‘We’re exhausted’: Cat feeders hope more can be done to stop stray dog attacks

SINGAPORE: Cat feeder Nisha Kaur has spent thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours over the past six months trying to protect community cats in Ang Mo Kio and the surrounding areas from stray dogs.

She spends S$1,800 per month paying for boarding for five cats so that they are not on the streets and vulnerable to attacks.

Cat feeders report that a group of dogs has been attacking community cats in recent months, with Ms Kaur, 48, estimating that around 30 cats have been killed. The dogs have shown up in areas such as Ang Mo Kio, Serangoon North and Jalan Kayu.

Besides being on standby to chase the dogs away from community cats, Ms Kaur also prepares food – mostly grilled chicken and dry kibble – for the dogs. She tries to feed them further away from residential areas where the cats are fed, and hopes the dogs can be trapped and rehomed.

In response to queries from CNA, the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) said it is aware of the stray dogs at Ang Mo Kio, “including three dogs that have been reported to have attacked some community cats”.

“The dogs were likely originally from a remote site in the north, and could have wandered into Ang Mo Kio,” said Dr Chang Siow Foong, group director of community animal management, AVS.

The AVS, which is under the National Parks Board (NParks), said the dogs in question have been sterilised under the Trap-Neuter-Release-Manage (TNRM) programme. Efforts are made to rehome as many of the sterilised dogs as possible.

“Those that are unable to be rehomed will be released at suitable locations, away from residential estates, to live out their lives naturally,” Dr Chang said.

More than 3,500 stray dogs have been trapped under TNRM since it was launched in 2018, and over 60 per cent were rehomed or fostered, AVS said.

START OF AN ORDEAL

In August last year, Ms Kaur, a paralegal, found one of the community cats that she fed had been attacked.

At the time, she thought it was nature taking its course.

“Sometimes, dogs do pass by a certain area, so maybe they come into contact with a community cat, it’s natural instinct for them to attack. I didn’t take it that seriously, honestly, I thought it’s just going to be a one-time thing,” Ms Kaur, who heads out most nights to patrol, said.

But two other cats she fed were attacked in September and died from their wounds. In one incident, she said a resident saw the dogs attacking the cat from his home on the third floor but did not take a closer look out of fear.

Another feeder who only wanted to be known as Mrs Ong said she encountered the group of dogs in November when they tried to attack a cat that she was feeding.

“I was nearby then and managed to stop the attack,” she said. But another cat that she fed was killed last month.

“It was around 4am and two kind residents who witnessed the attack tried to help the kitty but it was too late,” said Mrs Ong, 46, who has been feeding community cats for around five years.

Both Ms Kaur and Mrs Ong said they have contacted the authorities regarding the stray dogs, and were told that NParks plans to capture the dogs.

“AVS will work with the community animal caregivers to track and guide the dogs back to their original location through feeding and conditioning. We will monitor the progress closely,” Dr Chang told CNA.

THREAT TO HUMANS?

Mrs Ong said residents told her they have seen the dogs chasing people before, but they generally do not seem aggressive to humans.

Ms Kaur added she has come within 5m to 10m of the dogs when feeding them.

“They are very nice to humans,” she said. “So far they’ve never attacked.”

She believes that the dogs chase cats out of habit and a “natural, typical hunting spirit”.