Man Admits To Throwing Girlfriend's Cat Down Rubbish Chute Out Of Jealousy

The 21-year-old Sydney resident abused Hibala, a two-year-old Ragdoll cat, on two separate occasions while his girlfriend was away and the animal was in his care.

The poor cat suffered severe injuries from the ordeal and was discovered down the refuse chute after his owner noticed that he was missing.

The defendant was ordered to pay a large fine and to fulfil corrective orders - including a three-month intense corrections - but was spared jail because of an early guilty plea.

Hibala suffered wounds that exposed bone, severe inflammation, and a fractured tail. In fact, vets had to remove a large portion of his tail to keep him alive and he was forced to spend four days in a veterinary hospital.

That's not all. On a second occasion, the owner requested a picture of Hibala from the man on which she noticed that he had a bump on his nose. She immediately asked for him to be taken to the vet, but the man refused.

Eventually, a friend took the cat along to get medical help and more serious injuries were discovered. He had wounds to his front left paw, as well as fractured bones and facial injuries. The unfortunate feline needed surgery on this occasion too, and had to spend another six days in hospital being treated.

The magistrate at Downing Centre Local Court told the man: "I have no idea what to say to a person who places a cat in a garbage chute.

"The early guilty plea is the only thing keeping [the defendant] out of jail."

The man was given a fine of AUD $6,000 (£3,300 / US $4,200) and given a two-year community order with three months of intensive corrections.

He avoided jail time because he submitted an early guilty plea.

On top of that, the magistrates ruled that he can't own, buy, or be placed in the care of any animal for 10 years.

New South Wales RSPCA chief inspector Scott Meyers said: "Hurting an animal out of pure jealousy, one that belongs to and is loved by your partner no less, and letting it suffer over a prolonged period of time is a shocking display of callousness."

Hibala is now living with his owner in a different apartment, well out of the way of the man who abused him.