By Teh Jen Lee

THEY are called friendship beads, but the person who used it on a cat was anything but a friend to the animal.

The 1-year-old female cat was found on the eighth storey of Block 257 Jurong East Street 24 last month with a string of beads pierced through its right shoulder and going around its neck.

If the barbaric collar had been left on it for another two weeks, it could have caused her to lose a leg.

Now, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the culprit or culprits.

Miss Samantha Yong, 25, a nurse who lives on that floor, heard the cat mewing loudly from the corridor around 10pm on 28 Oct.

She said she had not seen the cat before and didn't know how it got there.

Docile: The cat, now named Juliet, is said to be sweet-natured and trusting of humans.

"Maybe it's someone's pet that got out or a stray that was left there after being abused. When I touched it around the neck, it went very still," she told The New Paper.

"When I took a closer look, I realised the string of beads went through the leg. I cut the string but I couldn't pull it out.

"The act was so cruel it was scary."

She called the police and they called the SPCA.

SPCA shelter supervisor Mohan Veerasamy, 46, attended to the call.

He said: "The cat was under some flower pots. She came towards me, as if asking for help. I opened the cage and she went in after a gentle nudge.

"She must have been in a lot of pain but she was very sweet-natured."

Mr Mohan, who has been working at SPCA for 19 years, said it's the first time he has seen this type of abuse.

More than one culprit

Dr Jeremy Lee, 31, the vet who treated the cat, thinks that more than one person was involved in the abuse.

He said: "A large incision of about 3.5 to 4cm was made in the right armpit, probably with a blade. That was where the string was pierced through.

"Someone would have had to hold the cat while another person strung the beads and tied the string around the neck.

"The cat could also have been drugged. It was definitely deliberate. There's no way this could have happened accidentally.

"I've come across cruelty cases but never anything like this. It's something you can't really imagine seeing."

Infection

The underlying tissue was rotting and there was some pus and a foul smell.

From the extent of tissue damaged, Dr Lee estimates that the string was in the right shoulder for at least three or four days.

"Every day that it is not removed would have increased the risk of the limb requiring amputation. Luckily, it was found early. Another two weeks and it may have been too late," he said.

The cat had to undergo two operations under general anaesthesia to remove the string and affected tissue.

These were done two weeks apart.

In between, the wound had to be cleaned daily and the cat was put on oral antibiotics. Dr Lee said: "It was quite an intensive case due to the size and nature of the wound. Also the wound was located where there was a lot of movement.

"But it was a pleasure for us to treat her as she had a nice, trusting nature."

SPCA executive officer Deirdre Moss said: "The tamer an animal is, the more vulnerable it might be because they are easily accessible and they allow people to touch them.

"As much as a friendly cat would have attracted kind people, this demonstrates that there are also cruel and abusive people who won't think twice when it comes to inflicting injury and pain on an innocent creature."

The maximum penalty for animal abuse is a $10,000 fine and a one-year jail term.

SPCA put up 1,000 fliers near the block where the cat was found, offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the culprits.

However, no one has come forward with information so far.

The cat, now named Juliet, is recovering well and will be put up for adoption when it has fully recovered, said SPCA.

A posting about the case on the Cat Welfare Society's Facebook page got almost 40 responses from people who were shocked and dismayed at the abuse.

One of them, kindergarten teacher Shyra Wong, 20, said: "It's horrifying. If a person can hurt an animal, he or she can also hurt a human being."

Miss Yasmin Khan, 33, financial consultant, said: "I can't believe someone would do that to a helpless animal."

Anyone with information can call SPCA at 6287 5355 ext 9.

jenlee@sph.com.sg

This article was first published in The New Paper.