Cute Cat Breeds | Profiles & Characteristics - catsmeowweb.com
  • Home
  • cat training
  • cat grooming
  • cat feeding
  • cat breeding
  • cat boarding
  • Knowledges
  • news
  • cat health
  • cat hospitals
  • cat sitters
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • cat training
  • cat grooming
  • cat feeding
  • cat breeding
  • cat boarding
  • Knowledges
  • news
  • cat health
  • cat hospitals
  • cat sitters
No Result
View All Result
Cute Cat Breeds | Profiles & Characteristics - catsmeowweb.com
No Result
View All Result

Singapore Cat Fosterers Face Challenges Amid Increasing Abandonment

Ella by Ella
08/07/2024
in news
Singapore Cat Fosterers Face Challenges Amid Increasing Abandonment

SINGAPORE, July 8 — A few nights each week, Ms. Amy Sim steps out of her house for a few hours to trap stray cats, get them neutered, and foster some of them before seeking new homes for them.

“There have been times when my husband wakes up in the middle of the night and finds that I’m not at home, because I’m outside to help another volunteer trap cats,” said Sim, the owner of social enterprise SG Petshop.

The pet supplies shop funds part of the operational costs of her cat shelter and cat population control initiative called TNR Project Singapore, which she started eight years ago. TNR refers to “trap-neuter-release” — a common practice to keep the community cat population under control.

Most of the strays are placed back where they were found. However, Ms. Sim, who is in her 50s, fosters and finds permanent homes for those found in dangerous places or those with higher chances of getting adopted, such as kittens. “But not all cats get successfully rehomed. We have one who has been with us for about six years.”

She is among many cat fosterers here who play a crucial role in getting stray and abandoned cats either off the streets or at least neutered, so that they cannot breed further.

Their already thankless work was recently made more challenging by a spike in abandonment cases after the initial announcement last December of a cat management framework, which some fosterers think may have “confused” pet owners.

The framework reverses a 34-year ban on keeping cats in public flats and imposes a limit of two cats in each home for new owners. What some members of the public were less aware of, these cat volunteers said, was that the framework also allows people to keep their existing cats, regardless of the numbers. They can do this if they have the animals licensed within the two-year transitional period.

Some volunteers are also concerned that the framework, to kick in this September, does not spell out clearly the licensing regime for fosterers.

Already burned out and operating under many constraints, some of these fosterers said that they are ready to quit fostering altogether should the rules turn out to be too burdensome.

The Tasks Facing Fosterers

1. Daily Attention

The moment a fosterer takes up a case, they must clean and set aside a space in their house where they can isolate the cat. They typically groom the cat themselves — which could take hours — and make trips to the veterinarian for the animal’s check-ups, vaccinations, and any necessary treatments.

Daily tasks include feeding, cleaning, monitoring the cat’s appetite and stool quality for signs of ill health, and overseeing gradual socialization with humans or other cats. While juggling all this, fosterers also put up social media posts to attract potential adopters.

Ms. Ella, a 33-year-old ad-hoc fosterer for about three years, described the challenge. “Fostering involves a dedicated commitment to the well-being and eventual placement of each cat, requiring both physical effort and careful planning to ensure their successful transition to a permanent home,” she said.

While it is hard to quantify, some fosterers estimated that caring for such cats collectively could take up a few hours of their time a day.

2. Commitment for Months… or Years

A risk that fosterers face is that it can be hard to know how long they have to keep the cats they take in. It can take months or even longer before a new home can be found.

Ms. Kartika Angkawijaya, 42, who began rescuing and rehoming cats in 2018, said that some foster cases take longer than others due to the cats’ health or behavioral issues. “At some point, I almost gave up, thinking if I would need to adopt them instead,” the product manager added.

Attracting potential adopters is only one part of the equation. Screening them to find a committed and responsible future owner for the cat also involves more time and effort. This can include conducting interviews, inviting the prospective adopter to view the cats in person, or visiting their home — and sometimes putting up with unkind behavior.

“There was a potential adopter who dissed us by saying that if it’s so difficult to adopt, because of the need to cat-proof the house, and that the adopter might as well just buy the cat from a breeder,” Ms. Kartika added.

3. Self-Funded Commitment

It is common for fosterers to charge adopters a nominal fee covering basic veterinary expenses — such as sterilization and vaccination — but they tend to bear the bulk of the fostering costs.

