'Odd to see dead cats so near each other’

One family's routine of having breakfast together was interrupted by a grisly find yesterday.

Instead of seeing the common sight of cats sleeping in between two parked cars, the family of three found not one but two dead cats.

"We saw the first cat lying on a grass verge of the carpark on our way to have breakfast at a coffee shop near Mount Faber Green," said Ms Taffy Ng, 38.

"We didn't think anything of it at first because it could have died from natural causes," said the manager in the education industry.

It was when they saw a second dead cat just two cars down the road that their suspicions were raised.

"My husband backtracked to the first cat to check because it's quite unusual to see two dead cats so near each other," she told The New Paper over the phone.

"He came back and told me that the first dead cat had its throat slit."

The family quickly left to have breakfast, but later decided to take photos and report the case to the Singapore Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

GORY

"At first I didn't want to take a picture to report because it is quite gory, but I wanted something to be done about this," she said.

"But when I went up close to take a picture, my hands were shaking."

When The New Paper went to the scene yesterday afternoon, residents said stray cats are a familiar sight.

A resident, who wanted to be known only as Madam Kim, recognised TNP's description of the dead cats.

The 64-year-old said: "My granddaughter visits me every week and she likes to play with the stray cats at the void deck.

"It will be so hard to tell her that two of them are no longer around for her to play with. She will be very sad."

Another resident, housewife Judy Sim, 45, said: "There are usually four or five stray cats roaming around. All of them are quite friendly and would let people touch them."

Retiree Lim Kah Tiew, 66, said in Mandarin: "The friendly cats trust people easily, so abusers might take advantage of that."

He said he is now worried for the safety of other cats in the estate.

In a statement to TNP, the SPCA said it is aware of the case and is investigating.

"The SPCA urges anyone with any leads on this case to call its 24-hour hotline (6287-5355 ext 9)," said SPCA spokesman Gabriel Wee.

Ms Joanne Ng, chief executive of the Cat Welfare Society, said it is important for witnesses to come forward to help with investigations.

Under the Animals And Birds Act, anyone who is found guilty of animal cruelty can be jailed for up to 12 months, fined up to $10,000, or both.

For Ms Ng, yesterday's gruesome find was a first for her.

She said: "Anyone who treats animals in such a manner must have something wrong. Hopefully, the person responsible for this is caught soon."