Veterinarian ‘didn’t knock out TV cat’

The person who anaesthetised a black cat in the TV drama The Empress of Ayodhaya, also known as Mae Yua, was not a veterinarian but someone from the agency that provided the animal, according to the Department of Livestock Development.
The cat, named Samli, appeared in a scene in episode 5 of the popular Thai drama on Channel One 31 last week. The scene showed the cat being given a solution that caused it to have seizures before crying out and “dying”.
The scene sparked widespread concern among the public, who flooded social media with questions about the cat’s welfare.
The five-year-old cat was sent to a government animal hospital for a general physical examination, which showed that it was healthy and strong, said Dr Chaiwalun Tunak, director of the Animal Welfare and Veterinary Services Division of the Department of Livestock Development.
As for the person who anaesthetised the cat, it was found that it was an employee of the agency the cat came from.
The department will submit its conclusions to the police for further action, Dr Chaiwalun said.