The authorities are investigating the deaths of seven cats found in Pasir Ris Park on Saturday (Jun 20). The Cat Welfare Society said the cats could have eaten poisoned fish crumbs placed at several areas in the park.
Leong Wai Kit, News 5 Tonight Channel NewsAsia 22 Jun 15;
SINGAPORE: The authorities are investigating the deaths of seven cats found in Pasir Ris Park on Saturday (Jun 20). The Cat Welfare Society (CWS) said the cats could have eaten poisoned fish crumbs placed at several areas in the park. It added that many bird cases were also spotted alongside the dead cats.
The Society is now working with the authorities to find out if any tenants at the Park had hired pest control operators. It has scheduled an urgent meeting with the National Parks Board (NParks).
"The first few bodies found by cleaners had unfortunately been disposed of. After NParks was alerted, they have taken one body for post-mortem. NParks has informed us that they are putting more ranger patrols in the area as foulplay is very much suspected," CWS said in a Facebook post on Saturday.
One surviving cat was taken to a vet and was found with high toxin levels in its liver. Its blood samples will be sent for further tests. "The vet diagnosis of the surviving cat shows severe liver damage and dysfunction with a diagnosis of hepatotoxicity," CWS wrote on Facebook.
"How the cat was found showed the extreme level of suffering that the cat went through and is also indicative of how the others had died. This is very heartbreaking for the caregivers who have been taking care of the cats for years."
CWS said that they were on high alert after 11 cats in the area went missing. It is appealing for park visitors' vigilance to look out for suspicious behaviour at Pasir Ris Park. Those with leads can email info@catwelfare.org.
- CNA/dl
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.
Dead felines in Pasir Ris Park raise fears of serial cat killer
Samantha Boh Straits Times AsiaOne 22 Jun 15;
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.
Dead felines at Pasir Ris Park spark concerns of serial cat killer
NParks, AVA investigating the deaths while patrols have been stepped up
VALERIE KOH Today Online 22 Jun 15;
SINGAPORE — For the past one-and-a-half years, cat lover Elle Tusya Salim would make her way to Pasir Ris Park nightly, armed with bags of feed for the stray cats in the vicinity.
However, her nightly routine was disrupted two Sundays ago, after three cats failed to show up for their regular feeding session. Another eight vanished over the next few days.
The mysterious disappearances prompted Miss Elle, 23, and other cat lovers to embark on a search. By Saturday (June 20), seven carcasses had surfaced between the beach and Car Park F of the park.
“We found them hidden in the drain and in between kayaks. They were already decomposing. The last body we found had maggots,” said Ms Elle, a trainee aircraft engineer. Several dead birds were also found nearby.
Last Friday, an eighth cat, known affectionately as Angel, was found having seizures and foaming in a drain by Ms Noorfaradila Ibrahim, 32, a fellow cat lover working with Ms Elle.
A vet later diagnosed Angel with hepatotoxicity — severe liver damage and dysfunction.
The National Parks Board (NParks) and the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) are investigating the animal deaths. Patrols around the park have also been stepped up.
In a joint statement, NParks and AVA said they were aware of the cat deaths at the park last week. “AVA is investigating the case with the assistance of animal-welfare groups and vet clinics.
AVA will take enforcement action against anyone who committed animal cruelty,” said a spokesperson for both agencies. If found guilty, the offender can be fined up to S$15,000, jailed up to 18 months, or both.
NParks has despatched more rangers to patrol the park, said the Cat Welfare Society (CWS) in a Facebook post last Saturday. It added that NParks had also retrieved a body for post-mortem.
Former CWS vice-president Veron Lau told TODAY that fish crumbs had been found scattered in the vicinity of the carcasses and the society suspected that the cats had died after eating the poison-laced crumbs. “The appearance of the feed coincides with the deaths,” she said.
Veterinarian Geoffrey Yeo, who is based at Jireh Veterinary Clinic, also believes the cats may have been poisoned. “A lot of cats have been found dead. That increases the suspicion that someone or a few people have been maliciously trying to get these animals injured or harmed in some way,’ said Dr Yeo, adding that a post-mortem sample would be needed for confirmation. Another possible cause is an infectious disease, he added.
The CWS is trying to arrange a meeting with the authorities later this week. “We’re hoping to get their cooperation to help spot suspicious behaviour,” said Ms Lau, 44. “They should also install closed-circuit televisions for public safety, if there aren’t any installed now.”
Public education is also important, added Ms Lau. She hopes the authorities will put up posters around the park to inform visitors of the animal deaths.
