Pet owners in Kent are being urged to be vigilant after a series of attacks on cats.
There have been more than 50 incidents of cats being shaved by hair clippers have been reported in Medway since the beginning of December.
Attacks have also been recorded in other Kent towns, including Gillingham, Cranbrook, Ashford, and Ramsgate, as well as parts of East London. Although the cats have not been seriously injured, they have clearly been held down in the attack which can be extremely stressful for the animal.
Patrick Hamby, RSPCA chief inspector, urged pet owners to report incidents of cat shaving to the charity or the police.
“We may not be able to do something right away as it’s very difficult if you have no leads to go on, but it lets us know what is going on and the areas it is happening in, so we can concentrate more in those areas,” he said.
Animals Lost and Found founder Natasha McPhee said the assaults were “very alarming”.
She said “These sorts of things may seem small because the animals aren’t coming home injured. But, as everyone is aware, these sorts of things can escalate. Everyone in the community is very worried about their cats.”
