History of cat sterilisation programme

"Sterilisation is the most humane and effective mean of controlling the stray animal population. Since 1991, SPCA has been distributing free sterilisation vouchers to the public. This scheme enables people to have stray animals sterilised at participating veterinary clinics. The cost is borne by SPCA and currently a budget of more than S$4,800 per month is set aside for this service."

http://www.spca.org.sg/voucher.html

"In May 2003, the Agri-food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) halted the Stray Cat Rehabilitation Scheme,"

http://www.spca.org.sg/humanestray.html

"Since 1991, our voucher programme for stray-cat sterilisation has translated into thousands of cases of surgery on stray cats being sponsored by the SPCA. Over the years, our monthly budget has more than doubled."

"With the special rates granted to our organisation by participating veterinary clinics (whose kind assistance we are very grateful for), we are able to sponsor the cost of approximately 140 operations every month. We thank our donors whose funding has made this possible. "

http://www.wildsingapore.com/news/20070304/070309-1.htm

"When Cat Welfare Society first came into operation(1999), records showed that 13,000 community cats were put down every year. This equated to 35 cats killed every single day. We found that this could not be allowed to go on and joined the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in its effort to incentivise and encourage people to sterilise community cats.

We were also active in coordinating the sterilisation efforts of volunteers under the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA)'s sterilisation programme from 1998 to 2004, implemented after its study confirmed the benefits of sterilisation as an effective means of community cat population control."

http://www.catwelfare.org/aboutus

"In July last year, a local newspaper reported that culling costs for 2003 rose 20 per cent. That year, AVA cancelled its five-year-old Stray Cat Rehabilitation Scheme (SCRS), following the Sars scare.

Eighty per cent of readers surveyed objected to AVA’s annual $600,000 culling bill, and more than half felt funds should go to animal welfare groups to re-home or sterilise strays."

-Why animal welfare groups in Singapore can’t reach out to the authorities

"AVA had previously worked with animal welfare groups and town councils on a Stray Cat Rehabilitation Scheme to control the stray cat population through sterilisation and responsible management of the sterilised stray cats by volunteer caregivers.

The scheme was terminated in 2003 as there was no reduction in the number of strays or stray cat complaints.

In 2007, AVA and town councils agreed on a Stray Cat Sterilisation Programme. AVA would subsidise the cost of the sterilisation of stray cats if the caregivers of stray cats, town councils and the community in the respective precincts agreed to participate in the programme.

To date, we have not been approached by any town councils or caregivers."

-Scheme in place but no takers

http://singaporecommunitycats.blogspot.com/2010/07/ava-replies-scheme-in-place-but-no.html

so it seems that the sterilisation programme in Singapore is as such:

Since 1991, SPCA has been giving out free sterilisation vouchers for sterilisation of stray cats.

In 1998, AVA started the Stray Cat Rehabilitation Scheme, based on a study which showed its success. Under this scheme, both SPCA and CWS worked together with the AVA and town councils to sterilise stray cats.

In 2003, this scheme was terminated citing 'no reduction in the number of strays or stray cat complains', which contradicted its earlier study.

In 2007, AVA and town councils 'agreed on a Stray Cat Sterilisation Programme' where AVA would sponsor cost of sterilising stray cats in participating precincts. However, they have not yet been approached.

At the moment, it seems to me that animal welfare groups are working among themselves to tackle the stray problem.

Out came a moth

One day the little caterpillar became a full-fledged Tussock Moth! Cocoon stage lasted about 2 weeks. What remains of the cocoon:

It's a male!
Just when it emerged:
I left the cover of the container opened during the night and true enough, it was gone by the next day. All the best to finding a mate to my first full-grown caterpillar!

Tussock Moth

I received a pleasant new year's gift from my dad whom picked up a hairy caterpillar from the floor in one hdb estate and brought it home. It was so furrily cute that I decided to keep it and watch it grow.

I googled it and found out that this is the caterpillar of the Pale Tussock Moth (Calliteara pudibunda) which is in the Lymantriidae family. The distinctive feature of this caterpillar is the four tuffs of hair along its back. However be warned, for the hair projections can cause skin irritation upon contact. In fact, tussock moths have caused an outbreak of dermatitis in Singapore =O

Dad said that there was a bunch of shrubs filled with caterpillars, and indeed, when I went to see for myself, the Ixora javanica leaves were almost eaten bare. There were many cocoons however, which meant that my caterpillar was a late bloomer.

The caterpillars use the hairs on their back as camouflage; a little shelter they snuggle in whereas they complete their pupae stage.

Hope my caterpillar would grow up healthy and well!