4 community cats in Lengkok Bahru pass away in just 2 months, feeders search for answers & closure

When Aw Aw did not turn up at Block 50 Hoy Fatt on the morning of Jan. 9, 2025, his feeder immediately knew something was wrong.

Worried, she searched around the estate, asking residents if they had seen the beloved fat tabby, known to many in the community.

When one resident told her a cat had just died near the coffee shop at Block 55, she rushed downstairs for answers, hoping that it was not Aw Aw.

Aw Aw was around five to six years old, in the pink of health, and well-fed.

So, when four residents breakfasting at the coffee shop broke the news to her that he had suddenly collapsed and died that morning, she was in disbelief.

Aw Aw in his last few moments was apparently in distress too.

The residents, who personally knew Aw Aw, had observed that he was "moving sluggishly, experiencing seizures, and foaming at the mouth before collapsing and taking his final breath."

They had also taken a video of Aw Aw's last moments. In it, he can be seen slumped and face-down on the ground:

Bereaved, Aw Aw's feeder was "very anxious" to retrieve his body for either a funeral or burial.

But, she was apparently too late. According to the feeder, Aw Aw's body had already been disposed of by an estate cleaner, and taken away in a rubbish truck.

A makeshift memorial has been set up for Aw Aw at the void deck of Block 50, his usual haunt, and now his final resting place.

People have left flowers, toys, as well as a bit of food in his pink bowl:

Aw Aw's feeder reminisced:

"We still feel very sad. Aw Aw was a very good, friendly, big fat cat. Many of my neighbours miss him. That's why they bought toys for him too."

Four community cat deaths in two months

Aw Aw is only the latest of several community cat deaths in the Lengkok Bahru area between December 2024 and January 2025.

According to feeders from the area, four cats are known to have died in the brief two-month period. The feeders named two of the cats who recently passed besides Aw Aw: Leopard and Archie.

Photographs of some of the dead cats in various parts of the estate, in differing stages of decomposition, were shared with Mothership:

Troubled by the recent spate of community cat deaths, the feeders in Lengkok Bahru are desperately searching for answers.

They believe that rat poison traps could be responsible for the community cat deaths, though they do not have any direct evidence for this claim.

One of the feeders claimed that a cleaner supervisor at Tanjong Pagar Town Council told them he had been placing rat poison all around the estate, and typically in the morning at around 2:30am.

Anticoagulant rodenticides, which are used to poison rats, can be dangerous to cats in high concentrations.

On Mar. 24, in response to Mothership's queries, the National Parks Board (NParks) issued a statement that they were alerted to several cases of community cats that were found dead at Lengkok Bahru.

Upon investigating the matter, however, they found "no evidence to suggest the cats were exposed to deliberate acts of animal abuse and cruelty".

Mothership also reached out to the Tanjong Pagar Town Council three times via email and phone for more information on the matter, but has yet to receive a reply.

High numbers of abandoned cats, cat hoarding issues

According to one feeder who has been taking care of the cats in Lengkok Bahru for nearly three years, the estate is plagued by cat hoarding and abandonment issues.

He frequently runs into cats that are "young, skittish and not microchipped", especially at night, and believes they are likely abandoned.

Some of these abandoned cats have been rescued, but the issue still persists, he added. He estimates that over ten cats have been abandoned in the past two months alone.

The high rates of abandonment are also putting added pressure on the feeders who are already stretched thin.

Presently, there are six volunteers taking care of approximately 20 community cats and four newly abandoned cats covering the whole area from Block 46 to Block 61 Lengkok Bahru.

One woman, the feeder noted, is taking care of 15 cats.

PSA: You can keep your cats under the new licensing scheme

Under the new cat licensing scheme which kicked in on Sep. 1, 2024, cat owners are required to microchip and license their cats.

Those who have more cats than the stipulated limits will also be allowed to keep all their existing pet cats so long as they are licensed within the transition period, and owners can ensure that their cats' health and welfare are taken care of.

Licensing will also be free till Aug. 31, 2026.

NParks asks the public for evidence

NParks urges any member of the public with new information and evidence on the case to promptly share it with NParks via their website at www.avs.gov.sg/feedback, or to call their Animal Response Centre at 1800-476-1600.

NParks noted that all forms of evidence are crucial to the process, and that photographic or video-graphic evidence provided would be helpful in supporting investigations.

NParks added:

"NParks takes all feedback on alleged animal abuse and cruelty seriously.

We investigate every reported case if there is sufficient information provided, and we will take appropriate enforcement action against anyone who has committed an act of animal cruelty."

Top photo courtesy of Mothership reader