UPDATE (17 Jun): HDB has confirmed that they are working with animal welfare groups to rehome the felines. You can find their full statement below.
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For the pet owners among us, our fur kids are very precious. It’s only natural to want to look after them with all we have.
However, some people may fail to gauge their ability to take care of these animals well.
Recently, residents filed complaints against a woman who kept over 50 cats in her HDB flat at Yishun and caused a stench to develop.
Animal welfare groups such as the Cat Welfare Society (CWS) and the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) are now helping to rehome the felines.
According to Lianhe Zaobao, the 54-year-old resident has been keeping over 50 cats in her flat at Block 365 Yishun Ring Road for over 10 years. She spoke with the Chinese media outlet, sharing how her situation had escalated.
Source: Google Maps
Everything apparently started more than a decade ago, when a stray cat followed the resident home.
She then adopted a second one, and the two started breeding. A family member later gifted her with even more of the animals.
A combination of these factors led to the resident owning more than 50 cats.
The significant number of cats comes with its own set of problems. For instance, residents in the HDB block have repeatedly complained of an overwhelming stench.
This was caused by a buildup of cat faeces and urine, causing a horrible odour to develop.
Source: Lianhe Zaobao
One neighbour told Lianhe Zaobao that she has been struggling to live amid such conditions since 2007. Eventually, the stench grew so intolerable that her daughter had to move out of the unit.
When reporters from Lianhe Zaobao went down to visit the area, they too claimed to notice the smell the second they left the lift.
Once they approached the door of the housing unit, the sound of cats meowing was immediately audible.
A neighbour also alleged that some of the cats would end up wandering into other units, having broken into her house on two occasions.
Other residents said that they have reached out to Nee Soon Town Council for assistance. However, the situation still did not improve.
Fortunately, local animal welfare groups are now working to resolve the situation.
In response to MS News’ queries, HDB confirmed that they received the complaints regarding the Yishun resident’s living conditions in May this year.
Together with AVS, NParks officers and CWS, HDB advised her to find an alternative home for the cats. The organisations also assessed the health conditions of the animals.
They are now engaging with animal welfare groups to help with sterilising and rehoming all of the felines. Here is their full statement:
In setting the rules on pet ownership, HDB’s principal consideration is to preserve a pleasant living environment and maintain good neighbourly relations. Irresponsible pet ownership can lead to disamenities in the community and cause unhappiness. When we receive feedback about unpermitted and irresponsible pet ownership in HDB flats, we work closely with agencies to advise and engage the flat owners to make alternative arrangements to rehome their pets where necessary.
In the case of the unit in question, HDB received feedback in May 2022 that the resident was keeping many cats in the unit. During our house visit, we observed that there were more than 50 cats in the unit, with poor living condition. Together with the Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS), a cluster of National Parks Board, and the Cat Welfare Society (CWS), we engaged and advised the resident to find an alternative home for the cats. Agencies and the CWS also inspected the cats to assess their health. Agencies are partnering animal welfare groups to assist the resident with sterilising and rehoming the cats, and will continue to provide support on these efforts.
AsiaOne reports that the flat was clean on 13 Jul, with the usual stench absent. At least 30 cats have apparently been removed as well.
While the resident may have good intentions by taking the cats in and offering them shelter, the conditions they are living in now may ironically end up placing them in more harm.
Inevitably too, the accumulation of cats in the flat has led to various problems to neighbours.
Hopefully, all the cats will be able to find loving new homes soon, where they can live in safety and comfort.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Lianhe Zaobao and Google Maps.
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