Ms. Sabrina, who did not want to give her full name, 31, said: “For a simple and relatively healthy case, we are looking at anywhere from S$240 to S$650 (in initial cost).” She has been involved in the sterilization and rehoming of cats since her varsity days.

Monthly costs for basic necessities such as food and litter vary greatly but typically start at around S$100 for a cat. Mr. Alessandro Lange, 26, who does cat trapping and neutering in industrial areas as well as fostering cats, estimated that, on average, he spends “around S$1,000 a month” on basic necessities. This excludes the basic medical fees that adopters eventually reimburse.

The student, who funds his operations by doing freelance work, added: “Sometimes I meet adopters who are very passionate and understanding and give a little more.”

Veterinary bills for cats that need serious medical attention can be as high as five-figure sums. In those cases, fosterers would turn to the public for donations. This is made worse these days because vets have had to raise their fees by up to 20 percent in the last two years, owing to climbing operational costs, CNA news channel reported in January.

Fosterers also spoke about forgoing holidays or other treats for themselves and their families to set aside money to care for the cats. Regular fosterer Michelle Shoo, 34, who does part-time work to supplement her income, said: “I’ve seen a few small cat rescue groups on Facebook that are having a deficit in funds and in debt. There’s even one who took up a loan to fund the rescues.”

The Emotional Toll

Like other fosterers, Mr. Lange still feels pangs of sadness at having to give away the feline friends that he has cared for and bonded with for months, despite having been doing such work since 2020. “But then I began to think if I keep them all, I won’t have the capacity to save more,” he said. “So when I look at them going to a good family, and I think of the greater good for that cat and future cats I want to save, I feel less sad.”

For every cat they manage to save from the streets and rehome, though, there would always be many others that they encounter but are unable to help. Ms. Ella, the 33-year-old ad-hoc fosterer, said: “Despite wanting to help in many cases, personal limitations often prevent me from doing so. The messages I receive requesting assistance weigh heavily on me.”

It is also not uncommon for these cat volunteers to have to deal with the death of cats that they try to help. Ms. Lynn Jefrey, 45, has rehomed more than 50 cats in the last 10 years but mainly focuses on taking in older community cats.

The part-time makeup artist and cat-sitter has cared for more than 10 old and sick abandoned cats until the end of their lives in the last three or four years, on top of the dozens of community cat deaths that she has encountered on her feeding rounds. Many such cats, which died due to accidents or being mauled by stray dogs, had been abandoned. Such unfortunate endings could have been avoided if only the cats’ former owners had not thrown their pets out, she added.

“Sometimes my husband and I feel like giving up, but we tell ourselves there are still cats out there that need our help.”

Ms. Sim of TNR Project Singapore told TODAY that her team just lost a kitten last week, and she was asked by a volunteer how she copes with such cases. “And I said, ‘No choice, just cry and move on’. We have so many other cats waiting to be saved.”

An Increase in Abandoned Pet Cats

The number of abandonment and surrender cases are generally high all year round, but many fosterers and rescuers said that they saw a spike early in the year, further adding to their burden.

“(The increase) was almost as bad as during some festive seasons,” Mr. Lange said. Festive seasons are known to be peak periods for pet abandonment cases.

Ms. Sabina said: “I saw an increase in abandonment and (online posts about) the ‘heavy-hearted’ rehoming of house cats on Facebook, as I moderate one of the communities online.” She has been helping to foster and rehome three times more cats so far this year than she did the whole of last year. “And that’s not even counting the ones I’ve had to turn away.”

For Ms. Shoo, she has fostered about 20 cats a year since 2020. However, since the new framework was announced last December to now, she has already fostered 26. Each additional cat takes a toll on these fosterers’ time and resources, but it was the cats that they had to turn down that affected them even more.

“Since we are not able to take in all the abandoned cats, we have to sterilize and release the cats back on the streets,” Ms. Shoo added. “It is really sad for the cats as they have to adapt to street life when they were once well-loved home cats.”

Ms. Thenuga Vijakumar, president of the Cat Welfare Society, said that the organization also received feedback on such an increase earlier this year. “This seems to have plateaued with misinformation being corrected,” she added, without giving an exact timeline.

The cat volunteers stressed to TODAY — as many others did late last year — that the long-term solution to cat abandonment issues hinges on mandatory sterilization.

Fosterers Consider Calling It Quits

The confusion around licensing for regular cat owners has largely cleared up, but the regulations for fosterers are still in the works, though they can already begin registering the foster cats with the authorities come Sept 1 next year.

