10:07am Wednesday 20th October 2004
By Toby Nation
A FAMILY pet ripped limb from limb may have been the victim of ritual torture, say its worried owners.
Six-month-old Whiskers went missing on October 9 from the Plumstead garden of Sandra Cornwall, 37, and was found the next day decapitated and tailless.
Mrs Cornwall's children Nazara, 11, Rochanna, eight, and Kai, six, were given the cat, their first pet, in June by their great-aunt. But the family were left shocked and distraught after finding the body on the morning of Kai's sixth birthday.
Mrs Cornwall said: "We opened the door on Sunday morning to call in Whiskers, who normally comes if you call him twice, and found his tail.
"The children and their Dad went looking for him and my two eldest spotted a furry thing on Brookdene Road and knew it was his body."
The children are still traumatised by the horrific way in which their pet was killed and Mrs Cornwall is worried about who killed the cat and whether they might target others in the area.
She said: "We think something took him and harmed him, maybe in a ritual killing."
The family think the lack of blood by the body, the decapitation and placing of the tail on their doorstep all point to something suspicious.
She added: "I think whoever can hurt a cat like this is evil and has no feelings for animals.
"If they could do that to an animal, I can't imagine what they might do to a human. It needs to be put out in the community so other cat owners can be aware."
An RSPCA spokesman confirms it always investigates suspicious animal deaths but often finds other wildlife or traffic are involved.
She said: "If anyone has any information which leads them to suspect someone harmed this cat, we would ask them to come forward."
Anyone with information should call 08705 555999.
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.newsshopper.co.uk