According to witnesses, the woman, in her 50s, had stormed down from her first floor flat at Pintas Kalui 1 after finding cat droppings on her doorstep.

At the ground floor, she saw a group of stray cats being fed by strangers and screamed at the people. She then went to her car parked nearby, took out a metal rod and started attacking the cats.

One witness, a technician, said the woman “showed no mercy” as she proceeded to hit the cats until a few of them were motionless.

“When we told the woman what she did was wrong, she took off in her car, saying ‘you are free to report me’,” the man in his 20s said.

Central Seberang Perai police chief Shafee Abd Samad said two police reports had been received and the case has been taken over by the Veterinary Services Department (VSD).

He said the case was being investigated under Section 29(1)(e) of the Animal Welfare Act 2015 for causing unnecessary pain or suffering to an animal.

“We have received information that the woman herself was assaulted after the incident took place,” he said.

Penang VSD director Dr Anun Man said the case was being investigated and the cats involved were being examined by her department. She urged the public to record incidents of abuse so that the offenders can be charged in court with enough evidence.