Ms. Thenuga of the Cat Welfare Society said: “Our concern is that some fosterers may feel that the regulations restrict their fostering abilities or capacities especially if there are fetters on numbers.”

The cat volunteers agreed that having some regulation has its benefits, such as ensuring that fosterers do not take on too many cats at the expense of the animals’ welfare. Ms. Sabrina, however, noted that if the authorities intend to “vet every single fosterer”, the process may take too long and there would not be enough fosterers to help with the abandoned cases out there.

“Or potential fosterers will drop out of the pool due to the wait and the bureaucracy,” she said.

Many fosterers are already mulling the option of quitting to avoid potential “legal liabilities” arising from future regulations, she added.

The Cat Welfare Society emphasized the need for the authorities and welfare groups to work together to ensure that the future regulations do not hinder the fosterers’ work. At the same time, people should be able to foster cats “in a manner that does not overly tax them or their resources” and they can uphold standards such as “not causing disamenities to neighbors”.

“We must concurrently grow the pool of fosters and resources available for cats so that the current group’s burdens are alleviated,” Ms. Thenuga said.

Previous Post

Dentist Rescues Four Cats During Flood in Penampang

Next Post

Meet Corduroy: The World’s Oldest Cat

Ella

Ella

Ella has been practicing veterinary medicine since 2007. Her veterinary experience ranges from routine health care and preventive medicine to emergency and specialty care, where she performs duties ranging from specialty care to clinical management. Not only is Ella a veterinarian, she writes about pets and donates her free time to local animal shelters. She started writing in 2020, and since then Ella has covered feline behavior and health, current events, first-hand product reviews, and a variety of cat-related content.

Related Posts

Missing Cat Reunited with Kittens, Now Thriving Under Her Care
cat breeding

Missing Cat Reunited with Kittens, Now Thriving Under Her Care

13/06/2025
Rescued Stray Cat with “Crumpled Ears” Finds Loving Forever Home After Long Journey
cat health

Rescued Stray Cat with “Crumpled Ears” Finds Loving Forever Home After Long Journey

13/06/2025
Retired Stray Cat Finds New Purpose as Foster Dad to Kittens in Need
news

Retired Stray Cat Finds New Purpose as Foster Dad to Kittens in Need

13/06/2025
Devoted Tabby Cat and Her Five Kittens Find Safe Haven After Shelter Rescue
cat breeding

Devoted Tabby Cat and Her Five Kittens Find Safe Haven After Shelter Rescue

13/06/2025
Abandoned Cat Rescued from Harsh Outdoors Transforms into Affectionate “Teddy Bear”
cat training

Abandoned Cat Rescued from Harsh Outdoors Transforms into Affectionate “Teddy Bear”

13/06/2025
Rescue Kitten “Stuart Little” Finds Hope After Rough Start
cat health

Rescue Kitten “Stuart Little” Finds Hope After Rough Start

13/06/2025
Tiny Calico Kitten Survives Against All Odds, Thanks Rescuer With Heartwarming Cuddles
news

Tiny Calico Kitten Survives Against All Odds, Thanks Rescuer With Heartwarming Cuddles

13/06/2025
Stray Cat Family Finds Perfect Home—Adopters Return to Complete the Trio
cat boarding

Stray Cat Family Finds Perfect Home—Adopters Return to Complete the Trio

13/06/2025
Friendly Stray Cat Rescued from Freezing Stairwell Finds Loving Foster Home
cat health

Friendly Stray Cat Rescued from Freezing Stairwell Finds Loving Foster Home

13/06/2025
Next Post
Meet Corduroy: The World’s Oldest Cat

Meet Corduroy: The World’s Oldest Cat

How Many Times a Day Should a Cat Sitter Visit?

How Many Times a Day Should a Cat Sitter Visit?

What Two Breeds Make a Ragdoll Cat?

How Much Should I Feed My Ragdoll Cat?

