Beloved community cat Ginger goes missing in Pasir Ris

Ginger, a well-loved community cat in Pasir Ris which had a solid 920 followers on his Instagram account went missing in the area where it had become a fixture for a decade.

The chonky feline also known by his endearing nickname “Murtabak” (stuffed pancake or pan-fried bread), was rather famous in the area for his quirky poses while wearing a green collar which it had been given  by doting residents. He often got numerous “likes” from his followers on Instagram.

He would also update his fans, such as the time he went to the vet in October 2020. “Hello everybardy, my hoomans brought me to the vet yesterday. All is fine, and although I looked like I lost some weight from my 10 days of misadventures, the vet said I am actually overweight.”

Ginger was last seen on Feb 17, after having dinner at his caretaker family’s home in an HDB flat in the area. The following morning, the family’s domestic  helper said that a cleaner had spotted Ginger on the grass patch behind their block.

Ginger was bleeding but still breathing, reported Mothership. When the cleaner returned to the scene some 10 minutes later, Ginger was no longer there/.

When Ginger’s caretakers and their neighbour checked the vicinity, they found  Ginger’s collar and what seemed to be a tuft of the feline’s fur.

Even though Ginger’s collar bore the telephone number of Julie Wang, one of his caretakers, no one had called with information on its whereabouts.

However, another neighbour told Mothership that they had seen Ginger in a paper bag that had been buried in a grass patch behind their unit.

The group hurried to the site and began digging. They found Ginger’s body. The cat’s eyes, ears, nose, mouth and neck were covered in blood, presumably from slashes on its neck.

After Ms Wang cleaned the dirt off the cat,  they called the National Parks Board to report the incident and Ginger’s body was taken for an autopsy.

An update was posted on Ginger’s Instagram page, with the caretakers appealing for witnesses on what happened.

“He was found with what seems like inflicted wounds on his body. We cannot imagine why would anyone do such a thing to Ginger, who has brought so much joy to those around him. We also fear the safety of the other cats in the community. We are appealing for eyewitnesses,” said the post.

A video of GInger’s tiny casket was uploaded on Feb 28, with a photo of  GInger  behind the casket and surrounded by flowers.

A resident also wrote a poem for Ginger, noting he will be missed.

Ginger may be gone, but its pawprints will be a permanent reminder.

“Residents in this estate might have seen this around (near the letterbox). Our dear Ginger certainly knows how to leave a permanent mark in our hearts. Years ago, while the estate was undergoing works, our dear kitty decided to have some fun and walked on the wet concrete. Perhaps that is his way of marking his territory.” /TISG

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