A recent video shared on X (formerly Twitter) by @update111111 shows an old man handling an orange cat he had captured in a net rather abusively at the Pandan Jaya flats area in Selangor.
Upon further inspection of the video, he can be heard saying he did so because the cat kept defecating around the premises where he lives and complained that he can’t stand the smell.
The man recording the video threatened to call the police as the old man refused to let the cat go. One bystander can be heard in the background saying they don’t even capture stray dogs that poop in the area.
According to the post caption, it seems that this is not the first time the old man was seen abusing cats. Allegedly, he has also been seen hitting cats using a broomstick or a PVC pipe for the same reason.
It’s unclear what the old man was planning to do with the cat in the video but it was quite obvious the cat was in a lot of distress from being captured in a net.
Some X users were quick to condemn the actions of the old man.
However, there were also netizens who can relate with his actions as they also face the same conundrum of cats pooping all over their premises.
Rampant animal abuse cases in Malaysia
A report by New Straits Times in July stated that the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) received more than 7,000 reports of animal abuse since 2021, with dogs being reported as the most abused animal, followed by cats.
In 2023 alone, there were 2,622 complaints of animal abuse, a sharp increase from 1,580 recorded in 2022.
Just last month, Malaysians were in an uproar over the killing of Kopi, a beloved stray dog in Besut, Terengganu, who the local council had shot in an effort to cull stray dogs in the district.
Animal rights group Stray Animal Feeders Malaysia (SAFM) later revealed that Kopi had a regular caregiver and was therefore considered a legally owned dog under the Animal Welfare Act 2015, which also states that shooting animals is only permitted in emergencies or for disease control.
If you come across an animal being abused, you can contact local authorities or WhatsApp SAFM at 013-7066770 to report the incident.
