While at the void deck changing Darly’s water bowl, I saw a man and a lady with torchlights searching for something and then the young lady picked up a white cat. I was shocked to hear that the cat had fallen from the 4th floor. It looked alright, but there could be internal injuries. Then my jaw dropped when the young lady told me that the cat fell before and this was in fact the 4th time. Why didn’t they mesh the windows??? They replied that it fell from parapet. No, they can’t keep the cats in (I think they have 4 or 5) because of the smell… and no, they are not sterilised. Yes, there have been complaints. They wanted to bring the cats to SPCA (they are aware hat the cats will most probably be killed) but they didn’t do so because they claimed there would be a fee for each cat. They were also thinking of putting them downstairs but didn’t have the heart to do it... and they will also be shifting out soon… somehow I don’t think the cats will be going to the new house. Hazlina will try to talk to them…
 | vegancatsg wrote on Aug 31, '07, edited on Aug 31, '07 **sigh** Malay family? Sounds a classic scenario in my estate too. I beg the Malay community to take on a large scale public education. How much longer do cats at home and in the community have to suffer?
In my estate a Malay family living on the 4th storey has many cats and they have been dumping "old" cats downstairs as they picked up "new" cats. When their cats defecated the staircases, and we offered to bring their cats for sterilisation and also offered meshing, all paid off, the family procrastinated. One day they asked us to bring their cats to be "gas-sed" (they meant to kill) and at other times, they lied that their cats have been released in Pulau Ubin. We have to get the help of Sharifah who managed to "threaten" them into action and their 4 cats were eventually sterilised. However they still refused to mesh up their windows and doors and their free roaming cats defecated on staircases. We have to go and clean up the "shit" for them. Eventually we had to inform the TC this culprit in order to save the lives of the downstairs cats! It was truly very frustrating and we wish such irreponsible owners will stop "sayang"-ing cats! The TC got a Malay HDB officer to speak to them. We also asked the immediate neighbours, also Malay, to stop putting food outside for the cats (neighbours claimed the cats were skinny and hungry). Later I met the young man from the family and showed him the staircase landing that Carol and I had been cleaning the shit. He said he would clean the shit himself. So far the staircase has been clean of shit even though I still spotted one of their cats downstairs. |
 | All the couple's problems, AND others like them, are due to not sterilising their cats, letting their cats free-range and not taking the necessary but simple precautions.
I just don't understand, what's so difficult about the basic facts: Sterilise them, keep them indoors, give them good food, love them.
1,2,3,4... FOUR simple rules that anyone can follow to keeping cats safely and responsibly. Anyone who really love the cats they have would not have these problems. |
| If you can't be responsible, please do not keep any cats. This lack of responsibility affects other cats, affect the good standing of people who are responsible and can result in cats being killed! Please look beyond just simply wanting to keep cats! |
 | malay again!!!! PLEASE!!! where did they leave their brains??? pls use the brains ..... sterilise, keep indoors, mesh windows!!!! as simple as ABC!!!! |
 | Yup, something needs to be done by the Malay community…to get through to these irresponsible people and to let them know of CWS and that there is subsidised sterilisation for those with financial difficulties. What we happen to see in our areas is probably just the tip of the iceberg. I get the feeling that they think there is nothing wrong with abandoning cats, letting them roam and not sterilising…and the selfishness of letting neighbours and other people deal with the defection while keeping your own house “nice”.
Wish we had a Sharifah here… will meet up with Sylvia and see what can be done.
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 | This is really frustrating and annoying. Whenever there is a problem, 99% of the time it is due to Malay. Even more annoying is that when we put in 101% of our efforts to help their cats, they still make it difficult for us. |
| I can connect you to Sharifah if you need her help. |
| I spoke to the family again ad offered help with sterilisation. They were not interested. They have made up their mind to abandon them and have already made arrangements with a relative to take the 5 cats away. I could try report to SPCA but then they would simply surrender the cats…to be killed. |
| I can empathise with your frustration in dealing with this family. Hazlina couldn't talk any sense into them? How about getting cats sterilised before the relative take them away? Let me know if you need Sharifah to help. She can be quite fierce. Would that help? |
| I was thinking of calling Sharifah for help, so I went up again to see if the cats were still there. Today the father and another daughter were home. I remarked that the cats have not been thrown out yet… The daughter seemed surprised and said that two of the cats were hers and she would not throw them out. After talking to the father, she said that a relative, who already has a number of cats, would take the mother cat and her 4 kittens. Altogether they have 3 adult female cats and 4 kittens. I suggested trying to get them adopted through CWS. The daughter is also agreeable to getting the cats sterilised, so I will make arrangements for the 3 females. The kittens are only about 4 month old.
