The headless cat was taken to the Animed Veterinary Centre

by Sian Napier

An angry vet has slammed the RSPCA after it told a woman to put a headless cat in her wheelie bin.

The woman found the decapitated pet, which was also missing part of its tail, in her front garden in Woodman Avenue, Swalecliffe.

After being told by the RSPCA to put it in her bin, she decided to take it to her vet instead and told them what had happened.

Mark Moreton, from the Animed practice in Oxford Street, Whitstable, said: "It is the most inappropriate advice that could possibly be given.

"She should have been told to take it to a vet's because many cats are microchipped now and their owners can be traced.

"Because she brought it here we were able to scan it. Unfortunately it was not microchipped so we can't identify the cat and let the owner know. But if it had been put in a bin then we would not have had the chance to do so."

Mr Moreton said the cat was a white healthy female which had been well looked after. He said the head had been severed cleanly and there was no blood on the animal nor in the garden where it was found.

He said: "The woman who brought the cat in to us also said the RSPCA told her it had no money nor time to deal with it. It is not a great thing to say.

"We shall try to identify this cat and will go through the registers of missing animals in the hope that we can.

"It is really hard to say how the cat died. It is a clean wound and I think the cat was killed or died and then someone cut its head off. It does not look like an accident to us."

RSPCA spokesman Klare Kennett said she would talk to the charity's control room as the best advice in these circumstances iss to take the animal to a vet's in case it could be identified.

She said: "We are extra busy at Christmas and our inspectors would not have come out to this kind of incident, but our control room should tell people to go to a vet.

"But I do not agree that the cat was killed by someone. You will not believe the number of calls we get like this.

"Often cats die or are involved in an accident and a fox finds the body and takes the head off cleanly. Sadly, in our experience, it is wildlife that does this and not humans."

If you think this may be your cat contact Mr Moreton on 01227 273005.