‘Cat ripper’ feared to be at large in Archway after five-month old kitten is found dead
Five-month-old Daffy was found killed in Archway - Credit: Archant
A five-month-old kitten was brutally killed in Archway, sparking a warning to pet owners over letting their animals out at night.
It comes as fears mount that the “Croydon cat ripper” may be targeting pets in north London.
According to South Norwood Animal Rescue and Liberty (Snarl), black cat Daffy was found dead in Archway on Wednesday.
Staff at the animal shelter believe the black kitten may have fallen victim to the notorious pet killer thought to be responsible for mutilating and killing dozens of cats over the last few years.
“Daffy’s death bears all the hallmarks of the animal killer who has been confirmed responsible for the ‘murders’ of over 20 cats, rabbits and foxes since September 2015,” Boudicca Rising, who works at Snarl, told the Ham&High.
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“They are also suspected of ‘murdering’ more than 50 others over the past two years, in a number of areas – from Luton down to Frimley in Surrey, from Kingston, across Greater London, including Finchley and Stepney, as well as across south London.”
Daffy’s owners, who did not wish to be named, told the Gazette: “We are dismayed and distressed that a little kitten of five months could be killed so violently, without any regard for the family who owned her.”
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Ms Rising advised pet owners to keep their pets indoors if they can – especially when it is dark – until the perpetrator is caught.
Anyone who finds an animal’s body or body parts with obvious mutilations is asked to call the centre on 07961 030 064 or 07957 830 490. Staff will then come out to collect any bodies that bear the hallmarks of the killings they are investigating.
Meanwhile, animal protection charity Peta is offering a £5,000 reward for leads in the case.
In a letter sent by actor Martin Clunes to police on behalf of the charity earlier in January, the Men Behaving Badly Star wrote: “Research in psychology and criminology shows that people who commit acts of cruelty to animals don’t stop there – many of them move on to their fellow humans. That is a scary thought indeed.”
