Police are investigating after two cats were found dead, and dozens were reported missing in Fredericton.
Shaun Nixon’s cat, Cuddles, disappeared last week. Her mutilated remains were found two days later.
“We had her since last November. She was a stray cat and we took her off the street and cleaned her up,” says Nixon. “When they actually located her, it appeared she had been cut in half, and that’s about 65 metres from the entrance to my house.”
“I had an inclination that something was going on before the first report came out, just by the sheer number of cats missing,” says Deanne Landry of the Stray Bits animal advocacy group.
Landry says 35 cats have disappeared in the Nashwaaksis area of Fredericton since late July – almost four times the typical number.
“We were being careful with that number. There’s probably a lot more than that and there has been more since we tallied that 35,” says Landry.
Police believe someone is behind the attacks on cats, but they are investigating other avenues in order to eliminate any other possible causes of death.
The New Brunswick SPCA says past investigations have revealed animal abuse committed across many demographics.
“It’s not new to us at all,” says executive director Hilary Howes. “Sometimes we see elderly people involved with it, but the most disturbing cases is where children are involved.”
In the meantime, police are warning pet owners to keep their cats inside at night.
Anyone who has information about the incidents or who has a cat that has vanished is asked to contact police.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Nick Moore
