A food delivery rider has been arrested following a series of brutal attacks on community cats in Toa Payoh, including multiple stabbings and a fatal assault involving a high-rise fall.
The suspect, identified as Tan, began targeting community cats in July and August 2024 while experiencing relationship issues with his then-girlfriend. After some cats ignored him and one scratched him, Tan decided to “teach the cats a lesson.”
Planned Torture and Stabbings
Between September 16 and September 20, Tan used the internet to research how to torture cats, eventually selecting stabbing as his preferred method. Court documents reveal he specifically searched for locations to stab a cat to inflict injury without killing it, as well as the potential penalties for killing an animal.
On September 21, 2024, Tan purchased a 10cm foldable knife and used it to stab a ginger and white domestic shorthair. The following day, he stabbed another cat at Block 36 Lorong 5 Toa Payoh.
Tan then traveled to Block 200 Toa Payoh North, where he stabbed a ginger cat once. He also targeted a white cat, stabbing it once in the back after it failed to respond to him. CCTV footage captured Tan searching for the white cat to stab it a second time to ensure it was injured.
A final attempted attack at Block 12 Lorong 7 Toa Payoh was interrupted when a man shouted at him. Tan subsequently fled the scene and discarded the knife in a dustbin.
Toa Payoh Cat Abuse Escalation
On October 6, 2024, Tan spotted an orange cat at Block 78 Lorong Limau. He returned to the location at approximately 2 a.m. the following day, wearing a mask and hooded sweatshirt to avoid recognition.
At 3:48 a.m. on October 7, Tan took the cat into a lift, where he flung the animal above his head and slammed it down. Court filings describe a “frenzied” attack lasting one minute and 20 seconds, during which Tan repeatedly kicked and stomped on the cat.
When the lift reached the 34th floor, the cat was unresponsive but still alive. Tan picked the animal up by its tail and threw it over the parapet. He later went downstairs to check if the cat was dead but was unable to find it.
The assault in the lift was captured on CCTV. After returning home, Tan searched online to determine if he could be identified in the footage while wearing a mask.
Tan was arrested at his home later that day. He was charged and released on bail on October 30.
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