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Guidelines for Singapore Pet Cat License

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Guidelines for Singapore Pet Cat License

  1. Overview of Pet Cat License

    Pursuant to the Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS), a division of the National Parks Board (NParks), which announced the finalized Cat Management Framework on 11 May 2024, all pet owners must apply for a new cat licence from AVS and implanted with a microchip.

    The mandatory licensing and microchipping scheme aim to enhance the welfare and traceability of pet cats and will be rolled out from 1 September 2024, with the transition period extending until 31 August 2026.

  2. Microchipping scheme

    Microchips provide the best form of permanent identification for your pet, utilizing a tiny transponder the size of a grain of rice. When scanned, the microchip reveals a unique code specific to the pet.

    Owners and caregivers of cats are required to microchip and register the animals with the Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS). The registration must include details such as the animal's breed, the pet owner's name, and contact information in AVS's microchip registry.

    Microchipped pets have a significantly higher chance of being returned to their owners if they go missing. However, if the microchip code is not registered in a database with the owner's contact details, the microchipped pet cannot be traced back to its owner.

  3. Eligibility

    (1)
    Prior to the license application, the applicant must ensure that the cat is implanted with a microchip and that first-time cat license applicants complete a one-time, free online pet ownership course.
    (2)
    The licensee must follow the Code of Animal Welfare (for pet owners) for the standards in relation to animal housing, management, and care. Otherwise, the licensee may be liable for an offence in the event of any breach of the cat-keeping rules or licensing conditions.
    (3)
    Cat owners must ensure that their cats are kept in a safe environment by taking reasonable steps to protect them from hazards, such as installing mesh, grilles, screens, or other barriers to prevent the cats from roaming or falling from heights.
    (4)
    When in public, cats must be kept under physical control, such as using a harness or placing them in a carrier, to prevent them from roaming freely.

  4. License Fee

    (1)
    Licence fees (From 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2026)

    Between 1 September 2024 and 31 August 2026, all cat licenses will be issued free of charge. One-time licenses with lifetime validity will be issued for sterilized cats, while licenses covering the transition period will be issued for unsterilized cats.

    Licence fees for pet cats during the two-year transition period

    (From 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2026)

    Category

    One-Year Licence

    Two-Year Licence

    Three-Year Licence

    One-Time Licence

    Sterilised Cats

    NA

    NA

    NA

    Free one-time licences with lifetime validity

    Unsterilised Cats

    Free licences covering the transition period (Licences for unsterilised cats are issued on a renewal basis)

    NA

    NA


    (2)
    Licence fees (From 1 September 2026 onwards)

    Pet owners are strongly encouraged to sterilize their cats as soon as possible. All cats must be licensed before the end of the transition period, as it will be an offence to keep unlicensed pet cats from 1 September 2026 onwards.

    Licence Fees for pet cats * (From 1 September 2026)

    Category

    One-Year Licence

    Two-Year Licence

    Three-Year Licence

    One-Time Licence

    Cats below five months of age

    S$15 per cat

    NA

    NA

    NA

    First three cats

    Sterilised:

    S$15 per cat

    Unsterilised:

    S$90 per cat

    Sterilised:

    S$25 per cat

    Unsterilised:

    S$165 per cat

    S$230 per unsterilised cat

    S$35 per sterilised cat

    Fourth and 

    subsequent 

    cat

    S$180 per cat

    OR

    A reduced licence fee of S$15 for the fourth cat^

    S$325 per cat

    OR

    A reduced licence fee of S$25 for the fourth cat^

    S$460 per unsterilised cat

    S$460 per sterilised cat

    OR

    A reduced licence fee of S$35 for the fourth cat^


    *An additional 10% rebate is extended to licensees who make payment via GIRO, online, or via AXS.

  5. Important Notice

    (1)
    A two-year transition period will be implemented to facilitate pet owners in adapting to the new cat-keeping rules and licensing conditions. This transition period will run from 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2026. Beginning 1 September 2026, it will be an offence to keep unlicensed pet cats.
    (2)
    Cat owners who fail to license their existing pet cats by the end of the transition period will be restricted to keeping a maximum of two pet cats in each HDB flat or up to three cats and/or dogs in private premises.
    (3)
    Recognizing that pet ownership is a lifelong commitment, pet owners may retain all their existing pet cats (i.e., those owned before 1 September 2024) provided they apply for licenses during the transition period and ensure the health and welfare of their cats are adequately managed. If you currently own more cats than the permitted limit, you will not be allowed to acquire additional cats after 1 September 2024.

All the information and requirement are revised periodically and may be subject to change from time to time by the Singapore government authorities without prior notice. Please consult with Kaizen Consultants for more information.

Kaizen specializes in the areas of company formation and registration, tax filing and planning, audit and assurance, merger and acquisition, intellectual property, human resources management, visa and immigration services and many others. Through our own offices and the network of professional firms that we built up, Kaizen is capable of providing above mentioned services in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Mainland China, Singapore, Malaysia, UK, USA, Italy, Germany, Australia and many other jurisdictions.

Disclaimer

All information in this article is only for the purpose of information sharing, instead of professional suggestion. Kaizen will not assume any responsibility for loss or damage.

If you wish to obtain more information or assistance, please visit the official website of Kaizen CPA Limited at www.kaizencpa.com or contact us through the following and talk to our professionals:

Email: info@kaizencpa.com
Tel: +852 2341 1444
Mobile : +852 5616 4140, +86 152 1943 4614
WhatsApp/ Line/ WeChat: +852 5616 4140
Skype: kaizencpa

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