Please login to join discussion

Tags

Abyssinian Cat American Bobtail Cat American Curl American Shorthair Balinese Cat Bengal Cat Birman cat Blue Point Ragdoll cat Bombay Cat British Shorthair cat Burmese Cat Calico Cat Cat Bathing Cat Neutering Cat Pregnant Chartreux Cat Chausie Cat Cornish Rex Devon Rex Egyptian Mau Flame Point Siamese Cat Hairless Cat Himalayan Cat How Often Should 2 Week Old Kittens Poop Kitten Maine Coon Cat Norwegian Forest Cat Ragdoll Cat Siamese Cat Snowshoe Cat Sphynx Cat Stray Cat Tortoiseshell Cat

Recent Posts

Missing Cat Reunited with Kittens, Now Thriving Under Her Care
cat breeding

Missing Cat Reunited with Kittens, Now Thriving Under Her Care

by jingji10
13/06/2025

INDIANAPOLIS – After days of uncertainty, a missing mother cat was finally found and reunited with her newborn kittens, much...

Rescued Stray Cat with “Crumpled Ears” Finds Loving Forever Home After Long Journey

Rescued Stray Cat with “Crumpled Ears” Finds Loving Forever Home After Long Journey

13/06/2025
Retired Stray Cat Finds New Purpose as Foster Dad to Kittens in Need

Retired Stray Cat Finds New Purpose as Foster Dad to Kittens in Need

13/06/2025
Devoted Tabby Cat and Her Five Kittens Find Safe Haven After Shelter Rescue

Devoted Tabby Cat and Her Five Kittens Find Safe Haven After Shelter Rescue

13/06/2025
Abandoned Cat Rescued from Harsh Outdoors Transforms into Affectionate “Teddy Bear”

Abandoned Cat Rescued from Harsh Outdoors Transforms into Affectionate “Teddy Bear”

13/06/2025
Rescue Kitten “Stuart Little” Finds Hope After Rough Start

Rescue Kitten “Stuart Little” Finds Hope After Rough Start

13/06/2025
Tiny Calico Kitten Survives Against All Odds, Thanks Rescuer With Heartwarming Cuddles

Tiny Calico Kitten Survives Against All Odds, Thanks Rescuer With Heartwarming Cuddles

13/06/2025
Stray Cat Family Finds Perfect Home—Adopters Return to Complete the Trio

Stray Cat Family Finds Perfect Home—Adopters Return to Complete the Trio

13/06/2025

Cat Feeding

From Scared Strays to Snuggle Bugs: How Three Shy Kittens Learned to Trust Again

From Scared Strays to Snuggle Bugs: How Three Shy Kittens Learned to Trust Again

13/06/2025
What Type of Food Is Good for Cats with Diarrhea and Vomiting?

What Type of Food Is Good for Cats with Diarrhea and Vomiting?

13/06/2025
What to Feed a Kitten When out of Cat Food?

What to Feed a Kitten When out of Cat Food?

13/06/2025
How Much to Feed 5 Lb Kitten?

How Much to Feed 5 Lb Kitten?

12/06/2025
Resilient Kitten with “Shocked” Expression Finds Loving Rescue and New Lease on Life

Resilient Kitten with “Shocked” Expression Finds Loving Rescue and New Lease on Life

11/06/2025
Two Michigan House Cats Diagnosed With Bird Flu, Raising Alarms

Two Michigan House Cats Diagnosed With Bird Flu, Raising Alarms

11/06/2025
Cute Cat Breeds | Profiles & Characteristics - catsmeowweb.com

CATSME OWWEB is a cat portal. The main columns include cat training, cat grooming, cat feeding, cat breeding, knowledge, etc.
【Contact us: wzy2008@gmail.com】

Recent Posts

  • Missing Cat Reunited with Kittens, Now Thriving Under Her Care 13/06/2025
  • Rescued Stray Cat with “Crumpled Ears” Finds Loving Forever Home After Long Journey 13/06/2025
  • Retired Stray Cat Finds New Purpose as Foster Dad to Kittens in Need 13/06/2025
  • Devoted Tabby Cat and Her Five Kittens Find Safe Haven After Shelter Rescue 13/06/2025
  • Abandoned Cat Rescued from Harsh Outdoors Transforms into Affectionate “Teddy Bear” 13/06/2025

TAGS

Abyssinian Cat American Bobtail Cat American Curl American Shorthair Balinese Cat Bengal Cat Birman cat Blue Point Ragdoll cat Bombay Cat British Shorthair cat Burmese Cat Calico Cat Cat Bathing Cat Brushing Cat Caring Cat Neutering Cat Pregnant Cat Shaving Chartreux Cat Chausie Cat

Useful Links

ABOUT US

Disclaimer

Privacy Policy

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • news
  • cat boarding
  • cat feeding
  • cat health

© 2024 Cute Cat Breeds | Profiles & Characteristics - www.catsmeowweb.com