Man jailed for abandoning 71 cats in Bukit Panjang flat for two years; nine of them found dead

The condition of the HDB flat in Bukit Panjang, where the 71 abandoned cats had to survive for nearly two years.

Published Sep 24, 2026, 04:40 PM

Updated Sep 24, 2026, 04:40 PM

A man was sentenced to 16 weeks in jail and a 12-month disqualification for abandoning 71 cats in a filthy, unsanitary HDB flat without electricity or water for nearly two years.

The cats suffered severe malnutrition, dehydration, parasites, and injuries in the appalling conditions, with some drinking contaminated water and many found severely emaciated.

Authorities discovered the situation after neighbours alerted them; the man faces 24 charges under the Animals and Birds Act, with mandatory pet licensing and sterilisation programmes introduced to prevent such cases.

SINGAPORE – A 37-year-old man who abandoned 71 cats in a filthy, poorly ventilated HDB flat without electricity or running water for close to two years, resulting in the death of nine , was sentenced to 16-weeks’ jail on Sept 23.

He was also disqualified from owning pets for 12 months, said the National Parks Board.

Muhammad Khairul Naim Zainol, the joint-owner of the flat, pleaded guilty to 24 charges under the Animals and Birds Act for causing unnecessary pain and suffering to the animals. Another 47 charges were taken into consideration.

According to court documents, the man and his then-wife, Nurul Nadiah Noor Mohamed, bought the HDB flat in Bukit Panjang in March 2018. They did not own any pets at the time.

From early 2019, the couple acquired several cats. As they were left unsterilised, they bred rapidly and despite the couples’ occasional attempts to rehome some of the felines, the population in the residence continued to multiply exponentially .

Around April 2022, the couple moved out to live with Khairul’s parents, leaving the cats behind. Shortly after their departure, the power and water supply was cut off due to unpaid utility bills.

Khairul claimed he returned to the flat daily to leave dry kibble and water for the cats. However, he stopped entering the flat after December 2023. Instead, he resorted to dropping food and small container of water at the doorstep.

The condition of the cats and the flat came to light on February 20, 2024, when neighbours notified the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) of a skinny, distressed cat perched on a third-floor air-conditioning ledge. The neighbours rescued the animal and it was taken to a veterinary centre for emergency assessment.

Officers from AVS and the Singapore Police Force (SPF), who had also received separate complaints regarding an odour emanating from the premises, inspected the unit that afternoon.

Officers discovered 61 live cats, three rotting carcasses, six cat skulls and one bag of skeletal remains of at least six other cats. Khairul subsequently admitted ownership of all the felines and surrendered them to the authorities.

According to the statement, the flat was found in a “severely poor and unsanitary condition”, with the floors and furniture caked “in excreta and dirt, and faecal material found throughout the unit”. Cobwebs, cockroaches and flies were observed while a “strong ammonia odor was noted throughout the unit”.

The living area in the apartment covered in rubble and dirt. The windows are unmeshed and opened, posing a risk to the cats. PHOTO: NPARKS

The living area in the apartment covered in rubble and dirt. The windows are unmeshed and opened, posing a risk to the cats.

With no fresh water provided, one cat was photographed drinking contaminated brown water straight from a toilet bowl likely “contaminated with faecal matter.” Some unmeshed windows were also left open, creating a severe fall hazard from the third-storey unit.

“The observation of a cat drinking from a contaminated toilet bowl further demonstrates the inadequacy of the water supply and facilitates the transmission of parasites and disease through the faecal-oral route, predisposing the cats to diseases such as salmonellosis, coccidiosis, and giardiasis,” said the statement of facts.

A cat drinking water out the toilet bowl that was contaminated with faecal matter. PHOTO: NPARKS

A cat drinking water out the toilet bowl that was contaminated with faecal matter.

A comprehensive veterinary assessment revealed that the cats endured immense pain and chronic suffering, it said. Out of 61 live cats examined, 44 were categorised as thin or very thin, while nine were severely emaciated.

Almost all the cats suffered from severe dehydration, fur loss from parasite infections, ear mite infections, and respiratory issues. One pregnant cat was found in a malnourished condition with healing wounds and severe skin infections, and were forced to compete for scarce food.

Two cats found hiding in the unit. PHOTO: NPARKS

Two cats found hiding in the unit.

Between April 2022 and February 20, 2024 – a span of nearly 22 months – the animals were left trapped in squalor without proper care by their owners.

Having fully abandoned the apartment after December 2023, Khairul was well aware that the unit had degenerated into an unsanitary and uninhabitable state, said the statement of facts.

“Despite claiming to have returned daily to provide food and water, the food and water provided were clearly insufficient for the number of cats present, as evidenced by the physical condition of the cats upon seizure.”

Khairul was charged in May 2026. The joint owners were both handed 71 charges at the time.

Nadiah’s case will be heard on Oct 6 .

NParks emphasised that being a pet owner is a lifelong commitment, and owners must be responsible and provide appropriate care for their animals. Those who are unable to care for their pets should find a suitable home for them or approach an animal group for help to rehome their pet.

Pet owners can refer to the Code of Animal Welfare for Pet Owners at www.go.gov.sg/animal-welfare-code-petowners to learn more about the minimum standards expected for animal housing, management, and care.

Those found guilty of failure in duty of care are liable to a maximum fine of $10,000 and/or 12 months’ jail term, for first-time offenders, said NParks. Those who commit an act of animal cruelty face a maximum fine of $15,000 and/or 18-month jail term.

