Cats falling from flat's window leads to discovery of 'rubbish, poo and pee everywhere'

SINGAPORE - Several cats that were allegedly neglected were removed from a Bedok Reservoir Housing Board flat by the National Parks Board (NParks), which is also looking into the matter.

This came after residents in the area noticed injured cats or their carcasses at Block 147 Bedok Reservoir Road, and contacted the authorities after spotting the unit they could have fallen from.

In a Dec 19 post in the Sayang Our Singapore's Community Cats Facebook group, member Reyn Teng said a resident from that block had found a dead kitten on the morning of Dec 16, and that she had found another injured kitten nearby the same evening.

The residents believed that the cats could have fallen from units above the area that they were found, according to Ms Teng's post, adding that another resident then went to every floor in that block to locate the unit.

Teng said she contacted NParks and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) after she was told that another dead cat was found on Dec 18 morning, near where the previous two were found.

She added that another cat fell right before her while she was waiting for the authorities to pick up the carcass.

"The cat got up and made its way to the pillar and collapsed there, bleeding from the mouth," Teng said in her post, adding that the cat is now with SPCA.

She said she saw more cats on the window ledge of the unit that she and the other residents suspected the cats were falling from, and added that the residents placed a rubbish cart, a mattress and a blanket in the area below in case they fell.

According to Teng, the owner of the flat could not be contacted when the authorities arrived, so they got a locksmith to open the door to the unit.

"When we opened the door, it was shocking to see there were cats, rubbish, poo and pee everywhere. I would like to thank the team from SPCA and NParks for doing their very best to get the cats out of the house," she said.

"The condition inside the house was very bad. The smell was horrible. They couldn't open the door or windows, so they had to endure the smell and catch those cats in darkness."

According to Teng, 12 cats were found alive in the flat, along with three carcasses.

In a media reply, NParks said it had removed cats from a flat at Block 147 Bedok Reservoir Road after it was informed that pet cats there were allegedly neglected. It is looking into the matter.

NParks advised the public to report cases of suspected animal cruelty or injuries via its website at https://www.nparks.gov.sg/feedback-and-enquiry or the Animal Response Centre on 1800-476-1600.

"As with all investigations, all forms of evidence are critical to the process, and photographic and/or videographic evidence provided by the public will help," the board said.

The Straits Times has contacted the police for more information.

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.