The Great Outdoors? Not for Cats! 2017

Below is just a sampling of some of the horrible fates that have befallen stray, feral, and free-roaming cats. Countless others have died frightened and alone under porches or behind dumpsters, without anyone ever noticing what became of them.

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December 2017/Wyomissing, Pennsylvania: ReadingEagle.com reported that a homeless cat had been found dragging his or her body across a street. The animal bit two people who tried to help and was eventually taken to a veterinary hospital, where X-rays revealed that he or she had been shot with “something metallic” several days earlier. The two people who were bitten had to undergo post-exposure rabies treatment, and the cat was taken to a shelter. A later report revealed that the cat had to be euthanized because of the extent of the injuries. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

December 2017/Lakeland, Florida: WFLA.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked and killed by a dog, who was apparently also roaming without supervision. Surveillance video captured some of the attack and showed the dog’s owner removing a trash bag from the area. The cat’s body was later found inside a trash bag in a garbage can. Authorities were investigating and planned to pursue “vicious dog status.” The dog’s owner was also civilly cited in connection with the incident.

December 2017/Albany, Georgia: WALB.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found injured in a retaining pond. He or she was taken to a veterinary hospital, where two puncture wounds to the shoulder and neck were discovered, and the cat’s temperature was found to be below 90 degrees. X-rays revealed that the wounds had been caused by a pellet gun. He or she was undergoing treatment. A dog in the area had been found dead, and the same veterinary hospital determined that he or she had also been shot with a pellet gun. It wasn’t reported whether authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

December 2017/Ukiah, California: UkiahDailyJournal.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found dead in front of a residence. Authorities were notified. No additional details were available.

December 2017/Toledo, Ohio: NBC24.com reported that three cats who were homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been admitted to a local animal shelter after they were found “frozen” during a cold spell. One of the cats died, another was being treated, and the condition of the third wasn’t reported.

December 2017/Iron Mountain, Michigan: IronMountainDailyNews.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been admitted to an animal shelter during a cold snap, suffering from frostbite to her ears and possibly to her tail and toes. The shelter manager reportedly said that “[n]o cats, even ones that usually wander outdoors, should be expected to endure this extreme cold.”

December 2017/Sharpes, Florida: FloridaToday.com reported that area residents had kicked homeless cats and that some residents had also admitted to putting “antifreeze in their driveway, where the cats drink” in order to poison them. At least one cat had been found dead under a home in the neighborhood. A resident who had been feeding the cats had died. A spokesperson for a local turn-away facility said, “We take what we can when we’re able to,” leaving “a few dozen” cats without care and in danger.

December 2017/Wilmerding, Pennsylvania: Almanac.TubeCityOnline.com reported that an apparently homeless cat had been found “lethargic, sickly, weak and hissing when approached.” A woman was scratched by the cat, who apparently was captured, was euthanized, and tested positive for the rabies virus. The woman who was bitten had to undergo post-exposure treatment.

December 2017/New Albany, Indiana: WAVE3.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been admitted to an animal shelter in pain and suffering from burns to the paws. It was suspected that the cat had crawled into a hot car engine in an attempt to escape freezing outdoor temperatures. He or she was treated and survived.

December 2017/Palm City, Florida: TCPalm.com reported that an apparently homeless cat had been found badly injured. He was taken to an animal shelter and a veterinary hospital, where it was determined that he had likely been attacked by one or more dogs and had sustained injuries to two legs, one of which had to be amputated. He survived and was put up for adoption.

December 2017/Mount Juliet, Tennessee: FOX17.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked by a neighbor’s dog, who had escaped a yard. The cat’s owner said that she went outside after hearing “a commotion” and found her cat unable to stand or walk. He was taken to a veterinary hospital, where X-rays revealed that the “tibia, or the shinbone, [had been] broken into many little pieces.” The leg had to be amputated. Authorities seized the dog, who was quarantined for 10 days before being returned to the owner.

December 2017/DeLand, Florida: FOX35Orlando.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot with a crossbow. Her owner said that the animal “came running on the front porch extremely fast and ran right past me and collapsed … I saw the arrow sticking out.” The arrow had entered her chest and exited through her side at her rear end. She was taken to a veterinary hospital and underwent surgery. Authorities were contacted, but no suspects were identified.

December 2017/Doral, Florida: WSVN.com reported that a homeless cat who was fed by a resident had been found injured. He was taken to a veterinary hospital, where X-rays revealed that he’d been shot. Bullet or pellet fragments had caused such severe internal organ damage that he had to be euthanized. Authorities were notified, but no suspects were identified.

December 2017/Phoenix, Arizona: AZFamily.com reported that two cats who were allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot with a BB gun. One of them returned home bleeding and was taken to a veterinary hospital, where a BB was found in a leg, which had been broken by the impact. Another had been found unable to walk and was taken to a veterinary hospital, where a BB was found lodged in the animal’s spine. Surgery was performed, and the cat required months of treatment. Authorities were notified, but no suspects were identified.

December 2017/Pell City, Alabama: ABC3340.com reported that a kitten who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found badly burned at an apartment complex. She was taken to a veterinary hospital for treatment and might lose the tips of her ears, which were burned. The pads of one of her paws were also damaged. Authorities were investigating, but the cause of the injuries wasn’t known.

December 2017/Ocean Springs, Mississippi: SunHerald.com reported that three homeless cats who were fed by a resident had sustained injuries, and the feeder apparently couldn’t afford to provide them with needed veterinary treatment. One reportedly had “a stripped tail,” one had “a hole in [his or her] side that might be a draining abscess,” and a kitten was missing most of the fur down the back. A spokesperson for a group that sterilizes and re-abandons homeless cats in the community said that “there are people who hate cats, who abuse or injure them. … [W]e come up with injured cats pretty often.” She also reported that “we get a colony fixed and people will dump a litter of kittens .… At the colonies, they just throw them out. We’ve seen them throw them out the window of a car.

December 2017/Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: TribLive.com reported that an apparently homeless cat had been found near a playground, “acting lethargic and appearing sickly.” He or she died or was euthanized and tested positive for the rabies virus.

December 2017/Modesto, California: ModBee.com printed a letter to the editor alleging that more than 100 homeless cats who were part of a colony of cats who’d been sterilized and abandoned at a shopping center had been killed. Dead felines were reportedly found “scattered throughout the bushes” at the site, and the writer believed that a company had been hired to remove the animals. It was also reported that “[p]eople continue to dump cats in this area thinking they are safe; but in fact, they are tortured and mutilated by some very sick people.” It wasn’t reported whether authorities had been alerted, but no suspects were identified.

December 2017/Scituate, Massachusetts: Norwell.WickedLocal.com reported that an apparently homeless cat had been found dead on the side of a road, evidently hit by a car. Her body was taken to an animal shelter, which determined that she’d been nursing kittens before her death. Volunteers searched the area for six days and eventually followed faint cries to a small crawl space in the roof of an abandoned barn, where they found five kittens. The kittens were hungry and dehydrated, and one was unresponsive and cold to the touch. They were taken to a veterinary hospital for treatment.

December 2017/Kalamazoo, Michigan: WWMT.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had become trapped inside during the construction of a neighbor’s new roof. He’d been there for nearly a week and could be heard “crying just non-stop.” Authorities were eventually called, and animal control officers were able to rescue him using a box trap.

December 2017/Columbia County, Georgia: NewsTimes.Augusta.com reported that a resident had killed a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision. He told authorities that when he saw the cat in his tree chasing squirrels, he “went outside with a butcher knife and made a noise to get the cat’s attention, at which time he grabbed the cat and cut [his or her] throat, and dropped [the animal] on the ground.” He was arrested and charged with aggravated cruelty to animals.

December 2017/Las Vegas, Nevada: LasVegasNow.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found dead on his owner’s driveway. He had evidently been shot, and the bullet entered his ear and exited his neck. His owner said, “You can see the blood splatters from being shot, and you can see the blood from where he struggled and died …. Unfortunately, it was not instantaneous.” A reward was being offered for information leading to the shooter, but no suspects were identified.

December 2017/Lake Charles, Louisiana: KPLCTV.com reported that a homeless kitten had been trapped in the wall of a home for four days without food or water. The homeowner said that she heard the kitten crying and called local animal shelters and the fire department but that none would provide assistance. She finally called a plumbing company, which sent workers to cut a hole in the wall and retrieve the kitten, who was adopted by one of the company’s employees.

December 2017/St. George, Utah: StGeorgeUtah.com reported that three teens had found a homeless cat with her leg caught in a steel-jaw trap. The kids all sustained bite wounds while freeing the injured animal, who was taken to a veterinary hospital, where her leg had to be amputated. A second homeless cat had also been found with his or her leg caught in a steel-jaw trap and had been released by animal control officers. That cat ran away afterward and “was spotted limping on [his or her] injured leg days later.” It wasn’t reported whether that cat was ever captured. In response to the incidents, the city council passed an ordinance outlawing the use of animal traps on public property.

December 2017/Las Vegas, Nevada: News3LV.com reported that an apparently homeless kitten had been found running in traffic on a busy highway. She was chased in and out of the lanes by a good Samaritan before she was captured. A highway patrol officer took her to an animal hospital, where she was being treated for abrasions that she’d sustained to the bottoms of her feet.

December 2017/Thurston County, Washington: Chronline.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had returned home crying, with a broken arrow through his leg. He was taken to a veterinary hospital for treatment, where it was found that the arrow had shattered his shoulder and that the leg might need to be amputated. A neighbor told authorities that he’d shot the cat with a crossbow because the animal had been defecating in his yard. He said that he’d also shot a second cat who’d had kittens in his yard. He was arrested on suspicion of first-degree cruelty to animals.

December 2017/Milton, Pennsylvania: DailyItem.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot with a BB gun, sustaining an injury to the abdomen. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

December 2017/Seattle, Washington: SeattlePI.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot in the leg with a pellet gun, which resulted in a broken femur that required surgery. A neighbor had allegedly “indicated he didn’t want cats running free in the neighborhood.” He was later arrested and faced charges unrelated to cruelty to animals.

December 2017/Molalla, Oregon: KGW.com reported that an apparently homeless kitten had been found wandering the streets and suffering from severe burns. She had sustained burns to “the majority of [her] body,” and her face and paws were the most badly damaged areas. She was taken to an animal shelter and was apparently receiving veterinary treatment. It wasn’t known what caused the burns. KPTV.com later reported that the kitten had died of feline distemper, also known as panleukopenia.

December 2017/Battle Creek, Michigan: BattleCreekEnquirer.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked and killed by a dog, who was also roaming unsupervised. The dog bit the cat’s owner when she tried to intervene, and the animal charged at other area residents. A responding police officer shot the dog to death.

December 2017/Ontario, California: NBCLosAngeles.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been picked up by a young man and thrown “high into the air.” Her body then slammed onto the street. The man videotaped his attack and posted it on social media. Authorities investigated and found her owner. The cat was taken to a veterinary hospital, where it was determined that she’d sustained a broken leg and possible internal injuries, for which she was being treated. KTLA.com later reported that she could be heard on the video “[m]eowing and screeching” and that a teen had been arrested on suspicion of cruelty to animals in connection with the case.

December 2017/Independence, Iowa: KWWL.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found burned in a car’s engine with a steel-jaw trap clamped onto her leg. After driving more than 10 miles, the car’s owner heard a noise in the engine, pulled over, and called police for assistance. An officer found the cat, burned and frightened, in the engine compartment. She was taken to a veterinary hospital, where the leg that had been caught in the trap and severely burned in the engine had to be amputated to the shoulder. She reportedly underwent “many surgeries” but was apparently expected to survive.

December 2017/Cohasset, Minnesota: StarTribune.com reported that three cats in one neighborhood had gone missing. A neighbor admitted to shooting—apparently to death—one who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision. Another who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision and a homeless cat who roamed the neighborhood were also missing. The neighbor who allegedly shot the cat said that cat food had attracted skunks and bears into the neighborhood and that “feral cats have created odors and caused damage to his home.” He was charged with cruelty to animals.

November 2017/Schenectady, New York: DailyGazette.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked and killed by two dogs who were being walked by their owner. He was accused of allowing them to go onto the cat’s property and attack the animal, who died at the scene, and was charged with cruelty to animals.

November 2017/Brooklyn, New York: PIX11.com reported that 20 homeless cats who had been trapped, neutered, and re-abandoned to live in the basements of buildings at a commercial and industrial complex had been removed by a “pest”-control company and abandoned again at two parks. The company was hired because of a flea infestation at the complex. The cats couldn’t be found at the parks where they were allegedly re-abandoned, but a plastic bag containing seven dead cats was found at one of them. It wasn’t clear if the seven dead animals were some of the ones who’d been removed from the complex. Authorities investigated but found “insufficient evidence to sustain criminal charges in this case.”

November 2017/Lawrence, Massachusetts: EagleTribune.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found crying in some bushes with severe injuries. She was taken to an animal shelter, where X-rays revealed that she’d likely been hit by a car and sustained internal bleeding, a fractured elbow, and multiple pelvic fractures. She was anemic from blood loss and had to undergo a transfusion before surgery, which included screwing plates into the front and back of her pelvis. She was expected to survive.

