Hell of a cat 'hotel'

IT was billed as a cat "hotel" run by feline lovers, so what pet owners and volunteers found yesterday came as a massive shock.

Inside the centre located at Damansara Damai, were 100 cats, most of them in unhealthy condition and many suffering from drastic weight loss in just a week.


DELIVERANCE: Rescuers taking cats out of the pet centre - Pix: ASHRAF SHAMSUL AZLAN

Nine dead cats were also found.

Three hours later, the owners and volunteers went to a house where another 200 cats, many of them hungry and dirty, were rescued.

The drama unfolded about noon when the cat owners, back from the long Hari Raya break, sensed something wrong at the centre.

One of them, Azli Mohamad, 35, who had sent three of his cats to the centre eight days ago, said he felt suspicious when his phone calls went unanswered.

"I kept on calling the pet hotel but there was no answer. When I went there today, I saw many other pet owners waiting but the place was closed," he said.

Some of the owners, who were joined by volunteers, decided to break into the centre because they could hear the cats meowing in distress.

"They had no choice but to do that. Even the security guards and police who were at the scene agreed they should should go in and rescue the cats," said Azli.

In addition to the dead cats, about 90 - still kept in their animal carries - were found in two separate small rooms which looked like offices rather than a pet boarding centre.

"There was a terrible stench when the shutter was opened and the place was a mess. It seemed like the cats were living in hell and I don't think they were given any food at all," said one of the owners, Shazana Mahazir, 25.

The freelance graphic designer, who found her cat, was shocked to see its condition.

"My first thought was to take it to the vet immediately and while I was leaving, I saw another two cats looking so weak I just had to take them along," she said.

The veterinarian in Brickfields was shocked to see her cat's condition and said that if it had stayed on for another day or so, it could have died.

Shazana had paid about RM230 for her cat, Fat Fat, to stay at the centre for eight days.

"I was told Fat Fat would be kept in a private room and that it would be well taken care of. From the website, the place looked very luxurious.

"I could not stomach seeing the condition of the cats; it was an ugly sight. I can't believe that people could treat the cats this way."

Shazana said Fat Fat's weight dropped from 3.9kg to 3.4kg and its body temparature was 45 degrees.

Another owner said his cat was so skinny he could see "bones bulging out with only a thin layer of skin".

The cats which died were believed to have starved.

The owners and several volunteers lodged a report at the Sungai Pelong police station.

Police detained a man in his late 20s, believed to be the owner of the centre.

At 3pm, the owners and volunteers, accompanied by police and the detained man, went to a house in Desa Moccis, Sungai Buloh, where 200 more cats were rescued.

"That cats appeared hungry and dirty. The police took them to the police station and later allowed the owners to take them home," said Shazana.

Petaling Jaya deputy police chief Supt Meor Hamdan confirmed that nine police reports have been lodged over the incident.

"The first report we received was a complaint from a worried cat owner who said that when police arrived at the scene, they decided to cut the lock and enter the premises to help the cats," he said.

Meor said police would investigate why the pets had been left unattended and will take a statement from the staff of the centre.

He said once the police had completed their investigation, they may hand over the matter to the Veterinary Services Department.

Link: www.mmail.com.my



Info:
PETKNODE ONLINE PET STORE (00182351-K).
F001B Aras 1 Plaza Seasons Square Jln PJU 10/3 D'sara Damai
47830 Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

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Shahrul Azuwan bin Adanan 821017-10-5289 Lot 2739, PT No 1426 Taman Genting Permai 44300 Batang Kali Selangor 03-60574134

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