{
  "id": 9356471,
  "title": "Man who abandoned 71 cats in Bukit Panjang flat given 16 weeks' jail",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/man-who-abandoned-71-cats-in-bukit-panjang-flat-given-16-weeks-jail",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-23T15:03:14.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Channel News Asia",
    "slug": "channel-news-asia",
    "url": "https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/animal-abuse-neglect-71-cats-bukit-panjang-16-weeks-jail-6405321"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A 37-year-old man in Singapore has been sentenced to 16 weeks in jail and a ban from owning animals for a year for abandoning 71 cats in his flat for nearly two years. Muhammad Khairul Naim Zainol pleaded guilty to 24 charges of allowing unnecessary pain and suffering to the cats under the Animals and Birds Act. Most of the cats were in critical condition, with nine being emaciated, and many had hair loss, generalised alopecia, and signs of neurological issues. The court found that the cats were left in severely poor living conditions, with the floor, furniture, and surrounding areas covered in excreta, dirt, and decomposing carcasses. The man was initially charged in May 2023 alongside his wife, who was also co-accused in the case.",
  "summary": "Nine of the cats, which were left neglected in the unit for almost two years, died.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "CNA - Singapore",
        "title": "Man who abandoned 71 cats in Bukit Panjang flat given 16 weeks' jail",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/man-who-abandoned-71-cats-in-bukit-panjang-flat-given-16-weeks-jail-9359168",
        "published": "2026-09-23T15:03:14.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}