November 2017/Powell, Wyoming: PowellTribune.com reported that four homeless kittens had been found trapped in an underground concrete hole after passersby heard their faint cries. One of the kittens had died in the hole, two were taken to an animal shelter, and one was taken to a veterinary hospital, where he or she died despite being given fluids and treatment. A trap was set to capture their mother.

November 2017/Marion County, Florida: ClickOrlando.com reported that five kittens who were apparently “barn cats” at a farm had been mutilated. After an argument with the farm’s owner, a man reportedly “drove to the barn where the kittens were” and cut off their tails with a pair of gardening shears. He was arrested and charged with cruelty to animals, and the kittens were evidently taken to a veterinarian.

November 2017/Newton, Massachusetts: BostonGlobe.com reported that an apparently homeless kitten had been found starving and nearly frozen to death in the basement of a college. He was taken to an animal shelter, where medical staff found that he was gasping for air, dehydrated, and so cold that his temperature didn’t register on a thermometer. He was treated for 10 to 15 minutes before he began breathing normally and had a “series of seizures,” likely because of low blood sugar levels. He appeared to be recovering.

November 2017/Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania: StandardSpeaker.com reported that a homeless cat had been found starving after roaming around a neighborhood for a week with her head trapped in an empty jar. She was taken to a veterinarian, who cut off the jar and treated severe wounds to her chin, which were infected and penetrated to the bone. She was spayed, and a self-professed “rescue” group re-abandoned her on the street.

November 2017/San Jose, California: NBCBayArea.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision and a homeless cat in the same neighborhood had both been shot with arrows. One of them underwent surgery, and both survived. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

November 2017/Terre Haute, Indiana: WIBQAM.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked and mauled by two dogs, who were also roaming unsupervised. One of the cat’s owners reported looking out the window, hearing the cat screaming, and seeing two dogs attacking him or her. It wasn’t reported whether the cat survived. Authorities were trying to determine who owned the dogs.

November 2017/Los Angeles County, California: SGVTribune.com reported that an apparently homeless kitten had been found by authorities badly injured in a steel-jaw trap after a resident reported hearing a kitten “crying for a couple of days.” Animal control officers pried the trap off the kitten’s leg and transported the animal to a shelter, where medical staff found that the trap had broken the leg and the kitten was emaciated, in severe pain, and unable to eat or drink. He or she had to be euthanized. Authorities were investigating.

November 2017/Manteca, California: MantecaBulletin.com reported that at least four cats who were allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had gone missing. Another cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been missing for two weeks before returning home “severely emaciated,” and neighbors suspected that someone was trapping the cats, driving them out of the area, and abandoning them. It wasn’t reported whether authorities were notified, but no suspects were identified.

November 2017/Amherst, New York: WKBW.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found on the side of a road with his or her head trapped in an empty jar. An animal control officer took the cat to an animal shelter.

November 2017/Perry, Georgia: 13WMAZ.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot in the spine, paralyzing him. He was taken to a veterinary teaching hospital, where he underwent surgery. It wasn’t known if he’d ever regain the ability to walk or have control of his bladder and bowels again. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

November 2017/Middletown, Ohio: FOX19.com reported that a homeless cat described as “semi-feral” had been found with an arrow through her neck. Because of the arrow’s length, good Samaritans were unable to use a trap to catch her for treatment. The wound became badly infected, and the arrow eventually fell out. She was then trapped and taken to a veterinary hospital, where it was determined that the arrow had been embedded for at least a week and that dead and infected tissue would need to be surgically removed from her neck. It wasn’t reported whether authorities had been notified, but no suspects were identified.

November 2017/Springettsbury Township, Pennsylvania: YDR.com reported that an apparently homeless kitten had been found emaciated and nearly frozen to death in a cardboard box behind a restaurant when it was 20 degrees outside. She was taken to a veterinary hospital, where she was found to be unresponsive and cold to the touch, and her temperature was so low that it didn’t register on a thermometer until she’d been placed in an incubator for nearly two hours. She was receiving ongoing treatment.

November 2017/Baltimore, Maryland: FOXBaltimore.com reported that an apparently homeless kitten had been found on an elderly woman’s porch with severe burns to nearly 80 percent of her body. Most of her ears and the skin on her back had been burned off, and she had sustained multiple breaks in her tail. She was taken to an animal shelter for medical treatment. It wasn’t reported whether authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

November 2017/Tucson, Arizona: KGUN9.com reported that three of 35 homeless cats fed by a resident had been found dead. One had apparently died under a shed. Neighbors said that they believed that someone was poisoning the animals. Authorities were notified, but no suspects were identified.

November 2017/New Iberia, Louisiana: WDSU.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot with an arrow. Her owner said that she had “crawled up the outside steps onto the porch and cried at the door with the arrow shot through her.” The arrow had entered her left shoulder and gone through her body, and it protruded out the rear of her right side. She was taken to a veterinary hospital for treatment. Authorities had been notified, but no suspects were identified.

November 2017/Jacksonville, Florida: ActionNewsJax.com reported that as many as 14 cats who were allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked and killed by two dogs, who were also roaming unsupervised. One of the maulings was captured by a video surveillance camera. The owner of another cat who was attacked said that she “heard animals growling and obviously eating my cat.” Authorities were investigating, and the dogs’ owner was identified and apologized.

November 2017/Chicago, Illinois: Patch.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found “hobbling and bleeding.” He was taken to a veterinary hospital, where X-rays revealed that he’d been shot with a BB gun, shattering the bone in one of his legs, which may require amputation. It wasn’t reported whether authorities were notified, but no suspects were identified.

November 2017/Yellville, Arkansas: BaxterBulletin.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked and killed by “a couple of dogs,” who were also roaming unsupervised. The cat’s owner said that she went outside after hearing a noise and found that the dogs had killed the cat. She was arrested after allegedly shooting a rifle at the dogs’ owner.

November 2017/Boston, Massachusetts: JamaicaPlainNews.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found with a severe neck injury caused by a collar that had become embedded in her neck. A good Samaritan took her to an animal shelter, where surgery was performed to remove the collar. The attending veterinarian said that “the skin had grown around the collar and we had to cut all the way around her neck to free her.” She was also very thin, and it was believed that the embedded collar had made eating “difficult if not impossible.” Authorities said that if her owner could be identified, cruelty-to-animals charges would likely be filed.

November 2017/West Jordan, Utah: Good4Utah.com reported that an apparently homeless kitten had been found with such serious injuries that he or she had to be euthanized. Blood was found in the kitten’s lungs, and authorities arrested a man who had allegedly “wrapped his hands around the cat’s neck and squeezed the cat to the point where the cat lost consciousness and collapsed.” Court records alleged that the suspect “held the kitten so tight that [his or her] eyes were bulging … out” and the tongue “hung out.” He then allegedly smacked the animal off an I-beam at his place of employment. A court date was set.

November 2017/Sampson County, North Carolina: ClintonNC.com reported that a homeless cat had been shot to death after he or she attacked a resident. The cat’s body was taken to authorities for testing, which revealed that the animal was rabid. The resident was apparently receiving post-exposure rabies treatment.

October 2017/Berkeley, California: Berkeleyside.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been hit and killed by a car.

October 2017/Tampa, Florida: ABCActionNews.com reported that two cats who were allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found dead and that two more had gone missing  during a three-week period in one neighborhood. No details about the deaths were given. Authorities had been notified, but no suspects were identified.

October 2017/Garden City, New York: Newsday.com reported that at least three cats who were homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot to death with small-caliber bullets over a period of several months in one neighborhood. An additional five cats had been found dead in the area and were believed to have also been shot. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

October 2017/Milford, Massachusetts: Patch.com reported that an unspecified number of kittens who were roaming outdoors without supervision on a farm had allegedly been tortured and killed by a man who had been staying in a camper on the property. A witness reportedly told authorities that the suspect “talks heavily about kittens daily and admits to killing a couple a week for fun when he is bored.” Authorities found the burned body of a kitten in a fire pit and kitten bones “all over the grass” near the camper. The man was arrested and charged with three counts related to cruelty to animals.

October 2017/Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: PhillyVoice.com reported that a cat who was part of a colony had been found mutilated near outdoor “shelters” for the animals that had been set on fire—the third arson attack at the site in two weeks. A woman who had been feeding cats at the site said, “The people who are lighting these fires are also hanging, stabbing cats and throwing them in water.” Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

October 2017/White City, Oregon: KOBI5.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found doused with lighter fluid. No additional details about the animal’s condition were reported. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

October 2017/Fayetteville, Arkansas: 5NewsOnline.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found intentionally hanged to death in a neighbor’s tree. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

October 2017/Fayetteville, Arkansas: FayettevilleFlyer.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot in the face, which caused blindness in both eyes. He was taken to a veterinary hospital for treatment. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

October 2017/Stow, Ohio: FOX8.com reported that a cat who escaped from her home had been found by area residents bleeding and having trouble breathing after she’d been hit by a car. They called authorities, and a responding police officer shot her to end her suffering.

October 2017/Fairbury, Nebraska: 1011Now.com reported that nine homeless cats who were being fed by a resident had been found dead or dying in her yard over a four-week period. One of the bodies was taken to a veterinary hospital, but a cause of death couldn’t be determined. Authorities had received a report in the same neighborhood about a cat who’d been shot with an arrow. No additional details about that case were given. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

October 2017/Watertown, New York: WWNYTV.com reported that four homeless kittens who were being fed by a resident had been found dead and lined up on the resident’s porch. A neighbor said, “All four cats had been drowned. They were wet. Their necks were broken, and their legs were broken.” Area residents said that “there’s a problem with feral cats in the neighborhood.” Authorities investigated but closed the case because they had no leads.

October 2017/Sacramento, California: FOXNews.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found dismembered. One of her legs was found in some bushes, and days later, her head and another leg were found in a street. Authorities had been notified, but no suspects were identified.

October 2017/Spokane, Washington: KHQ.com reported that four cats who were homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found by authorities mutilated and cut in half. Two additional cats were found dead, one in an alley and the other in a field. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified. According to a later report, half of another cat’s body was found on a neighbor’s front lawn.

October 2017/Chester, Virginia: WTVR.com reported that a cat who was part of a colony of homeless cats fed outside a self-professed animal “rescue” had been fatally shot in the head at point-blank range. He was found hours later in a pool of blood, and surveillance footage showed “feral cats scatter[ing] after the sound of gunfire.” In the footage, the cat then convulsed and died. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified. A later report revealed that authorities had exhumed his body and that a postmortem examination, which included X-rays, showed that he hadn’t been shot but had likely died after being hit by a car.

October 2017/Henrico County, Virginia: Richmond.com reported that an apparently homeless cat had been hit with a cane after biting a resident and then running into her home and attacking her dog. The cat was apparently captured and euthanized and tested positive for the rabies virus. The resident was receiving post-exposure treatment, and the dog, whose rabies vaccination was up to date, had to be quarantined.

October 2017/Milford, Michigan: HometownLife.com reported that an apparently homeless kitten had been found injured and hiding in bushes outside an elementary school. He had sustained burns to a paw and his rear end, his whiskers were singed, and his toenails were damaged or worn down. He was taken to a veterinary hospital for treatment. Authorities were notified, but the cause of the injuries wasn’t known.

October 2017/Fort Worth, Texas: DFW.CBSLocal.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot twice, once in the head, with a pellet gun. She was taken to a veterinary hospital and received treatment. Video surveillance footage showed that a teenager pulled a pellet gun from a backpack, shot the cat, and then ran away. Authorities were investigating and had identified the teen.

October 2017/Longview, Texas: CBS19.tv reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been hit in the head with a baseball bat after reportedly scratching the nose of the alleged attacker’s puppy. She was taken to a veterinary hospital, where she was diagnosed with a skull fracture and one of her eyes had to be removed because of the damage caused by the impact. A suspect was arrested.

October 2017/Manti, Utah: SanpeteMessenger.com reported that an unspecified number of homeless cats fed by a resident were missing or had “turned up dead, or been poisoned and needed to be euthanized.” City officials reported that they had received a complaint about the number of cats at the property who were perceived as a nuisance and were “defecating on the complainant’s lawn.” It wasn’t reported whether authorities were investigating, and no suspects were identified.

October 2017/Jonesboro, Arkansas: KAIT8.com reported that a kitten who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked and killed by two dogs who were also roaming without supervision. The kitten’s owner came out of her house and kicked one of the dogs, who dropped the dead kitten from his or her mouth. Authorities captured the dogs and planned to quarantine them for 10 days. It wasn’t known who owned them.

October 2017/New Orleans, Louisiana: NOLA.com reported that a homeless cat who was part of a colony of cats fed outside a business had been shot at approximately 4:25 a.m. He was found unresponsive hours later and taken to a veterinary hospital, where he died. WWLTV.com reported that the business was a self-professed animal “rescue” and that X-rays showed pellets or bullet fragments lodged in the animal’s skull. Surveillance footage showed someone in a car drive by, slow down, and shoot at the cat. NOLA.com later reported that a man had been arrested and admitted to shooting the cat with a pellet gun. He was charged with felony cruelty to animals.

