Portsmouth cat owner fears that 'sick-minded' yobs pinned down her terrified tabby and shaved its fur

Elderly tabby Rocky was attacked on Sunday while roaming outside his home in Matapan Road, Hilsea.

The 11-year-old family cat – who suffers from a heart murmur – was grabbed by thugs, who then shaved his stomach, thigh and leg, the pet’s furious owner Donna Pinnock fears.

The attack has left the anxious feline frightened to leave the family home and now Donna is demanding the community rallies to help catch those responsible for abusing her beloved pet.

‘Whoever did this is sick minded,' said 45-year-old Donna. ‘The terror that poor Rocky must have gone through is horrible.

‘He doesn’t let my grandchildren go near him, let alone a stranger. For someone to have done this, they would have had to pinned him down and shaved him.

‘It’s astonishing anyone would do this. He is 11 years old. He is an old man.’

Donna said she discovered her cat had been attacked after returning home yesterday afternoon.

Her daughter, Courtney, raised the alarm after noticing the tabby – which the family bought as a six-week-old kitten – had bald patches all over its body.

‘I couldn’t believe it when I saw it,’ added Donna. ‘They have shaved right down to the skin on his stomach. I was furious.’

The attack has been condemned by animal welfare charity the RSPCA, with a spokeswoman.

A spokeswoman said: ‘This sounds like an upsetting incident and we hope the poor cat is recovering at home. Unfortunately, cats can be vulnerable because they are out exploring and wandering the neighbourhood.

‘There is never any excuse for harming any animal and we’d encourage people to show kindness, care and compassion to all animals and report any concerns about animal cruelty.’

Rocky has been left traumatised by the ordeal, Donna added.

‘Every morning he normally goes into the garden and jumps over the fence but today he only took a couple of steps outside before coming back into the garden,’ she told The News.

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Police have since launched an investigation into the situation but officers have told Donna there are ‘no lines of enquiry’.

‘What has happened is absolutely disgusting,’ Donna said. ‘The people responsible need to be caught.

‘Police said they don’t have any leads on who could have done it. So I just want people to be aware of what’s happened.

‘I’ve already told my neighbour, who has two cats, about what happened to Rocky.’

Anyone with any information is urged to call police on 101.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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