Stray cats are a common sight in Singapore, often roaming harmlessly in HDB estates. Even so, one cat in Compassvale became the subject of a human being’s scorn, despite it seemingly posing no threat.
A video of a man trying to hit the cat with a stick drew netizens’ ire recently, and animal lovers are having none of it.
Now the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is stepping in and investigating the matter.
On 31 May, Facebook user Ms Lee shared some disturbing footage in the Sayang Our Singapore’s Community Cats group.
One of the clips, which she had taken from netizen Qayyum, showed a young man in a t-shirt and shorts standing over a cat that was lying down on a footpath.
He appeared to have a stick in his hand, which he raised as he carefully approached the feline.
He then brought the stick down with a flourish, as if to hit the cat with it, causing the kitty to visibly jump up in fright.
Since everything happened in a flurry, it’s hard to determine if he had physically struck the cat before it scurried away.
He refused to give up even after the cat ran for its life, giving chase as it sprinted towards the void deck.
The video ends as he appears to slow down as if to turn back. What unfolded afterwards is a mystery. According to Ms Lee, the incident occurred at 298C Compassvale Street.
Earlier today (8 Jun), the SPCA issued a statement regarding the incident on Facebook.
In the post, they noted the concern over the incident since the video began circulating online. Implying that investigations are underway, the SPCA appealed for help to identify the perpetrator in question.
Anyone with useful information is urged to contact the SPCA via their hotline at 6287 5355 (ext. 9) or send an email to inspector@spca.org.sg.
All information will be kept strictly confidential.
The SPCA reminds the public that “anyone who is found guilty of cruelty to animals can be imprisoned for up to 18 months, fined up to $15,000, or both.”
Though the man didn’t seem to have caused grievous hurt to the cat, his actions are still very much frowned upon.
Scaring the poor creature that way, who knows what trauma it may have formed towards human presence.
We hope the kitty is doing okay, and that the SPCA will be able to find the perp soon.
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Featured image adapted from Facebook.
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