Pet abuse has become a growing concern, and pet stores are not exempt from these issues. The Stay Free Foundation Twitter account recently accused a popular Japanese pet store in a KL mall of keeping their cats in deplorable conditions. The cats are confined in cramped and unclean glass cages, surrounded by cat faeces.
Ini keaadaan sebuah pet store di Lalaport. Gambar dikongsi oleh follower kami. Tarikh kejadian: 12/11/2023Masa: 7.39pmTempat: Coo & RIKU, Lot L4-05 & 06, Level 4, Mitsui Shopping Park Lalaport, BBCC, 2, Jln Hang Tuah, Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of pic.twitter.com/FvikFq07Y2
— Stray Free Foundation (@rubyrahman) November 13, 2023
Allegations include eye problems, diarrhoea, and cramped living spaces forcing some cats to sleep in their litter boxes. The OP shared images highlighting the sickly appearance of the cats and the unsanitary conditions.
The Stay Free Foundation urged followers to report the pet store to the Department of Veterinary Services Malaysia (DVS).
Many netizens expressed their distress and disappointment, sharing experiences of a foul odour inside and malnourished, stressed cats being sold at exorbitant prices, reaching up to RM50,000.
fyi dorang nk buka outlet lagi satu so sebabtu kucing banyak dalam tu. and kucing first tu tk sakit mata dia flat face like mmg selalu mata berair bruh. tkde tanya dulu ke ??! https://t.co/gUVKczwnAS
— NurFatihah ̈︎ (@nurfatihah_____) November 13, 2023
dera??!! memey menipu kucing2 tu sangat2 la di jaga sakit kena asingkan kan belakang semua pegi vet semua pun dah berbau ye berbau tapi dah cuba untuk kurang kan bau harap2 korang yg tweet tu boleh bela 60 ekor dlm satu rumah tgk berbau mcm mana
— NurFatihah ̈︎ (@nurfatihah_____) November 13, 2023
Following the viral tweet, a netizen who seemed to have some sort of relation to the pet store defended the allegations, attributing poor living conditions to overcrowding.
I posted on my instagram, i mentioned them. This is what they explained to me. https://t.co/9GKI96LkMk pic.twitter.com/5RJRx5FRO8
— Alyssa (@Alicadriana) November 14, 2023
The DM screenshots with a netizen also show the person handling the pet store's social media denying abuse and explaining that certain conditions are typical for specific breeds.
According to the pet store, the cat with eye problems belongs to the Russian Flat Face breed, prone to teary eyes, necessitating regular care. The cat with diarrhoea and sleeping in the litter box is described as new to the environment and experiencing distress, being monitored closely.
Despite the pet store's response, questions arise, especially considering previous allegations of pet abuse at their establishments in Japan.