Man Could Face Jailtime for Not Giving His Pet Cat Enough Food & Water, Causing Its Death

Animal abuse is a big no-no in Singapore as the value of their life is as important as human beings.

It does not necessarily just mean physically abusing them. Not giving them enough food and water counts as well.

A man was charged with not providing enough food and water for his cat for more than five weeks, resulting in its death.

Man Could Face Jailtime for Not Giving His Pet Cat Enough Food & Water, Causing Its Death

Mr Khairulnizam Khan Kamalrozaman, 25, was charged in August for starving his pet cat to death. The cat was kept in a flat at Sembawang.

However, the charge is now revised on 26 October 2022.

He now faces a charge of causing unnecessary pain and suffering to a grey cat by failing to provide it with sufficient food and water on a regular basis between 25 December 2020 to 2 February 2021.

It’s unknown why he didn’t feed the cat (and how he could handle the incessant meowing since a cat would meow repeatedly when it’s hungry, just like a baby).

He Asked for Adjournment and it was Granted

Mr Khairulnizam had been set to plead guilty on Wednesday. However, he asked for an adjournment to raise funds as his wife gave birth three weeks ago.

He also said that he had an appointment with Housing Development Board (HDB). If he does not show up, his flat will be repossessed.

In layman’s terms, adjournment means to suspend court proceedings to another time.

Initially, the judge did not grant the adjournment but was eventually granted.

For the offence, Mr Khairulnizam could be jailed for up to 18 months, fined up to S$15,000, or both.

Similar Incidents in The Past

This was not the first time such cases happened.

A 76-year-old businessman, Mr Lim, was fined for failing to seek timely treatment for his pet dog, which appeared to have been starved to death.

Mr Lim said he had asked his helper to feed it twice a day. However, she claimed to have fed it dry food and told him that he was very thin a month before it died on 17 May 2022.

His dog was “found to be emaciated”, and appeared “to have been chronically starved or malnourished, possibly for months” by Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

He was fined S$10,000 under the Animal and Birds Act—the first person to face the maximum fine.

To all pet owners out there: feed your pets well and feed them on time. 

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