Monday, June 29, 2009

Cat poisoning in Bayshore? Get those pest busters.....

So we are getting closer and closer to the answers behind the mystery of the poisoned cats in the Bayshore area. We are now told the the poison has been identified by HSA as alpha-chloralose.

No great mystery here. No cat hating vandals at work, I don't think.

Alpha-chloralose is a kind of anaesthetic that has been used for pest control. It is found in rodenticides (includes some moles, unsavoury relatives of mine) and pest baits for bird control.

In all likelihood this is the work of an overenthusiastic pest controller trying to get rid of rats (maybe after the Geylang Serai food court hysteria) or crows, mynahs and starlings in the vicinity.

I suggest the police follow up on the people in the neighbourhood who may have an interest in pest control.

Meanwhile, it will be interesting to find out who actually controls the import and use of pest control chemicals such as chloralose. I imagine it must be the AVA.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

You will be surprised. There are many cat haters in Singapore. You can try talking to the cat-feeding ladies you meet. They will tell you much about cat abuse in Singapore. Some of the women themselves have even been abused, verbally and physically, by cat-hating residents.

gigamole said...

Hi Anon,

Yes, I am sure there are a lot of cat haters around. It's just that for this poisoning one has to know how to get the alpha-chloralose, and since that is found essentially in rodenticides and the kind of poisons people use for bird pests, it seems logical that either this is either an accidental exposure of cats to these poison left out for rats and bird pests, or if intentionally meant for the cats, it must be from people who have access to these pesticides.

"There are many cat haters in Singapore. You can try talking to the cat-feeding ladies you meet. They will tell you much about cat abuse in Singapore."

Though a cat lover myself, I really dislike the activities of these indiscriminate 'cat-feeders'. My cats are pretty free roaming, and these piles of cat food (of uncertain quality and safety) left on pavements worries me. And it really contributes to an unsafe environment where cats are encouraged to eat pavement food, and can be easily poisoned. Not to mention the maintenance of the feral cat problem.

I really wish they would stop.

Xtrocious said...

I agree with Anon

It is not that simple...

It seems that the poison was placed specifically at spots where the cats feed...

If someone wants to just poison the rats, the poison is likely to be placed discretely and carefully to avoid harming other creatures...

gigamole said...
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