Local animal protection group ANIMA says it will continue to follow up on the health status of the nearly two dozen “mousers” adopted from the Macau Jockey Club (MJC) site in Taipa – and in a statement on Tuesday, ANIMA pointed out that among the 22 “working cats” adopted by the public, eight have meanwhile been diagnosed with feline distemper, resulting in the deaths of two of the cats, while the MJC had delayed its promise of a 5,000-pataca medical allowance for each adopter until yesterday, when it also conveyed its condolences to the adopters of the two cats that have died.
ANIMA, in conjunction with the Macau Jockey Club, held an adoption campaign for the “working cats” rounded up at the racetrack on March 16, during which 22 cats were adopted by the public, while 61 cats that were removed from the MJC site and deemed temporarily unsuitable for adoption were taken to several local animal protection organisations for adoption later.
On Tuesday, ANIMA issued a statement on its Facebook page under the title “Follow-up on the Health Status of Cats adopted on the Adoption Day jointly organised by ANIMA and the Macau Jockey Club”, saying that some of the 22 adopted cats have been diagnosed with various health issues since their adoption. Among them, eight have been diagnosed with feline distemper, one with severe bronchitis, and another sustained a serious wound from neutering surgery. Additionally, there is a one-year-old cat found to be missing all of its teeth, apart from a “significant number” of adopted cats and kittens afflicted with upper respiratory infections.
According to the ANIMA statement, only four of the adopted cats have shown no clinical symptoms and, as a result, have not undergone a health check by a veterinarian. In addition to the two cats that have passed away due to cat fever, six other cats are currently in a serious condition and require hospitalisation. The cat with severe bronchitis was discharged from a veterinary clinic on Tuesday but still needs to undergo follow-up consultations, while another needs to undergo daily debridement* due to surgical wound dehiscence** from sterilisation.
ANIMA also pointed out on Tuesday that the lengthy treatment period for cat fever and upper respiratory tract infections results in high veterinary costs, adding that it has recently been in discussions with the MJC, seeking their support in covering the medical expenses for the affected cats, “but no reply has yet been received”.
As the situation has exacerbated, one of the adopters, Mary Jean Reimer, a solicitor from Hong Kong, raised concerns about the predicament on Facebook on Tuesday, alleging that “to expedite the export documentation for the cats to mainland China, all the cats were hastily sterilised, with some left to suffer without even having their incisions properly closed. Some female cats were found to be pregnant during surgery, and their kittens were discarded as waste”.
Reimer further stated: “Someone had gathered all the cats in one location, leading to an outbreak of disease, which created significant challenges for those who later adopted them”.
ANIMA issued an update yesterday, stating that the Macau Jockey Club has committed to provide a subsidy of 5,000 patacas per cat to the 22 adopters from the adoption campaign held on March 16. The statement also quoted the Macau Jockey Club as expressing condolences to the adopters of the two cats that “sadly passed away” due to illness.
According to ANIMA, the allowance will be provided directly by the Macau Jockey Club to each adopter by crossed cheque, which will be forwarded by ANIMA.
ANIMA also noted the involvement of the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) in coordinating the incident.
The Post noted that some netizens questioned on Tuesday night why the bureau did issue documents allowing the Macau Jockey Club to send the cats to mainland China without knowing where they were being sent or how they were transported. The Post subsequently quoted these concerns when it was seeking a response from the bureau, asking via WhatsApp at noon yesterday: “Has the bureau made further enquiries with the Macau Jockey Club on this matter?” and “Will it coordinate with ANIMA and the Macau Jockey Club any follow-up?” However, as of last night the bureau had not responded to the Post’s enquiries.
*Debridement is a medical procedure used to remove dead, damaged, or infected tissue from a wound to promote healing and prevent infection.
**Dehiscence refers to the splitting or bursting open of a wound, surgical incision, or biological structure along a natural or sutured line. - DeepSeek
This photo taken on March 16 shows members of the public visiting the “working cats” during the adoption campaign jointly held by ANIMA and Macau Jockey Club at the racecourse in Taipa on that day. – Photo: Yuki Lei
