FREDERICTON — Shaun Nixon's concern for his family's missing pet cat named Cuddles turned to anger when he saw her remains — cut in half and posed to look like she was sleeping.
"The cat's head was resting on her front paws as if she was sound asleep. It was definitely posed that way," Nixon said Tuesday from his home in Fredericton.
An increase in the number of missing cats in the Nashwaaksis area of Fredericton, along with indications of possible foul play, has police and SPCA officials encouraging people to keep their pets inside.
Nixon's cat went missing on Sept. 21 and was found by a neighbour two days later, not far from his home.
Cuddles was a stray that was taken in by the family more than a year ago as a pet for Nixon's six-year-old son. The cat bonded with the boy and would sleep with him every night.
Police spokeswoman Alycia Bartlett says the remains of about seven cats have been found in recent weeks and a necropsy on one of them indicates it was probably killed by a human.
"That veterinarian does tell us there is a possibility and a strong likelihood that the cat was intentionally harmed," she said.
Deane Landry of the Stray Bits Animal Advocacy Group said there has been a spike in the number of missing cats in the Nashwaaksis area since July and estimates that more than 35 cats have disappeared.
"It's higher because not everybody takes the time to report their pet missing," she said. "There are probably quite a few that have gone unreported."
Landry said it's clear the Nixons' cat was the victim of foul play.
"There's definitely a human element to it," she said. "There is someone out there that is harming cats."
Hilary Howes, executive director of the SPCA in New Brunswick, said there are likely a number of reasons for the increase in missing or dead cats including predatory animals or being hit by cars.
Howes said he doesn't like to focus on the numbers.
"Social media has a tendency to blow things out of proportion so we try to stay away from doing anything to facilitate that," he said.
Howes is waiting to hear the necropsy results on the Nixons' cat, but the results seem apparent.
"The real indications are that it was done by something other than a wild animal or natural causes," he said.
Howes said he's confident the police investigation will be successful, but pet owners should keep their pets inside for the time being.
As for the Nixons, they've adopted another stray cat as a member of their family.
