Neighbours raise a stink over woman rearing 40 cats in her Ang Mo Kio flat

A woman has been accused by her neighbour of raising over 40 cats in her rental HDB flat at Ang Mo Kio block 323, creating an unbearably offensive smell for other residents in the area, Shin Min Daily News reported on Sunday (Aug 13).

The woman allegedly started collecting cats three years ago, accumulating felines over the years.

Now, there are 40 cats, the neighbour said.

"The woman and her husband moved out about a year and a half ago, leaving the cats and only coming back occasionally to feed and clean them," they recalled, adding that the cats also ran out of the unit on several occasions, frequently causing a ruckus when they fight.

"Moreover, the most serious problem is the cats' excrement.

"As long as you pass by their main door, you can smell the stench of it. The smell often wafts outside, so residents have no choice but to close their windows."

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Another resident, surnamed Li, revealed that this isn't the first time the flat owner has come under scrutiny. 

"Authorities cannot enter the unit at will, and the woman who owns the cats is unwilling to comply with them," the 45-year-old said.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) told the Straits Times that they were alerted to this case on March 31 and they have reached out to the owner.

"The resident has not yet agreed to surrender the cats to SPCA for rehoming, nor have we been allowed to intervene directly," a spokesperson said, also stating that SPCA cannot forcefully remove pets from their owners.

The SPCA has also escalated the case to appropriate authorities, the spokesperson added.

'Their conditions seemed bleak'

An Ang Mo Kio resident and cat lover surnamed Tan, 60, shared with Shin Min that she had heard rumours that the cats were starving and went to take a look.

"Many of the cats that see people would jump up, hoping to get food," Tan said. "Their conditions seemed bleak."

She also recalled her meeting with the cat owner's husband and asked if she could help with cleaning the flat and keeping the environment hygienic for the cats.

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However, he declined her offer, she said.

A Shin Min reporter who went to take a look at the flat confirmed that there was a pungent odour emanating from the home but was only able to see about 10 cats.

'We did not abandon the cats', owner says

The owner, who identified herself as Raihana, 34, told The Straits Times that she had left the flat after a neighbour called child protection services on her for raising her newborn child amid the cats. 

She explained: "The officers came and we had to move for the sake of my baby. She was born in December and had not had all her vaccinations then."

Raihana added that her husband and herself have been regularly feeding the cats on the daily, washing the flat twice a week.

She also said that she has been working with cat rescuers on rehoming her cats. To date, she has rehomed 14 cats and are working to rehome more.

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HDB and the Animal and Vetrinary Services issued a joint statement on their investigation into the matter in April and found the cats to be in good condition, reported The Straits Times.

"We also reached out to the owner, who has been feeding the cats regularly and has been making arrangements to rehome the cats. We will continue to monitor this case," the statement said.

khooyihang@asiaone.com