Couple filmed hitting pet cat have taken it to vet for check-up

A couple who were condemned on social media for hitting a cat have taken it to a vet for a check-up.

On Tuesday night, Twitter user @Neseruler shared a video clip of a man hitting the cat on its legs, before threatening it in Mandarin: "If you pee, I will hit you."

The man then grabbed the cat by the scruff of its neck and lifted it from the ground. The cat, looking frightened, continued to urinate on the floor.

The man's girlfriend, who had posted the clip on her Instagram account, can be heard laughing in the background.

In an e-mail yesterday, the woman, who declined to be named, told The New Paper that her boyfriend has had the cat for eight years.

It has been urinating indoors every day for the past year.

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She claimed the incident happened in December last year but she posted the video on Tuesday night.

She added: "We have made incorrect presumptions on proper disciplinary techniques for cats in the event of misbehaviour."

THREATS

The couple, who have received threats and insults via e-mail, took the cat to a vet on the advice of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

She added that they have approached experts for advice on how to properly train the cat.

SPCA and the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) confirmed they are investigating the incident.

SPCA executive director Jaipal Singh Gill said: "There is no need to shout at, terrify or beat an animal in the name of training.

"This old school approach is completely counterproductive. There are effective humane and science-based methods to train an animal. If any pet owner wants to find out more, they can contact the SPCA."

Dr Nicholas Haw, a registered veterinarian and course chair at Ngee Ann Polytechnic's School of Life Sciences and Chemical Technology, added: "The best way to discourage unwanted behaviour in pets is to understand the reasons behind the behaviour."

Group director of AVS at the National Parks Board Jessica Kwok said members of the public can play a part by promptly reporting suspected cases of animal cruelty to AVS via its website at www.avs.gov.sg/feedback or call the Animal Response Centre at 1800-476-1600.