October 2017/Sheridan, Michigan: FOX17Online.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot. He was apparently taken to a veterinary office, where it was determined that one of his legs had been broken in two places and might need to be amputated. Authorities were notified, but no suspects were identified.

October 2017/Genesee County, Michigan: MLive.com reported that a homeless kitten had been shot in the leg by a security guard after the animal jumped into a car at a scrapyard. The guard said that he first tried to scare the cat away by throwing a bottle at him. When the cat wouldn’t leave, the guard shot him. The cat was apparently found by someone else and taken to a veterinary hospital, where it was found that his leg had been broken and had to be amputated. The guard was charged with felony cruelty to animals.

September 2017/Chelsea, Alabama: WIAT.com reported that a homeless kitten had been found injured in a road, apparently hit by a car. A good Samaritan transported the kitten to a veterinary hospital, but the animal died on the way there.

September 2017/Oswego, New York: CNYCentral.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found injured. He was taken to a veterinary hospital, where X-rays revealed that he’d been shot in the head with a pellet gun. A pellet had entered the left side of his head, went through his left eye, and lodged above his right eye. It was surgically removed, and he permanently lost all sight in the left eye and most sight in the right one. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

September 2017/Great Falls, Montana: KRTV.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found badly injured at the back door of his home, where he’d apparently dragged himself. He was taken to a veterinary hospital, where it was determined that he’d been shot with a pellet gun. A pellet had “fractured and severed his leg” and lodged in his hip. He had to be euthanized because of the extent of the injuries. His owner said that this was the second time the cat had been shot while roaming and that he’d previously been shot in the face. She said that a neighbor’s cat had also been shot to death and that another neighbor’s cat had two pellets lodged in her after being shot. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

September 2017/Volusia County, Florida: WFLA.com reported that 16 cats and a dog who were allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had died after consuming antifreeze that had been found set out in bowls at an apartment complex. Cats were found dead outside a resident’s window, floating in a pond, in bushes, and in the yard. The dog was taken to a veterinary hospital and received treatment but didn’t survive. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

September 2017/Avenal, California: FresnoBee.com reported that a homeless kitten who was apparently part of a colony of cats at the Avenal State Prison had been found injured. An alleged witness wrote a letter stating, “One of the cops here … was walking and then kicked the baby kitten about 20 feet up in the air and broke its back left leg. The poor baby can’t walk. He tries with three legs but then falls over and lays there and cries.” A prison staff member reportedly took the kitten to a veterinary hospital for treatment. A prison spokesperson said that “if it was a staff member, we’ll hold that staff member accountable.” Local animal control officials said that they hadn’t received an official report about the incident.

September 2017/Moody, Texas: KWTX.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked and killed by five dogs who were also roaming unsupervised. The cat’s owner captured the attack on video and showed it to authorities. The chief of police said, “The two pit bulls were actually pulling it (the cat) apart.” Three of the dogs were found, two of whom were shot to death by authorities. The owner of one of the dogs was notified. The fate of the other dogs wasn’t reported. No charges were filed.

September 2017/Savannah, Georgia: WSAV.com reported that at least nine cats who were allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked by dogs who were also roaming unsupervised. One resident heard his cat screaming and went outside to find her injured and two dogs running away. She was taken to a veterinary hospital but later died. The owner said that he’d heard from at least nine other people who said that dogs had recently attacked and killed their roaming cats. Authorities were trying to capture the dogs and asked residents to keep cats indoors.

September 2017/Galva, Illinois: QCOnline.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot in the eye with a pellet gun. A neighbor told authorities that he witnessed another neighbor “holding a rifle-type gun, then saw the cat jump and run away.” The cat was found and taken to a veterinary hospital, where surgery was scheduled in order to remove an eye and a pellet lodged behind it. The shooter reportedly admitted to authorities that he had thrown sticks at several roaming cats because a cat had attacked his dog, resulting in a $150 veterinary bill. He also said that a local animal shelter had told him to trap roaming cats and abandon them “in the country.” He was charged with cruelty to animals, and a court date was set.

September 2017/Rock Hill, South Carolina: HeraldOnline.com reported that a homeless kitten who’d been roaming at an apartment complex had been found dismembered. The kitten’s body was found under some outdoor stairs with the head, back legs, and tail removed. Authorities were notified, but no suspects were identified.

September 2017/Dartmouth, Massachusetts: ABC6.com reported that animal control officers had found an injured cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision. He had a badly swollen and infected leg and was taken to a veterinary hospital, where it was determined that he’d been shot with a BB gun. He was being treated. It wasn’t reported if authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

September 2017/Chicago, Illinois: KenoshaNews.com reported that animal control officers had found an apparently homeless cat “wandering on the street” and suffering from burns to 80 percent of one side of her body. She was also emaciated and had an upper respiratory infection. She was taken to a veterinary hospital and was being treated with “regular medicated baths, laser treatments and pain medications.” The cause of the burns wasn’t known.

September 2017/Middletown, Ohio: FOX19.com reported that a cat who was described as a “neighborhood cat” had been intentionally set on fire. Area residents witnessed the cat running, engulfed in flames, and screaming. One said, “I grabbed something from my porch and I hit [him or her] like 15 times to put the fire out.” Another witness said that by the time the fire was put out, the cat had lost about 70 percent of his or her fur, was gasping for air, and was “completely black. Scorched.” He or she was taken to a veterinary hospital and had to be euthanized because of the extent of the injuries. Responding authorities reportedly found and collected an accelerant from the scene. No suspects were identified.

September 2017/Cheney, Washington: KHQ.com reported that at least four cats who were allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked and killed by two dogs who were also roaming unsupervised. One of the cat’s owners returned home to find her sidewalk covered with blood and her cat’s dead body in a bag by her fence. Authorities investigated and said that the dogs had been deemed dangerous and that their owner had surrendered them to a shelter in another state.

September 2017/Fairfield, Connecticut: Fairfield.DailyVoice.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked by a dog who jumped out of a car window. The cat’s neck was broken in the attack. Responding animal control officers took the cat to a veterinary hospital, where the animal had to be euthanized.

September 2017/Jacksonville, North Carolina: WCTI12.com reported that three cats who were homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot with a crossbow. A resident found one of them on her porch with an arrow through his body. He appeared to be in shock and “couldn’t eat because the arrow would bump it further into his cheek.” Responding authorities took him to a veterinary hospital for treatment. Another resident reported that she’d found two cats dead in an alley, and they appeared to have been shot with similar arrows. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

September 2017/Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: TribLive.com reported that six homeless cats who’d been trapped, sterilized, and re-abandoned by residents had died after eating mothballs placed in a neighbor’s yard. The neighbor had been seen putting two dead cats in a trash can. A third cat was found severely ill and taken to a veterinary hospital, where he or she had to be euthanized. The neighbor had complained about cats defecating on his sidewalk and in his yard and admitted to killing six to eight of them. Most of the cats who’d been fed in the area had “eventually died or disappeared,” and two friendly abandoned animals were reportedly adopted. The neighbor was charged with six counts of cruelty to animals.

September 2017/Montezuma County, Colorado: The-Journal.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found in a resident’s yard unable to stand and appeared to be having seizures. A responding sheriff’s deputy said that he called an animal hospital and the health department but that neither would send someone to help the cat. He fatally shot the cat to end the animal’s suffering.

September 2017/Cleveland, Ohio: News5Cleveland.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked and killed by a neighbor’s dog, who was apparently also roaming unsupervised. Days later, the cat’s owner shot and killed the dog. Authorities were investigating.

September 2017/Loudoun County, Virginia: WashingtonPost.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found crying and unable to walk. Authorities were called and transported the cat to a veterinary hospital. The animal’s owner was identified, and the cat was being treated.

September 2017/San Diego County, California: EastCountyMagazine.org reported that several cats who were homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found cut in half, dismembered, or eviscerated. One resident found the front half of a cat on her driveway. Another said a cat had been “dismembered and placed in front of a neighbor’s house.” Several other area residents reported similar mutilations of their own or neighbors’ cats. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

September 2017/San Diego, California: FOX5SanDiego.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot with a pellet gun. He was taken to a veterinary office, where it was determined that a pellet had broken a leg, went through his bladder, and lodged in his stomach. He was treated and survived. Another area cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had returned home with a note taped to his collar, reading, “[T]his kitty is going away with his new P.B. [Pacific Beach] friends on the 1st of Sept.” Several other cats in the neighborhood were reportedly missing. It wasn’t reported whether authorities had been notified, but no suspects were identified.

September 2017/Chatham County, Georgia: SavannahNow.com reported that at least four cats who were homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been injured or killed in one neighborhood after they were attacked by two dogs who were also roaming without supervision. One of the cats had been found injured in a neighbor’s yard and died a short time later. Another had been heard screaming and seen being attacked by the dogs. He was rushed to a veterinary hospital, where he died within minutes. Authorities captured the dogs, and a dangerous-dog hearing was scheduled.

September 2017/Fond du Lac, Wisconsin: CBS58.com reported that an apparently homeless kitten had been found injured at a fast-food drive-through after someone apparently saw a truck run over him. He was taken to an animal shelter, where he was diagnosed with a severely broken hind leg, a fractured hip, an upper respiratory infection, and an eye infection. He was receiving treatment. It wasn’t reported whether authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

August 2017/Loudoun County, Virginia: WashingtonPost.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found severely injured. Authorities were called and transported the animal to a veterinary office, where he or she had to be euthanized because of the extent of the injuries. No additional details were given.

August 2017/Brush, Colorado: 9News.com reported that two cats who were homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked and killed by two dogs, who were also roaming unsupervised. Residents said that the canines had also killed 12 chickens, six ducks, six goats, and two pigs in the area. Authorities captured the dogs and said that their owner would be cited for unlawful ownership of a dangerous dog.

August 2017/Chatham County, Georgia: WJCL.com reported that four homeless cats who were being fed near a boat ramp had been shot and killed with arrows and that a fifth had been found alive with an arrow through the neck. The surviving cat was taken to a veterinarian for treatment. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

August 2017/Pasadena, California: SGVTribune.com reported that a kitten who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been rescued by a good Samaritan who saw  two men throwing him back and forth to each other at a public park. She said that he’d been crying during the abuse. The veterinary staff at an animal shelter found that the kitten suffered from muscle spasms and suspected that he’d been exposed to methamphetamine. X-rays revealed that he’d also sustained a serious fracture to one of his legs. He was receiving treatment. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

August 2017/Cobb County, Georgia: AJC.com reported that a kitten who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot with a BB gun. The shooter then picked up a rock and dropped it on the kitten’s head, killing him or her. Witnesses apparently called authorities, and a suspect was arrested.

August 2017/Waikiki, Hawaii: HawaiiNewsNow.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found dead on the side of a road with blood seeping from his mouth. A nearby resident said that she’d recently found a letter at her apartment complex threatening to kill roaming cats if people continued to put food out for them. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

August 2017/Niceville, Florida: NWFDailyNews.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been accidentally run over and killed by his or her owner.

August 2017/Gretna, Virginia: ChathamStarTribune.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked and killed by two dogs, who were also roaming unsupervised. The cat’s owner said that the dogs “tore [the cat] all to pieces.” Authorities were notified but had not been able to capture the dogs or identify their owner.

August 2017/Indianapolis, Indiana: TheIndyChannel.com reported that two cats who were allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked and killed by two dogs, who were also roaming unsupervised. The dogs also attacked and killed a domestic rabbit. Authorities were notified and apparently found the property where the dogs lived but were unable to locate their owner.

August 2017/Visalia, California: YourCentralValley.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had suddenly become ill. He or she was taken to a veterinarian and diagnosed with kidney and pancreas failure, possibly caused by antifreeze poisoning. A second cat was found dead in a gutter in the neighborhood. It was suspected that someone was intentionally setting out antifreeze because of “issues with strays” in the area. VisaliaTimesDelta.com reported that the sick cat had died and that authorities were “considering the issue and may take action.” No suspects were identified.

August 2017/Mesa County, Colorado: KJCT8.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found with an arrow through his or her body. It wasn’t reported if the animal was receiving treatment. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

August 2017/San Antonio, Texas: KSAT.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been picked up by a passerby who intentionally threw him into the path of an oncoming truck, which killed him. The man was arrested, convicted, and sentenced to eight years in jail because of previous unrelated convictions.

August 2017/Vincennes, Indiana: MyWabashValley.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been stolen, killed, and thrown into a river. Video surveillance captured footage of two teens taking the cat, who was later apparently found dead in a river. Authorities arrested a minor and an 18-year-old in connection with the case.

August 2017/Thomaston, Maine: WGME.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found “distressed and struggling to walk.” He was taken to a veterinary hospital, where it was determined that he’d been shot with a pellet gun. The pellet had shattered the bones in a hind leg, which had to be amputated. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

August 2017/Montville, New Jersey: Patch.com reported that a kitten who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found “very hungry” and suffering from a broken leg. He was taken to an animal shelter, where it was determined that the injury had been sustained a few weeks before he was found and that the broken bone had started to calcify. He was being treated.

