SINGAPORE, Nov. 21 -- A married couple who illegally bred ragdoll cats at home and sold the kittens for thousands of dollars have been fined and jailed, after authorities described the case as one of the most serious examples of unlicensed pet breeding uncovered in recent years.

According to The Straits Times, Wen Tianhao and his wife, Qiu Shiwen - both 29 - were each fined S$52,500 (RM166,500) and sentenced to one week in jail yesterday.

The pair pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed commercial breeding business and keeping multiple cats for sale without the required permits.

The court heard that Wen, a Singaporean, and Qiu, a Chinese national and permanent resident, had imported five adult ragdolls - one male and four females - i...