Animal cruelty is unfortunately not uncommon in Singapore. It’s a galling prospect, especially when the animal in question happens to be a pet kept by someone who was supposed to love and cherish it, providing it with food, water and whatever the cat needs.
It’s a little more rage inducing, thus, when a pet gets found neglected and in terrible condition.
The SPCA gets many such cases, and in September, an inspector from the organisation was called to an address to investigate a case of neglect of a cat.
A very unfortunate incident
In a post as uploaded by the SPCA on Instagram, this started because a passerby, concerned about possible harm to an animal, captured video evidence of a cat kept in a cage on a first floor balcony when the glass of a window was slid open, revealing the cat in question against the dark grills of the window.
The SPCA sent someone down to the address provided and found what appeared to be a ball of rough, matted fur locked in a two-level cage.
The cage appeared to be filthy, filled with dust and cat hair, and the cat, which appeared to be a longer-haired black female, was emaciated.
When confronted, the owner admitted to working long hours, leaving the cat in question uncared for and left alone.
The SPCA inspector confronted the owner on responsible pet ownership, and the owner surrendered the cat to the SPCA.
The cat was taken immediately to a 24/7 veterinary clinic for emergency treatment before returning to the SPCA.
View this post on Instagram
What Happened
The cat, however, was in very rough shape when the vet examined her.
Upon assessment, the cat was found to be a senior cat that had very few teeth left and with the lack of grooming, the vet had to shave the cat down due to extreme matting in her fur.
The cat, unfortunately, also passed away shortly after the examination. The cause of death has not been officially released.
The SPCA has escalated the case to the authorities for further action.
Spotting signs of neglect
In the Instagram post, the SPCA has highlighted a few aspects for people to take note if they suspect an animal has been neglected.
Signs include animals being kept in small spaces such as cages with little room to move around; poor living conditions like dirty, cluttered, or unhygienic environments; animals having untended physical medical issues like wounds, matted fur, or extreme thinness; and a Lack of access to food, water, or proper shelter.
“If you suspect neglect, avoid direct confrontation. Instead, let the SPCA inspectors handle the case safely,” the post said. It added that it wanted people to document the abuse with photos or videos, and report the situation to the SPCA or relevant authorities.
“Let’s continue to be the eyes and ears for animals in need,” the post concluded.
The numbers to contact are as follows:
SPCA hotline: 6287 5355 (ext. 9)
AVS hotline: 1800 476 1600
Police hotline: 999
To know more about cats in Singapore, watch this to the end:
Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:
Read Also:
- Salon Allegedly Charged $880 Treatment Package to Elderly Who Has Hearing Difficulties
- Man Replaces M’sia-Registered Car With a S’pore Plate & Drives It Without a Driving Licence
- Confirmed: Allianz Withdraws Its Offer to Buy Income Insurance
- 10th Floor Resident Leaves Baby Stroller On Air Conditioner Compressor
- $400 Worth of Durians Delivered to Customer; Customer Allegedly Takes Durians Without Making Payment
- Woman Borrows Touch ‘N Go Card From S’pore Driver to Cross JB Checkpoint & Didn’t Return Card
Advertisements
