VOA新闻杂志2024--Singapore to End Cat Ban in Public Housing

Singapore to End Cat Ban in Public Housing

Sunny is a proud Singaporean citizen who follows the laws of her country. Mostly, anyway. For the last three years, she has been illegally sheltering a cat called Mooncake.

A 34-year-old Singaporean law bars cats from government-built housing. Such housing is where most of the city-state's population lives - and Mooncake too, although secretly.

Luckily for Sunny and her cat, Singapore plans to end the feline¹ ban later this year.

The legal change will free Sunny from the threat of a $3,007 fine or her pet's possible removal.

The 30-year-old works in marketing² and asked to be identified only by her first name for the security of her cat. She did not want to risk officials removing Sunny from her care.

She wonders about the reasoning behind the ban.

"Cats are so much quieter than dogs. If they allow dogs, I don't understand why not cats."

Officials rarely enforce the ban. And the law is only for the high-rise Housing and Development Board (HDB) buildings. Eighty percent of Singapore's 3.6 million people live in the buildings.

The ban does, however, make life difficult for cat owners. One problem they face is health care for their animals. Medical insurance cannot be provided for illegal pets.

Lawmaker Louis Ng campaigned to end the ban. He said the law sometimes becomes part of disputes between neighbors.

"A lot of times, the cats are collateral³ when there's neighborly disputes," he said. One neighbor will threaten to tell police about another neighbor's cat.

Established in 1960, the HDB plan sells government-built housing directly to citizens for 99-year special agreements. The policy has led to one of the world's highest home-ownership rates. Still, people who live in the buildings are subject to many restrictions⁴ and laws.

Cats were permitted in HDB apartments until 1989 when lawmakers changed the housing law. On its website, the HDB says cats are difficult to keep contained in individual homes. It also says that cats drop hairs and other body waste in public areas and can be loud.

It is not clear what made the Singapore government decide to end the cat ban. But a 2022 government public opinion study may have been the turning point. The study results showed 9 out of 10 Singaporeans believed that cats were fit to keep as pets, including in HDB buildings.

Officials are requesting public input⁵ on a proposed cat management policy.

Dogs have not been subject to a similar ban, but they are limited to one per household. And, only some kinds of dogs are permitted.

Market research company Euromonitor International has predicted a big increase in cat ownership. It estimated Singapore's current pet population at around 94,000 cats and 113,000 dogs.

Lawmaker Ng, who ran an animal aid group before joining parliament in 2015, also hopes the change will lead more people to adopt rescued cats.

Under the new rules, HDB homeowners would be limited to two pet cats. The rules also require owners to register their pets with the government. The owners must also get special identifying electronic devices for the animals. And, owners must install protective devices on windows so cats do not get out.

Some cat lovers say the new laws do not go far enough.

Thenuga Vijakumar from the Cat Welfare Society wants the law to require sterilization⁶. Another cat rescuer, Chan Chow Wah, urges officials to punish irresponsible owners. He said he had to take care of a cat that fell from a high window in one home. The owners refused to pay its medical bills. Wah also took care of another cat that was abandoned because he had heart disease.

"I end up taking over these cases. Basically, I look after them until they pass away," said Chan, estimating he spent $45,100 on cat medical expenses in 2022.

But for many cat owners the law will bring peace of mind.

Including Mooncake's: "I think it's a good thing and it's a step forward after 30 years," Sunny said.

Words in This Story

collateral – n. indirect damage that happens to someone or something that is not directly involved in a dispute or war

sterilize⁷ – v. to make (someone or something) unable to produce children or young animals

1 feline   

adj.猫科的

参考例句：

• As a result,humans have learned to respect feline independence.结果是人们已经学会尊重猫的独立性。
• The awakening was almost feline in its stealthiness.这种醒觉，简直和猫的脚步一样地轻悄。

2 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

3 collateral   

adj.平行的；旁系的；n.担保品

参考例句：

• Many people use personal assets as collateral for small business loans.很多人把个人财产用作小额商业贷款的抵押品。
• Most people here cannot borrow from banks because they lack collateral.由于拿不出东西作为抵押，这里大部分人无法从银行贷款。

4 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

5 input   

n.输入(物)；投入；vt.把(数据等)输入计算机

参考例句：

• I will forever be grateful for his considerable input.我将永远感激他的大量投入。
• All this information had to be input onto the computer.所有这些信息都必须输入计算机。

6 sterilization   

n.杀菌，绝育；灭菌

参考例句：

• Sterilization by filtration is subject to one major theoretical limitation. 过滤灭菌具有一个理论上的局限性。 来自辞典例句
• Sterilization is a treatment that frees the treated object of all living organisms. 灭菌处理是从处理对象排除一切生活的生物。 来自辞典例句

7 sterilize   

vt.使不结果实；使绝育；使无效；杀菌，消毒

参考例句：

• Antiseptic is used to sterilize the skin before giving an injection.杀菌剂被用于在注射前给皮肤消毒。
• He pricks the blister on his heel with a sterilize needle.他用一根消过毒的针扎破他脚后跟上的水泡。