the Cat Management Framework at https://go.gov.sg/cat-framework.

Outreach to the pet community at Pets’ Day Out

The Cat Management Framework was shared at the 24^th edition of Pets’ Day Out, held at Parkland Green, East Coast Park. A signature event of AVS, Pets’ Day Out serves as a regular platform for animal welfare groups, pet businesses, veterinarians, and pet lovers to come together.

AVS will continue to strengthen its relationships with the community, promote responsible pet ownership, and raise awareness on best practices for animal welfare. This is in line with the vision to transform Singapore into a City in Nature, for which community stewardship is a key thrust.

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[1] When applying for the pet cat licences, owners will be required to declare that their cats were owned prior to the commencement of the transition period (i.e., owned prior to 1 September 2024).

[2] From 1 September 2024, first-time dog licence applicants will similarly need to complete this one-time free online pet ownership course before they can be issued a dog licence.

[3] Boarding of cats for pre- and post-sterilisation