KUALA LUMPUR: A newly opened cat shelter in Klang has come under fire for allegedly neglecting the animals in its care, with reports of six cats dying just two weeks after its launch.
"It's like a concentration camp for these cats, with the shelter built with natural ventilation but without any roof insulation, generally making it very hot for the cats," X user Edwin Seng tweeted.
In a series of tweets, Edwin claimed that the shelter, Taman Kucing Klang, is run by the Klang Royal City Council (MBDK). He said that while the council promoted the shelter as a "safe and loving place for cats," the reality seems far different.
"The shelter officially opened on Aug 18, 2024, and by Aug 31, we observed six dead cats, including a kitten, in the compound," Edwin tweeted.
"How does this reflect 'a safe and loving place'? It's inhumane and horrible that this whole thing isn't operated properly by the council who in several articles and social media posts were so proud and taking credit for such a thing."
Edwin claimed that the shelter had cost RM800,000 to build but failed to account for Malaysia's heat.
"RM800k was used to build this park yet they couldn't even make a properly functioning shelter with context of the most basic thing ever, the Malaysian weather. Full of shame. Come on, you guys can do better.
"What should have been a good initiative to rescue stray cats around Bandar Bukit Raja has turned into a disaster."
Edwin also shared photos and videos showing dirty conditions, empty food bowls, and lethargic, sick cats. He added that litter was scattered around the cages, and the overcrowded environment appeared to lack any health monitoring.
"There are too many cats crammed into one cage, and it seems there's no oversight of their health. Some are sick, and a kitten has already died. Food is hard to access, and the litter boxes are filthy," he said.
Edwin's tweets have garnered attention from other X users, with over 9,000 reposts and 12,000 likes. Many users expressed their outrage, with one commenting, "This is the dark side of the stray cat world that many are unaware of. The idea is to get rid of stray cats from public areas by caging them, but what happens after that is not their concern."
Others called for immediate action, with one user tagging the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and demanding an investigation into the RM800,000 project.
MBDK responded to queries from the New Straits Times, saying that upgrading works at the shelter are ongoing and claiming that the "allegedly dead" cat in a photo is actually alive. They said they will release an official statement soon.