How lifting the ban on cats in Singapore only made things worse (6 photos)

In the city of prohibitions, Singapore, there was one incredibly cruel law - for 35 years in a row it was forbidden to keep cats at home! The most domestic of all animals. Only the owner of a private apartment could afford a cat, but 4/5 of the population lives in public housing.





Here they also feed street cats, such is the culture, since their own were not allowed

Was this rule violated?

Constantly, I already wrote about the legalization of "underground" cats when this restriction was lifted in Singapore. Before this, owners kept cats in cages, and if they let them out for a walk, they could always pretend that they were stray cats. All to avoid getting caught and paying a fine.

Singaporeans are used to traditionally breaking the rules, and when the government announced that cats can be chipped and up to two cats can be moved into an apartment, Singaporeans were a little confused.

What did the new law lead to?



Street cats in Singapore look good, it's warm after all

The fact is that residents of the city-state were given two years to switch to the new rules. That is, at this time they must legalize their cats in veterinary clinics.

At the same time, sterilizing cats is not accepted by the majority of the population in the country, it is additional expenses, and unnecessary questions from the doctor.

Therefore, if the cat still brought kittens, they were thrown out into the street. Where they died, and if they managed to survive, they became strays.





Two cats in the photo, but in fact he has five (But it's a secret)

And now cats are kind of in the gray zone, you don't have to hide them like that. But you can't keep many kittens, no more than two. So cats are not hidden, they walk, and the number of "homeless" kittens on the streets has increased.

Volunteers are already saying that the cost of food for the animals they feed in the evenings is increasing. Which is quite strange for such a regulated city as Singapore, known for its order.



Most of the population lives in houses like this, and it was forbidden to keep animals here

Because mandatory sterilization has not yet been prescribed. Officials say that they are currently focused on stimulating voluntary sterilization, but things are not moving forward.

And all because the law on the legalization of cats still has many gray areas, unspecified situations. For example, if there are no more than two cats per apartment and a girl with two cats decides to move in with a guy with two cats - what to do!? This will simply become an obstacle to a healthy traditional marriage.



Volunteers drive around at night and hand out cardboard boxes in secluded places with food

The couple will have to choose which one to get rid of, and this will only increase the number of homeless animals on the streets.

How many cats are there in Singapore

A lot, despite their semi-legality. The government has stated that there are about 13,000 "free-roaming" cats in the city. I wonder how they will tighten the screws when the two-year trial period ends.



Usually there are a couple of common cats in the yard, so as not to pay fines