August 2017/Brooklyn, New York: NYPost.com reported that a kitten who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had become trapped on subway tracks near a station. Service was suspended for approximately 30 minutes while workers searched for and eventually found the animal, who was then taken up to street level and abandoned.

August 2017/Middletown, Ohio: FOX19.com reported that an apparently homeless cat had been found with “blood dripping from his eye, scrapes on his feet and neck, maggots on his body and a fractured jaw.” He was taken to a veterinary hospital, where he received treatment. He was found in an area where neighbors had reportedly witnessed a child intentionally tie another cat to the back of a bicycle and ride the bike, dragging the cat across concrete. It wasn’t reported whether authorities had been notified.

August 2017/Spokane, Washington: KHQ.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot with a pellet gun. He was taken to a veterinary hospital, where it was determined that the pellet had “nicked his intestines, hit his liver, spleen and gallbladder, went in and out of his stomach, and got stuck next to his lungs.” He was receiving treatment. He was at least the third cat to have been shot in the area in a year. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

August 2017/Narragansett, Rhode Island: TurnTo10.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found suffering from what appeared to be chemical burns. She was taken to an animal shelter, where it was found that one of her eyes had been so badly damaged that it would need to be surgically removed and that she’d sustained burns to her forehead, chin, an ear, and both paws. She remained under treatment. The cause of the burns wasn’t known.

August 2017/Richland, Mississippi: WAPT.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found crying in her owner’s garage with an arrow through her. She was taken to a veterinary office, where she died. Authorities were investigating and might have identified a suspect.

August 2017/Goshen, Ohio: SalemNews.net reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found by a police officer crawling in the middle of a road, paralyzed from the waist down. The animal then dragged him- or herself into a drainage pipe. A responding animal shelter worker took custody of the cat, who had to be euthanized because of the extent of the injuries.

August 2017/McMurray, Pennsylvania: CBSLocal.com reported that an apparently homeless kitten had been found near death on the side of a road. He was taken to a veterinary hospital, where he was diagnosed as being severely malnourished and had a heart rate of just 10 beats per minute. He required cardiopulmonary resuscitation, a blood transfusion, and five days of intensive care before he was stabilized and started eating on his own. He remained under treatment.

August 2017/Hostetter, Pennsylvania: CBSLocal.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found on the side of a road unable to use her back legs. She was taken to a veterinary hospital, where it was determined that she’d been shot twice. A pellet had lodged in her spine, paralyzing her, and another had lodged in her armpit. She was also infested with fleas and ear mites and had an upper respiratory infection. A later report revealed that a second cat had been shot to death in the same area. Authorities were alerted, but no suspects were identified.

August 2017/Brownwood, Texas: BrownwoodTX.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been hit by a car and then had run under a vehicle in a parking lot. A responding police officer notified animal control, which sent an officer to assist. The cat, who was injured and acting aggressively, was captured and taken to an animal shelter.

August 2017/Miami Beach, Florida: Local10.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked and killed by a dog, who was also roaming without supervision. A neighbor’s video surveillance system recorded the attack. Authorities were trying to find the dog’s owner.

August 2017/Pickens County, South Carolina: FOXCarolina.com reported that an apparently homeless cat had been found, apparently ill. A resident who “was trying to provide care for the animal” was attacked by the cat, who was apparently captured and euthanized and tested positive for the rabies virus. The resident received post-exposure rabies treatment.

August 2017/Ormond Beach, Florida: OrmondBeachObserver.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been mutilated. The cat’s owner found the animal’s “rear half” in a neighbor’s yard. The rest of the remains hadn’t been found. It wasn’t known whether the cat had been intentionally harmed by a human.

August 2017/Kennett, Missouri: KFVS12.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been grabbed by a man who held her by her hind legs and tail and allowed his dog to maul her. The cat’s owner witnessed the attack and told investigators that the dog “ripped apart the head and torso while [she] was still alive, finally ripping the cat in half.” According to authorities, the suspect’s neighbor told them that the man had “been catching cats and letting his dog eat them.” He was charged with felony cruelty to animals and harassment.

August 2017/North Platte, Nebraska: NPTelegraph.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found wandering in circles around a parking lot. He was taken to a veterinary hospital, where it was determined that he’d been shot in the head with a pellet gun. The pellet “tore a path just below his brain and lodged in his skull, leaving him blind, unable to smell and in shock.” It couldn’t be safely removed from his skull and could cause sudden death if it were to migrate. He also tested positive for the fatal and untreatable feline leukemia virus. He remained under treatment. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

August 2017/Vienna Township, Ohio: NBC4I.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot to death by a neighbor. According to authorities, the shooter said that “[h]e was tired of this animal wandering around his property and that he believed [the cat] to be a nuisance animal. [The cat] was bothering his birds around his bird feeder so he shot [the animal].” He was charged with cruelty to animals.

July 2017/Palm Beach County, Florida: PalmBeachPost.com reported that signs had been posted that threatened to poison approximately 20 homeless cats who were routinely fed near area businesses. The signs read, “Stop feeding the cats. Next time we see cat food, the cats will get very sick. It’s on you! Please wait and take care of them.” Local officials removed the signs, which had been posted on public property. Authorities were notified, but it wasn’t known who had posted them.

July 2017/San Mateo, California: SMDailyJournal.com reported that an apparently homeless cat had been found with a badly injured leg. He was taken to an animal shelter, where veterinary staff had to amputate it. He survived and was put up for adoption.

July 2017/Westmoreland, New York: RomeSentinel.com reported that an apparently homeless kitten had been found injured and had to be euthanized. State testing revealed that the animal had been infected with the rabies virus.

July 2017/Newberry County, South Carolina: WLTX.com reported that an apparently homeless cat had been found “making unusual sounds.” A good Samaritan who approached the animal was attacked and scratched. The cat was euthanized and tested positive for the rabies virus.

July 2017/Grand Junction, Colorado: KJCT8.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been captured in a box trap and drowned by a neighbor. The cat’s owner said that she heard him meowing and apparently knew that the neighbor had set traps in his yard. When he answered her knock at his door, the neighbor admitted to drowning the cat and showed her the animal’s body, which was wet and still in the trap. He said that he’d tried a number of deterrents but that the cat “was constantly ruining his lawn.” Authorities were investigating.

July 2017/Urbana, Ohio: SpringfieldNewsSun.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been beaten nearly to death and thrown over a fence by a neighbor. A witness to the incident called police. Responding officers found the cat “in severe medical distress, still laying where [he] had been thrown, with injuries to [his] head and neck, glassed-over eyes, unable to walk, struggling to take breaths of air, and bleeding from both ears.” According to a police report, an officer shot the cat to end his suffering. The suspect told officers that he’d been having problems with cats damaging his front porch. He was arrested and charged with cruelty to animals.

July 2017/Boston, Massachusetts: JamaicaPlainNews.com reported that an apparently homeless kitten had been found emaciated and wandering next to a dumpster. He was taken to an animal shelter, where it was suspected that he was “struggling with an upper respiratory infection.” After receiving treatment for a week, his face, including the skin on and under his nose, had “fallen off.” A shelter spokesperson speculated that the damage could have been the result of an advanced infection, blunt-force trauma, or electrocution. He was expected to require treatment for about a month before he’d be strong enough to undergo “extensive reconstructive surgery.”

July 2017/North Brookfield, Massachusetts: WWLP.com reported that an apparently homeless kitten had been found with his front legs “completely entangled” in barbed wire. Two responding animal shelter workers were able to free the kitten, who was taken to the shelter. He was admitted with serious injuries and was in a “great deal of pain,” and he was believed to have struggled to free himself for several hours. He underwent surgery to remove the wire and have a drain inserted. Veterinary staff members weren’t sure whether the leg would need to be amputated.

July 2017/Lebanon, Indiana: WTHR.com reported that an apparently homeless kitten had been found in the middle of a highway. A good Samaritan who stopped to render aid to him said that “people were driving right over him and it looked like his leg had already been hurt.” When she pulled over, he hid under her car. A police officer stopped and helped secure the kitten, who was transported to an animal shelter and treated for a broken leg.

July 2017/Charlotte, North Carolina: FOX46Charlotte.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had sustained serious injuries after he was attacked by four dogs who’d escaped from their yard. The attack was captured by a security camera. The cat was taken to a veterinarian and was undergoing treatment for pain. His owner said that the cat had “barely moved since the attack.” Authorities were notified, but the cat’s owner agreed not to press charges if the dogs’ owner paid the cat’s veterinary bills.

July 2017/Brockton, Massachusetts: EnterpriseNews.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had returned home with his eye impaled by a dart. Authorities said that it appeared to be a homemade dart that had been fired from a blowgun. The cat was taken to a veterinarian who referred him to an ophthalmologist, and it was reported that his eye may have to be removed because of nerve damage. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

July 2017/Boynton Beach, Florida: WPTV.com reported that two apparently homeless kittens had been found by an animal control officer in a resident’s backyard, trapped inside a bucket and severely dehydrated. They’d been in the bucket for nearly nine hours before they were found “wet and breathing heavily with open mouths.” They were transported to a shelter, where a veterinarian diagnosed them with heatstroke. One was in such bad shape that he or she had to be euthanized. The other had to be force-fed for nine days. The resident told authorities that he was frustrated with “all of the cats that roam near his home.” He said that he’d called authorities in the past but the cats had returned. He was charged with two counts of cruelty to animals and unlawful animal confinement.

July 2017/Albany, New York: News10.com reported that approximately 10 cats who were homeless and were being fed behind a business had died from suspected poisoning. Antifreeze was found in water bowls that were put out for the cats near the area where food was regularly poured onto the ground for them. Employees at area businesses reportedly wanted the cats removed. One said that the cats were “tearing up the vehicles” and defecating “everywhere.” Authorities had been notified, but no suspects were identified.

July 2017/Orange Park, Florida: ActionNewsJax.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked and killed by two dogs, who were also roaming without supervision. The attack was captured by a security camera, footage from which showed the dogs tearing at the cat for two minutes before he died. Authorities believe that the same dogs had previously injured another cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision in the neighborhood and had also killed a homeless cat in the area. They were searching for the dogs and their owner or owners.

July 2017/Brookings, Oregon: CurryPilot.com reported that a homeless cat who’d been fed by staff members at an animal shelter had been found hiding in a bush with his fur soaked with gasoline. He was “screaming” and ran off. Staff members searched for him and set traps in the area, but they couldn’t find him and believed that he’d died. They planned to continue searching for him or his body.

July 2017/Memphis, Tennessee: WMCActionNews5.com reported that two cats who were allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked and killed by three dogs who were believed to be homeless. The dogs allegedly killed a resident’s cat and then cornered the woman in her backyard. Later, residents witnessed the dogs attacking and killing another cat. Authorities were notified and were able to capture two of the dogs. They were searching for the third one.

July 2017/Johnson City, New York: WICZ.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision hadn’t returned home. His owner said that she’d received a call from a man who told her that he’d trapped the cat and planned to abandon him at a cemetery if she didn’t retrieve him. When she later called the man, he told her that he’d already abandoned the cat. Other cats in the neighborhood were reportedly also missing. It wasn’t reported whether authorities were investigating.

July 2017/Canton, Massachusetts: BostonGlobe.com reported that an apparently homeless kitten had been found covered with ants and lacerations, panting, and frothing at the mouth after he’d become trapped on the central median of a busy highway. He was transported to an animal shelter where veterinary staff measured his temperature at 106 degrees—approximately five degrees higher than average. He was receiving treatment.

July 2017/Baton Rouge, Louisiana: WBRZ.com reported that at least three cats who were allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found dead and dismembered. One was found on her owner’s lawn. “Somebody broke her neck, cut her open, flipped her head around[,] tucked her head in between the shoulders in her back … [c]ut all her insides out, and laid her insides around in the yard,” her owner said. Authorities were notified, but no suspects were identified.

July 2017/Bozeman, Montana: BozemanDailyChronicle.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been backed over by a car. The cat then hid under a porch, and authorities were called to help retrieve the injured animal. No additional details were given.

July 2017/Atlantic City, New Jersey: SNJToday.com reported that four cats who had apparently been trapped, neutered, and abandoned under a beach boardwalk had been found dead on the beach. Three men were suspected in the case. Authorities asked anyone who could identify the men or had information about the cats’ deaths to contact them.

July 2017/Columbus, Ohio: ABC6OnYourSide.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found with a steel-jaw trap clamped onto her leg, which “had become infected and filled with sores and maggots.” She was taken to a veterinary hospital, where it was discovered that she was also anemic and her organs were shutting down. She was mercifully euthanized. It wasn’t reported whether authorities had been notified, and no suspects were identified.

July 2017/Whitemarsh Island, Georgia: WTOC.com reported that in one neighborhood, eight cats who were homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found dead—and others had been injured. One cat was discovered dead near a resident’s front door. The animal was lying on his or her back and had injuries on the head and face, including “dislodged” teeth, which indicated that the cat had been beaten to death. Another cat returned home with a large patch of skin and fur missing from the back of her neck. The cat’s owner said that it looked as though “the skin and hair had just been ripped off or burned off.” Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

July 2017/Crestview, Florida: CrestviewBulletin.com reported that an apparently homeless kitten had been found badly injured, with a huge gash on her shoulder, in the parking lot of a golf course. She was taken to a veterinary hospital, where it was determined that she’d sustained broken ribs and needed surgery to repair a hernia. It was believed that she’d been beaten with a golf club. She was receiving treatment. It wasn’t reported whether authorities had been notified, and no suspects were identified.

