Cat's deadly fall at Tai Po housing estate sees man, 52, arrested for animal cruelty

Hong Kong police have arrested a 52-year-old man on suspicion of animal cruelty, a day after a cat fell to her death from a block at a Tai Po housing estate.

The tragedy was reported to staffers of the Hong Kong Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) on Tuesday noon after the feline had been found dead outside a residential block of Centra Horizon.

It is understood that the two-year-old female Ragdoll cat had fallen from a height.

The staffers reported the case to the police and returned to the scene the next day with police officers. Following an investigation, police arrested a resident living at the housing estate, identified as Wong.

A source familiar with the case said the cat owned by the arrestee had long been found precariously perched on the balcony fence of her home, raising concerns for the cat's safety.

Images of the cat in dangerous situations were shared on social media by the arrestee’s neighbors, eliciting significant public outcry, with many criticizing the cat owner for being neglectful of the pet’s well-being.

The SPCA had received relevant complaints at the time and had conducted an on-site inspection, discovering that the homeowner had four cats.

The homeowner explained it was challenging to install window grilles, eventually surrendering two British Shorthair cats to the SPCA, promising to have friends care for the remaining two Maine Coon and Ragdoll cats.

However, neighbors continued to report instances of cats seen in dangerous situations after the encounter, sources said.