A 37-year-old man has been sentenced to 16 weeks’ jail after dozens of cats were left in a Bukit Panjang HDB flat in severely unsanitary conditions for almost two years, with nine of the animals dying.
Muhammad Khairul Naim Zainol pleaded guilty to 24 charges of permitting unnecessary pain and suffering to the cats under the Animals and Birds Act. Another 47 charges were taken into consideration for sentencing. He was also disqualified from owning animals for 12 months.
Cats Multiplied After Several Were Acquired
Muhammad Khairul and his then-wife, Nurul Nadiah Noor Mohamed, bought a flat at Block 469 Segar Road in Bukit Panjang in 2018.
They began acquiring cats from early 2019. As the cats were not sterilised, their numbers continued to increase despite attempts to find new homes for some of them, according to court documents.
Around April 2022, the pair moved out to live with Muhammad Khairul’s parents. What was initially intended to be temporary became a longer-term arrangement.
The electricity and water supply to the Bukit Panjang flat were subsequently cut because of unpaid utility bills. Muhammad Khairul said he continued returning to provide dry food and water, although he eventually began leaving these outside the flat as entering the unit became more difficult.
He last entered the flat around December 2023.
Authorities Recovered 62 Live Cats
The case came to the attention of the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) on 20 February 2024 after it received feedback about a distressed and underweight cat on the flat’s air-conditioning ledge.
Neighbours from the floor below rescued the animal and brought it to a veterinary clinic.
AVS officers later entered the flat with the police. They found 61 live cats inside, as well as the remains of nine cats. Together with the cat rescued from the ledge, 62 surviving cats were recovered.
Court documents described the flat as severely dirty and unhygienic. Excreta had accumulated on the floor and furniture, while the unit had poor ventilation, pests and a strong ammonia smell.
There was dry food near the entrance but no supply of fresh water inside. A photograph taken during the operation showed one cat drinking from a toilet bowl.
Most Cats Were Thin or Dehydrated
An NParks veterinary assessment found that all 61 cats examined had suffered.
Most were assessed as thin or very thin, while nine were emaciated. Almost all were dehydrated, and many also suffered hair loss believed to be linked to parasites.
Investigations found that the cats had been left in the poor living conditions for about 22 months, from April 2022 to 20 February 2024.
Under the Animals and Birds Act, animal owners must take reasonable steps to provide adequate food, water and shelter and ensure their animals are not subjected to unnecessary pain or suffering.
Muhammad Khairul was originally charged in May 2026 alongside Nurul Nadiah. Her case remains pending and is scheduled to be heard on 6 October. She has not been convicted of the alleged offences.
