Man jailed for abandoning 71 cats in Bukit Panjang flat for two years; nine of them found dead
Muhammad Khairul Naim Zainol was also disqualified from owning pets for 12 months.
A 37-year-old man in Singapore has been sentenced to 16 weeks in jail following the discovery of 71 cats living in unsanitary conditions in a public housing flat. According to reports, Muhammad Khairul Naim Zainol pleaded guilty to 24 charges under Singapore's Animals and Birds Act, with 47 other charges taken into account. The couple, Khairul and his ex-wife Nurul Nadiah Noor Mohamed, acquired the cats after purchasing the flat in 2018, but the unspayed animals multiplied rapidly.
They moved out of the property in April 2022, leaving the cats behind. The deteriorating situation of the cats was reported on February 20, 2024, by neighbors who alerted authorities to a distressed cat on an air conditioning ledge and an unpleasant odor coming from the flat. Upon inspection, animal and veterinary services officers found 61 live cats, three decomposing bodies, six skulls, and skeletal remains of at least six more cats.
Veterinary examinations revealed that 44 of the surviving cats were underweight or extremely underweight, while many suffered from dehydration, parasites, ear mites, and respiratory issues. Nurul Nadiah, who received 71 charges alongside her husband, faces a separate case set for October 6.
Written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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