‘Horrific’ cat cruelty claims rock country town as investigators link cases
'With one cat, that could be an accident. With two, I am deeply concerned.'
Investigators are concerned about incidents involving “horrific” cat cruelty around a tight-knit farming community.
The latest attack involved a pet cat that had been missing for a week. It was then found on Monday with injuries vets believe are consistent with scalding from boiling oil or water.
The case is similar to another incident that occurred in September that involved a stray cat. That animal was found infested with maggots and as of Friday, it has yet to completely recover. As you can probably imagine, the injuries were so gruesome, we've had to blur photographs taken of them.
Disturbingly, the RSPCA thinks the two cases could be linked.
Fears of escalating cat cruelty
Both cases occurred in the tiny Western Australia wheatbelt town of Corrigin, but they are far from isolated events.
In a separate attack in August, a family’s pet cat was tied to a brick and thrown into a Perth river. Two months later a cat was shot twice in the suburb of Huntingdale, although it is not believed this incident is connected.
Responding to the series of cases, RSPCA WA Inspector Manager Kylie Green labelled the cruelty as “beyond comprehension”.
“I have been an RSPCA inspector for 11 years and have seen a lot of things but this recent spate of what feels like escalating cat cruelty is concerning,” she said.
The burns on the two cats in Corrigin left them in agony and the RSPCA is calling for public help to identify the perpetrator. “With one cat, that could be an accident. With two, I am deeply concerned and ask for anyone with information to come forward,” Green said.
Can you help catch those behind the cat cruelty?
People caught inflicting animal cruelty can expect to be prosecuted, and they face fines of up to $50,000 and five years in prison.
If you know who is behind the attacks, you can contact the RSPCA’s 24-hour Cruelty Hotline on 1300 278 358. If you have specific information about the Corrigin cases you can quote job number 185977.
Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new weekly newsletter showcasing the week’s best stories.
