Saturday, January 10, 2009

Why put sterilised stray cat to sleep?

The Electric New Paper :

Why put sterilised stray cat to sleep?

10 January 2009

THERE was a young black cat around Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 that a woman there used to look after.

The cat was sterilised, and this was clearly indicated by its clipped ears.

Recently, some of us found the woman in tears and understood from her that the cat had been taken away by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA).

She claimed that she called the AVA and was told that the cat had been put down.

The question I want to ask is this: Why are even sterilised cats being put to sleep?

We cat lovers are told to sterilise cats, which we do. In this area, we have nursed them, carried them to the vet and spent money on them.

We are not rich, and have sometimes shared the expenses of getting them sterilised.

So it is painful to see that the life of this cat was not spared.

And we are worried about the fate of other sterilised strays even though there are not many in this area. Some of them appear to have been abused or killed.

I, and I think I speak for the other animal lovers in this area, hope that the AVA can at least spare them.

If there have been any complaints about the cats, surely there are other solutions than just putting them down.

If there is some open space somewhere which we can use, with an affordable rent, we could keep these cats.

I hope the AVA, the town council and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals can look into this.

SHOBA R

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