July 2017/Staten Island, New York: SILive.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been tortured to “near death” by a neighbor. The neighbor was arrested after posting a video of the torture on social media, “which allegedly shows him dropping a chair on the cat, smacking [him] with a knife and jamming a wooded [sic] stick into the near-unconscious animal’s abdomen and face.” Authorities found the cat in a garbage can outside the man’s home. He’d sustained head trauma, a collapsed lung, fractured ribs, and liver and kidney damage. He was receiving medical treatment, and the man was arrested and charged with aggravated cruelty to animals, among other charges.

July 2017/Fairfax County, Virginia: FairfaxTimes.com reported that two apparently homeless kittens had been found in the middle of a busy road. One had been hit by multiple vehicles, which had resulted in severe injuries, including an “exposed and cracked skull” and suspected internal damage. The injured kitten was taken to a veterinary hospital and was receiving treatment. The other one was taken home by the person who found the animals.

July 2017/Spokane, Washington: KXLY.com reported that two cats who were homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked and killed by a dog who was also roaming without supervision. A resident said that an unknown dog had entered her yard with a dead cat in his or her mouth. The cat had “[h]uge bite marks in [his or her] back” and was covered with saliva. The next day, the dog returned to the resident’s yard and attacked one of her cats who was outdoors, shaking him until he died. Another cat who’d been outdoors at the residence ran up a tree to escape the dog. The fire department responded with a ladder truck to retrieve him or her safely. Authorities were notified but had been unable to locate the dog’s owner.

July 2017/Muncy, Pennsylvania: SunGazette.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been discovered “acting odd[ly]” and had attacked a dog who was being walked on a leash. The cat bit a passerby and a responding police officer—both were attempting to stop the attack. The animal was captured and euthanized. Testing returned positive results for the rabies virus. The two people who were bitten had to undergo post-exposure treatment, and the dog had to be quarantined for 120 days.

July 2017/Dacono, Colorado: TimesCall.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked and killed by a neighbor’s dog. The cat’s owner believed that the dog had also buried the cat. She told authorities that she didn’t want any charges filed in the case.

July 2017/Orlando, Florida: OrangeObserver.com reported that an apparently homeless kitten had been discovered in a parking lot with a badly injured leg. A good Samaritan was bitten and scratched when she captured him with a towel. He was taken to a veterinary hospital, where he was diagnosed as suffering from a “neurologically dead [leg] from the shoulder down,” which would likely require amputation, as well as an infestation of ear mites and internal and external parasites. He was being treated.

July 2017/Memphis, Tennessee: LocalMemphis.com reported that a kitten who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been kicked by a man while his friends videotaped the abuse. The kitten flew what “seemed [like] 40 feet” after he or she was kicked. The video was posted on social media, and someone who was believed to be the perpetrator posted a message saying that he had “booted the TS out of a stray cat.” Authorities were alerted and were asking for help identifying the suspect. The exact location of the incident wasn’t known, and it wasn’t reported whether the kitten had been found.

July 2017/Danbury, Connecticut: NewtownBee.com reported that an apparently homeless kitten had been found by a “dirty dumpster” wheezing and with thick discharge weeping from her nose and eyes. She was taken to a veterinary hospital, where she was diagnosed with a severe upper respiratory infection. She was placed in a foster home and had been receiving daily treatments when one of her swollen, infected eyes ruptured, “causing the liquid in the eye to ooze out.” Both of her eyes had to be surgically removed. She remained under treatment.

July 2017/La Porte, Indiana: SouthBendTribune.com reported that an apparently homeless kitten had been kicked and stomped on by two men. A witness stopped his car and yelled at the men, who got into a car and sped away. The witness then rendered aid to the kitten, who was “flopping around” in a front yard, and called the police. A responding officer took the kitten, who was “clinging to life,” to an animal shelter, where a veterinarian said that she “was gasping for air from significant respiratory distress and going into shock and had to be given fluids and medication intravenously.” She remained under treatment. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

July 2017/Atlantic County, New Jersey: PressofAtlanticCity.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been missing for several days before returning home “with severe wounds.” The cat was treated at two veterinary hospitals and was returned home, where he or she died. The animal’s body was sent for testing, which returned positive results for the rabies virus.

July 2017/Johnstown, Pennsylvania: WJACTV.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision or escaped from his home had been found shot to death. Anyone with information about the shooting was asked to call authorities, but no suspects were identified.

July 2017/Toledo, Ohio: WTOL.com reported that an apparently homeless kitten had been found with just her head hanging out of a bucket filled with engine oil. She was taken to a shelter and bathed for 45 minutes in an attempt to clean her fur of the toxic oil, which had drenched her entire body. Even after she’d been cleaned, she was unable to open her eyes and was sneezing oil from her nose. It wasn’t known whether she’d fallen into the bucket or been intentionally placed in it. She remained under treatment.

July 2017/Kennewick, Washington: Tri-CityHerald.com reported that the body of an apparently homeless cat had been found by authorities in a resident’s trash can. Area residents had called authorities after they heard what sounded like a pellet gun being shot and witnessed the suspect putting a cat’s dead body in his trash can. The suspect was arrested and charged with cruelty to animals.

July 2017/Denham Springs, Louisiana: WDSU.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found injured by “a bullet from a small caliber sidearm that had entered below his right eye” and had “removed half of the cat’s face.” He was taken to a veterinary hospital, where he was receiving treatment, including the removal of “most of his teeth, which were shattered and decayed from the gunshot blast.” It wasn’t reported whether authorities were notified, and no suspects were identified.

July 2017/Mount Joy Township, Pennsylvania: EveningSun.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot with a crossbow arrow. She reportedly crawled home with the arrow embedded in her body and was taken to a veterinary hospital. She required surgery to remove the arrow and amputate a leg that had been damaged beyond repair. A neighbor was arrested after he told authorities that he’d shot the cat because she’d been “bothering his bird feeders.” He was charged with cruelty to animals.

July 2017/Oronoco, Minnesota: FOX9.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot in the head. He was taken to a veterinary hospital, where X-rays revealed that the bullet had narrowly missed an artery and his brain before it had lodged in his cheekbone. He was expected to undergo surgery. It wasn’t reported whether authorities had been notified, and no suspects were identified.

July 2017/Fennimore, Wisconsin: WKOW.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been killed by “one or more children” who shot her with a BB gun. Authorities were investigating and had apparently identified one or more suspects.

July 2017/Portland, Oregon: KGW.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been decapitated near a road. The cat’s head was found next to the body, and the decapitation didn’t appear to have been caused by other animals. A neighbor said that another decapitated cat had been found a day earlier. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified. Patch.com later reported that a post-mortem examination had revealed that the cat had been hit by a car and died before animals had mutilated the body.

July 2017/Covington, Kentucky: FOX19.com reported that a homeless kitten who was being fed by a resident had been found burned to death. Plastic and Styrofoam tubs that the feeder had left at a site, apparently intended for use by homeless cats, had also been burned and damaged. It was suspected that fireworks had been used to cause the damage. It wasn’t reported whether authorities were notified, and no suspects were identified.

July 2017/Brainerd, Minnesota: BrainerdDispatch.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision returned home with a “BB gunshot wound.” Authorities were notified, but no suspects were identified. The cat’s condition wasn’t reported.

June 2017/Newton, Iowa: KWQC.com reported that an apparently homeless kitten had been found with a severely injured jaw, badly damaged teeth, and burns on his upper lip and nose. He was taken to a veterinarian, who suspected that the injuries had been caused by fireworks exploding in his face. He was expected to require weeks of treatment, including wiring his jaw. It couldn’t be determined whether the injuries had been caused intentionally.

June 2017/Conestoga Township, Pennsylvania: LancasterOnline.com reported that an apparently homeless kitten had been found badly injured and “tangled in ropes and ribbons from a frayed tarp.” In the struggle to free himself, he’d sustained extensive injuries to one leg, which had become infested with maggots. He was taken to a veterinary hospital, where it was determined that injuries to the leg were so severe that it had to be amputated. He remained under treatment.

June 2017/Kennett, Missouri: DDDNews.com reported that an apparently homeless kitten had been discovered “in terrible condition” in an alley. He was taken to a veterinary hospital, where it was found that he “was so infested with fleas and was covered in his own partially digested blood the fleas had left on him” that it was hard to determine the color of his coat. One of his feet was so badly injured that bone was exposed. He was placed on pain and deworming medications and antibiotics but was too weak to undergo the surgery needed to amputate his foot. He remained under treatment.

June 2017/Arlington, Nebraska: EnterprisePub.com reported that an apparently homeless kitten had been heard crying loudly in the middle of the night. A responding official found the animal sitting in the gutter with his or her eyes matted shut. The kitten was transported to the sheriff’s office, and a corrections officer took the animal home.

June 2017/Elkton, Maryland: CecilDaily.com reported that two cats who were homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been reported to authorities when they were seen “acting strangely.” One of them bit and clawed a resident and “didn’t let go.” Both the animals had to be euthanized and were submitted for testing, which returned positive results for the rabies virus.

June 2017/Lutz, Florida: WTSP.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found dead in a side yard where he or she had lived. Video surveillance captured footage of two dogs who’d escaped from their yard walking into the area where the cat’s body had been found. Authorities were notified.

June 2017/Hankinson, North Dakota: ValleyNewsLive.com reported that an apparently homeless kitten had been found badly injured under a resident’s shed. Three littermates were found with her. They were uninjured, but their mother was found dead. The kittens were taken to an animal shelter, where X-rays revealed that the injured one had been shot seven times with lead bullets. She was paralyzed from her midsection down and was in “guarded condition.” She was receiving pain medication and antibiotics while being assessed. It wasn’t reported whether authorities had been notified, but no suspects were identified.

June 2017/Hoke County, North Carolina: ABC11.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found dead under a car. Video surveillance captured footage of the cat stumbling on the owner’s property. The owner believed that the cat had been shot by a neighbor. Authorities investigated but lacked evidence to pursue a case.

June 2017/Reno County, Kansas: HutchNews.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot with a BB gun and died the next day from the injuries. It wasn’t reported whether the animal had received veterinary treatment. A neighbor was arrested and charged with cruelty to animals. He reportedly told authorities that he had shot the cat—and thought it was legal to do so—when the animal entered his property.

June 2017/Dryden, New York: 14850.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found shot with a crossbow bolt. Authorities were called and spent an evening and the following morning searching before locating the injured animal. She was transported to a university hospital for animals, where the arrow had to be surgically removed from her head and shoulder. Authorities were asking anyone with information about the incident to contact them, but no suspects were identified.

June 2017/Spokane, Washington: KHQ.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot with a pellet gun. He was taken to a veterinary hospital, where the pellet was removed and he was treated for his injuries. He was expected to survive. Authorities were notified, but no suspects were identified.

June 2017/Visalia, California: VisaliaTimesDelta.com reported that a blind and deaf cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked by three dogs who’d escaped from their yard. She was so badly injured that she had to be euthanized. One dog was captured by authorities, and the other two were turned over to authorities, pending a hearing to determine whether they would be deemed vicious under the city’s ordinance. One of them suffered from heatstroke while in the city’s custody. He was taken to a veterinary hospital, but his condition was so severe that he had to be euthanized.

June 2017/Beatrice, Nebraska: BeatriceDailySun.com reported that an apparently homeless kitten had been found pinned under a fallen tree after a severe storm. He was taken to an animal shelter, where it was determined that he’d sustained a broken tail and leg and a hairline fracture in another leg. He was also dehydrated, malnourished, and infested with lice. He was then taken to a veterinary hospital, where he underwent surgery to amputate his broken tail and leg and was receiving other treatments.

June 2017/Greene County, Tennessee: GreenevilleSun.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found crying and impaled on a rebar pole that had been protruding from the ground. He’d apparently jumped onto it from atop a privacy fence. The homeowner called authorities, and the cat was transported to a veterinary hospital while still impaled on the pole, which had to be removed from the ground and transported with him. He required surgery to remove the pole as well as the insertion of a drain tube into his wounds. He also needed stitches and antibiotics. He was expected to be hospitalized for several days. His owner came forward to claim him, but then he died unexpectedly.

June 2017/Port Washington, New York: Newsday.com reported that a cat who was homeless—and had been sterilized and then re-abandoned outdoors—had been found dragging a metal trap through the neighborhood after it had clamped onto her leg. Her leg was “very badly mangled,” and it appeared that she’d suffered for days before she’d been found. The trap consisted of a metal stake and chain attached to a metal tube that had teeth inside, which sprang shut when she stepped on it. She was taken to a veterinary hospital, where it was determined that she was in such bad shape that she wouldn’t survive necessary surgery. She was mercifully euthanized. Authorities were seeking information about the case, but no suspects were identified.

