Cat licensing scheme set to begin on 1 September in Singapore

Starting 1 September, residents of Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats in Singapore will be able to legally keep cats under a new Cat Management Framework introduced by the National Parks Board's Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS).

This marks a significant change from the previous ban implemented in 1989.

Currently, HDB residents face fines of up to S$4,000 for violating the ban on cat ownership, which was under the HDB Animals Rules 1989.

The ban was primarily due to concerns that cats, being naturally curious creatures, are difficult to contain within flats. When allowed to roam, they can shed fur, urinate in public areas, and create noise through caterwauling, potentially inconveniencing neighbours.

However, this has not actively been enforced, even though many residents have been rearing cats in their residences over the decades, as HDB only acts against errant homeowners whose cats are a public nuisance.

Under the same rules, HDB allows one dog of an approved small breed to be kept in each residential unit.

Under the new rules, each HDB household can keep up to two cats, while private residences are allowed three.

To support this transition, a two-year period starting from September 2024 to August 2026 will be implemented for cat owners to license and microchip their pets. Licensing can be done online via the AVS' Pet Animal Licensing System.

Addressing concerns that some cat owners might be forced to give up their existing cats due to the new limits, Senior Minister of State for National Development, Tan Kiat How, said in an event on Saturday that those with cats in excess of the limits will still be able to register their existing cats under the free licensing scheme. However, it is uncertain whether there is a set time period for this exemption.

In addition to licensing, first-time cat owners are required to complete a free online course on pet care and responsible ownership.

Licenses obtained during the transition period will be free of charge, after which the cost will be S$15 per year for a sterilized cat and S$90 for an unsterilized one. Cat owners are encouraged to sterilize their pets to avoid unintended breeding, with licenses for sterilized cats having lifetime validity.

For households currently owning more cats than the permitted limit, they will be allowed to keep them if they are licensed within the transition period.

AVS will also launch the Pet Cat Sterilisation Support Programme on the same day, providing free sterilization and microchipping services to low-income households.

From September 2026, it will be an offence to keep unlicensed cats, with penalties up to S$5,000, aligning with existing regulations for dog owners.

This decision follows a two-month public survey which showed that 65% of the 4,000 participants were supportive or neutral about the new cat policy in HDB flats.

The framework also mandates that cat owners prevent their pets from roaming freely by using barriers or harnesses and keeping them in carriers in public spaces.

The AVS will also extend the Trap-Neuter-Rehome/Release-Manage programme, previously applicable to free-roaming dogs, to community cats, signalling a shift from the current Stray Cat Sterilisation Programme.