'It's a sad situation': Warning for families after snake catcher's grisly find
A Queensland snake catcher has issued a warning for families with pets after a grisly find.
Stuart Mackenzie, from Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7, wrote on Facebook he was called to a Mountain Creek home by a woman who found a python sleeping in her backyard having “eaten something big”.
He added it was a “sad situation” and explained why.
“As soon as I arrived I knew the food Item was too big to be a possum and I was 95 per cent sure it was a cat,” Mr Mackenzie wrote.
“I took the snake to the local vet and we scanned for a microchip and sure enough it was a family's pet cat. The owner of the cat was contacted by the vet and she called me afterwards and we had a good chat.”
Mr Mackenzie wrote the woman “was obviously very sad” and her kids “devastated” by the death of their cat.
He was told the feline often went outside during the day and spent night time indoors.
“Unfortunately the cat would often explore the neighborhood during the day and where I found the snake was a few blocks from the cats family's home,” he wrote.
“Please please please if you are a cat owner, I beg you not to let your cat explore the neighborhood during the day or night. Not only do cats predatory instincts take over and they kill lots of native wildlife, but they can also be killed by native wildlife or run over by cars.”
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The python was released into the bush away from roads and homes.
On Facebook, people were horrified by the cat’s demise.
“Oh that's so horrible. My worst fear,” one woman wrote.
Another woman added it’s a “sad lesson to learn” for the family.
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