Police of Cape Town township disinterested in investigating serial cat killer despite good evidence

NEWS AND VIEWS - Manenberg, Cape Town, South Africa: Manenberg is a township of Cape Town, South Africa. It was created by the apartheid government for low-income coloured families in 1966. The population is an estimated 52,000.

Manenberg, Cape Town, South Africa. Image in the public domain.

The Animal Welfare Society of South Africa say that there is substantive and weighty evidence to prove that an unnamed suspect or suspects has been involved in the brutal killing of at least 26 cats in a serial cat killing spree. 

But the Manenberg police refuse to even open a file on the case. They simply refuse to investigate it. The person or persons slit the cats from head to tail and tossed them into people's yards. I'm sorry that I had to describe that.

The Animal Welfare Society of South Africa said: 

"We suspect there's more than one individual involved. Our investigation is ongoing. There is a fairly substantial lead we are following up on. It involves a young man from the area with a history of brutality towards cats."

Please call: the Animal Welfare Society of SA on 021 692 2626 or 082 601 1761 if you can assist.

Comment: does this shed some light on the attitude of law enforcement in South Africa on cruelty to cats and other animals? I think it does and it is in line with a poor attitude towards cat welfare in respect of lions, for instance. They abuse lions in South Africa by breeding them for canned lion hunts and by selling lion body parts to China where the bones are turned into bone wine et cetera. It is quite disgusting the whole thing and there's no doubt in my mind that animal welfare is very low priority in South Africa.

The story is in contrast I'd say to the UK's 'Brighton Cat Killer' saga which has recently come to a conclusion with the arrest, prosecution and jailing of the madman who stabbed 16 indoor/outdoor cats, killing 9 and severely injuring the remaining seven. His name is Steve Bouquet and he is all over the news media. 

He got more than five years in jail for criminal damage because under criminal damage it is possible to apply a more severe sentence than under animal welfare laws in the UK. It is just a way the law is drafted. 

But, yes, the British police eventually caught the bastard although it took them a very long time and to be perfectly honest the police in Britain are not that interested in animal welfare either. But at least they did something whereas in South Africa the police are terminally switched off with respect to catching the perpetrators of animal cruelty.

There is a worldwide issue with law enforcement lacking sufficient will and commitment in investigating animal abuse criminal cases. It indicates a red-necked attitude. A right-wing male attitude in line with a love of firearms and sport hunting. I am stereotyping but I feel the stereotype is reasonably accurate.

How do cats react to the hydrochloric acid in the stomach of their prey?

How do all wild cats react to the hydrochloric acid (Hcl) in the stomach of their prey animals? It's an interesting if slightly esoteric question. Clearly the hydrochloric stomach acid in prey animals does not bother in the slightest wild cats when they eat their prey. For the sake of clarity, many animals have acid in their stomach to help digest foods. This is hydrochloric acid. It's quite strong and is why you can burn your mouth if you are sick many times.

Hcl. Image: Pixabay.

I believe that the answer is found in the fact that the pH of the acid in the stomach of carnivores like tigers is less than or equal to 1, i.e. it is highly acidic, whereas for humans and herbivores (and herbivores are the prey of tigers and other wild cat species) the pH ranges from 4-5 with food in the stomach.

Therefore, the hydrochloric acid in the stomach of prey animals which helps to digest their food is not that strong. Also, it is dispersed through the contents of the stomach. It probably tastes a little bit acidic to wild cats. I believe that cats can taste the bitterness. In fact, I know they can because one way to stop domestic cats drinking antifreeze is to make it bitter by the addition of a bittering agent.

The reason why tigers for instance have such a highly acidic stomach acid is because they're digesting meat which is harder to digest than the food that herbivores eat.

Incidentally, hydrochloric acid with a pH of 1-2 is similar to industrial strength hydrochloric acid! It facilitates protein breakdown and kills the abundant dangerous bacteria often found in decaying flesh foods.

Another factor is that herbivores break down the cellulose in plants with 'cellulose digesting bacteria' in the stomach. This probably accounts for the fact that the pH of their hydrochloric acid is less strong than that of carnivores. All plants have a cell wall present in the cell structure which contains cellulose.

The link between kidney disease and bad breath in cats

I've just discussed the link between periodontal and kidney disease in cats. There is also a link between kidney disease and bad breath in cats. The same link occurs in humans. Bad breath is sometimes referred to as halitosis. It is due to the excessive amount of urea in the bloodstream when the kidneys are malfunctioning. Kidneys filter out urea. The smell can be like ammonia which is the same smell you pick up when you go into the home of a cat hoarder because the cats have been urinating on the floor due to stress.

Image: MikeB

The link between bad breath and kidney disease is important because kidney disease is very common in domestic cats affecting between about 2% and 20% of all domestic cat but the prevalence is much higher in elderly cats above the age of 15 where it might be as high as 80%.

The information might be useful as a diagnostic tool in trying to work out why your cat has bad breath but there are other reasons obviously such as poor oral health due to reasons other than kidney disease such as bad gum disease and stomatitis, or something stuck in a cat's mouth or throat such as a bone.

Linked page:

• 5 possible reasons why your cat’s tongue is sticking out
• Home treatment for bad breath in cats

The link between gum and kidney disease in cats

There is a link between periodontal disease and kidney disease in cats but, as I type this, I'm not sure what that link is. What I mean is I'm not sure if periodontal disease can cause kidney disease or vice versa. I know that kidney disease can cause bad breath in cats which is ammonia smelling. 

