Woman, 29, arrested after 45 cats found in Hong Kong flat in a ‘weak and skinny’ state
- The malnourished cats are believed to have gone at least a week without food and water
- Police were called to the property after a complaint was filed with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Forty-five cats, described by a witness as “weak and skinny”, were rescued from a village house in Hong Kong on Tuesday, having been left without food and water for at least a week.
Police arrested the cats’ owner – a 29-year-old woman – on suspicion of cruelty to animals, which carries a maximum penalty of three years in jail and a HK$200,000 (US$25,500) fine.
The witness said most of the animals were British shorthair cats and Scottish fold ear cats and they were found wandering around the ground-floor flat of a three-storey village house in Tai Wan Tsuen off Tai Mong Tsai Road, Sai Kung.
She said the property had not been cleaned for a long time and hygiene was poor, as the floor was covered in faeces, giving off a strong odour.
Inside the flat, containers used to carry food and water were empty, she said.
“The cats are weak and skinny and they had dirty and matted hair,” she said, adding that she believed they were emaciated after going without food and water for at least one week.