PETALING JAYA: Animal lovers have mounted a rescue operation after a fisherman discovered a group of starving cats stranded on an abandoned floating structure near Pulau Ketam.
Angler Syafiq Suhaime drew attention to the animals’ plight after posting footage on his TikTok account, @syafiq.lahhh, showing several severely underweight cats at the dilapidated structure.
He said some of the cats bit his hand when he approached them, possibly because they had been without adequate food and clean water for an extended period.
Syafiq was unable to rescue the animals immediately because he was alone and travelling in an inflatable boat.
“Sorry guys, I can’t help because I’m alone on the boat and this is an inflatable boat. Safety comes first,” he said in the post.
The structure appeared to have been abandoned for months, with its rundown surfaces covered by thick layers of barnacles.
The video quickly went viral and prompted several animal lovers to travel to the area to rescue the cats.
In a subsequent TikTok update, user @Uyienaaa_ said 10 cats had been rescued and placed under her care.
However, an estimated five to eight cats were believed to remain at the location.
She said efforts would continue to bring the remaining animals to safety, although some were frightened of humans and difficult to approach.
Several cats were also found dead and were expected to be buried, while those rescued were suffering from severe malnutrition and required urgent veterinary treatment.
Threads user Pherbies estimated that between RM6,000 and RM7,000 would be needed to cover the animals’ immediate medical expenses.
Rescuers are continuing efforts to remove the remaining cats from the structure.