Periodontal disease in cats. Left: Gingivitis. Middle: Teeth cleaning kit. Right: Commercial feline dental food. Image: MikeB

I am researching as I am typing this. It seems that periodontal disease can increase the risk of kidney disease and liver and heart disease. Further, a study in humans, specifically 699 African Americans, showed that periodontal disease can make people more prone to kidney disease. The study found that African-Americans with severe gum disease were over four times more likely to develop chronic kidney disease.

The study also appears to have concluded that if periodontal disease is properly treated and eliminated that has a positive effect on the onset of chronic kidney disease i.e. the onset can be prevented.

Another study discusses an "imbalance of the body's oxygen producing free radicals and its antioxidant cells could be the reason why gum disease and chronic kidney disease affect each other..."

In this study over 700 patients with chronic kidney disease were examined both orally and using full body examinations including blood samples. The aim was to test the hypothesis that periodontal disease and kidney function affect each other. The results show that a 10% increase in gum inflammation reduces kidney function by 3%. And a 3% worsening in kidney function translates to an increase in the risk of kidney failure over a five-year period from 32%-34%. Interestingly, the study found that a 10% reduction in kidney function increases periodontal inflammation by 25%.

The researchers found that the link between gum disease and kidney disease was caused by "oxidative stress" which is a biological process. It is an 'an imbalance between reactive oxygen species and the body's antioxidant capacity which damages tissues on a cellular level'. I have quoted that verbatim by the way because I don't understand it :) !

The study is the first to try and 'quantify the causal effect of periodontitis on kidney function' and vice versa as well as the first to elucidate the pathways involved. They suggest that further studies are carried out. The study was carried out by Dr. Praveen Sharma and team at the Periodontal Research Group, University of Birmingham's School of Dentistry.

An important point I forgot to mention is that 85% of cats have gum disease at 2 years old or later and sometimes at aged one. This shocking stat from my reference book tells me that gum disease may be why kidney disease is too prevalent in domestic cats. Elderly cats often die of it. Perhaps owners should be cleaning their cat's teeth as a default. No exceptions. At the moment it is rare.

Britons are more open to the idea of taking their cats on staycation holidays thanks to Covid-19

This pain in the bum pandemic has impacted human life dramatically. Most of it is negative for obvious reasons but for some it has been positive and, in that category, I think we have to add domestic cats and indeed domestic dogs. The huge surge in employees working at home is clearly very beneficial to cats. Both cat guardians and their pets have become closer. It has helped to cement the relationship. Home working for some will be permanent. It is said that in the UK staff will like a diet of 3:2 which means three days in the office and to at home. It is a Covid-based revolution in working patterns. I expect other countries to be undergoing this sort of revolution as well.

Britons are more open to the idea of taking their cat on staycation holidays thanks to Covid-19. Photo: Pixabay.

With the cessation, pretty well, of travel abroad out of the UK, many cat owners have decided to take their cat companion with them on holiday within the UK. A 2,000-pet owner poll conducted by Direct Line Motor Insurance tells us that the reluctance to take cats in cars on staycation holidays has evaporated. 20 million people in the UK said that the holiday habits have changed this year because of the pandemic. Normally 20% of Britain's would not drive on a UK holiday and 14% would not normally take their pet on the UK holiday, but this year they will.

The poll indicated that 3.6 million cat owners plan to take their cat on a road trip over the next months. Each trip will be on average about 98 miles so in total cats will be travelling 348 million miles on staycation holidays in the UK.

This trend is being driven by young cat owners. It is people in the age bracket 18-34 who are keener to take their cat on holiday. Those over 55 are much less likely to pick up the challenge. It can be a bit of a challenge at least emotionally because of the potential dangers for a cat. It does take some organisation.

I've done it myself successfully, thankfully. I bought a very large cat carrier (actually a dog carrier) which is more like a mini-enclosure (cheap on Amazon). It just about went inside the back of my car with the rear seats folded down. This allowed him plenty of space to walk around within the car but being secure at the same time. His food and sleeping quarters were inside the enclosure. He could look out the window and enjoy himself and be stimulated. He remained in it throughout the journey which took all day. He appeared to enjoy himself. I encountered no real issues.

On another occasion I took my cats to Ireland on a holiday. There were no problems even on the ferry. Cats are adaptable although initially they may be nervous about getting into a car, they do settle down. Obviously, supervision is required at the destination because cats will be staying in a strange place, perhaps a holiday cottage, which may motivate them to do something silly. You don't want to lose your cat on holiday! I suspect, though, that these holidays work out pretty well and above all else they give a cat a change of scene and plenty of mental stimulation.

Perhaps one of the big weaknesses of modern cat ownership is that domestic cats don't get enough in the way of challenges and mental stimulation. A staycation holiday might be a good opportunity to pull that cat stroller out of the attic and use it again. I have decided that cat strollers do have a place in the life of a cat guardian. They can be useful because once again they allow a cat to see new places in safety. They allow a cat to join their owner on walking trips in safety.

I suspect that young people in the age bracket of 18-34 have been motivated to take their cats on staycation holidays because of quite large number of stories and Internet videos of adventurous cat owners taking the cat on trekking and hiking holidays which look wonderful. You have to harness train your cat but that is doable with patience. The survey indicated that 33% of owners in that age brackets are taking their cats a holiday. This is a distinct change in the human-to-cat relationship which is for the better by and large.