Man jailed after 9 cats die, 71 left without proper care in HDB flat

SINGAPORE — A 37-year-old man has been jailed for 16 weeks after 71 cats were left in a Bukit Panjang public housing flat in severely unsanitary conditions for nearly two years, during which nine died.

According to CNA, Muhammad Khairul Naim Zainol was also barred from owning animals for 12 months after pleading guilty to 24 charges under Singapore's Animals and Birds Act, with another 47 charges taken into consideration.

Khairul and his then-wife, Nurul Nadiah Noor Mohamed, had acquired several cats after buying the flat in 2018, but the unsterilised animals bred rapidly.

The couple moved out around April 2022, while electricity and water supplies to the unit were later cut over unpaid utility bills.

The cats' condition came to light on Feb 20, 2024, after neighbours alerted authorities to a distressed cat on a third-floor air-conditioning ledge and complaints were made about an odour from the flat.

Animal and Veterinary Service officers and police later found 61 live cats, three decomposing carcasses, six cat skulls and skeletal remains belonging to at least six other cats inside.

Veterinary examinations found 44 of the surviving cats were thin or very thin and nine were severely emaciated, while many suffered dehydration, parasites, ear mites and respiratory problems.

Nurul Nadiah, who was also handed 71 charges when the pair were charged in May, has a separate case due to be heard on Oct 6.

新加坡——一名37岁男子因将71只猫遗弃在武吉班让的一间公共组屋中，使其生活在极其不卫生的环境中近两年而被判入狱16周，期间有9只猫死亡。

据亚洲新闻台报道，穆罕默德·凯鲁·纳伊姆·扎伊诺尔承认违反新加坡《动物和鸟类法》的 24 项指控，并被禁止在 12 个月内拥有动物，另有 47 项指控被纳入考虑范围。

凯鲁尔和当时的妻子努鲁尔·纳迪亚·努尔·穆罕默德在 2018 年购买了这套公寓后，养了几只猫，但这些未绝育的动物繁殖得很快。

这对夫妇于 2022 年 4 月左右搬出，之后由于拖欠水电费，该单元的电力和水供应被切断。

2024 年 2 月 20 日，邻居们发现一只猫在三楼空调窗台上很痛苦，并向有关部门报告了此事，之后这些猫的状况才被曝光。此外，还有人投诉公寓里散发出异味。

动物和兽医服务人员和警察随后在里面发现了 61 只活猫、3 具腐烂的尸体、6 个猫头骨和至少 6 只其他猫的骨骼遗骸。

兽医检查发现，44 只幸存的猫体型偏瘦或非常瘦，9 只严重消瘦，许多猫还患有脱水、寄生虫、耳螨和呼吸系统疾病。

努鲁·纳迪亚 (Nurul Nadiah) 和她于 5 月份被控 71 项罪名，她的案件将于 10 月 6 日单独开庭审理。