A cat owner has spoken of her shock after discovering her beloved pet dead in her back garden with its ears and tail removed.

Sixteen-year-old Scrumpy had been sleeping outside the family home in Sidney Street, Maidstone, on a flat shed roof after the recent hot spell.

When Emily Goodwin, 47, woke in the morning to feed him, she noticed him laying on the patio in an unusual place.

She presumed he was asleep, but on closer inspection realised the cat was dead and had been mutilated with no sign of his ears or tail.

Mrs Goodwin said: "It was so horrible. It makes you nervous not only because of the horrific death of your loved pet but it's the violation of someone coming into your property and doing whatever they want and you aren't aware.

"I would warn people in the area to keep all small pets inside."

Since the incident, Mrs Goodwin has installed CCTV at her home and no longer lets her four other cats out after dark.

She suspects that someone accessed the garden of her terraced home via her neighbours' gardens.

Upon finding the animal, she noticed the wounds on the ears were symmetrical, cut in a straight line and there was no blood at the scene, leading her to believe it could only be the work of a human.

The incident has been reported to the South Norwood Animal Rescue and Liberty group (SNARL) - which has worked with police investigating the so-called 'Croydon Cat Killer' or 'UK Animal Killer' - and the organisation are due to visit Scrumpy's body at the vets to investigate.

Kent Police was also informed but said there was little it could do to investigate.

The fluffy cat lived with Mrs Goodwin from eight years old, who began feeding it twice a day after her next door neighbour passed away.

He eventually chose to live with her permanently when she offered him some roast chicken.

She said: "He had a happy life. He used to talk to us and meow when we asked him questions. We really miss him."

In recent months, there have been several reports of pets being mutilated across Kent, including a much-loved cat, named Forest, who was found dead a mutilated around a mile away from his home in Folkestone.

Escaped animals, unusual finds and news from the RSPCA can all be found here.

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