A cat beheaded in the latest suspected slaying by the so-called cat killer of Croydon may been targeted in a “sexually motivated” attack, the family who found it claim.
The decapitated moggy was spotted by 14-year-old girl after apparently being dumped in a front garden in Carshalton, south London.
The killer is thought to have struck in Crystal Palace last month after two cats and a fox were reportedly found beheaded by a street cleaner, all in a 200m radius of Stoney Lane.
Schoolgirl Elicia Emans screamed in terror after finding the latest cat in a front garden on Monday last week while walking her aunt’s dog. It is not known who owned the cat.
WARNING: If you scroll down you may find the photo below distressing.
Elicia’s aunt, Susan Vodden, said: “My niece was screaming and shouting on the phone, and I didn’t believe her until she sent through some photographs.
“I was so horrified. My friend Amber had her cat killed too, I have no doubt that this was a repeat attack.”
Miss Vodden, 40, believes the killer may have had depraved sexual motivations.
She said: “I have read about the attacks and I am convinced it was sexually motivated.
“I have read about horrible things like this on Reddit, and psychos like that often get some sort of sexual pleasure from what they do.”
Miss Vodden called South Norwood Animal Rescue and Liberty rescue shelter, which has been compiling details of the killings.
The shelter’s co-founder Tony Jenkins collected the cat and took it to a vet for analysis.
He said: “The cat’s head was cleanly cut off, and the tail was also removed.
“The wounds proves, I think, that there was no chance the animal would have been attacked by a fox, for instance, and it looked as though it was placed on the driveway purposefully because there was no sign of fresh blood in the area.”
A Metropolitan Police confirmed it was called to Titchfield Road but a spokesman said the cat’s body had already been remvoed.
The force is investigating multiple killings in Croydon and the surrounding area over the past few months.
A vet said last week he believes some of the cats had been lured to their deaths using raw chicken.
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