The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) was alerted to a case of a tabby brown cat locked up in a metal cage at 6.30am on May 24.

The cat was deserted at the void deck of Blk 374 Jurong East Street 32.

As it was left in the open, the cat was susceptible to extreme weather conditions of heat and rain.

SPCA put up a public appeal on Instagram subsequently and announced that it is treating this as a case of abandonment.

The public is encouraged to step forward with any information on the case.

A case of abandonment

Upon discovery of the metal cage, the cat appeared scrawny but free of injuries.

Alongside the cat, the cage also contained stale food and fur.

Speaking to Mothership, SPCA commented that "there was little evidence of care being provided".

Fortunately, the cat displayed a friendly disposition when an SPCA rescue officer interacted with it behind the cage bars.

The cat also expressed interest in coming out of the cage for further interaction.

Current condition of the cat

Further examination by SPCA veterinarians showed no further signs of medical issues.

The cat was also sterilised. Sterilisation is a procedure to prevent uncontrolled breeding and reproductive cancers in domestic animals, SPCA explained.

The rescued cat has since been recovering steadily, gaining 0.2kg since arriving at the SPCA facility.

SPCA also told Mothership that the cat "continues to seek affection, even from unfamiliar people".

Upon recovery and clearance, SPCA will be putting the cat up for adoption, if no owner responds to their lost-and-found notice.

The case has also been escalated to the Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS) for further investigation.

SPCA's public appeals

A public appeal is not always published for cases of animal abandonment.

Speaking to Mothership, SPCA clarifies that a public appeal is sometimes impractical due to the sheer volume of cases daily.

A public appeal will be made only after careful considerations.

Some factors SPCA takes into consideration include the sufficiency of existing evidence, potential contributions from the public as well as the nature of the abandonment.

In the case of this abandoned tabby cat, the big metal cage could be conspicuous when the culprit was transporting or leaving the cage behind.

SPCA thus deemed that an appeal for this case would likely provide critical leads, urging any potential witness to come forth.

Nevertheless, SPCA emphasised, "But regardless of whether an appeal is made, our process remains consistent for all cruelty/welfare cases and all relevant information is escalated to the AVS for further action."

Abandonment of cats in S'pore

In Singapore, animals are protected under the Animals and Birds Act.

However,  SPCA told Mothership that the lack of regulation of cats ownership has made it easier for owners to abandon their cats without consequences.

Offenders of such abandonment cases are thus difficult to be prosecuted without the input of witnesses.

With the licensing framework for cats to be rolled out from September 2024 onwards, SPCA is hopeful to see less of such abandonment cases.

Top photos from SPCA