Defying a 34-year-old law that prohibits its presence in social housing, this cat is considered “illegal” but remains undeterred.
For 3 years, Mooncake has been an illegal alien. His mistress Sunny, who prides herself on being a model Singaporean citizen, is in fact breaking a 34-year-old law banning cats in apartments built by the government. Luckily for the kitty, Singapore plans to lift this unfair ban later this year.
For 34 years, a law has banned cats in Singapore ‘s social housing , which is home to the vast majority of the city-state’s residents. Many of them, however, defied the ban by welcoming illegal felines into their homes. Among these outlaw cats, Mooncake , a fluffy 3-year-old Ragdoll who is the pride of his mistress Sunny .
A ban difficult to understand
Before 1989, cats were allowed in Housing and Development Board ( HDB ) public flats until parliament amended the Housing Act.
The HDB justifies the ban by saying that cats are ” difficult to contain in an apartment […] They tend to shed their fur and defecate or urinate in public places, and also make cat noises, which may inconvenience your neighbors. »
Dogs, for their part, are not subject to a similar ban (even if their number is limited to one per household and only certain small breeds are authorized).
“ Cats are so much quieter than dogs. If they allow dogs, I don’t understand why not cats ,” Sunny told Reuters .
The 30-year-old who broke the law asked to be identified only by her first name because she did not want to risk a fine of 4,000 Singapore dollars (around 2,700 euros) or, worse, her cat be taken away from him.
A welcome new framework
Fortunately for Mooncake and her mistress, the time of hiding is soon over. The Singapore government has indeed changed its mind on the presence of felines in social housing and plans to implement a new cat management framework in 2024.
Under this framework, residents of HDB housing would be limited to 2 cats and will have to follow certain rules such as requiring microchipping the animal, granting licenses or installing mosquito nets on windows so that cats do not do not fall.
Some cat lovers think that the new regulations do not go far enough and, for example, want the law to make sterilization and accountability of owners compulsory.
But for many cat parents like Sunny , Mooncake ‘s “mom ,” the law is a blessing that will bring her peace of mind. “ I think it’s a good thing and it’s a step forward after 30 years ,” she said, relieved that she would soon no longer have to hide the existence of her adorable companion.