Police have arrested a Hong Kong pet owner on a suspected animal cruelty charge after she allegedly wrapped a six-week-old kitten in cling film.
Addressing the case Tuesday night, police said they began investigating after a photo circulated online of a grey-haired cat bound by plastic wrap, its front legs squeezed tightly against its body.
In a caption online, the woman said she wanted a kitten that would be able to “cuddle” with her while she sleeps, but since the cat refused, she decided to bind it with cling film.
Police arrested the 45-year-old woman at a walk-up building on Fa Yuen Street in Mong Kok, where they found the cat and the plastic wrap believed to have been used. There were no other cats in the apartment, and the woman lives alone.
The kitten had no apparent injuries and will be taken care of by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), police said.
Earlier this month, the woman had attempted to sell the kitten online, according to screenshots from social media. In one caption, she wrote that she wants to let the cat go for HK$5,000 (US$645) because her “boyfriend does not like it.”
Under Hong Kong law, offenders found guilty of violating the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance face a fine of HK$200,000 (US$25,745) and up to three years’ imprisonment.
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