Town Council Apologizes For Relocation Of Cat That Was Placed In Rubbish Chute Area


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Cats are cute.

I know they say dogs are man’s best friend but something about cats just makes me want to go over and pet it.

Norwegian Forest Cat (5 months old)

I say this because I personally don’t have the time or money to own one. 

However, we need to remember that these felines are more than cute. They’re also living being that deserves to be treated properly.

Or if you’re a town council, prepare to face backlash if you don’t.

Case Of A Mishandled Feline

Some might even call this a…

CATastrophe?

AsiaOne reported that a Facebook user by the name Rachel YukiMizu, a member of the Cat Welfare Society (CWS) posted about two cleaners carrying a cat to a rubbish chute.

The post can be found here.

Ms Rachel stated that an eyewitness had informed her of the incident but was turned away when checking with the cleaner.

She claimed to have heard meowing from the rubbish chute and proceeded to call the Tampines Town Council after.

Image: Facebook (Sayang Our Singapore’s Community Cats)

After several failed attempts to contact the Town Council (TC), she decided to call the police instead.

A CWS mediator arrived but was also denied entry by the cleaner.

But this is where the eyebrow-raising happens.

Eventually, a TC officer was reached over the phone and told the mediator that a resident had passed the cat to the cleaning executive.

However, said TC officer also told the police that the TC had trapped the cat because as a resident REQUESTED to remove the cat.


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Image: Tenor

Is that the smell of a liar?

Luckily, the police did eventually question TC as they were not following standard protocols regarding cat complaints.

Wrecked.

The police got the cat removed from the rubbish chute and handed it to the CWS representative.

God bless them.


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Ms Rachel followed up in the post by saying the cat was released as it was under immense stress. You can see that the animal is clearly stressed in this video.

My heart is way more at ease now.

Post Incident Statements

Of course, you have to make a statement when something as serious as this occurs.

Just on 18 November, the Tampines Town Council made a Facebook post regarding the incident.

The TC apologised for the lapse in protocol when handling the matter and has issued warning to the staff about future incidents.


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They also stated that they have been long-standing partners with the CWS and will work together more closely in the future.

According to The Straits Times, CWS president Thenuga Vijakumar says their organisation receives approximately 10 reports each year about likely cases of cat relocation.

She states that it’s one of the reasons why cats possibly go missing.

Strays cats aren’t too uncommon in a place like Singapore. If you find any strays and are unsure what to do, calling the police is generally a good option. You could just save another stray for all you know.