The Cat Welfare Society (CWS) has launched its first-ever social media campaign “Better With A Cat”. in January this year to create awareness of the benefits of cat ownership and to increase the adoption of cats.

Fareena Omar, President of CWS says, “There are many homeless or rescued cats that deserve a second chance at life in a loving home. Through this campaign approach, we hope to reach potential cat owners and make them think about whether they have room in their home and the heart to adopt a cat.”

Hosted on CWS’s Facebook page, “Better With A Cat” features video testimonials from satisfied cat owners Melody Chen and Lee Amizadaiof (owner of Duke Orange) as well as light-hearted webisodes that portray owners of unsuitable “pets”.

The “Better With A Cat” campaign was produced as a charity project by media agency MediaCom Singapore and creative agency Daydream, in collaboration with sponsors Wildfire and Iams.

Remember, if you are interested in adopting a cat, make sure it’s for life!

About Cat Welfare Society
The CWS is a charity run almost entirely by volunteers. Its aim is to improve the welfare of community cats in Singapore. All community cats deserve compassion and protection, and it believes that sterilisation is the humane and effective way to control the cats’ population. For more information about CWS, please visit their website at http://www.catwelfare.org/.

Date: 25 February 2012, Saturday
Time: 8am to 5pm
Venue: Chong Pang Community Club Hall, 21 Yishun Ring Road, S768677

Come to the event for…

1. A public forum with Grassroots Adviser, Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister for Law and MP for Nee Soon GRC (Chong Pang).
2. Presentations and Q&A sessions held by animal protection orgnisations on a range of issues including Humane Domestic Animal Management, Tackling Wildlife Crime and Addressing Zoo Animal Welfare Concerns.
3. A presentation from the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) about safeguarding the welfare of animals in Singapore.
4. An update on the recommendations raised at the First Public Forum on Animal Welfare Policies in 2011.
5. An exhibition area with booths from over 15 organisations.

To register, please visit ACRES’ website at http://www.acres.org.sg/events/register.html.

Please register early as places are limited and on a first-come-first-served basis. Complementary lunch and refreshments will be provided for all registered participants.

We hope to see you at the event! When you do, please also visit our booth to learn more about what Responsible Pet Ownership entails. We also have attractive goody bags to give away!

Love was in the air yesterday as some of us celebrated Valentine’s Day with the special people in our lives.

Have you forgotten your pet Waggy, Kitty or Floppy? Fret not! Everyday can be a day devoted to the ones we love as long as we treasure it. Let this be another special day filled with love and all things sweet!

Here are some ideas to get you started on this special day with your pet:

1. Be home early. Have a little more time with your pet.
2. Get the brushes ready and give your pet a quick makeover as you spend time together. Likewise, your pet will return all these with lots of licks and nuzzles.
3. Go for a walk as you always do but try a different route this time. Together, discover something new in your neighbourhood that you may not have known.
4. Get a new toy for your pet! Play together and be impressed by how adorable your pet has always been.
5. Prepare some yummy homemade treats! You can check out some interesting and simple recipes for dogs online. For cats, you may want to steam a piece of good, fresh chicken fillet just for this special occasion. Herbivoures like rabbits can perhaps enjoy some new fresh hay, or a piece more of that carrot to sweeten up this day.
6. If you’re a dog owner, you may even want to bring your pet out to a pet-friendly restaurant!
7. Finish this special day by telling your pet how much you’ve enjoyed his company and having him as a pet.

We hope you will have a memorable time with your pet! The next issue of i-Pet e-newsletter (April 2012), we’re exploring the theme of Pets: A lifelong commitment and companion. If you have done something with/for your pet this V-Day or make today a special day for you and your pet, why don’t you share your story and some photos with us? Email our editor at chong_poh_choo@ava.gov.sg.

The first issue of i-Pet for the brand new year 2012 is out!

In this issue, we explore how people and the community translate their love for animals into action. Perhaps you have been thinking of helping animals in some ways. In this new year, why not do just that? Let this issue inspire you!

This issue is also extra special because for the first time, we had an intern, Ms Andrea Teo, put this issue of i-Pet together with us. Andrea, a final year Child Psychology & Early Childhood Education student from Ngee Ann Polytechnic, has this to share about her experience in this project:

As my Final Year Project, I have been given the chance to work with the editorial team of i-Pet to produce this January’s issue. One may ask how producing a publication regarding Responsible Pet Ownership is related to what I study. For my coursework, I have chosen to specialize in Writing & Publishing and hence this opportunity to learn and write articles for the newsletter was a good match.

To sum it up, I liken this opportunity to a bumper car ride. However, the ‘bumps’ were ones that were fruitful and positive. They made me aware of certain things and helped me learn better. I’m sure I’ll be relishing this experience in years to come as it was really fun and exciting.

This whole experience has made me more aware of animals and pets in our presence. Whenever I see a community cat now, I wonder if it has been sterilised. When a dog owner passes by, I think about the bond they share. These little things remind me that we need to respect other living things too.

The theme we choose for this issue is ‘Translating Love into Actions’. Many of us have interests and passion about certain things, but for some reason or another, we often do not do the things that we would like to do. In line with starting a new year, let us think about how to be part of creating a better environment for the animals we love.  I hope you enjoy reading this issue of the newsletter, and look forward to the next one!

Click here to download i-pet_Issue13!

As we gear up for the new Dragon year, we may be getting all things “dragon”. However, getting a “long mao” (Chinese for dragon cat) or chinchilla should not be linked to welcoming the dragon year. In fact, your commitment will probably last past the next dragon year. A Pet is for Life! So think carefully!

We’d like to share a poster done by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and their message to everyone:

SPCA’s message (also available on SPCA’s Facebook page): There has been a lot of discussion out there about people planning to get a Chinchilla ( aka Dragon Cat in the Chinese Language) as a pet to usher in the new year. Please think again. These gentle and fragile creatures require specialist care and can live till about 15 years of age, long after the lunar year is over. Please do not get one unless you are prepared to care for it for the rest of its life.

Pop by the National Geographic Store Atrium (1 HarbourFront Walk, #01-19, Vivocity, Singapore 098585) this coming Saturday (14 Jan 2012) from 2.30 – 5.00 pm for MAD ABOUT KATZ!

Enjoy a showcase of creative masterpieces by little hands (all by preschoolers!), learn about cat welfare in a special story telling session and video, and try your hand at creating your own art work!

Here’s a message from the organiser Ms Tan May Lin, a Year 3 student from Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

Hello Everyone!

I am Tan May Lin, a Year 3 student from the Diploma in Child Psychology and Early Education. As part of my final year project, I have collaborated with the Cat Welfare Society (CWS) and the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) to plan and organise this event, “MAD ABOUT KATZ” to raise awareness of Responsible Pet Ownership and to promote family bonding between parents and their children. During the event, I would be sharing a special picture book that I have created, which aims to encourage adoption and enable children to have empathy for and understand community cats.

I would like to extend an invite all of you to this event. I hope to see you there!

Please support our event by helping to extend this invite to all your family and friends too! Thank you!

MAD ABOUT KATZ Programme: