'6 years of battling this creature': Man finds civet cat hiding in his ceiling

After enduring years of damage to his home along with faeces scattered around his property, one man finally found the cause — a civet cat.

A TikTok user who goes by the username Collin Chew posted a video on that platform documenting how this creature was captured by contractors from the National Parks Board (NParks) last Saturday (Aug 13). 

"I was wondering why my ceiling has this loud thud and was slightly damaged," Chew wrote in the video. 

Based on the video, Chew appears to live in a landed house although it is unknown where the location is. 

Accompanying the text were photos of parts of the ceiling that had chipped off. 

@colinchew83 Finally, After 6 years of battling this creature. Kudos to Nparks and Nparks contractors! Thank you so much! @National Parks Board Singapore #singaporetogether #civetcats #sgtiktok #fyp ♬ 芭比q了 - 邓家忠

"Finally we caught the culprit!" Chew rejoiced in the caption as a NParks contractor could be seen catching the animal in a plastic bag. 

Showing a picture of the civet cat trapped in the cage, Chew expressed his disdain for the creature: "Looks cute? Not when it shIts and damages your property. They are just like our otters." 

At the time of writing, Chew's video has amassed over 28,400 views, with several comments asking why he only discovered the civet cat after six years. 

There were also another group who jested that Chew should have made use of the civet in his home — by getting himself some kopi luwak.

Kopi luwak is a coffee that consists of partially digested coffee cherries that have been eaten and defecated by the civet.

AsiaOne has reached out to both NParks and Chew for more information. 

According to NParks' website, civets are not cats and are in fact more closely related to mongooses than they are to cats. 

These nocturnal animals are usually found living in the forests, parks, mangroves and even roof spaces of buildings in urban areas. 

To keep civets out of one's home, the agency advises homeowners to seal off entrances to roofs to prevent civets from nesting in roof spaces. 

In the event that civets choose to nest, homeowners can install a spotlight shine in their roof to encourage them to relocate. 

Other tips to prevent civets from entering homes include not leaving food exposed and closing windows in places where food is visible. 

Homeowners can also call the NParks' Animal Response Centre at 1800-476-1600 if: 

• A civet is trapped in your house and unable to leave on its own
• The civet appears to be injured

ALSO READ: Animal killer on the loose? Acres pleads for help after civet found dead with blow dart in body

claudiatan@asiaone.com