Appeal after cat found skinned and dead in car park

The RSPCA is appealing for information after a cat was found with broken bones, skinned and bound by twine lying dead behind a multi-storey car park on Brook Street in Tavistock, Devon.

A member of the public was horrified to find the mutilated body outside the Cooperative car park in the Devon town at 8.30am on Saturday 27 February and immediately called the RSPCA for help.

RSPCA inspector Lewis Taylor, who attended the grim scene, said: “This was a very strange and disturbing incident and we would really like to get to the bottom of what happened to this poor cat.

“It looks like they may have been a black cat from the fur that you can see but the body has been so badly ripped apart that sadly it’s really hard to tell. A vet has confirmed that they suffered broken bones and then were skinned and tied up, although the tying up was likely to have happened after they died as the rope was clean and loose.

“The cat may have been microchipped but where the fur has been removed in this brutal manner it is impossible to know.

"We just don't know for sure what happened to this poor cat. It may be the case that he or she could have died from natural causes and then has been mutilated afterwards but, whatever happened, this really is tragic."

“We are urging anyone who may have been in the area and may have seen anything suspicious or who may know anything at all about this cat or how this terrible incident came about to get in touch with us urgently.”

Anyone with further information about this incident can call the RSPCA inspectorate appeal line in confidence on 0300 123 8018.