Cat Licensing in Singapore: Transition Period Ends
On September 1, Singapore reached a significant milestone with over 111,000 pet cats licensed, completing the two-year transition under the Cat Management Framework. This number increased from about 66,000 in July, signifying that around 70% of pet cats in the country are now licensed.
Minister of State for National Development, Alvin Tan, expressed gratitude via social media to cat owners for their proactive participation in microchipping and licensing their pets. He highlighted that these measures enhance traceability and accountability, making it easier to reunite lost cats with their owners.
The Cat Management Framework, enforced by the National Parks Board’s Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS), officially commenced on September 1, 2024. Under this framework, households in HDB flats can keep up to two cats, while private residences can have up to three, with all cats mandatorily microchipped and licensed.
Tan noted that the new limits for cat ownership would take effect from the start of September. During the transition, AVS hosted nearly 170 free microchipping events, successfully microchipping over 13,000 cats. Additionally, the Pet Cat Sterilisation Support Programme aided in sterilizing and microchipping more than 6,300 cats from over 2,900 lower-income households.
Since the introduction of the Trap-Neuter-Rehome/Release-Manage programme on September 1, 2024, over 4,700 community cats have participated. Also recently launched was a two-year pilot scheme allowing approved cat fosterers to keep up to six cats in HDB flats and up to 10 in private homes, running until July 31, 2028, to support their crucial role in managing community cat populations.
