A cat was left almost bald after her owner plucked her hair out in what an RSPCA inspector described as being one of the worst cases of animal cruelty she had experienced.
The cries of Luthien, a pregnant six-month-old feline, were heard by a neighbour at the Manchester flat where she was abused by her owner, who was subsequently prosecuted. When officers and the RSPCA found the terrified cat, they said most of her fur had been ripped from her body.
Rescue and recovery
Luthien was rescued from the flat in June 2024 and taken to a vet for treatment before giving birth to four kittens. Her owner, who has not been named, admitted an Animal Welfare offence and was banned from keeping animals for 12 months. He was also ordered to pay a £40 fine and £100 costs.
RSPCA Inspector Jess Araujo said it was unlike anything she had seen in eight years of investigating cruelty cases. She said: "I have been an inspector for eight years but I had not seen anything like this before in terms of cruelty. Poor Luthien was only a six-month-old kitten and most of her fur had been plucked from her body. This must have been terrifying and painful for her. She was also pregnant at the time so the added stress of this would have been awful. She was pinned down screaming in pain while this happened - and we are not sure how many times she was subjected to this treatment. The RSPCA attended the address with the police and the owner agreed to sign her over into our care."
Rehoming and warning
A vet said the owner repeatedly held Luthien by the neck before subjecting her to up to five minutes of agonising fur-plucking. The traumatised cat was so clingy after being rescued that staff at the RSPCA's Crewe and Nantwich District Branch renamed her Velcro.
Thankfully, her fur has now grown back and she has been rehomed with new owner Kathy Miller, 75, from Cheadle, Staffs. Kathy said: "When I first saw her I was shocked at her lack of fur. I was told what had happened and it just made me sick to think of all the pain and suffering she must have gone through while pregnant too. She is such a lovely-natured girl and very sweet but she still won't sit on my knee."
The case comes as the RSPCA warns of an alarming rise in animal cruelty. New figures show the charity received 6,322 cruelty calls during June, July and August last year. That compares with 3,852 calls during the same period in 2021, a massive 64 per cent increase over five years.
