Dead felines in Pasir Ris Park raise fears of serial cat killer

Dead felines in Pasir Ris Park raise fears of serial cat killer

A serial cat killer might be on the loose at Pasir Ris Park, where seven cats have been found dead.

The cats went missing on June 14, and some of the carcasses were found last week. Four are still missing.

Park-goers who feed the cats daily noticed their disappearance when they did not turn up at their usual area.

The Cat Welfare Society said the National Parks Board (NParks) had been alerted and will step up patrols in the area.

NParks has sent one of the carcasses for a post-mortem, and is slated to meet the Cat Welfare Society by next week to prevent further cat deaths.

The cats are suspected to have died from eating poisoned fish crumbs scattered about the area.

One poisoned cat was found alive by secretary Noorfaradila Ibrahim, 32, who feeds cats at the park. While the cat survived, preliminary tests at a veterinary clinic showed toxicity in its blood.

The Cat Welfare Society has urged the authorities to take quick action, saying that the scale of the incident points to a clear and present threat to animal welfare and public health.

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Yesterday, nine cat lovers and volunteers from the society tried to map out where the dead cats and the crumbs were found.

Former Cat Welfare Society vice-president Veron Lau, 44, said she smelled a stench coming from a drain. At least one cat carcass was found in a drain.

"It is quite unusual, and we suspect the cats might have crawled into the drains and died there," she said.

She said stray cats at Pasir Ris Park had been sterilised to keep their population under control. "So people should exercise some tolerance," she said.

Ms Noorfaradila is temporarily housing five of the area's remaining stray cats.

"It is very sad. You feed them, raise them like someone close to you, and suddenly you lose them in a matter of a week," she said.


This article was first published on June 22, 2015.
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