这是位于武吉班让的组屋公寓，71只被遗弃的猫在那里生存了近两年。

发布于2026年9月24日下午4:40

更新于2026年9月24日下午4:40

一名男子因将 71 只猫遗弃在肮脏、不卫生的组屋中，且该组屋没有水电，长达近两年之久，被判处 16 周监禁和 12 个月的禁入令。

在极其恶劣的环境下，这些猫严重营养不良、脱水、感染寄生虫并受伤，有些猫喝了受污染的水，许多猫都极度消瘦。

邻居报警后，当局发现了这一情况；该男子面临《动物和鸟类法》下的 24 项指控，强制宠物登记和绝育计划的推出是为了防止此类事件发生。

新加坡——一名37岁男子将71只猫遗弃在肮脏、通风不良、没有电也没有自来水的组屋里近两年，导致其中9只猫死亡，该男子于9月23日被判处16周监禁。

国家公园管理局表示，他还被禁止在 12 个月内饲养宠物。

公寓的共同所有人穆罕默德·凯鲁尔·纳伊姆·扎伊诺尔承认违反《动物和鸟类法》的24项指控，罪名是造成动物不必要的痛苦和折磨。另有47项指控被纳入考虑范围。

根据法庭文件，该男子和当时的妻子努鲁·纳迪亚·努尔·穆罕默德于 2018 年 3 月在武吉班让购买了一套组屋。当时他们没有养任何宠物。

从2019年初开始，这对夫妇养了几只猫。由于没有给它们绝育，它们繁殖迅速，尽管这对夫妇偶尔尝试为一些猫寻找新家，但家中的猫的数量仍然呈指数级增长。

大约在2022年4月，这对夫妇搬去和凯鲁的父母同住，把猫留在了家里。他们离开后不久，由于拖欠水电费，家里的水电就被切断了。

凯鲁尔声称他每天都会回到公寓，给猫咪留下干粮和水。然而，自2023年12月起，他就停止进入公寓。取而代之的是，他只是把食物和一小瓶水放在门口。

2024年2月20日，邻居们发现一只瘦骨嶙峋、神情痛苦的猫咪趴在三楼空调机窗台上，随即通知了动物和兽医服务部门（AVS）。邻居们救下了这只猫，并将其送往兽医中心进行紧急评估。

当天下午，AVS 和新加坡警察部队 (SPF) 的警员也分别接到了有关该房屋散发异味的投诉，并对该房屋进行了检查。

警方发现了61只活猫、3具腐烂的猫尸体、6个猫头骨以及至少6只猫的骨骼残骸。随后，凯鲁尔承认所有猫都是他的，并将它们交给了当局。

声明称，该公寓卫生状况极其恶劣，地板和家具上“积满了粪便和污垢，整个单元内都发现了粪便”。此外，还发现了蜘蛛网、蟑螂和苍蝇，并且“整个单元内都弥漫着浓烈的氨气味”。

公寓的起居区满是瓦砾和污垢。窗户没有安装纱窗，敞开着，对猫咪构成危险。（图片：国家公园局）

公寓的起居区满是瓦砾和污垢。窗户没有安装纱窗，敞开着，对猫咪构成危险。

由于没有提供干净的饮用水，有人拍到一只猫直接从马桶里喝被污染的棕色污水，很可能“被粪便污染了”。此外，一些没有安装纱窗的窗户也敞开着，造成了从三楼坠落的严重危险。

事实陈述中指出：“观察到猫从受污染的马桶里喝水，进一步证明了供水不足，并促进了寄生虫和疾病通过粪口途径的传播，使猫容易患上沙门氏菌病、球虫病和贾第虫病等疾病。”

一只猫正在喝被粪便污染的马桶里的水。照片：国家公园局

一只猫正在喝被粪便污染的马桶里的水。

兽医的全面评估显示，这些猫遭受了巨大的痛苦和长期折磨。在接受检查的61只活猫中，44只被归类为瘦弱或非常瘦弱，另有9只严重消瘦。

几乎所有猫都患有严重的脱水、寄生虫感染导致的脱毛、耳螨感染和呼吸系统疾病。一只怀孕的母猫营养不良，身上有伤口正在愈合，并伴有严重的皮肤感染，被迫争夺稀缺的食物。

两只猫被发现藏在单元房内。照片：国家公园局

屋内发现两只猫藏匿。

从 2022 年 4 月到 2024 年 2 月 20 日，近 22 个月的时间里，这些动物被困在肮脏的环境中，没有得到主人的妥善照顾。

事实陈述称，凯鲁尔在 2023 年 12 月之后完全放弃了这套公寓，他很清楚这套公寓已经变得不卫生、不适宜居住。

“尽管声称每天都会回来提供食物和水，但提供的食物和水显然不足以满足猫的数量，从猫被捕获时的身体状况就可以看出这一点。”

Khairul 于 2026 年 5 月被起诉。当时，两名共同所有人均被控 71 项罪名。

纳迪亚的案件将于10月6日开庭审理。

国家公园局强调，饲养宠物是一项终身承诺，主人必须尽责，为宠物提供适当的照料。无法继续照顾宠物的主人应为宠物寻找合适的领养家庭，或联系动物保护组织寻求帮助，为宠物重新找到新家。

宠物主人可以访问 www.go.gov.sg/animal-welfare-code-petowners 查看《宠物主人动物福利守则》，了解更多关于动物住所、管理和护理的最低标准。

国家公园局表示，初犯者若被认定为疏忽职守，最高可被处以1万新元罚款和/或12个月监禁；若犯有虐待动物罪，最高可被处以1.5万新元罚款和/或18个月监禁。