Memorial held for community cat allegedly thrown off HDB block: 'Looking at the pictures brings tears, but also solace'

Whampoa residents are remembering their community cat Garfield, aka Field Field, after it was allegedly thrown from the 38th floor of an HDB block to its death.

Instagram user Noreen Loh shared on Oct 11 that the estate's town council had given permission for a memorial "behind the letterbox seating area, [Field Field's] favourite spot", at Block 78 Whampoa Dew until Oct 14.

"Please drop by over the weekend to say goodbye to Field Field," the caption reads. "Thank you to everyone who sent us her pictures. There were so many that we could only print a few, which shows how much she was loved.

"Looking at the pictures brings tears, but also solace."

Her accompanying Reel shows the memorial, which includes several photos of the orange cat, soft toys and flowers, as well as other photos of Field Field at the HDB block.

[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/DA-v9mJSzOH/?hl=en-gb[/embed]

In a previous post, Loh shared photos of the deceased cat, writing: "I was hesitant to post the bloody lifeless body of Field Field as I want her to be remembered as a lovely cat that did no harm to others.

"This morning, I learned from the news that not only was she thrown from the 38th floor, but she was also stomped on the head."

An Instagram user formerly going by @protecttoapayohcats, currently @protectcommunitycats, convinced Loh to share the photos for awareness.

Petition set up

In a Facebook post in the group Sayang Our Singapore's Community Cats on Oct 8, user Angelina Ang shared a Change.org petition that called for "justice for Field Field and other cruelly-treated cats" and recounted recent incidents of alleged animal cruelty in Toa Payoh and Whampoa.

"Let's protect our community's cats and ensure that justice is served. Field Field's death should not be in vain," her post read.

At the time of writing, the petition had more than 5,000 signatures.

The Straits Times reported on Oct 8 that a man appeared in a district court for allegedly kicking a cat, stepping on its head repeatedly in a lift and throwing it off the 38th floor at Block 78 Lorong Limau between 2am and 4am on Oct 7.

Ryan Tan Yi Bin, 25, was given an animal cruelty charge, which carries a potential jail sentence of up to 18 months and fine of up to $15,000 for first-time offenders. Repeat offenders can be jailed for three years and be fined double the amount.

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drimac@asiaone.com

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