Memorial set up for Whampoa community cat thrown from HDB block, petition demands justice

Whampoa community cat was slashed & thrown from HDB block

A memorial has been set up at an HDB block in Whampoa for a community cat who met its demise nearby.

A petition has also been created that demands justice for the cat named Field Field, who was allegedly thrown from a block in the estate.

Memorial for Whampoa community cat till 14 Oct

According to a Facebook reel posted by Ms Noreen Loh, one of Field Field’s carers, approval has been received from the Town Council to set up the memorial.

It’s located at her favourite spot, behind the letterbox seating area at Block 78 Lorong Limau, near Whampoa Road.

It will be there till Monday (14 Oct), and those who remember her are invited to drop by to say goodbye to her.

Whampoa community cat was ‘lovely’ & ‘chill’

In an earlier post, Ms Loh said Field Field was a “lovely” and “chill” cat that did no harm to others.

However, she heard on 8 Oct that the beloved orange tabby had been thrown from the 38th floor, and was also stomped on the head.

Photos she shared of her lifeless carcass showed that Field Field had cuts on her body and blood around her nose and mouth.

The alleged perpetrator has been caught, Ms Loh said, adding:

I sincerely hope that justice will be served. A mere slap on the wrist is not enough for the heartbreak and trauma inflicted upon Field Field.

Alleged perpetrator charged

According to media reports, a 25-year-old man named Ryan Tan Yi Bin was charged with animal cruelty on 8 Oct.

He is accused of kicking the cat, stepping on its head repeatedly inside a lift and throwing her down from the 38th floor.

He allegedly did this between 2am and 4am on 7 Oct.

Another carer, Ms Angelina Ang, posted in the Sayang Our Singapore’s Community Cats Facebook group that a man in handcuffs was seen accompanied by a number of representatives from the authorities at Whampoa after Field Field’s carcass was discovered.

The same man, together with the officers, was later seen in Toa Payoh North, near three blocks where four other community cats were slashed.

Ms Ang said she was heartened that the alleged perpetrator of Field Field’s death has been formally charged, adding:

Let’s hope the charges reflect the seriousness of his crime and that justice is served with a heavy penalty, rather than just a slap on the wrist.

Two Toa Payoh community cats missing

Unfortunately, more cats in Toa Payoh may have already fallen victim to abuse.

Two community cats in Toa Payoh Lorong 7 have gone missing recently, said a carer in Sayang Our Singapore’s Community Cats.

Male cat Mochi was last seen on 12 Sept and female cat Tabby was last seen on 26 Sept.

As both cats are “very friendly and approachable”, their carers think they might have been taken somewhere and possibly abused.

Petition set up to demand more severe punishment for animal cruelty

Fed up with the treatment of community cats, a petition has been set on Change.org.

Titled “Demand Justice for Field Field and Other Cruelly Treated Cats”, it calls for more severe punishment to be meted out in animal cruelty cases.

Strict accountability for abuse will ensure that “such cruelty is not tolerated in our society”, it says, adding:

By doing so, we can help maintain Singapore’s reputation as a safe and humane country.

The petition also notes that if perpetrators are left unchecked, there’s the risk that they may go on to harm humans.

As of the time of writing, the petition has amassed close to 5,000 signatures.

Also read: Pasir Ris community cat found dead 9 days after vanishing, carcass decomposed beyond recognition