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Malay Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Malay Mail
‘What kind of person will do this?': Singapore's Yishun again under spotlight after new cat death
SINGAPORE, June 3 — Authorities are investigating after a cat was found dead with its legs unnaturally splayed at the foot of a staircase in Yishun, the National Parks Board (NParks) said today. The incident, which took place at Block 510A along Yishun Street 51, came to public attention on Sunday following a Facebook post that included photos of the animal's body, according to a report published in Channel News Asia. 'NParks received feedback on a cat found dead at the foot of a staircase at Yishun Street 51 and is looking into the matter,' the agency said in response to media queries. 'We urge the public not to speculate on the details of the case and allow investigations to run its proper course.' The Facebook post by the group Sayang Our Singapore's Community Cats claimed that a 24-hour hotline was contacted but no help was rendered, with a screenshot indicating the number belonged to a private veterinary clinic. The group also noted the discovery was made near a location where another cat had previously been found dead with serious injuries. Yishun has seen a series of similar incidents, with cats found either dead or injured under suspicious circumstances, raising concerns among animal welfare advocates and the public. Last month, Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam highlighted a particularly gruesome case in Yishun Street 51, where a cat was reportedly tortured, mutilated and left on the road. 'What kind of person will do this? This is not who we are as a people,' he wrote on Facebook. Sayang Our Singapore's Community Cats described the cat in that incident as having been 'brutally tortured and left on the road in a failed attempt to disguise this crime as an accident'. In a separate case in Punggol, another cat was found injured near the loading bay at Block 326B, Sumang Walk. NParks later said its injuries were likely from a traffic accident rather than intentional cruelty. According to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), reports of animal cruelty and welfare cases in Singapore hit a 12-year high last year, with 961 cases recorded in 2024.
New Paper
22-05-2025
- General
- New Paper
Stylish cat 'cottages' a labour of love for Chong Pang resident
Whenever heavy rains lash across the island, a handful of stray cats in Yishun are able to stay warm, cosy and safe from the deluge. But you won't find them in somebody's home at such times. Instead, they can be found in charming, handcrafted shelters with sturdy legs, dotted around parts of the estate. The shelters or "cat cottages" are the handiwork of Chong Pang resident Janet Chin, 54. For the last three years, she has been blending her love for animals with arts and crafts, by transforming scrapped cardboard boxes into whimsical homes. The idea, she said, came to her one rainy day, when she began thinking about how stray cats that lacked proper shelter often sought refuge in precarious locations - under parked cars and other such spots - to escape the elements. "That was when I started to think of doing a cat house." The first ones she made were crafted out of plain cardboard boxes covered with a dry towel - a set-up that, she admits, was "ugly". The round legs add some elevation to the cottages, helping to prevent them from getting wet on rainy days. PHOTO: JANET CHIN She then set out to "beautify" the make-shift cottages, beginning with the addition of water-resistant wallpaper, taken from her personal stash of crafting materials - leftovers from a home decor project for her living room. She sources for leftover cardboard from grocers or supermarkets, or opts for recycled materials, including the plastic containers used for cat treats. Eventually, she cut out windows in the boxes and added planters and other fixtures like chimneys - a cottage in miniature. She cut out windows in the boxes and added planters and other fixtures. PHOTO: JANET CHIN "It became a little addictive. The more I made, the more fulfilling it felt," said Ms Chin, a sales consultant in the bedding industry. Soon, her hobby started eating into her lunch breaks and days off work. In three years, she has built close to 100 cat cottages, she said. Whether embellished with cut-outs or framed by cobblestone walls, each shelter has its own distinct character, sometimes decorated to reflect the spirit of seasonal festivities. For instance, a cottage could be festooned with snowflakes and cutouts of a Christmas tree during the holiday season, or adorned with spring festival couplets and Chinese knots for Lunar New Year celebrations. Each shelter has its own distinct character, sometimes decorated to reflect the spirit of seasonal festivities. PHOTO: JANET CHIN Eventually, Ms Chin began putting up photos of her cottages on the Facebook group Sayang Our Singapore's Community Cats. One such post drew over 200 reactions, with netizens thanking her for her "lovely gestures" and "kindness". She then started getting requests from cat lovers keen on helping stray cats get their own shelters, marking her foray into the cat cottage "build-to-order" market. Often, the requests are for replicas of cottages she has built before. "I want the KFC house," one cat lover said to Ms Chin. The KFC house, modelled after a popular chain selling fried chicken, is part of a series of cat cottages she built that are modelled after fast-food eateries. Her most recent request came from a resident in Braddell, who wanted six houses. The KFC house, modelled after a popular chain selling fried chicken, is part of a series of cat cottages she built that are modelled after fast-food eateries. PHOTO: JANET CHIN Caregivers reminded to maintain hygiene standards When asked if she gets paid for her work, she said she does not charge for her work but sometimes asks for a small donation. Ms Chin said what she is doing is not a commercial venture. Donations she gets are used to cover veterinary and cremation fees for neighbourhood strays. Often, the people who cough up money for these expenses are seniors in the neighbourhood - cat lovers who also help feed the strays. All that she asks is that the people who buy a cat cottage take responsibility for maintaining the shelters they leave out for the cats. She said: "I don't want people to just ask for one cat house and leave it there. They are not the caregivers for the cats, so they just leave the cat house along the public spaces without maintaining its cleanliness." In response to queries, Ms Li Jiehui, senior community engagement manager at the Cat Welfare Society, said that while the shelters "are a welcome respite for some of our community cats", residents should also "display (their) care in a responsible fashion". These shelters should be placed away from human traffic areas and hygiene standards should be maintained, she said. Ms Chin said she takes pride in designing cat cottages designed to suit the occupant's personalities and needs. Sociable felines may receive larger homes - up to 1m long - to accommodate room-mates, while more reserved ones get smaller, cosier versions. Sociable felines may get to share their larger homes measuring up to 1m long. PHOTO: JANET CHIN Each shelter is equipped with at least two access points, allowing the cats to flee if the need arises. Perhaps the most thoughtful touch - fresh, dry towels, which Ms Chin replaces when she gets the time. Ms Chin, who is married with no children, said she believes the homes add colour and vibrancy to the neighbourhood. They are also help spark conversations among residents, and help them see stray cats in a more positive light, she added. Said Ms Chin: "They are a part of our community, they have a house, they have a caregiver. They are taken care of. They are not simply dirty cats."