June 2017/York County, Virginia: DailyPress.com reported that a homeless kitten who was part of a colony of homeless cats fed by a resident had been found “sick” and having convulsions. The kitten tested positive for rabies after he or she was captured and euthanized. The resident required post-exposure treatment, and additional kittens and their mother were quarantined.

June 2017/Santa Ana, California: OCRegister.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked and killed by two dogs, who were also roaming unsupervised. Authorities received calls from “[m]ultiple people” about the attack. Responding officers took the dogs to an animal shelter.

June 2017/Dunkard Township, Pennsylvania: Observer-Reporter.com reported that an apparently homeless cat had been found looking ill, suffering from apparent neurological damage, and “fighting with cats and dogs” in a neighborhood. The cat was taken to a shelter, which transported him or her to a veterinarian. The animal was euthanized and sent for testing, which returned positive results for the rabies virus.

June 2017/Carbondale, Illinois: WSILTV.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found with an arrow through him and foam running from his mouth. He died from his injuries. Authorities were notified, but no suspects were identified.

June 2017/Brooklyn, Ohio: FOX8.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had failed to return home. After about two weeks, his owners went door-to-door in the neighborhood and learned that a video surveillance system had captured footage of a man shooting the cat with a bow and arrow. The suspect then appeared to pick up the cat’s body and remove it from the neighborhood. A police report was filed, but no suspects were identified.

June 2017/Lakeland, Florida: WTSP.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been heard “screeching” outdoors before he or she had been found with severe injuries sustained during an apparent fight with a raccoon, who later tested positive for rabies. The cat was taken to a veterinary office and had to be euthanized because of the extent of the injuries. The cat’s owner killed the raccoon, but the method used wasn’t reported.

June 2017/Morrison, Colorado: KDVR.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had returned “in serious pain” and with an injured eye. She was taken to a veterinary hospital, where X-rays revealed that she’d been shot with a pellet gun and a pellet remained lodged in her neck. She was expected to undergo surgery to remove her eye. Authorities weren’t notified, and no suspects were identified.

June 2017/Crestview, Florida: NWFDailyNews.com reported that an apparently homeless kitten had been found badly injured. She was taken to an emergency veterinary hospital, where she bit two people before being sent home with the woman who found her. The woman said that she had been told that the kitten was dying and was instructed to return the kitten’s body to the hospital for testing after she died. When the kitten was still alive days later, the woman took her to another veterinary hospital. There it was determined that she’d sustained three broken ribs and was missing fur from a traumatic injury. She was also anemic and malnourished and had a severe hernia that caused her intestines to move into a leg. She was being treated.

June 2017/Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: KFOR.com reported that an apparently homeless kitten had been found unable to walk steadily, infested with fleas, and with discharge draining from the eyes and nose. After being taken to an animal shelter, the kitten died and tested positive for rabies. Authorities were looking for anyone who may have had contact with the animal.

June 2017/Upper Providence Township, Pennsylvania: Patch.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found shot to death with an arrow. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

June 2017/Indianapolis, Indiana: TheIndyChannel.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked and badly injured by two dogs, who were also roaming outdoors unsupervised. The attack was captured by video surveillance. The cat was found alive and taken to a veterinary hospital, where it was found that she’d sustained internal damage and wounds around the neck. She was being treated. Authorities were alerted, but it wasn’t known who owned the dogs.

June 2017/Dickson County, Tennessee: NewsChannel5.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found dead near the owner’s driveway. A neighbor had been seen “pumping up a BB gun” in the area before the cat’s body was found, and he allegedly said that he was “trying to exterminate feral cats from the area.” He allegedly indicated that he’d shot “two or three” additional cats. A spokesperson for the local animal shelter said that the facility was full and couldn’t accept any homeless or unwanted cats in order to ensure their safety. “I can’t take any more, I literally can’t take any more,” she said. “And every shelter I know is in the same situation.” Authorities were notified about the incident.

June 2017/South Plainfield, New Jersey: TapInto.net reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked and killed by two dogs, who were also roaming unsupervised. Authorities were notified and cited the dogs’ owner for harboring vicious dogs and allowing them to roam off the premises. The owner was also required to quarantine them.

June 2017/Smithsburg, Maryland: HeraldMailMedia.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had returned home with an arrow through her torso. She was taken to a veterinary hospital, where it was found that the arrow had pierced her liver and collapsed one of her lungs. It had also rested “dangerously close” to her heart. She had to be euthanized because of the extent of her injuries. A reward was being offered for information leading to an arrest, but no suspects were identified.

June 2017/Indiantown, Florida: TCPalm.com reported that at least six homeless cats who were regularly fed by a resident had been tortured, three of whom died. One was found with an apparent bullet wound and one of his legs cut off, one was found dead with his chest cut open, another was found dead with a cut on her back, two were found with cuts to their backs and legs, and one was found with a cut on his leg, which resulted in permanent disfigurement. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

June 2017/Albany, New York: TimesUnion.com reported that an apparently homeless cat had been taken in by a man who later believed that he was “having a troubled relationship” with the animal. Responding to a complaint, authorities found the cat in the man’s backyard dead and nearly decapitated. The man had been found with scratch marks up and down his arms, and his blood was found on the cat’s claws, some of which had broken during an apparently violent struggle. He admitted to authorities that he’d killed the cat and was charged with and convicted of aggravated cruelty to animals.

June 2017/Cortland, New York: CNYCentral.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had died after being caught in a steel-jaw trap. A neighbor faced criminal charges for setting an illegal trap within the city limits and cruelty to animals. A court date was set.

June 2017/Independence Township, Kansas: BartlesvilleRadio.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot to death by an off-duty police officer after the animal bit his daughter. The officer was cited for cruelty to animals and discharging a weapon within city limits.

June 2017/Coeur d’Alene, Idaho: KHQ.com reported that a cat described as an “outdoor cat” had been found with a metal dart stuck in her stomach. She was taken to a veterinary hospital for treatment and was expected to survive. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

June 2017/Orange County, Florida: FOX35Orlando.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had returned home limping. She was taken to a veterinary hospital, where it was found that she had multiple puncture wounds and a serious infection from snake bites. Her owner said, “Over time, her skin started dying around the bite marks. Apparently the snake venom does that and the muscles were atrophying.” One of her legs had to be amputated, and she was expected to survive.

June 2017/Louisville, Kentucky: Courier-Journal.com reported that an apparently homeless kitten had been found badly injured. She was taken to an animal shelter, where a veterinarian found two BBs lodged in her body: one in her head and the other in a front leg. One of her back legs had also been wounded, likely when a third BB grazed the skin. She underwent surgery. Authorities were asking anyone with information about the shooting to come forward, but no suspects were identified.

May 2017/Lawrence, Massachusetts: EagleTribune.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been hit by a car. Unable to pay for veterinary treatment, her owners surrendered her to an animal shelter, where veterinarians had to amputate a badly mangled rear leg. They also found that most of the skin around her other rear leg had been torn away and that the leg was also fractured in several places. She underwent stabilization treatment and was expected to require skin grafts. A shelter spokesperson said that the facility typically admits 20 to 25 injured cats each year who’ve been hit by cars.

May 2017/Barry, Illinois: WHIG.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found dead under a bush with apparent pellet gun wounds. The animal’s body was taken to a veterinarian but was too badly decomposed for a cause of death to be determined. A dog in the area had also been shot with a pellet gun, and a resident said that 15 cats in the area were missing. Authorities were investigating and had identified a person of interest. They were asking anyone with information to come forward.

May 2017/Citrus Heights, California: FOX40.com reported that six cats who were allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been missing from a neighborhood. Two residents admitted that they’d been trapping cats on their property and then abandoning them near an interstate highway. Authorities were investigating and said that the two women were upset that cats were getting into their garden. “[T]hese two ladies were at their wit’s end and they just wanted some peace,” a police department representative said. The investigation was ongoing.

May 2017/Brunswick County, North Carolina: BrunswickBeacon.com printed a letter to the editor reporting that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been hit by a car and killed.

May 2017/Idaho Falls, Idaho: EastIdahoNews.com reported that two cats who were homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found badly abused. One was found with his face and head bleeding, swollen, and burnt after his head had apparently been drenched in flammable liquid and set on fire. He was found near an animal shelter, where he received treatment, but it wasn’t known if he’d survive. Another cat was found in a neighborhood covered with motor oil. An earlier report revealed that the second cat had been picked up by authorities and taken to a shelter for treatment. He’d ingested a large amount of the oil while trying to clean himself and had to be sedated, shaved, bathed, and given intravenous fluids, but he survived. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

May 2017/Terre Haute, Indiana: TribStar.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked and killed by two dogs, who were also roaming without supervision. The attack was captured by video surveillance, which showed the dogs “pulling on the cat, who struggle[d] to get away.” The cat was later found dead. Authorities were notified and were trying to determine who owned the dogs.

May 2017/Bosque Farms, New Mexico: KOB.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found bleeding from the eyes and mouth. She was taken to a veterinarian, who determined that she’d been bitten near her eye by a rattlesnake. She was treated and was expected to survive.

May 2017/Cobb County, Georgia: AJC.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been trapped by a local resident and transported to an area behind a business, where the animal had been shot to death. A witness to the incident called authorities, and the shooter was arrested. He told authorities that roaming cats had been destroying his property and leaving dead birds and squirrels near his home. He said that he’d taken trapped cats to local shelters in the past but that they were soon seen back at his property and “he felt he was left with no other options.” Authorities found the cat’s body behind the business along with the body of another cat who’d apparently been dead for some time. The man was charged with felony cruelty to animals and a misdemeanor weapons offense.

May 2017/Spring, Texas: ABC13.com reported that six cats who were homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot. They were found badly injured with multiple pellets inside them, and three had broken legs, one was paralyzed, and one sustained severe tissue damage. Two of the cats required leg amputations, and two had to be euthanized because of the extent of their injuries. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

May 2017/Lincoln County, North Carolina: WBTV.com reported that a cat who was described as an “outdoor cat” had been surrendered to an animal shelter after sustaining apparent bite wounds. After showing a decline in health and behavior while confined at the shelter for several weeks, the cat was euthanized and tested positive for rabies

May 2017/Bonita Springs, Florida: FOX4Now.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked by a neighbor’s dog, who was also roaming unsupervised. The cat’s owner shot the dog to stop the attack. The dog’s owner later found the dog injured and took her to a veterinary clinic, where she was expected to undergo “extensive surgery.” It wasn’t reported whether the cat survived.

May 2017/Pocatello, Idaho: IdahoStateJournal.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked and killed by three dogs. A neighbor saw the dogs mauling the cat and heard what sounded like laughter coming from a vehicle parked in the street. After killing the cat, the dogs were reportedly called into the vehicle, which then drove away. The cat died “soon afterwards.” It wasn’t reported whether authorities had been notified.

May 2017/Zanesville, Ohio: ZanesvilleTimesRecorder.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked by a dog in October 2016. She was taken to an animal shelter with a stomach wound that measured 7 inches long by 5 inches wide. The veterinarian treating her said, “She had big puncture wounds so the dog probably shook her open. There was a lot of damage inside the cat.” She had to be anesthetized about 90 times and underwent three major and 12 minor surgeries. She reportedly had to be completely anesthetized at times just to change the bandages because it was such a painful process. She spent more than seven months under a veterinarian’s care and was put up for adoption.

May 2017/Manheim Township, Pennsylvania: YorkDispatch.com reported that an apparently homeless cat had attacked a woman at a farm. Authorities trapped the cat, who was then euthanized and tested positive for rabies. Other cats at the farm may have been exposed to the virus, so authorities said that they would “remain involved.” The woman was receiving post-exposure rabies treatment.

May 2017/Springfield, Oregon: KLCC.org reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had bitten someone and been “acting strangely.” RegisterGuard.com reported that the cat had been “found alive but suffering from symptoms of” rabies. The cat was taken to a veterinary clinic, where the animal was euthanized and tested positive for the virus. The person who was bitten received post-exposure rabies treatment.

May 2017/Imperial Beach, California: 10News.com reported that a homeless cat whom a resident had been feeding and “taking care of” had been found “writhing in pain and near death.” He died after approximately an hour and apparently wasn’t taken to a veterinarian. “He suffered before he died,” said the man who’d been feeding him. A second cat had also recently been found dead. Poisoning was suspected, but authorities hadn’t been notified because there was no evidence of intentional wrongdoing.

May 2017/West Warwick, Rhode Island: WarwickPost.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot with a pellet gun. He was taken to a veterinarian, who determined that a pellet had entered through one of his sides, punctured his spleen and both kidneys, and lodged in the skin on his other side. He was expected to survive, but scarring in his kidneys would likely shorten his life. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

May 2017/Mesa, Arizona: ABC15.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found dead in the middle of a busy street. A woman who’d apparently stopped and exited her vehicle to render aid to the animal was struck and killed by a car. The road was closed for several hours while authorities investigated.

May 2017/Las Vegas, Nevada: News3LV.com reported that at least eight cats who were allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had died and that intentional poisoning was suspected. A resident said, “The way they die is gruesome. They have blood coming out their eyes—their nostrils.” Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

May 2017/Nelson County, Virginia: WSET.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been killed. A postmortem examination determined that she’d died of asphyxiation after inhaling ether or an ether-like substance. A neighbor who’d complained that the cat had been “harassing [his] chickens” was accused of capturing her and suffocating her in a plastic bag filled with ether. He was charged with two misdemeanors.

