Cats in unhygienic, overcrowded cages 24/7
Published on: Monday, November 30, 2020
By: Dr Roslee bin Haji Abbas
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SOMETIMES, it’s better to be a stray animal. It’s no secret that they have it tough but at least they have freedom compared to pets who have to live under the reign of irresponsible owners.
We’ve been told many times that pets are a huge responsibility. This is because they’re living, breathing creatures who have simple needs in life, just like us. If you’re going to own a pet but just keep it in a cage with no proper shelter, the pet would be better off as a stray where it can look for shelter on its own.
Not all cats with owners are happy. If a cat gets an owner that has no feelings, the pet cat will suffer. A stray cat can always run away when faced with a storm. A pattern of pet cats kept neglected in crates surrounded by their own filth is starting to emerge and it’s rather alarming.
These pet cats are caged outside a house without much of a choice. Rain or shine, they have to endure it. Owners who put their cats in cages outside their homes need to examine the risk of rain and heat when placing their cages. This incident happened in Petagas, Penampang, Sabah. It breaks our hearts to see them whining all the time. They were really bad. It was so sad that they were contained in an area that is largely or fully exposed to inclement weather or constant sun.
Heart received complaints from passers-by and animal lovers who can no longer deal with the stubbornness of an owner who refuses to take advice and cannot be reprimanded. Faeces are piling up in the cages of their pet cats. This situation has been dragged out for months. Seven cats being kept in small cages were discovered by the Heart team last Tuesday.
The petrified cats stacked in crates and were confined in small crates in the backyard 24/7 with minimal shelter from extreme weather and no choice but to sit and sleep in their own excrement. We found the animals in ‘horrific, deplorable conditions with a strong smell was emanating from the backyard. The worse part is that this entire situation could cause a breakout of disease. It is also feared that disease could spread to other residents, which are the cats and neighbour. While they certainly weren’t in ideal living conditions, the cats were in surprisingly good health.
When the Heart team entered the backyard, we found cages of cats were stacked on top of each other. They had little or no room to move, and /or were unable to stand and turn.
These poor cats deserve to be freed from those cages and allowed to breathe fresh air like the rest of us. We used to feel so bad for stray animals, considering how they have to struggle to find food and run from strangers who could harm them, but we are starting to realise more that having an owner isn’t exactly the best either.
The cats’ owner was co-operative and we would not be laying any criminal charges against her. However, the owner had been issued a two-week compliance notice, requiring the cats to be placed in a comfy room with good ventilations.
Heart will be keeping an eye on the welfare of the cats and conducting spot checks in the future to ensure welfare and standard of care requirements are being met. Temporarily the cats had been moved into the owner’s kitchen as they wait their new comfy and spacious room. We genuinely hope that the cats’ owner see the error of her ways.
If these cats continue to be neglected even after the owner receives the Notice of Improvement, the Sabah Animal Welfare Enactment 2015 should be enforced in order to educate owners who are insensitive towards the welfare of their pets.
Animal cruelty is not only abhorrent in its own right, but it is often a gateway crime to violence against adults and children.
If you witness any act of abuse, neglect or cruelty against an animal it is your moral responsibility to report it to local law enforcement, or to whomever is responsible for cruelty investigations in your community.
In most cases you may do so anonymously if you fear reprisal. Doing nothing does nothing to help animals in need.
Under the Sabah Animal Welfare Enactment 2015, confining animals 24/7 and in deplorable conditions is punishable by a maximum fine of RM100,000 or three years jail or both upon conviction. This law will send out a strong message that offenders will be severely punished and we will no longer tolerate the abuses that defenceless animals have had to endure. The heavy penalty will be a good deterrent effect and hopefully put an end to the despicable act of cruelty against the defenceless animals.
This incident is now being monitored by Heart and the Sabah Veterinary Services Department (DVS).
We receive no government funding and rely on the support and kindness from our community, private donations and charity bazaar to complete our mission. Heart does not euthanise animals to make space to house others. We are a no-kill animal welfare group and work to preserve life whenever possible.
We rely on donations from people like you who are willing to spend their hard-earned money to help animals in dire needs.
If you would like to help to pay for our medical veterinary bill and other expenses please send your money to:
CIMB BANK BERHAD
Account no.
70 3762569 4
Rosli @ Roslee Bin Abbas
And every ringgit helps! Thank you in advance for your generous, big and small (and no donation is too small).
Have a heart. Donate.
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