Animal feeders and welfare groups say unsterilised cats in industrial areas are multiplying fast
A growing number of stray cats in Singapore’s industrial estates is raising concern among feeders and animal welfare groups, who say abandonment, relocation, and low sterilisation rates are fueling a quiet population boom.
Feeders Say Numbers Have Climbed Sharply
Cat feeders Sharon Tang and Angela Toh have spent the past decade driving twice a week to Sungei Kadut with food for stray cats. Over the past three to four years, they said the number of cats in the area has increased significantly.
Tang said earlier trapping and sterilisation work had helped keep numbers under control, but that progress has been reversed. Feeders believe some foreign workers have brought cats and kittens from other places into dormitories and industrial zones in Sungei Kadut and Tuas, adding to the population.
Unsterilised Cats Reproduce Quickly
Feeders say many of the cats brought into these areas are not sterilised, allowing reproduction to begin quickly once they are released. Veterinarians told The Straits Times that female cats can become fertile as early as five to six months old and that one unsterilised cat can produce 12 to 18 kittens a year.
Dr. Kenneth Tong of Animal and Avian Veterinary Clinic said a mother cat can become pregnant again about a month after giving birth, with each pregnancy lasting 63 days. That reproductive cycle makes population control extremely difficult when sterilisation rates are low.
Industrial Areas Have Become Hidden Cat Hotspots
Feeders estimate there are more than 40 cats in Sungei Kadut, while estimates for Tuas vary much more widely. Some feeders put the Tuas number at about 100, but Amy Sim of TNR Project Singapore believes the true figure is closer to 700 to 900.
Welfare groups say industrial estates are often overlooked compared with residential neighborhoods. They also allege that some cats are being abandoned in these areas because they are quieter, less monitored, and easier places to dump animals without being seen.
Redevelopment Has Left Cats Behind
The situation in Sungei Kadut has become more visible since businesses began moving out after the area’s 2020 master plan was announced. As factories emptied, many cats were left behind and became dependent on volunteer feeders for survival.
Jes Chua of Luni Singapore said these cats can go hungry when feeders are unable to visit. To support sterilisation and rehoming, she has raised more than S$30,000 through Give.Asia to help rescue cats from the area.
Authorities and Groups Are Expanding Efforts
Singapore’s national Trap-Neuter-Rehome/Release-Manage program, launched in September 2024, had trapped, sterilised, and vaccinated close to 3,000 cats by January 2026. The Animal and Veterinary Service said it is aware of cat populations in Tuas and Sungei Kadut and is working with the Ministry of Manpower, JTC, dormitory operators, and welfare groups to step up efforts.
Animal welfare advocates say stronger measures are still needed, including broader education, compulsory sterilisation, and microchipping. They argue that clearer top-down policy support would help control the population while also supporting feeders who care for these cats daily.
The rise in stray cats in Sungei Kadut and Tuas shows how quickly animal welfare issues can grow in places that receive less public attention. For Singaporeans, the issue is no longer just about feeding cats, but about long-term population control, abandonment, and responsible ownership. It also reflects a broader urban challenge in managing animal welfare in industrial spaces where redevelopment, worker housing, and limited oversight can leave vulnerable animals out of sight and at risk.
Sources: Straits Times (2026)
Keywords: Sungei Kadut Cats, Tuas Stray Cats, Trap Neuter Rehome Manage, Singapore Animal Welfare, Community Cat Population
