White Marsiling community cat called 'Bai Bai' found coated in black residue, feeders suspect abuse, NParks says no evidence of cruelty

UPDATE on Aug. 7 at 4:45pm: This article has been updated with a statement from the National Parks Board (NParks).

Around Jul. 26, feeders discovered that a white community cat in Marsiling was covered in what they believed to be black oil on its body, inside its ears, and on its eyes.

Concerned that the cat might have been abused by someone, the feeders have urged the authorities to investigate, Shin Min Daily News reported.

The cat, nicknamed "Bai Bai" (Mandarin for "white"), is about 10 years old, said a 62-year-old cat feeder surnamed Chen (transliteration).

Chen lives in Ang Mo Kio, but for eight to nine years now, has been travelling by bus often to Marsiling Industrial Estate to feed the cats there.

She told Shin Min that when she saw Bai Bai near Marsiling Industrial Estate recently, it could not even open its eyes due to the black "oil".

Bai Bai was crying and looked very afraid at the time, she said. It would not let Chen and a fellow elderly cat feeder get close to touch it.

Possibly abused

According to Chen, some people speculated that Bai Bai might have accidentally got itself covered in the oil.

Chen believes that that might be possible if the oil was only on the cat's body, but there was also oil in its eyes and ears.

"Cats are not stupid," she said, and this made her suspect that it was the act of an abuser.

She and the other feeder have reported the incident to the authorities, and are waiting for the results of their investigation, she said.

She hopes that the perpetrator will stop after they are caught.

"Even if they do not like cats, I hope they won't hurt them," Chen said. "These cats were all abandoned by their owners. They are already so pitiful, and really do not deserve to be hurt again."

Receiving care

Chan and the other feeder raised some money and brought Bai Bai to see a vet, spending about S$1,095 on the medical fees.

After staying a night at the vet's, the cat appeared to be in better condition, though some black oil still remains on its body.

To prevent Bai Bai getting hurt again, Chan decided to bring it home to care for it.

According to her, there are currently 23 community cats at Marsiling industrial estate, though there used to be as many as 50.

Their numbers have gradually fallen due to dog bites and car accidents, she added.

Every month, she would spend about S$2,000 on food for these cats, and some more on their medical treatments.

Fortunately, other cat lovers have been donating canned food, and some have been willing to contribute towards the cats' medical bills.

NParks: No evidence to suggest cruelty

On Aug. 7, the National Parks Board (NParks) shared that they are aware of an alleged incident involving a cat found with black residue on its body at the Marsiling industrial area.

The veterinarian who treated the cat observed that it was in a dirty condition, said NParks' Group Director of Enforcement and Investigation Jessica Kwok in a statement.

"The residue is unlikely to be oil as it washed off from the cat’s body with water during a shower at the clinic. The cat was otherwise found to be well.

We have looked into the matter and found no evidence to suggest an act of cruelty."

She added that as community cats live in the open and move about freely, their living conditions may not be optimal compared to pet cats.