A National University of Singapore (NUS) PhD student and her husband have been charged with illegally breeding and selling pedigree ragdoll cats from their HDB flats. They had disguised the transactions as “adoptions”.
Between Sept 2022 and April 2023, the couple allegedly sold eight cats for between S$4,500 and S$6,000 each, earning a total of S$46,300.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
According to Shin Min Daily News (SMDN), the two accused — Qiu Shiwen and Wen Tianhao (names transliterated from Chinese), both 29 — are a permanent resident and a Singapore citizen, respectively.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
Investigations revealed that the couple began importing adult ragdoll cats from overseas in 2021 with the intention of breeding them locally.
According to SMDN, the couple felt that the quality of ragdoll cats sold in Singapore was “low” and saw a business opportunity.
In 2022, authorities received a report about the illegal breeding activity and fined the pair S$300 after a raid.
Despite the warning, the couple allegedly continued breeding cats in their flat — the authorities received another report in 2023 that the pair were still breeding cats for sale in their home.
Between June and Aug 2023, the authorities seized 21 cats from their residence.
Source: Dali Images on Canva. Image for illustrative purposes only.
The couple allegedly posted photos and videos of the cats on social media to attract buyers.
Interested parties would then be asked to sign an “adoption agreement”, which was actually a sales contract.
According to court documents, Wen had contacted the authorities in 2022 to enquire about breeding regulations.
He was told that all breeding activities required a licence and had to be carried out in approved facilities — not residential flats.
Despite this, the couple allegedly bred about 30 kittens over a year, including 19 kittens after they were fined, SMDN reported.
The prosecution argued that the couple knowingly broke the law for profit and requested that both be jailed for two weeks and fined at least S$45,000 each.
According to SMDN, this is the first illegal pet breeding case in which prosecutors have sought a jail sentence.
They stressed that such activities are restricted to prevent disease outbreaks, which is why animal breeding is confined to approved facilities located away from residential areas.
The defence lawyer appealed for a S$47,000 fine instead of jail time, arguing that the couple had treated the cats well and ensured they were vaccinated and healthy.
The lawyer added that the couple treated the cats like their own children and continued caring for the animals even after being charged. They had even hoped to reclaim the seized cats after the case concludes.
In addition, the lawyer stated that Qiu earns a low income as a student and would have to rely on her parents to pay the fine. Hence, the fine would be sufficient to serve as a deterrent.
The court is expected to deliver its sentence on 20 Nov.
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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News and CasarsaGuru on Canva. Image in the middle is for illustrative purposes only.