Cat horrifically skewered with bamboo cane in sickening attack

A CAT was horrifically tortured and killed after a metre-long bamboo cane was forced diagonally through its body.

Alex Harris, the owner of two-year-old Jack, told The Herald he had been left "heartbroken" by the vile incident.

Police say the attack was so sickening they are concerned about the kind of person who was behind it.

Tabby cat Jack was found at 7.30am on Friday by Alex's neighbour in Weston Mill.

The bamboo cane had been pushed diagonally from the cat's flank, through its abdominal wall, abdomen and diaphragm. It pierced the animal's chest and then exited through its right armpit.

Shocked Alex said: "I doted on Jack. I'm so angry, I'm heartbroken, he was in the prime of his life.

"I adored him, he was my little champion and I've had him since he was a kitten.

"He was my cat, no one has the right to do that."

Detective Sergeant Esther Nodding, from Charles Cross Police Station, said: "This is quite a nasty and unusual case and we're taking it very seriously.

"We've never dealt with anything like this with the torture of a cat before and we have concerns about the type of person who would do this.

"Our officers were shocked at the violence against the cat."

A spokesperson for the RSPCA said: "What could lead someone to carry out such a cowardly, brutal and sadistic attack on a defenceless animal does not bear thinking about and whilst incidents of this nature are rare, even one is one too many."

The cat had spent the night outside on Thursday, which Alex said was rare, before it was found in the morning.

"Jack never stays out," the 22-year-old said. "I couldn't sleep and was starting to freak out about where he was.

"My neighbour said to come quick and I saw him laying there. It was just horrible.

"We jacked up the car to get him out, put him in a cat carrier and got him to the vets. My partner was keeping him conscious but he was bleeding a lot."

Jack was treated at the Veterinary Hospital in Estover, where experts operated to remove the metre-long cane.

It measured about a centimetre in diameter and was sticking out from his rear by 20cm, and his front by 10cm.

Richard Hazard, a vet from Estover Veterinary Hospital, treated Jack first.

He said: "When he was presented to us he was a very unwell cat, he was very flat and in shock.

"He was also very cold – so cold his temperature wouldn't register.

"We have never seen anything like this before. Maybe animals stuck on railings or a fence, but not a stick all the way through.

"It's incredible and impressive he crawled his way home and survived for so long. He was with us for 12 hours. He was a fighter."

Jack survived surgery but sadly died on Friday night.

Alex has two other cats, Jack's sister Jenny, who is also two years old, and Mini, a stray who is 14 months old.

"They've been howling because they don't understand," Alex said. "It's been a really tough time for them. I was crying so much it was ridiculous."

The incident has come at a tough time for Alex, who is preparing to go to the Falklands tomorrow with the Royal Navy, where he works as a Leading Writer.

He said: "I've got a lot of questions now. He was a clever cat – he wouldn't have impaled himself."

The RSPCA spokesperson added: "I would urge anyone with information about who is responsible to please contact the police or the RSPCA.

"Under the Animal Act 2006, anyone found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal can face up to six months in prison and/or a £20,000 fine."

DS Nodding continued: "We're doing all we can to reassure the community through house to house enquiries. It's so unusual and we're looking for witnesses."

Anyone with information can contact the police, in confidence, on 101, quoting crime reference number EC/12/5858 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.