RSPCA investigates after two-year-old cat Raven found mutilated in Hampshire

The body of a beloved pet cat was found with parts of her body missing - and her tail severed.

Now the RSPCA wants to find out how the cat was mutilated as officers think it is suspicious. The body of the two-year-old Puss, called Raven, was found by a member of the public with the back half of her body missing and was taken to a vet.

Raven, who was an independent cat, would often spend nights away from home so her owners were not unduly worried when she had not been seen for a day. But after two days, they messaged their neighbourhood WhatsApp group asking if anyone had seen Raven. Moments later, a neighbour knocked on their door saying he thought he had found Raven’s tail.

And then the vet called as they had traced Raven’s owners via her microchip.

Raven was found in Stroudley Way, Hedge End. After the vet reported the death to the RSPCA, an investigation was started.

RSPCA Deputy Chief Inspector Jo Story said: “We are very grateful that the member of the public was kind enough to take Raven to the vet and really feel for her family who are grieving losing a much-loved pet.

“Sometimes in cases like this, the animal has died from other causes, such as being hit by a vehicle, before a wild animal finds the body. However, like the vet who examined the cat’s body, we are not ruling out other possibilities in this case. Four members of the team at the vet practice looked at the injuries, which saw only the front part of her body remaining with her back half missing, before contacting us to voice concerns.

“I’m very keen to hear from anyone with any information about what happened to poor Raven.”

Raven’s owner, who doesn’t wish to be named, said: “We first heard something was up when our next door neighbour knocked on our door and said he thought he’d found Raven's tail on the floor on the path behind where we live, which has shrubs both sides and just some fur, nothing else.

“I’d sent a message out to our street’s WhatsApp group chat asking if anyone had spotted her around as she'd not been seen for a couple of days. She often went off and did not come back for a few days and slept outdoors, although I would leave food out and the bowl would normally be emptied so I would know she was around. I went with my neighbour and found the tail which we collected and took back to ours. Then a couple of hours later I had the call from the vet saying they had Raven’s body.”

Anyone with information about the incident should contact the RSPCA’s inspectorate appeal line on 0300 123 8018, quoting reference 01919552.