'It was shocking and scary': Cat found dead at Ayer Rajah stairwell, body allegedly severed in half

A cat was found dead at a stairwell in Ayer Rajah on Tuesday (Oct 14), with its body allegedly severed in half.

Speaking to AsiaOne on Friday (Oct 17), a witness, who wished to be known only as Bob, said he was leaving office in the JTC Launchpad building at 81 Ayer Rajah Crescent at around 12pm when he spotted the carcass. 

"I was heading out for lunch and took the stairwell from the third floor down when I noticed an unfamiliar object. As I got closer, I realised it was a severed top half of a cat," said the 36-year-old engineer. 

"There wasn't any blood and it looked like a cleanly sliced carcass. It was quite shocking and scary." 

Bob added that he called the police, and officers arrived about 20 minutes later.

He noted that the particular stairwell he accessed was less frequented, as it was located at the far end of the building and typically used only by his office and neighbouring units.

"On most days, I would use the stairwell during lunch hours as it is easier to exit. But since that incident, I don't use that stairwell anymore," said Bob.

Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the police confirmed that a report had been lodged, and the matter has been referred to the Animal and Veterinary Service.

In a statement released on Friday, the National Parks Board (NParks) stated that it was alerted to a cat carcass at 81 Ayer Rajah Crescent on Oct 14.

NParks' group director of enforcement and investigation Jessica Kwok said that investigations are ongoing and a post-mortem examination is being carried out.

"We urge the public not to speculate on the details of the case and allow investigations to run their proper course," added Kwok.

NParks also encouraged members of the public who have information relating to the case to contact it via the website at www.avs.gov.sg/feedback or call the Animal Response Centre at 1800-476-1600.

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xingying.koh@asiaone.com