As for the remaining stray cats at the park, Ms Elle has taken two — a ginger cat named Pumpkin and a brown-and-white feline named Sarsi — home for the time being. Another five are being fostered by Ms Noorfaradila, a secretary.
“We’re planning to put them back, but we’re not sure when it’ll be safe again. Finding new homes for them won’t be easy too, because the cats are old and people don’t usually (adopt from) this age group,” said Ms Elle.
Cat deaths in Pasir Ris: Cat Welfare Society to launch public education campaign
The society will also educate the public about the penalties of animal cruelty in Singapore and ask people to be more vigilant by looking out for suspicious behaviour in and around the park.
Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid, Channel NewsAsia 24 Jun 15;
SINGAPORE: The Cat Welfare Society (CWS) will launch a public education campaign in Pasir Ris Park, following the mysterious deaths of stray cats in the area. It also held a meeting with representatives from the PA Water Venture, the Agri-Veterinary Authority of Singapore and the National Parks Board on Wednesday (Jun 24).
This comes after cat feeder Hashimah Hasan, who has been feeding cats in Pasir Ris Park every day for the past two years, noticed something amiss last week. One of her favourites, Cloud 9, was nowhere to be found.
She said: "Whenever I shake my kibble, I can see him running like he was floating and that's why I called him Cloud 9. So on that particular Wednesday, I was looking for him and I saw these anglers and I asked them, ‘Did you see this white cat?’ because he is a common figure here.
“Some time in the afternoon, I received a call saying that there's a white body (of a cat) found. So, I rushed down. This is inhumane and cruel. I mean, ‘why? What did the cat do?’"
Cloud 9 was one of nine cats found dead in the park since Jun 14. The society had earlier said that seven cats had died and four others were missing. However, two more cats have been confirmed dead, following information from the public.
CWS believes the cats may have eaten poisoned fish crumbs placed near the entrance of PA Water Venture and at other areas.
Said CWS Board member Veron Lau: “To us, something really serious has happened and it was a deliberate act because the feed was found in several areas in the park. With the evidence of birds dying in and around the feeding area and then with the bodies of cats found, we cannot rule out that there is a deliberate act of foul play.”
After the meeting, CWS said one outcome is to get the public to stay vigilant, and added that it is looking to raise awareness within the park and on social media, such as putting up posters appealing for information on the cats’ deaths during the week.
CWS also aims to educate the public about the penalties of animal cruelty in Singapore and to ask people to be more vigilant, such as to look out for suspicious behaviour in and around the park.
Concerns that pest controllers could be behind the deaths were also addressed. Mr Lau said: "During the meeting, NParks and PA Water Venture have resolutely confirmed that they did not call pest control, so this is one point that we will want to clarify with the public as well.”
The society said one cat is still missing and another, named Angel, is suffering from severe liver damage. Six other cats have been taken in by feeders.
Anyone found guilty of animal cruelty can be fined up to S$15,000, jailed up to 18 months, or both.
- CNA/xk
Cat deaths in Pasir Ris: 'No evidence of poisoning' says AVA
According to the Cat Welfare Society, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore found no evidence in fish crumb and blood samples to indicate that nine cats found dead in Pasir Ris, had been poisoned.
Channel NewsAsia 16 Jul 15;
SINGAPORE: Laboratory examinations showed no evidence to indicate poisoning in last month's mass cat deaths at Pasir Ris, the Cat Welfare Society (CWS) said on Wednesday (Jul 15).
The volunteer group said this was the finding, after the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) of Singapore completed tests on fish crumbs and blood samples taken from surviving and dead cats.
At least nine cats were found dead in the park since Jun 14 and CWS had earlier said it believes the cats may have eaten poisoned fish crumbs near the entrance of PA Water Venture and at other areas. It shared a video on its Facebook page of one of the cats that died, convulsing when it was found.
“We are hugely disappointed at this turn of events but it was not unexpected as the cat sent for post-mortem was found in a badly decomposed state. Blood from Angel (one of the cats) was only drawn on the fifth day after she was intravenously flushed,” CWS wrote in a Facebook note. The fish crumbs were also collected a week after the deaths.
CWS said this incident highlights the issue of timely evidence gathering. “The caregivers have done all they can. It is hard to expect an elderly feeder to know the importance of documenting and keeping anything suspicious from the scene when something bad happens. The heartening thing was she wasn't alone, knew other feeders and they kickstarted the chain of events to bring awareness to the case.”
Following the release of the laboratory results, CWS said it is seeking to engage the AVA, the Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals (SPCA) and vet clinics on the best way to expedite evidence gathering in cases that point to human acts of cruelty.
- CNA/xk
