Last Updated on 2022-05-26 , 4:58 pm
If anyone tells you that cats aren’t smart creatures, they’ve clearly never been at the receiving end of their wide eyes, cute and fluffy bellies, and slightly drooping ears.
They’re downright lethal, especially when it comes to food.
On Cats Learning to Take Lifts for Food
According to a Shin Min Daily News reader, Ms Lin Xiaojuan, who lives in Block 17 on Marsiling Lane, she suspects that the building’s residents have been regularly feeding the stray cats because their population around their building has been increasing.
In the past, there used to be one or two loitering around, but now there tends to be four or more.
Stray cats aren’t a rare sight in Singapore per se; most HDB flats have one common visitor at least, resting on stairways or in the middle of the lift lobbies, waiting and knowing that eventually one of the residents will give them food.
For the 40-year-old bodyguard, she doesn’t have a problem with these stray cats, even if she holds a slight fear for the animal, a small holdover of her childhood trauma.
She could usually walk around them or duck for the lift to enclose herself in the safety of her own home.
However, that all changed when the cats started taking the lifts to higher floors to forage and plea for food, likely a learned behaviour from whoever was feeding them.
Besides some residents leaving food at the lobby for the cats to feast on, she suspects that her third-floor neighbours have been feeding them along the corridors.
As a result, these cats are also defecating everywhere, from the higher to the lowest floors, which is highly unsanitary.
The Cat Outside Her Door
In the interview, it was revealed that Ms Lin stays on the seventh floor.
One day, she returned to see a chubby white cat lying outside her front door.
Owing to her childhood fears and afraid that the cat would bite her, Ms Lin could only go downstairs again for 10 minutes to wait for the cat to leave before she was able to go home.
The cat situation hasn’t improved at all.
In fact, Ms Lin has reached the point where she feels nervous whenever she’s near a cat, even to the extent where she becomes tempted to scold or hit someone.
Hence, the middle-aged bodyguard went to the clinic to see a doctor, who prescribed her some medication to cope with her anxiety.
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National Park Board: Feeding the Cats Responsibly
In response, the National Parks Board (NParks) expressed that the Animal and Veterinary Service works with animal care agencies to control the cat population in the community in a humane manner.
Ms Jessica Kwok, Group Director of Animal and Veterinary Service of NParks stated that that they have a running sterilisation programme for stray cats ever since 2011, which provides funding for procedures such as sterilisation and microchipping.
He adds that community support is vital to keeping the animals healthy and safe.
NParks works with town councils, animal care agencies and other government agencies to reduce the inconveniences that cats might bring to the community and encourage responsible feeding practices.
For instance, it is better to avoid feeding cats along corridors or lift lobbies. Void decks or back areas are alright; the general recommendation is that the feeding areas must be out of the way and won’t disturb the residents.
Furthermore, residents should always put the cat food in containers and clean up the leftovers after feeding.
It would be terrible to attract other unwanted pests, after all.
On a parting note, Mr Kwok hopes that cat lovers in Marsiling can work with all parties involved to care for the cats in the community in a responsible manner.
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Featured Image: Shin Min Daily News 新明日报
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