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SINGAPORE: A man and a woman were charged on Wednesday (May 6) over the alleged neglect of 71 cats, which were left without enough food and water for almost two years in a flat in Bukit Panjang.<\/p>\n
As a result, nine cats died.<\/p>\n
Muhammad Khairul Naim Zainol, 36, and Nurul Nadiah Noor Mohamed, 32, were each handed 71 charges linked to the cats, most of which were listed as domestic shorthairs.<\/p>\n
Court documents showed that the pair were owners of the cats named from “E1” to “E71”, living in a public housing unit on the third floor of Block 469, Segar Road in Bukit Panjang.<\/p>\n
The duo are accused of permitting unnecessary pain and suffering to be caused to the cats by leaving them unattended at the vacant flat in poor living conditions between April 2022 and Feb 20, 2024.<\/p>\n
They are also accused of failing to provide adequate food and water to the cats on a daily basis during the period of about 22 months.<\/p>\n
Nine of the cats named “E63” to “E71” died.<\/p>\n
As for the other cats, the duo’s alleged actions caused “unnecessary pain and suffering” to them, court documents stated.<\/p>\n
Muhammad Khairul and Nurul Nadiah did not give indications of how they would plead on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The case was adjourned until June.<\/p>\n
If convicted of causing unnecessary pain and suffering to an animal under the Animals and Birds Act, they could be jailed for up to 18 months or fined up to S$15,000, or both, for each charge.<\/p>\n
As of September 2024, up to two cats can be kept in a public housing unit under the Housing and Development Board’s rules. Before this, cats were technically not allowed to be kept in public flats, although proactive enforcement was rare.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n