Straits Times
22-05-2025
- General
- Straits Times
Stylish cat ‘cottages' a labour of love for Chong Pang resident
For the last three years, Janet Chin has been transforming scrapped cardboard boxes into whimsical homes for stray cats in Yishun. PHOTOS: JANET CHIN SINGAPORE - Whenever heavy rains lash across the island, a handful of stray cats in Yishun are able to stay warm, cosy and safe from the deluge. But you won't find them in somebody's home at such times. Instead, they can be found in charming, handcrafted shelters with sturdy legs, dotted around parts of the estate. The shelters or 'cat cottages' are the handiwork of Chong Pang resident Janet Chin , 54. For the last three years , she has been blending her love for animals with arts and crafts, by transforming scrapped cardboard boxes into whimsical homes. The idea, she said, came to her one rainy day, when she began thinking about how stray cats that lacked proper shelter often sought refuge in precarious locations - under parked cars and other such spots - to escape the elements. 'That was when I started to think of doing a cat house.' The first ones she made were crafted out of plain cardboard boxes covered with a dry towel - a set-up that, she admits, was 'ugly'. The round legs add some elevation to the cottages, helping to prevent them from getting wet on rainy days. PHOTO: JANET CHIN She then set out to 'beautify' the make-shift cottages, beginning with the addition of water-resistant wallpaper, taken from her personal stash of crafting materials - leftovers from a home decor project for her living room. She sources for leftover cardboard from grocers or supermarkets, or opts for recycled materials, including the plastic containers used for cat treats. Eventually, she cut out windows in the boxes and added planters and other fixtures like chimneys - a cottage in miniature. She cut out windows in the boxes and added planters and other fixtures. PHOTO: JANET CHIN 'It became a little addictive. The more I made , the more fulfilling it felt,' said Ms Chin, a sales consultant in the bedding industry. Soon, her hobby started eating into her lunch breaks and days off work. In three years, she has built close to 100 cat cottages, she said. Whether embellished with cut-outs or framed by cobblestone walls, each shelter has its own distinct character, sometimes decorated to reflect the spirit of seasonal festivities. For instance, a cottage could be festooned with snowflakes and cutouts of a Christmas tree during the holiday season, or adorned with spring festival couplets and Chinese knots for Lunar New Year celebrations. Each shelter has its own distinct character, sometimes decorated to reflect the spirit of seasonal festivities. PHOTO: JANET CHIN Eventually, Ms Chin began putting up photos of her cottages on the Facebook group Sayang Our Singapore's Community Cats. One such post drew over 200 reactions, with netizens thanking her for her 'lovely gestures' and 'kindness'. She then started getting requests from cat lovers keen on helping stray cats get their own shelters, marking her foray into the cat cottage 'build-to-order' market. Often, the requests are for replicas of cottages she has built before. 'I want the KFC house,' one cat lover said to Ms Chin. The KFC house, modelled after a popular chain selling fried chicken, is part of a series of cat cottages she built that are modelled after fast-food eateries. Her most recent request came from a resident in Braddell, who wanted six houses. The KFC house, modelled after a popular chain selling fried chicken, is part of a series of cat cottages she built that are modelled after fast-food eateries. PHOTO: JANET CHIN Caregivers reminded to maintain hygiene standards When asked if she gets paid for her work, she said she does not charge for her work but sometimes asks for a small donation. Ms Chin said what she is doing is not a commercial venture. Donations she gets are used to cover veterinary and cremation fees for neighbourhood strays. Often, the people who cough up money for these expenses are seniors in the neighbourhood - cat lovers who also help feed the strays. All that she asks is that the people who buy a cat cottage take responsibility for maintaining the shelters they leave out for the cats. She said: 'I don't want people to just ask for one cat house and leave it there. They are not the caregivers for the cats, so they just leave the cat house along the public spaces without maintaining its cleanliness.' In response to queries, Ms Li Jiehui, senior community engagement manager at the Cat Welfare Society, said that while the shelters 'are a welcome respite for some of our community cats', residents should also 'display (their) care in a responsible fashion'. These shelters should be placed away from human traffic areas and hygiene standards should be maintained, she said. Ms Chin said she takes pride in designing cat cottages designed to suit the occupant's personalities and needs. Sociable felines may receive larger homes - up to 1m long - to accommodate room-mates, while more reserved ones get smaller, cosier versions. Sociable felines may get to share their larger homes measuring up to 1m long. PHOTO: JANET CHIN Each shelter is equipped with at least two access points, allowing the cats to flee if the need arises. Perhaps the most thoughtful touch - fresh, dry towels, which Ms Chin replaces when she gets the time. Ms Chin, who is married with no children, said she believes the homes add colour and vibrancy to the neighbourhood. They are also help spark conversations among residents, and help them see stray cats in a more positive light, she added. Said Ms Chin: 'They are a part of our community, they have a house, they have a caregiver. They are taken care of. They are not simply dirty cats.' 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