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| vegancatsg wrote on Sep 6, '07, edited on Sep 6, '07 Finally some rays shining through the dark clouds. Thanks for your perseverance and great compassion. Hopefully they will see you as a model of what a true "friend of cats" is about. As I say, it has to go beyond the words "Oh we sayang cats!" Please show in your action!"
Very often we hesitate to mention the race of the irresponsible cat owners but the fact remains that a significant number are Malay. Keeping cats is popular amongst the Malays because of the cultural and religious upbringing. Our highlighting the race is with the hope that amongst the Malay community, there will be enough "frustration" amongst Malays who understand the urgent need to be responsible by doing something. Sometimes we feel that some Malay families do not like other races to tell them what to do. In my estate, we encountered remarks like, "Why don't you tell the Chinese who own dogs to be responsible! The dogs bark and make noise and can legally own dogs." We tell them to vocalise to the HDB to appeal against this unfair ban on cats. I am sure if enough Malay cat owners write to HBD about this and pledge that it comes with being responsible, some big shot in the HDB may just sit up and listern. We reiterate that we do not condone irresponsible dog owners either and that we often pick up dog poo to avoid the cats being blamed. Some residents as well as town council officers can't tell the difference between cat and dog poo, as well as stench from cat and human urine. Cats invariably get blamed because they happen to be around and allow the TC officers to reply that "action taken".
Cats have been scapeGOATS for too long. It has to stop. |
| I am very frustrated right now...have been trying all morning to persuade one adopter to let the 5 and 6 month old male and female to be sterilised..sigh. Fizah (daughter of the family with the cats and kittens) didn't relply my sms and doesn't answer the phone...
The only good news is that the other family with the 2 cats brought the second one for sterilisation today.
Hey Vegan, I thought you are supposed to relax and recharge until next week ;) |
 | We know Vegancat well by now. Although he is away on holiday break overseas, he can't take his mind off cats. Even during vacation he surf the 'net, checking out on the well being of Singapore stray cats. Message from Lucky an ex-stray cat: Wishing you a happy vacation Vegancat and thank you for caring in the welfare of my homeless feline buddies. Best wishes and may the light of Buddha always shines on you and Veganmeowies too. Blessings to you both.  |
| I guess sometimes we just have to let go. Do you think if speaking to an officer from the AVA to speak to Fizah or any member of her family might help? One of AVA's role is pet ownership.
I am on holiday but the usual touristy things do not interest me. Instead I bought some dog food to feed two dogs a few doors away from this hotel and one of the dogs is suckling puppies. I also cleared the leftover food in styrofoams. Fortunately no ants. This what I enjoy really :)
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| Fizah finally answered the phone…so I won’t give up yet :) Better not involve SPCA or AVA…I worry that the father may just ask them to take the cats away.
These dogs are very lucky to meet you! Poor Singapore stray dogs...I saw Xiao Hei's son some days ago and suggested to get him sterilised but they say it's difficult to catch him... let's hope there are no complaints.
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| Terry is a good "dog catcher". He is trapping the dogs behind the cattery. |
| .... and Aminah bee blessed for saving Lucky's life :) |
| Haha reply so fast...really severe addiction ;) I was also thinking to ask Mohan. Will talk to the residents... |
 | bloody idiots...good luck to the cats, man |
| I will try to take their mother cat on Wednesday.
So far seems the residents are not keen on sterilising Xiao Hei's son. All they would have to do, is to pay for the transport...I'll keep trying :)
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| Go ahead and ask Mohan to do it. I will sponsor the whole thing. |
| Thanks for the offer, I still hope to get the residents involved... I think they are afraid of getting attached to this dog because of what they went through with Xiao Hei. Anyway, will have to wait until next month for the SPCA voucher. |
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