May 2017/Wenatchee, Washington: KPQ.com reported that two cats who were allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked by two dogs, who were also roaming unsupervised. One of the cats was killed, and the other was so badly injured that he or she had to be euthanized. Responding authorities weren’t able to capture the dogs and were seeking the public’s help to identify their owner.

May 2017/La Plata, Maryland: TheBayNet.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had returned home badly injured. He was taken to a veterinary hospital, where it was determined that he’d been shot at close range with a high-powered pellet gun. One of his legs had to be amputated after a failed surgery to repair the damage. Authorities were asking anyone with information to come forward, but no suspects were identified.

May 2017/San Antonio, Texas: News4SanAntonio.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found with a “razor sharp” arrow through her. She was taken to a veterinary hospital, where she had to be euthanized because of the extent of the injuries. Authorities were investigating and reportedly had “several leads.”

May 2017/Craig, Colorado: CraigDailyPress.com reported that an apparently homeless cat had been found the previous winter with frostbite “and was weak and down and out.” He was taken to a veterinary hospital, where staff members were unsure if he’d survive. The tips of his ears and most of his tail were so badly frostbitten that they had to be amputated. He survived and was adopted.

May 2017/Fresno, California: FresnoBee.com reported that a kitten who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been pulled from a grass fire by responding firefighters. The kitten had sustained burns and was apparently handed over to animal control officers at the scene.

May 2017/Hialeah, Florida: CBSLocal.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found dead, hanged on the owner’s fence. The cat’s stomach had been cut open, one of the paws had been severed, and an unknown substance had been stuffed into the animal’s mouth. A neighbor was arrested and charged with cruelty to animals in connection to the case. NBCMiami.com later reported that the cat’s owner had purchased a second cat, who was also allowed to roam outdoors without supervision. Two weeks after the first cat was killed, the second one was also found dead outside behind the owner’s home. Authorities didn’t reveal the cause of death but said that no evidence connected the cases.

May 2017/Taylorsville, Utah: DeseretNews.com reported that at least two cats who were homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been killed by a man who took them home, gave them to his girlfriend as gifts, and then strangled them. He was arrested and faced felony cruelty-to-animals charges.

May 2017/Keizer, Oregon: KATU.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found badly injured in a resident’s driveway. He was taken to a veterinary hospital, where it was determined that he had been shot, was infected with the highly contagious feline immunodeficiency virus, and had likely been hit by a car. X-rays revealed that he’d sustained pelvic fractures and a metal pellet had shattered one of his legs. He was being treated. Authorities were notified, but no suspects were identified.

April 2017/Miami Beach, Florida: WSVN.com reported that a homeless cat who was being fed by a resident in an alley behind a hotel had been found bleeding under a dumpster with an arrow lodged in his head. He was taken to a veterinary hospital, where he had to be euthanized because of the extent of the injuries. A veterinarian said that he was unresponsive and that the arrow had penetrated behind one of his eyes and exited by his mouth. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

April 2017/Orange, California: OCRegister.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found badly injured. He was taken to a veterinary hospital, where X-rays revealed that he’d been shot 15 times with a BB gun. According to a hospital spokesperson, “[H]is eyes were bloody and he had cuts all over the top of his head. We assumed he had been hit by a car or attacked by a larger animal.” She suspected that he’d been held or tied down while he’d been shot. He underwent surgery to remove pellets from his lip and nose and one from each eye. Another pellet remained in his skull. The injuries had likely permanently blinded him, and he remained under treatment. It wasn’t reported whether authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

April 2017/Covina, California: MyNewsLA.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had returned home “acting strangely.” She was taken to a veterinary clinic, where an X-ray revealed that she’d been shot and a pellet had become lodged in her neck. She was apparently treated. A neighbor, who’d been seen shooting a pellet gun from his roof, was arrested on suspicion of cruelty to animals.

April 2017/Dayton, Ohio: WDTN.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found struggling to free himself after his head had become trapped in a metal pipe encased in concrete. He had apparently been trapped for hours and had sustained injuries to his paws during the struggle to free himself. Responding authorities sedated him and transported him to the fire department, where the pipe was cut away. He was then transported to an animal shelter for veterinary treatment and was expected to survive.

April 2017/Louisville, Kentucky: WDRB.com reported that two cats who were allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found dead, apparently after they were shot. A neighbor said that during a period of three weeks, 11 animals who’d been outdoors unattended had “turn[ed] up missing or turn[ed] up dead.” Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

April 2017/Kalamazoo County, Michigan: WWMT.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had returned home with an arrow through his stomach that extended out his back. He was taken to a veterinary hospital, where he had to be euthanized because of the extent of the injuries. Authorities investigated, but no suspects were identified.

April 2017/Frederick, Colorado: TimesCall.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked and killed by a dog. The dog was quarantined, and authorities were looking for the cat’s owner.

April 2017/Milwaukie, Oregon: KGW.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found strangled to death at an area park. The electrical cord that was apparently used to kill her was still wrapped around her neck. Authorities were asking anyone with information to come forward, but no suspects were identified.  

April 2017/Buffalo, New York: WKBW.com reported that a homeless cat, who was referred to as a “community cat,” had been found dragging herself along the ground using her front paws. She was taken to a veterinary hospital, where X-rays revealed that she’d been shot with a BB gun and a pellet had lodged in her spine. She was mercifully euthanized. Authorities were asking anyone with information to come forward, but no suspects were identified.

April 2017/Washington, D.C.: WJLA.com reported that a homeless cat, who was referred to as a “community cat,” had been caught in a box trap that was left unattended in an alley. Evidence was found indicating that someone had tried to set her on fire. WUSA9.com reported that she had sustained “minor burns,” that she had torn out a claw in her frantic struggle to escape, and that the trap had apparently been left unattended for four hours. The group that originally set the trap was considering abandoning her again in the alley. A reward was being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible, but no suspects were identified. WUSA9.com also reported that another cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found beaten to death. Authorities arrested a man who told them that he’d hit the cat with a stick to get him off a chair “at the back of his home.” A witness said that he saw the suspect beat the cat repeatedly. A postmortem examination determined that he had died of blunt force trauma that resulted in multiple internal hemorrhages, a shattered bone in his leg, a fractured liver, and a torn spleen. The man was charged with felony cruelty to animals.

April 2017/New Orleans, Louisiana: WWLTV.com reported that seven cats who were allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had “disappeared without a trace” from one neighborhood over a two-month period. If evidence of wrongdoing is found, authorities said they’d launch an investigation. No suspects were identified.

April 2017/Gwinnett County, Georgia: AJC.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot and killed by a neighbor. Witnesses said that they heard a gunshot and saw the suspect holding a shotgun and approaching the cat’s body in his yard. He placed the body in a cardboard box in the back of a truck. An off-duty police sergeant who lived nearby was called and secured it. The suspect was later arrested and charged with aggravated cruelty to an animal.

April 2017/Knox County, Tennessee: WBIR.com reported that three cats who were homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot. One had been shot with an arrow and survived. Another had been found limping and was taken to a veterinary hospital, where it was determined that a bullet had shattered his femur. His leg had to be amputated. A third had been shot with a pellet or BB gun. It wasn’t reported if the animal had survived. Authorities were investigating and advised residents that allowing cats to roam outdoors without supervision was illegal in the county. No suspects were identified.

April 2017/Eureka, California: LostCoastOutpost.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found on the street with a large section of skin torn away from his side and hindquarters. He was taken to a veterinary hospital, where it was determined that he’d sustained a degloving injury, possibly “caused by a car’s fan belt or an automatic garage door, among countless other possibilities.” Intentional cruelty wasn’t ruled out. He underwent surgery and was facing months of recovery. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

April 2017/Spokane, Washington: KHQ.com reported that a homeless cat who was regularly fed by a resident had been found with a rope tightly noosed around his midsection and smelling of infection and necrotic tissue. It was believed to be part of a snare-type trap. He was captured in a box trap and was expected to be taken to a veterinarian. The resident said that the cat had been found in the past covered with paint spots after he’d apparently been shot with a paintball gun. It wasn’t reported whether authorities had been notified, but no suspects were identified.

April 2017/Bensalem Township, Pennsylvania: Patch.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found injured. He was taken to an animal shelter, where a veterinarian determined that he’d been shot. He underwent treatment but didn’t survive. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

April 2017/Biltmore Forest, North Carolina: WSPA.com reported that two cats who were allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot. One had been shot with a small-caliber bullet and survived. The other had been shot twice with a BB gun and was expected to survive. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

April 2017/Clearfield, Utah: SLTrib.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found injured in a resident’s backyard. Responding authorities transported him to an animal shelter, where he was receiving veterinary treatment. It was believed that he’d been intentionally injured and that the case might be related to the torture and mutilation of a cat in the same area the previous month. (See the March 2017/Clearfield, Utah, entry below.) That case was still under investigation. Details about the more recent case weren’t being released, but authorities said that some of this cat’s injuries were similar to those sustained by the cat in the earlier case. This cat was expected to survive.

April 2017/Maricopa, Arizona: FOX10Phoenix.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had returned home with a 6-inch arrow through his shoulder. He was taken to a veterinary hospital, where the arrow was surgically removed and he received treatment. Another cat was found dead in the neighborhood. AZFamily.com reported that police were investigating and that the injured cat “is now an indoor cat.”

April 2017/Lompico, California: KSBW.com reported that four cats who were allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked and killed by two dogs who were also roaming without supervision. A fifth cat was attacked but survived. A neighbor said that he witnessed one of the fatal attacks. Authorities were alerted.

April 2017/Honolulu, Hawaii: KHON2.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had returned home bleeding. She was taken to a veterinary hospital, where she underwent surgery. Her owner said that he thought someone had shot her with a pellet gun. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified. The report said that in January, a cat had been found shot with a pellet or BB gun in Kalaeloa. Two weeks before that, a cat had been shot with an arrow in Nānākuli, and a month before that, a cat had been shot and killed with an arrow on Hawaii Island.

April 2017/Albuquerque, New Mexico: LCSun-News.com reported that an apparently homeless cat had been found dead and tested positive for plague. The report noted that cats are particularly susceptible to plague, which is easily spread among them.

April 2017/Houston, Texas: KHOU.com reported that two cats who were allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot. One was found by his owner dead in a field. The other was found badly injured at his owner’s doorstep. He was taken to a veterinarian, where X-rays revealed that he’d been shot in the eye and a lead pellet had lodged in his neck, behind his jaw. A later report said that he’d been scheduled for surgery, which would include the removal of an eye. Anyone with information was asked to call authorities, but no suspects were identified.

April 2017/Millersburg, Oregon: DemocratHerald.com reported that at least two cats who were allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked and killed by dogs who were also roaming without supervision. The dogs’ owner was cited.

April 2017/Jackson, Mississippi: WAPT.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had returned home injured. He was taken to a veterinarian and underwent surgery to remove a bullet from his leg. He was expected to have “a long road to recovery.” A reward was being offered for information in the case, but no suspects were identified.

April 2017/Brownsville, Texas: BrownsvilleHerald.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found hanged on a fence with a rope around his neck. Scratch marks on the fence indicated that he’d struggled before dying. Authorities were notified, but no suspects were identified.

April 2017/Fargo, North Dakota: KVRR.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found injured. He wasn’t bearing weight on a leg, which had a broken bone protruding from it. He was taken to a veterinarian, who found four bullet wounds and said that the bones in his elbow had been shattered. He underwent surgery and was expected to recover. ValleyNewsLive.com later reported that a second cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found dragging her back legs after being shot with a BB gun, paralyzing her. Examining veterinarians reportedly believed that the shooting was a deliberate act intended to cause pain and suffering, not death. She had also been pregnant but miscarried and had a serious infection in her spinal column, where one of the BBs had apparently lodged. Because of the infection, she couldn’t immediately undergo necessary surgery. Residents were asked to keep their cats indoors. It wasn’t reported whether authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

March 2017/Sacramento, California: SacBee.com reported that an apparently homeless cat had been found dangling from a chain-link fence after his leg became entangled and “badly broken.” An animal control officer was able to cut away the fencing, and the cat was transported to an emergency animal hospital. The leg was so badly damaged that it had to be amputated, and the cat was apparently recovering.

March 2017/Austin, Texas: KIIITV.com reported that four apparently homeless kittens had been found injured after a man started a controlled brush fire in a field. He heard them crying and was able to retrieve them and take them to an animal shelter. One had been badly burned. She was being treated with antibiotics, pain medication, topical cream, and eye drops. The kittens reportedly might need future treatment for lung conditions that can result from smoke inhalation.

March 2017/Santa Clara, Oregon: RegisterGuard.com printed a letter to the editor reporting that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had returned home injured. He was taken to a veterinary hospital, where it was determined that he’d been shot at close range with a pellet gun. The pellet entered one side of his body and traveled to the other side. He was treated and was recovering. It wasn’t reported whether authorities were notified, but no suspects were identified.

