Yishun residents worried for strays after another cat found dead

SINGAPORE - A poster appealing for information was pinned at the lift lobby of Block 162, Yishun Street 11, after another cat was found dead in a grass patch at the foot of the block on Wednesday.

Yishun 326 Tabby cat, a local cat interest group, posted a photo of the slain cat on Facebook.

More than 20 cat deaths have been reported in Yishun since September last year, and this is the fourth case in nine days.

A second man, aged 51, was arrested on Saturday for alleged involvement in the cat abuse.

The first man arrested was charged with animal cruelty on Dec 29, and remanded at the Institute of Mental Health on Jan 12. He was granted bail of $10,000 on Jan 19.

Residents at Block 162 expressed shock at the news of yet another dead cat, despite the latest arrest.

Madam Nur Amirah, 24, said: "My family and I heard last week that there's a cat death at around Chong Pang. So when I found out that it's at our block, I was in total shock."

The customer service officer, who lives on the fourth floor, said she was now worried for the stray cats at her block.

She said: "Every day, there are about three to four stray cats roaming here. In the morning, a Malay and a Chinese auntie would always feed them."

Madam Halimah Khairollah, a 50-year-old housewife who knows the strays in the area and even has names for them, said: "Yesterday I cried after I found out about the dead cat. I messaged my daughter that Ford had passed away. I said 'Somebody killed it'. But my daughter said 'It's not Ford, it's another one'. But we still feel sorry for it."

Cat owners also said they are now careful about letting their pets out.

Said Ms Rozlizah Saleh, 29, whose mother lives in Block 162 and has two cats: "We don't let our cats out of the house. I'm definitely taking extra caution - like whether I should open the windows or not.

"I'm so afraid for the other cats who still roam freely around here."

This article was first published on Jan 28, 2016.
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