Licensing System for Ownership of Cats to Prevent Cat Abandonment

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for National Development whether the Ministry will start a licensing system for the ownership of cats to prevent cat abandonment.

Pet licensing primarily serves to protect public health. As dogs are the most common cause of rabies transmission from animals to humans globally, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) requires them to be licensed to enable traceability for the purposes of disease control.

AVA has put in place several measures to deter pet abandonment. First, AVA conducts public education initiatives to promote responsible pet ownership, including school talks and community events. Second, AVA requires pet shops to do pre-sales screenings to assess and ensure that their customers are suitable pet owners. Finally, owners who are found to have abandoned their pets may be liable to a maximum fine of $10,000 and a jail term of up to 12 months, for first-time convictions. AVA investigates all feedback on alleged pet abandonment and will take enforcement action where required.

AVA will continue to work with stakeholders to review measures to promote responsible pet ownership and deter pet abandonment.