Is a new cat shaver on the prowl? Terrified owners keep their pets locked indoors after moggie has fur cropped in latest mystery attack
- Owners in Chatham, Kent, say up to ten cats returned home with odd markings
- Comes after families in Coventry left confused over string of similar incidents
Terrified cat owners fear a new shaver may be on the prowl following reports of pets having their fur cropped in another mystery attack.
Increasingly concerned families in Chatham, Kent, have revealed that up to 10 cats have returned home with bizarre markings in recent days amid concerns it could be a signal for thieves.
It comes after families in Coventry were left confused last month after a number of their cats were left with ‘incredibly neat’ shaven squares on their body.
Located more than 100 miles away, owners in the coastal Kent town now are anxious that a second cat shaver may be targeting their pets and have warned other families to be on alert.
Increasingly concerned families in Chatham, Kent, have revealed that up to 10 cats have returned home with bizarre markings in recent days
Bonnie Towe, from Coventry, was also left mystified at first and suspected her cat had a condition before fearing a cat shaver was also on the loose in the city
READ MORE: Is the Coventry Cat Shaver back on the prowl? Mystery stranger who ‘trims perfect squares into felines’ fur’ appears to strike again after two-year hiatus
Kerry Ryan, 50, told KentOnline that she would be keeping Dennis – a five-year-old cat – inside from now on after he returned home with his back legs completely shaven.
She said: ‘I am so angry and deeply shocked that people can do this kind of thing to a cat or any animal.
‘I couldn’t believe that’s what had happened at first, but now I have heard about other people who have had the same experience.
‘It really makes me wonder what kind of world my grandchildren will have to live in.’
Natasha McPhee, director of Medway-based charity Animal Lost and Found, added: ‘We are definitely keeping an eye on the cases that are appearing across Kent. There have been five to 10 reports of cats being shaved in Chatham and Rochester since Christmas.
‘There was a spell between 2018 and 2019 where dozens of cats were reported to us shaven in random patches. No other injuries were reported and it eventually calmed down.
‘This new spell is very worrying. I think the idea that this is being done to signal for thieves is unlikely, it’s trying to put logic into something illogical.
‘This is probably a very unwell person doing it – whoever it is doing this needs serious help.
‘We are very concerned that this will lead to copy-cat incidents. I really hope it doesn’t lead to anything more sinister.
‘Owners need to start putting more and more CCTV on their properties. The only way this person is going to get caught is if there is footage of them doing it.’
It comes after families in Coventry were initially concerned that their pets were suffering from some form of skin condition, before becoming convinced that a person was responsible for the string of incidents.
Several residents reported their pets returning with large patches of their fur shaved off in 2021
Bonnie Towe, from the city’s northern suburb Radford, was mystified at first and suspected her cat had a condition.
But after looking at the patch closely, she came to the sudden realisation that it had been carried out deliberately due to the neatness of the trim.
She said: ‘My daughter picked our cat up and noticed a bald patch under her stomach. I thought maybe she licked the fur off her stomach or she had itchy skin.
‘But once we lay her back we noticed it is quite a big patch and it was a perfectly cut square. It felt prickly like it had been shaved off.
‘It had been done quite carefully as well, as her stomach didn’t look sore or cut. We noticed it earlier this week, but it could have been for a few days ago.’
Ms Towe fears her moggie has been ‘marked’ with the shaving and now worries she could be victim of an attack in the future.
A spokesperson for Cats Protection previously said: ‘As the UK’s leading feline welfare charity we were distressed to hear the alarming reports of cats returning home with shaved fur.
‘Shaving and cutting the fur or whiskers of a cat can make a cat feel very stressed. The physical restraint required and the use of unfamiliar objects such as scissors or clippers can leave a cat feeling threatened and unsettled.
‘There is a risk of injury as the skin may become caught or snagged in clipper or scissor blades. The loss of whiskers impairs the cat’s sensory perception of the world.
‘At no point should a cat deliberately be put in a position to feel fear, anxiety, frustration or experience pain, for the benefit of human entertainment. Even if the experience is only brief, it is unethical and therefore should not be encouraged.’
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