TWO cats belonging to one family have had their tails severed within days of each other.

Julie and Andrew Swinbourne from Park Street are now desperate to establish what has happened to ensure that their two other cats don’t suffer the same horrific injury.

On Monday, February 28, their rescued female tabby Fitch returned to their home in The Danes with her tail hanging off and on the following Friday her 10-month-old black kitten Winston arrived home with the same injury.

Mrs Swinbourne, who is due to have a baby in June, said: “Fitch came home with her tail severed, there was blood everywhere and we had no idea what had happened.

“We took her straight to the vet and the tail had to be amputated as half had already gone. That was bad enough but you just think it’s one of those things.”

Then four days later Winston arrived home with the same injury, only slightly worse, and had to have his tail amputated like his mum. He also had spinal injuries and Julie said it appeared as though he had been trying to pull himself free from something.

Mrs Swinbourne said: “Winston is fine, he is back to his normal self, but Fitch is acting really scared, if she is picked up she doesn’t want to be put down again.

“Every time they go out we are constantly worrying as we don’t know what it is. It’s happened to two of our cats within four days, so there must be something out there.”

The family have two other cats called Red and Ted, who only has three legs, and they are extremely concerned about the impact a similar injury would have on him.

They are urging anyone who might know what has happened to the cats to get in touch.

Vet Melanie Taylor, who saw both cats at her practice, the Halian Veterinary Centre in Frogmore, said the situation was odd and that the injuries were consistent with those caused by some sort of machinery, potentially a trap or a snare.

Miss Taylor said Fitch and Winston were the only cats to have been brought into her practice with such injuries but she was unaware if other cats had been taken elsewhere.

She advised pet owners in the area to be extra vigilant and urged local residents to check that there wasn’t anything in their gardens which could inflict such an injury.

Anyone with information about what might have happened to Fitch or Winston should contact Halian Veterinary Centre on 01727 874700.