March 2017/Houston, Texas: Click2Houston.com reported that two homeless cats who were being fed in a neighborhood had been shot to death with a pellet gun. A neighbor was arrested after a witness allegedly saw him shoot at cats from his backyard. He faced three counts of cruelty to animals.

March 2017/Boise, Idaho: KBOI2.com reported that in one neighborhood, a dozen cats who were allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been killed in a week. One neighbor said that she’d found two of her “outdoor cats” dead. Residents believed that dogs roaming in the area without supervision had been attacking and killing cats. They were asked to keep cats indoors and call animal control if they saw dogs roaming without supervision again.

March 2017/Tucson, Arizona: TucsonNewsNow.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been lethargic when he returned home. He was taken to a veterinarian after his owner picked him up and “he let out these terrible sounds like he was in a lot of pain.” X-rays revealed that he’d been shot with a pellet gun and a pellet had become lodged in his abdomen. He was treated and was recovering. Authorities were notified, but no suspects were identified.

March 2017/Brooklyn, New York: News12.com reported that a homeless cat had been shot in the face with an arrow. She was found with it piercing her cheek and was taken to a veterinary hospital, where it was removed and she was being treated. If she recovers, those who found her are considering abandoning her back onto the streets.

March 2017/Milford, Michigan: Freep.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been seen near a wooded area dragging a steel-jaw trap that was clamped onto his leg. Responding police officers were able to transport him to a veterinary hospital, where it was determined that the trap had likely been on his leg for some time and the leg had become severely infected. It had to be amputated at the shoulder, and he was undergoing treatment. It wasn’t reported whether authorities were investigating.

March 2017/Brattleboro, Vermont: SentinelSource.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found near some railroad tracks showing possible symptoms of rabies. A responding police officer, who found the animal “in some kind of distress that appeared to the officer to be consistent with rabid behavior,” shot and killed the cat. An investigation into the incident was undertaken.

March 2017/Town of Halsey, Wisconsin: WausauDailyHerald.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot, likely with a shotgun. The cat was taken to a veterinary hospital and underwent surgery to have a front shoulder and leg amputated. A male driving a pickup truck had been seen near the driveway of the residence at the time the cat was shot. Authorities were asking anyone with information to contact them, but no suspects were identified.

March 2017/Homeland, California: CBSLocal.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found with a plastic jar stuck on her head. She was emaciated, and both of her ears were infested with maggots. Responding to a call from a concerned resident, an animal control officer was able to free her and transport her to an animal shelter for treatment. PE.com later reported that she had been mercifully euthanized because of the severity of her condition, which also included severe dehydration and areas of necrotic tissue. She had also been pregnant and gave birth to four kittens while at the shelter.

March 2017/Midland, Michigan: MLive.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found injured on the side of a road. He was taken to an animal shelter, where it was determined that he’d been shot. He was transferred to a veterinary hospital, where he underwent surgery, including the amputation of a toe. His wounds were treated for infection, and a second surgery would possibly be needed. Authorities were asking anyone with information to contact them, but no suspects were identified.

March 2017/Rexburg, Idaho: EastIdahoNews.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot with a crossbow arrow. He was found in his owner’s garage with an arrow through his leg, resulting in a broken bone, and was taken to a veterinarian for treatment. It was later reported that a teenager in the neighborhood had admitted to shooting him and agreed to pay for his medical care. No charges were filed.

March 2017/Clearfield, Utah: KUTV.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found with numerous broken bones, including his ribs and toes, and had apparently been badly beaten and burned with hot glue. His eyes had been glued shut, and hot glue had also been poured on his genitals. Parts of his body had also been shaved, and his whiskers had been cut. FOX13Now.com later reported that he had died from the injuries. Anyone with information about the incident was asked to call authorities, but no suspects were identified.

March 2017/Phoenix, Arizona: FOX10Phoenix.com reported that two cats who were allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found dead and three others had been mutilated over a one-month period. Some of them were found with parts of their bodies apparently cut off, and one was found with his intestines “wrapped … around his neck.” Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

March 2017/Millcreek, Utah: FOX13Now.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found with a crossbow bolt lodged in his neck and wounds on his face from being shot with a pellet gun. He was taken to a veterinary office for treatment, where it was determined that he’d likely been shot several days before he was found. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

March 2017/San Bernardino County, California: FOX43.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been hit by a car. When the passenger of the car got out to retrieve the injured animal, the woman was hit by another car and sustained severe head trauma. She was taken to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead. It apparently wasn’t known what happened to the cat.

February 2017/Handy Township, Michigan: Freep.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had returned home, after being missing for two days, with open wounds, matted fur, and a bloody, ruptured eye and covered with feces. He was taken to a veterinary hospital, where it was determined that he’d been shot more than 12 times in the head, abdomen, legs, and paw. Multiple BBs were found in his mouth, suggesting that someone had put the barrel of a gun inside and then pulled the trigger. A blowgun dart was also found embedded in his tail. Evidence suggested that he’d been trapped in a box trap and intentionally tortured. It wasn’t reported whether authorities had been notified, but no suspects were identified.

February 2017/Tulsa, Oklahoma: FOX23.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked and killed by two dogs who were also roaming unsupervised. The cat’s owner was arrested after he ran over one of the dogs with his truck and then beat the dog to death with a baseball bat. Witnesses apparently intervened before he could hurt the second dog, and police were unable to trace the dead dog’s owner immediately.

February 2017/Castle Rock, Colorado: CBSLocal.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found injured on a highway. A state trooper transported her to an animal shelter, where she was being treated for abrasions to her nose and paws. She was expected to recover.

February 2017/Ashland, Kentucky: DailyIndependent.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found badly injured in the middle of a busy street, apparently after he or she had been hit by a car. A good Samaritan called authorities, who collected the cat, but the animal later died.

February 2017/Athens, Wisconsin: WSAW.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found injured after his owners heard a gunshot and went outside. He sustained a “hole on top of the shoulder [that] was so big, I could’ve shoved my fist right in there,” his owner said. The cat was taken to a veterinary hospital and underwent surgery to amputate a leg. Authorities were notified, but no suspects were identified.

February 2017/Coeur d’Alene, Idaho: BonnerCountyDailyBee.com reported that an apparently homeless cat had been found by a good Samaritan badly injured and drenched with motor oil. The animal was taken to a veterinary hospital, where deep cuts consistent with a noose were identified on the neck, oil was found in the lungs, his or her body temperature was so low that it didn’t register, and the cat was having seizures. He or she was euthanized after “several hours” of treatment. The cat was found in the same area where another had been discovered the previous year with a blow dart in the face. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

February 2017/Havre de Grace, Maryland: Patch.com reported that a cat who was part of a colony being fed by members of a group that sterilizes and abandons cats on the street, called Stray Streets TNR, had been found dead with “visible injuries.” A note was left next to the animal that read, “The cats must go.” According to a spokesperson for the group, another cat fed at that location had been shot with a BB gun and others had been poisoned the previous summer. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

February 2017/Jacksonville, Florida: ActionNewsJax.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot with an arrow. She was taken to a veterinary hospital, where she underwent surgery and was apparently recovering. It wasn’t reported whether authorities had been notified, but no suspects were identified.

February 2017/Jackson, Tennessee: WBBJTV.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been mauled by two dogs whose owner had purposely unleashed them to attack her. A witness to the incident said that the suspect appeared to be videotaping the cat’s mauling after releasing his dogs. She was taken to a veterinary hospital and had to be euthanized because of the extent of her injuries. Authorities were investigating, and a reward was being offered for information about the identity of the suspect.

February 2017/Grand Rapids, Michigan: MLive.com reported that an apparently homeless kitten had become trapped in a storm drain filled with water. Stormwater crews had to clear standing water from the drain, which took about 12 hours. The kitten, who was described as emaciated and infested with fleas, was taken to an animal shelter.

February 2017/Callahan, Florida: News4JAX.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot to death with an arrow. A dog belonging to the same family—and who was also allowed to roam outdoors without supervision—had also been found shot to death at the back of the property. A juvenile neighbor admitted to authorities that he had shot the dog. He said that the animal had been chasing and killing chickens on his family’s property. No charges were filed.

February 2017/Knox County, Tennessee: Local8Now.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot in the leg and chest with a .22-caliber weapon. He was taken to a veterinary hospital, where he underwent surgery to remove the bullets. A police report was filed, and no suspects had been identified.

February 2017/Palmetto Bay, Florida: Local10.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been attacked and killed by two dogs, who were also roaming without supervision. The cat’s owner shot the dogs, killing one and injuring the other. Authorities took both dogs to the county animal shelter, where the surviving one was evaluated and underwent surgery. The dogs’ owner was expected to be cited.

February 2017/Beaumont, Texas: 12NewsNow.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot in the stomach with a pellet gun. He was taken to a veterinary hospital, where he underwent surgery and was in critical condition. It wasn’t reported if authorities had been alerted, and no suspects had been identified.

February 2017/Victoria, Texas: VictoriaAdvocate.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot with an arrow and seriously injured. No suspects were identified, and no additional details were given.

February 2017/Knoxville, Tennessee: WATE.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot and killed by a neighbor. The neighbor admitted to authorities that he had killed the cat after the animal entered his home and attacked his own cat. He was cited for cruelty to animals and discharging a weapon within city limits.

January 2017/Ormond Beach, Florida: ClickOrlando.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot with a BB gun, becoming paralyzed. The cat was found under a trailer and had to be euthanized because of the extent of the injuries. A neighbor admitted to shooting the cat when the animal defecated in his yard. The case was under investigation, and felony charges were being considered.

January 2017/Paris, Kentucky: WKYT.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been shot at close range with a pellet gun. Found “screaming in pain” and unable to walk, he was taken to a veterinarian and was being treated. It wasn’t reported whether authorities had been notified. No suspects had been identified.

January 2017/Dover, Delaware: News.Delaware.gov reported that three cats who were allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had contracted the highly contagious feline distemper virus, also called feline panleukopenia. One died, and the other two were so sick that they had to be euthanized. According to the report, “all had direct or indirect contact with unvaccinated outdoor cats.”

January 2017/Morgantown, West Virginia: DominionPost.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found injured and trapped in the engine compartment of a running car, where she likely had crawled for warmth. Volunteer firefighters were able to free her, but she had sustained serious injuries that could require the amputation of one of her legs. She was being treated.

January 2017/Yonkers, New York: DailyVoice.com reported that a cat who was homeless or allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found injured after apparently being hit by a car. He was taken to a veterinary hospital, where he died.

January 2017/Bayonne, New Jersey: ABC7NY.com reported that a homeless cat being fed by a resident had been found with an arrow through his body. It had entered through the shoulder. He was taken to a veterinary hospital and was being treated. Authorities were investigating, and no suspects had been identified.

January 2017/New Orleans, Louisiana: WWLTV.com reported that a cat who was part of colony being fed on a school campus had been found dead and that “the scene suggested a violent struggle” with another animal. A student said that since the cat was found dead, some 50 additional cats who usually roamed the campus had not been seen.

January 2017/Spokane, Washington: KREM.com reported that an apparently homeless kitten had been found nearly frozen to death in an abandoned garage. He was taken to an animal shelter and required immediate medical care. It took more than two hours of oxygen therapy and warm fluids before his temperature would even register. He was apparently recovering.

January 2017/Kalaeloa, Hawaii: KHON2.com reported that an apparently homeless cat had been shot with a BB or pellet gun. The animal died at a resident’s front door. This was reportedly the third incident in which a cat was intentionally harmed and killed within a month. Authorities were investigating, and no suspects had been identified.

January 2017/Honolulu, Hawaii: KHON2.com reported that a homeless cat being fed in a neighborhood had shown up on someone’s doorstep with an arrow through her body. It had been in her for at least two days before she was captured and taken to an animal shelter, where she was being treated. Authorities were investigating, and no suspects had been identified.

January 2017/Upper Township, New Jersey: NJ.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been found badly injured. She was taken to a veterinary hospital, where it was determined that she’d been shot with a BB gun. Wounds were found consistent with BBs in her chest and hip, and her pelvis was fractured. She was euthanized because of the extent of the injuries. Authorities were investigating, and no suspects had been identified.

January 2017/Logan, Utah: HJNews.com reported that an apparently homeless kitten had been found by a trash collector, barely alive in subzero temperatures. She was almost completely frozen, emaciated, and covered with ice and was taken to an animal shelter, where she was placed on heating pads and given fluid therapy. She had sustained serious frostbite around her ears but was expected to survive.

January 2017/West Jordan, Utah: FOX13Now.com reported that an apparently homeless kitten had been found malnourished and frozen to a blanket on a resident’s windowsill. She was taken to an animal shelter, where it was determined that she had also sustained frostbite on her ears. She was being treated, and it was expected to take “some time” for her to recover.

January 2017/Charleston, South Carolina: Live5News.com reported that a cat who was allowed to roam outdoors without supervision had been seen running into a drainpipe near a ditch with an arrow protruding from his leg. He was then found under his owner’s home and taken to a veterinary hospital, where he underwent surgery on the leg, which had been broken. Authorities were investigating, but no suspects were identified.

Take a look at even more reasons never to let your cat outside unattended, and pledge to keep cats safe indoors.

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