SINGAPORE – A 37-year-old man who abandoned 71 cats in a filthy, poorly ventilated Housing Board flat without electricity or running water for close to two years, resulting in the death of nine, was sentenced to 16 weeks’ jail on Sept 23.
He was also disqualified from owning pets for 12 months, said the National Parks Board.
Muhammad Khairul Naim Zainol, the joint owner of the flat, pleaded guilty to 24 charges under the Animals and Birds Act for causing unnecessary pain and suffering to the animals. Another 47 charges were taken into consideration.
According to court documents, the man and his then-wife, Nurul Nadiah Noor Mohamed, bought the HDB flat in Bukit Panjang in March 2018. They did not own any pets at the time.
From early 2019, the couple acquired several cats. As they were left unsterilised, they bred rapidly and despite the couple’s occasional attempts to rehome some of the felines, the population in the residence continued to grow rapidly.
Around April 2022, the couple moved out to live with Khairul’s parents, leaving the cats behind. Shortly after their departure, the power and water supply was cut off due to unpaid utility bills.
Khairul claimed he returned to the flat daily to leave dry kibble and water for the cats. However, he stopped entering the flat after December 2023. Instead, he resorted to dropping food and a small container of water at the doorstep.
The condition of the cats and the flat came to light on February 20, 2024, when neighbours notified the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) of a skinny, distressed cat perched on a third-floor air-conditioning ledge. The neighbours rescued the animal, and it was taken to a veterinary centre for emergency assessment.
Officers from AVS and the Singapore Police Force, who had also received separate complaints regarding an odour emanating from the premises, inspected the unit that afternoon.
Officers discovered 61 live cats, three rotting carcasses, six cat skulls and one bag of skeletal remains of at least six cats. Khairul subsequently admitted ownership of all the felines and surrendered them to the authorities.
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