TWO emaciated cats, locked in a cage with the skeletal remains of three others, were rescued from a rental flat in Jalan Minyak, near Havelock Road.
The two cats have been taken away by the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS), a cluster of the National Parks Board (NParks), and are currently under its care.
Rescuers were notified when a neighbour posted in the Facebook group Sayang Our Singapore’s Community Cats on Monday, seeking help. The neighbour had also alerted the police, the AVS and the Housing Board.
An independent cat rescuer, who wanted to be known only as Wati, said she entered the flat on Tuesday afternoon with the police and officers from HDB after permission was granted by the tenant’s daughter.
“We also ascertained from her that the cats were hers,” said Wati.
“The cats were found in the kitchen, and they were caged. There was no way they could get out to forage for food or water.”
In a video Wati shared with ST, a voice off camera suggests that the cats have been abandoned for at least a month, judging by the state of the bones.
Said Wati: “I have seen many such cases (of neglect), especially in rental flats. The tenants abandon their cats in the flats and move out. Some because they cannot pay the rent, others because they are trying to hide from creditors or from the law.
“Most of these cats starve and by the time we find them, they are skin and bones.”
Responding to queries from ST, AVS group director Jessica Kwok confirmed that it received feedback about the cats “being allegedly left in a unit without proper care at Jalan Minyak”.
She said in an e-mail reply on Wednesday that investigations are ongoing.
There have been two known cases of cats abandoned in HDB flats in the last five months. — The Straits Times/ANN
